Fela Kuti: From Lagos Shrine to Grammy Glory: Fela's Historic Lifetime Achievement Award
Yemi Olakitan
For nearly three decades since his death in 1997, Fela Anikulapo Kuti—affectionately called Abami Eda (the strange one) or the King of Afrobeat—has been celebrated by fans, activists, and musicians worldwide. Yet the global music establishment, embodied by the Grammys, long overlooked him. That changes in 2026: Fela will posthumously receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, becoming the first African, ever to earn this honor in the award's 63-year history.
This isn't just an award, it's a seismic shift. The Recording Academy's recognition places Fela alongside legends like Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan, Paul Simon, and others in this year's class. More importantly, it validates the revolutionary power of Afrobeat, a genre he co-created with drummer Tony Allen, blending highlife, jazz, funk, Yoruba rhythms, extended jams, and unapologetic political commentary.
Fela's life was defiance incarnate. Born Olufela Ransome-Kuti, he rejected colonial vestiges (dropping "Ransome" from his name), championed pan-Africanism, and used music to lambast corruption and military rule in Nigeria.
His 1976 track Zombie mocked soldiers as mindless puppets, provoking a savage 1977 raid on his Kalakuta Republic compound. His mother, activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, died from injuries sustained. Undeterred, Fela turned tragedy into protest with Coffin for Head of State.
His Afrika Shrine performances weren't mere concerts, they were rallies, spiritual gatherings, and communal resistance spaces. Bare-chested, saxophone blazing, leading ensembles like Africa '70 and Egypt '80, Fela created music as mission. As longtime manager Rikki Stein recalls, audiences didn't applaud; they participated.
This Grammy nod arrives amid Afrobeats' global explosion—think Burna Boy's nomination and the Grammys' 2024 Best African Music Performance category. It's "better late than never," as Stein says, and a "double victory" per Seun Kuti, who notes it balances Fela's narrative.
Fela didn't seek awards; he sought free minds. Yet this honor cements his immortality. As album cover artist Lemi Ghariokwu declares, "Fela has been an ancestor for 28 years. His legacy is growing by the day. This is immortality."
In a world still grappling with injustice, Fela's sound—rhythmic, rebellious, rooted—remains a call to action. The Grammys' belated embrace doesn't diminish his independence; it amplifies how one man's fearless groove can reshape global music forever.
Long live Fela. The Shrine echoes on.
