President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has described the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, as a fearless voice of the people and a revolutionary force whose music reshaped global sound, following his posthumous recognition with the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
In a State House statement, President Tinubu said Fela was more than a musician, noting that he was a philosopher of freedom whose courage, creativity, and conviction confronted injustice and defined a generation, while continuing to inspire the world.
The President stated that Fela, who becomes the first African to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, though posthumously, has blazed a trail for Africa on the global music stage. He described the honour as an affirmation of Fela’s enduring global influence and the foundational role he played in the evolution of modern music and Africa’s impact on it.
According to President Tinubu, Fela’s influence remains evident in generations of Nigerian musicians, as well as in Afrobeats and other global music genres, having defined and popularised Afrobeat as a distinct sound.
Invoking Yoruba mythology, the President said Fela has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa, adding that his legacy has become eternal.
“Fela lives,” President Tinubu declared.
