President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has celebrated the posthumous Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed on the late Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, describing the honour as a powerful affirmation of the musician’s enduring global influence and Africa’s impact on modern music.
In a statement, the President said the award by the Recording Academy of America underscores the foundational role Fela played in shaping contemporary sounds across the world, noting that the late maestro was far more than an entertainer.
According to Tinubu, Fela was “a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force” whose music boldly confronted injustice while redefining global musical expression.
“His courage, creativity, and conviction defined a generation and continue to inspire the world,” the President said. “In Yoruba mythology, he has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa. He is now eternal.”
READ ALSO: Kendrick Lamar tops Grammy nominations list ahead of 68th awards ceremony
Tinubu highlighted the historic nature of the recognition, noting that Fela Kuti has become the first African to receive the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, albeit posthumously.
“Fela Kuti has blazed the trail with the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award,” he said. “The award is an affirmation of his enduring global influence and the foundational role he has played in the evolution and impact of Africa on modern music.”
The President further acknowledged Fela’s lasting legacy in shaping Afrobeat as a genre, stressing that his influence remains evident in successive generations of Nigerian musicians and in the global Afrobeats movement.
“He defined Afrobeat, and you can hear and see his influence in generations of Nigerian musicians and in Afrobeats and beyond,” Tinubu added.
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, renowned for his fusion of traditional African rhythms, jazz and funk with politically charged lyrics, remains one of Africa’s most influential cultural figures decades after his death.