The global music community has paid tribute to one of its most influential figures as the Recording Academy of the United States honoured the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Joining millions worldwide in celebrating the recognition, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu described Fela as far more than a musician, hailing him as a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary whose art challenged injustice and reshaped global sound.

 

“Fela’s courage, creativity, and conviction defined a generation and continue to inspire the world,” President Tinubu said, stressing that the Afrobeat icon’s legacy transcends time, geography, and culture.

 

Drawing from Yoruba mythology, the President reflected on Fela’s spiritual immortality, noting that the legendary musician has transcended into an Orisa—a higher, eternal realm—through the power of his ideas, music, and enduring influence.

 

The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award makes Fela Anikulapo Kuti the first African to receive the prestigious honour posthumously. The recognition affirms his lasting global impact and highlights his foundational role in shaping modern music while amplifying Africa’s voice on the world stage.

 

Fela is widely credited with creating and defining Afrobeat, a genre that blends traditional African rhythms with jazz, funk, and highlife, using music as a tool for political expression and social critique. His influence continues to echo through generations of Nigerian musicians and remains deeply embedded in contemporary Afrobeats and global popular music.

 

As tributes pour in from across cultures and continents, one message stands firm: though Fela has passed on, his spirit, message, and music live forever.