Nearly 30 years after his passing, legendary Nigerian musician and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti is set to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards, making him the first African musician to receive this prestigious recognition.
The Recording Academy highlighted Fela’s profound and lasting influence on music, culture, and political expression worldwide. As the founder of Afrobeat, his revolutionary sound and fearless activism have inspired generations of artists across Africa and the globe.
Fela’s son, Afrobeat star Seun Kuti, described the recognition as “both emotional and significant,” noting that the award brings balance to his father’s story and celebrates his enduring presence in the hearts of people everywhere.
Fela’s former manager, Rikki Stein, also welcomed the honour, acknowledging that it was long overdue and marking a shift in global recognition for African artists. The award coincides with a surge in international interest in African music, exemplified by the Grammys’ launch of the Best African Performance category in 2024.
The ceremony will see Fela’s family, friends, and close associates attend to accept the award on his behalf, celebrating a legacy that seamlessly blended music with political resistance and cultural assertion.
He wielded his music as a tool of protest, a posture that repeatedly placed him at odds with successive military regimes.
That defiance reached a tragic climax in 1977 after the release of his protest anthem Zombie, when soldiers stormed and razed his Lagos commune, the Kalakuta Republic.
The brutal raid resulted in the death of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, who succumbed to injuries sustained during the attack.
Unbowed by the tragedy, Fela responded with even greater resistance famously taking his mother’s coffin to government offices and releasing Coffin for Head of State, turning personal grief into a searing political statement.
Almost 30 years after his passing, the Grammy honour stands as a landmark recognition of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s enduring legacy not only as a musical genius, but as a fearless global voice for resistance, justice and African identity.
