Fela Kuti makes history with Grammy Lifetime Achievement award

Legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti is set to receive a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards, almost 30 years after his death, in what is being described as a historic first for an African musician.

Very Nigerian reports that the recognition comes at a time when African music is gaining wider global attention, following the international success of Afrobeats and the introduction of the Grammys’ Best African Performance category in 2024.

Fela, who is widely regarded as the creator of Afrobeat, used his music to address social issues, politics and injustice, influencing generations of artists within and outside Africa.

Reacting to the honour, his son and fellow Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, said the award was long overdue. “Fela has been in the hearts of the people for such a long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it’s a double victory. It’s bringing balance to a Fela story,” he said.

Long-time friend and former manager Rikki Stein also welcomed the recognition, describing it as “better late than never”, while noting that Africa had historically been marginalised in global music award considerations.

Members of Fela’s family, friends and colleagues are expected to attend the Grammy ceremony to receive the award on his behalf, to celebrate his legacy that fused music with political resistance and cultural assertion.

Beyond music, Fela was a fierce critic of social injustice, corruption and military rule in Nigeria, using his art as a weapon against oppression, a stance that frequently put him at odds with successive military governments.

His activism reached a flashpoint in 1977 after the release of Zombie, when soldiers raided and burnt his Lagos commune, Kalakuta Republic, an attack that led to the death of his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, following injuries she sustained.

Rather than retreat, Fela responded with renewed defiance, famously carrying his mother’s coffin to government offices and releasing Coffin for Head of State, transforming personal loss into political protest.

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