Three decades after his death, legendary Nigerian musician and Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, is set to receive one of global music’s most prestigious honours.
The Recording Academy has announced that Fela will be posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the forthcoming Grammy Awards, making him the first African musician to receive the honour, according to the BBC.
The recognition celebrates Fela’s enduring impact on music, culture, and political expression worldwide.
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As the founder of Afrobeat, his revolutionary sound and fearless ideology have influenced generations of artists across Africa and beyond with his revolutionary sound and fearless ideology.
Reacting to the announcement, Fela’s son and Afrobeat star, Seun Kuti, described the honour as deeply emotional and symbolic.
“Fela has lived in the hearts of the people for a very long time. Now the Grammys have recognised that, and it feels like a double victory. It brings balance to the Fela story,” he said.
Fela’s former manager and longtime collaborator, Rikki Stein, also welcomed the development, describing it as long overdue.
“Africa hasn’t historically ranked high in their interests, but I think that is changing now,” Stein noted.
The BBC reports that the honour comes amid growing global interest in African music, driven largely by the international rise of Afrobeats a genre rooted in Fela’s pioneering work. This shift was further highlighted by the Grammys’ introduction of the Best African Performance category in 2024.
Family members, close associates, and friends of the late musician are expected to attend the ceremony to accept the award on his behalf.
Beyond music, Fela was renowned for his relentless criticism of corruption, military rul,e and social injustice in Nigeria. His activism often put him in direct conflict with successive military regimes.
That confrontation peaked in 1977 after the release of his protest song Zombie, when soldiers invaded and destroyed his Lagos commune, the Kalakuta Republic. The attack led to the death of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, from injuries sustained during the raid.
In response, Fela famously carried his mother’s coffin to government offices and released Coffin for Head of State, transforming personal tragedy into a powerful political statement.
Almost 30 years after his passing, the Grammy honour stands as a landmark recognition of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s lasting legacy, not only as a musical genius but as a fearless global symbol of resistance, justice, and African identity.
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