• Afrobeat pioneer’s legacy lives on, says President
• Late musician becomes first African recipient of the award
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid a glowing tribute to legendary Afrobeat pioneer, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also described the award as a well-deserved honour for an enduring global icon.
The President was reacting to the posthumous recognition of Fela with the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award, also known as the Grammy Awards.
In a tribute he personally issued yesterday in Abuja to celebrate Fela’s award, President Tinubu described the late musician as a towering figure whose influence transcended music, culture and generations, saying the world had honoured “a giant”.
The President said Fela was more than a musician, portraying him as 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,” President Tinubu said.
The President noted that in the Yoruba mythology, Fela had transcended to a higher spiritual plane and become eternal.
He said the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award marked a historic milestone, as Fela became the first African to receive the honour, albeit posthumously.
President Tinubu also said the recognition affirmed Fela’s enduring global influence and the foundational role he played in shaping the evolution and global impact of African music.
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The President said the late music icon defined Afrobeat as a genre and that his influence remained evident across generations of Nigerian musicians, as well as in contemporary Afrobeats and global music beyond Africa.
“Fela lives,” President Tinubu declared, underscoring that the musician’s ideals, sound and cultural impact remain alive decades after his passing.
The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award is conferred on performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording, placing Fela among an elite group of global music legends.
Also, Atiku hailed Fela as unforgettable, iconic and irrepressible, noting that the late musician’s influence continues to resonate decades after his death.
The former Vice President referred to Fela by his famed moniker, Abami Eda, saying the legend “lives on” through his music, message and fearless spirit.
He described the Grammy recognition as a fitting tribute to a trailblazer whose art transcended entertainment and became a powerful voice against oppression and injustice.
The award, the former Vice President noted, has further cemented Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s status as one of Africa’s most influential cultural figures.