00:00Fela Anikulapokuti, the musician who created Afrobeats, was loved by millions for his authenticity,
00:06charisma and courage in speaking truth to power.
00:10But he was arrested several times, his home was constantly raided by the military,
00:15and his music was frequently banned from the airwaves.
00:18Despite his global influence while alive, Fela never won a Grammy.
00:23But now in death, the protest singer is getting a Lifetime Achievement Award.
00:28For his eldest son and himself, a six-time Grammy Award nominee, Femi, it's about time.
00:34Myself and the family are very honoured, very happy,
00:40and I'm sure all Afrobeats fans all over the world and people who have admired his music and still play
00:47and have been promoting it all this time.
00:51I mean, the Grammys is the biggest musical award in the world,
00:56and so it's such a very big, massive statement on our world.
01:03Some of his fans at the New Africa Shrine, built by his family to keep his legacy alive,
01:09recall what they loved about him.
01:11Fela exposed the government for their, you know, dirty dealings and all that,
01:20and the sound is unique.
01:24And Fela means a lot to me,
01:27because Fela accommodates many people from different villages, different countries.
01:33This Grammy honor will be Fela's second recognition by the Recording Academy within six months.
01:39His 1976 album, Zombie, which criticized the abuse of power by the Nigerian army and the government,
01:45was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame last year.
01:49For his youngest son, Shion Kuti, who took over Fela's band after his death,
01:55Fela's gift was his ability to combine activism with music that had global appeal.
02:00Fela has already achieved for me the greatest form of recognition available to any human,
02:09and that's the love of the people.
02:11The way classical music from 100 years ago is still relevant,
02:15you know, the way jazz music is still relevant,
02:18you know, that's what Fela has added, that's what Fela has given us in Africa,
02:22you know, our own timeless sound that transcends race, transcends class,
02:29you know, and transcends generations.
02:34Even nearly 30 years after his death, Fela continues to win awards.
02:40He remains one of the most daring and politically engaged musical artists to come out of Africa.
02:45Fela.
02:46Fela.
02:46Fela.
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