Description

Queen Alake Anikulapo-Kuti-Short

After General Olusegun Obasanjo’s soldiers raided Fela’s Kalakuta Republic compound at Yaba in 1977, burning down Fela’s house, abused the women living there and threw his dear mother out of the window, Fela’s was now disoriented, his life and livelihood were in chaos and his female bandmembers were living in sin, getting flack instead of respect as they lived with Fela in sin, at his new Ikeja compound.

It was said, because many of them were from Ghana, that they would get deported, ruining his band and sound because Obasanjo’s Administration had it out for him so to keep his band together, in a move that blew everyone away, 1978, he married all 27 of his dancers and singers at the Parisona Hotel in Lagos.

That night in 82, when Fela invited Lief and myself to stay for his performance at the Ikeja Shrine, we became spellbound by the rhythmic gyration of his talented dancers, enraptured in their African beauty and exotic make-up, lovingly accompanying Fela’s music with seductive sexuality.