Music/ Fela Kuti to receive posthumous Grammy lifetime achievement Award
The late Nigerian icon Fela Kuti will be honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, marking a historic, if belated, global recognition for the Afrobeat pioneer nearly three decades after his death.
Fela, long revered as a musical legend and political agitator, is the first African artist to receive this accolade.
The award acknowledges his immense cultural impact and his fusion of complex rhythms with fiercely political lyrics that challenged Nigerian military regimes.
His son, musician Seun Kuti, hailed the decision as bringing “balance to the Fela story.”
Fela created Afrobeat; a distinct genre from the Afrobeat of today with drummer Tony Allen, crafting a potent sound of resistance.
His music led to severe repression, including a deadly 1977 army raid on his Lagos commune.
The Grammy honour coincides with the industry’s growing engagement with African music, following the introduction of a Best African Music Performance category last year.
For the legacy of Fela, the award finally places the revolutionary artist in the global pantheon he helped shape.
