‘Fela Was More Than Music,’ Tinubu Says After Grammy Award

President Bola Tinubu has described Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo Kuti as more than a musician, following the posthumous conferment of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award on the late icon.

In a statement personally signed by him and titled “Fela Lives: President Tinubu on Fela’s Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award,” the President said the global music community had honoured a giant whose influence transcended sound and stage.

“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,” Tinubu said.

According to the President, Fela’s courage, creativity and conviction defined a generation and continue to inspire the world, noting that his legacy has endured beyond his lifetime. He added that, in Yoruba mythology, Fela has transcended to a higher plane, describing him as eternal.

Tinubu said the Recording Academy of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award—bestowed posthumously—marked a historic first for Africa and affirmed Fela’s enduring global influence and foundational role in shaping modern music.

“He defined Afrobeat, and you can hear and see his influence in generations of Nigerian musicians and in Afrobeats and beyond,” the President stated.

Tinubu declared that Fela’s spirit and impact remain alive, saying simply: “Fela lives.”