President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reacted to the conferment of the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award on Fela Anikulapo Kuti describing him as an idol ‘Orisa’ who lives forever.
In a statement personally signed by him, President Tinubu described Fela as a giant who was not only as a musician, but a social and justice crusader who played a role in emancipation of the oppressed and reshaping global sound with his music, asserting that he has become an idol ‘Orisa’ who lives forever.
According to the President: “The world of music has honoured a giant: Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
“Fela was 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.
“His 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 added that the posthumous award has asserted Fela as a trailblazer whose enduring global influence played the foundational role in the evolution of and impact of Africa on modern music.
“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.
“Fela lives,” President Tinubu stated.
