President Bola Tinubu has identified with Nigeria’s afro beat king, Fela Anikulapo Kuti as a fearless voice of the people.
Tinubu, praised the late legend as the world of music honoured him.
In his words, Tinubu described Fela as more than a musician but 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 and in Yoruba mythology, he has transcended to a higher plane as an Orisa and he is now eternal.
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.” Tinubu wrote.