By Ayomide Otitoju
President Bola Tinubu has paid tribute to Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti following the musician’s posthumous recognition with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, describing him as a fearless advocate for justice whose influence spans generations.
In a statement on Sunday, Tinubu hailed Fela as more than a musician, portraying him as a revolutionary whose art challenged injustice and reshaped global music culture. “The world of music has honoured a giant: Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Fela was more than a musician. He was a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force whose music confronted injustice and reshaped global sound,” the President said. He added that Fela’s courage, creativity, and conviction defined an era and continue to inspire the world. “In Yoruba mythology, he has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa. He is now eternal. Fela lives.”
Fela was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on January 31, 2026, at the Recording Academy’s Special Merit Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, on the eve of the 68th Annual Grammy Awards. He is the first African artist to receive the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, which honours performers who have made outstanding contributions to the recording field over their lifetimes. Other honorees at the ceremony included Chaka Khan, Cher, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, and Whitney Houston, who was also recognised posthumously.
The award was accepted on Fela’s behalf by his children, Femi, Yeni, and Kunle Kuti, in the presence of family, friends, and prominent figures from the global music industry. During the presentation, Fela was described as a “producer, arranger, political radical, outlaw and the father of Afrobeat.” Femi Kuti said, “Thank you for bringing our father here. It’s so important for us, it’s so important for Africa, it’s so important for world peace and the struggle.” Yeni Kuti added that while the recognition was “better late than never,” there is still “a way to go” in fully acknowledging African artists globally. Seun Kuti called the honour a “symbolic moment,” saying, “Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it’s a double victory. It’s bringing balance to a Fela story. The global human tapestry needs this, not just because it’s my father.”
Born Olufela Ransome-Kuti in 1938 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Fela was the son of Anglican minister and anti-colonial activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. He travelled to London in 1958 to study medicine but later switched to music at Trinity College, where his artistic journey began.
In the 1960s, Fela pioneered Afrobeat with drummer Tony Allen, blending West African rhythms, Yoruba music, Ghanaian highlife, jazz, funk, and soul, often with politically charged lyrics and extended improvisation. Over three decades, he released more than 50 albums with bands including Africa 70 and Egypt 80, performing regularly at Lagos’ iconic Afrika Shrine.
His music criticised military rule, corruption, social injustice, and imperialism while promoting pan-Africanism and African-centred socialism. His 1977 album Zombie, which condemned military authoritarianism, triggered a brutal raid on his Kalakuta Republic commune, resulting in injuries to his mother that later led to her death. Despite repeated arrests and imprisonment, Amnesty International recognised him as a prisoner of conscience, and his funeral reportedly drew over one million mourners in Lagos, underscoring his influence beyond music.
Fela’s legacy continues to inspire artists including Beyoncé, Paul McCartney, Thom Yorke, Burna Boy, Wizkid, Kendrick Lamar, Kelly Rowland, and Idris Elba. His influence is evident in modern Afrobeats and global cultural movements celebrating African musical identity.
The Grammy honour follows the 2025 induction of Fela’s Zombie into the Grammy Hall of Fame and comes amid growing recognition of African music by the Recording Academy, including the introduction of the Best African Music Performance category in 2024.
