Fela’s Grammy: Music World Has Honoured A Giant, Says Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has eulogised Afrobeat icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, following the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award conferred on the late musician.

In a statement he personally signed on Sunday, Tinubu said the world of music has honoured a giant.

The president described Fela as 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.”

According to Tinubu, Fela’s 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.”

Tinubu said Fela has blazed the trail with the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African to receive the 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.”