Apple Inc. has unveiled the new MacBook Air, powered by the M5 chip, featuring the 1971 song “Let’s Start” by Fela Anikulapo-Kuti as the soundtrack for its global campaign.
The tech giant introduced the laptop on Tuesday and released a promotional video on its YouTube channel, featuring the classic Afrobeat track as it showcases the device’s improved speed, performance, and ultra-slim design.
“Let’s Start” originally appeared on the live album Live!, recorded in London by Fela and his band Africa ’70 alongside legendary drummer Ginger Baker.
The track is widely regarded as one of the early recordings that helped define Fela’s distinctive Afrobeat sound.
The campaign arrives just weeks after Fela received a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in February, becoming the first African artist to receive the recognition from The Recording Academy.
“Let’s Start” has previously gained international exposure in the 2021 western film The Harder They Fall, produced by Jay-Z and directed by Jeymes Samuel.
The film starred actors including Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, and LaKeith Stanfield.
Industry observers say the sync placement could give Fela’s music renewed global reach, as Apple’s product launch videos typically attract millions of viewers across its website, social platforms, and Apple Music.
The renewed attention may also lead listeners to explore other iconic tracks in Fela’s catalogue, including Zombie, Water No Get Enemy, and Expensive Shit.
Fela Kuti, who died in 1997, remains widely regarded as the pioneer of Afrobeat — a genre blending jazz, highlife, and traditional African rhythms with sharp social and political commentary.
