By Semafor Africa
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
“There are artists who make music, and there are artists who change the world. Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti belonged decisively to the latter,” Obi Asika, director-general of Nigeria’s National Council for Arts and Culture, wrote in a Semafor column.
Last week the Nigerian star, who created the original Afrobeat sound, posthumously received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammy Awards — almost three decades after his death at the age of 58.
“It was long overdue,” wrote Asika, a former music label founder.
“More than a musician,” he wrote, “Fela was a political force, a philosopher of sound, and one of the most important African voices of the 20th century. His enduring relevance lies not only in what he said, but in how he said it — through rhythm, consistency, and fearless truth-telling.”
