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Legendary Nigerian musician and cultural icon Fela Anikulapo Kuti is set to be honoured posthumously with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards, becoming the first African artist to receive the prestigious recognition. The honour comes almost three decades after his death, marking a significant milestone for African music on the global stage.
Fela, the pioneer and undisputed king of Afrobeat, died in 1997 at the age of 58. His son, Afrobeat musician and activist Seun Kuti, described the Grammy recognition as a long-overdue acknowledgement of his father’s enduring impact on music and culture worldwide.
“Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it,” Seun said, adding that the award represents “bringing balance to a Fela story” and calling it “a double victory.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the recording field. This year, Fela joins a distinguished list of honourees that includes Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, and Paul Simon. Members of Fela’s family and close associates are expected to be present at the ceremony to receive the award on his behalf.
Rikki Stein, Fela’s longtime friend and former manager, also welcomed the announcement, describing the recognition as overdue but meaningful. According to him, the honour reflects the growing appreciation of African music and its influence around the world.
“It’s better late than never,” Stein said, noting that global audiences and institutions are only now beginning to fully grasp the depth and reach of African musical innovation.
Fela’s influence continues to resonate strongly in contemporary African music. His revolutionary Afrobeat sound laid the foundation for what is now globally celebrated as Afrobeats. In 2024, the Recording Academy introduced a Best African Performance category at the Grammys, a move widely seen as a nod to the genre’s explosive global growth. Nigerian superstar Burna Boy, who has often cited Fela as a major influence, is nominated this year for Best Global Music Album.
Reflecting on the broader significance of the honour, Seun Kuti stressed that the award goes beyond personal pride. “The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it’s my father,” he said, underscoring Fela’s universal message and legacy.
Fela Anikulapo Kuti was far more than a musician. He was a fearless political activist, pan-Africanist, and cultural philosopher who used music as a weapon against oppression. His songs challenged corruption, authoritarianism, colonial mentality, and social injustice, often putting him at odds with Nigeria’s military rulers.
One of the most defining moments of his life occurred in 1977 after the release of his album Zombie, which openly ridiculed the Nigerian military. The album triggered a violent raid on his communal residence, the Kalakuta Republic. During the attack, his mother, the renowned activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, was fatally injured. In response, Fela transformed his grief into protest music, releasing tracks such as Coffin for Head of State to confront the authorities.
“He wasn’t doing what he was doing to win awards. He was interested in liberation. Freeing the mind. He was fearless. He was determined,” Stein said.
Over a career that spanned more than three decades, Fela released over 50 albums, blending jazz, funk, highlife, traditional West African rhythms, and biting political commentary. Alongside drummer Tony Allen, he developed Afrobeat into a powerful musical and ideological movement that has influenced generations of artists across Africa and the diaspora.
His sound was shaped in part by Ghanaian highlife, evident in Afrobeat’s rich horn arrangements and infectious grooves. On stage, Fela was a commanding presence—often bare-chested or dressed in vibrant African prints, saxophone in hand, leading large ensembles of musicians and dancers at his iconic Afrika Shrine in Lagos.
“When Fela played, nobody applauded. The audience wasn’t separate. They were part of it,” Stein recalled.
Nearly 30 years after his passing, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award stands as a powerful affirmation of Fela Kuti’s lasting legacy—one that continues to inspire music, resistance, and cultural pride around the world.
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