President Bola Tinubu has celebrated legendary Afrobeat pioneer, late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, on the historic Grammy Lifetime Achievement award.
In a statement personally signed by the President on Sunday, Tinubu reiterated the importance of Fela Kuti’s sound in African music, describing him as a fearless voice of the people.
The President reflected on how Fela’s music confronted injustice and reshaped the global sound.
Tinubu wrote, “The world of music has honoured a giant: Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
“Fela was more than a musician. He was a fearless voice of the people, a philosopher of freedom, and a revolutionary force whose music confronted injustice and reshaped global sound.
“His courage, creativity, and conviction defined a generation and continue to inspire the world. In Yoruba mythology, he has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa. He is now eternal.”
The President added, “Fela Kuti has blazed the trail with the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African to receive this honour, though posthumously. 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.
“He defined Afrobeat, and you can hear and see his influence in generations of Nigerian musicians and in Afrobeats and beyond.”
“Fela lives,” President Tinubu concluded.
