Oloruntobi Alabi
The revolutionary Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti has once again shaken the world, this time with his iconic 1976 masterpiece, Zombie, securing a historic spot in the 2025 Grammy Hall of Fame.
Nearly three decades after his passing, Fela breaks new ground as the first Nigerian artist ever to receive this prestigious honor.
The Recording Academy unveiled its latest Hall of Fame inductees, spotlighting timeless recordings that have shaped music history with their cultural and political significance.
Unlike traditional Grammy awards, this honor celebrates recordings that are at least 25 years old yet remain landmarks in artistic and social impact.
In a powerful statement, the Academy praised Zombie for its “brave defiance against oppression, profound cultural resonance, and unwavering relevance in global struggles for justice and African musical identity.”
Femi Kuti, Fela’s eldest son and a celebrated musician in his own right, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express the family’s pride:
“Our father’s spirit remains unbroken. With deep gratitude, we humbly accept this Grammy Hall of Fame recognition for Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. His revolutionary sound still echoes, uniting generations. #GrammyHistory.”
First unleashed in Nigeria in 1976 and later internationally by Creole Records, Zombie stands as one of Fela’s most explosive works.
With tracks like the titular Zombie, Mister Follow Follow, and a fiery live rendition of Mistake from the Berlin Jazz Festival, the album was a scathing satire of Nigeria’s military regime, mocking soldiers as brainless puppets obeying ruthless commands.
The album’s explosive success enraged the government, sparking the infamous 1977 military raid on Fela’s Kalakuta Republic—an act of brutal retaliation.
In the savage attack, soldiers nearly killed Fela, torched his studio, destroyed invaluable master recordings, and fatally wounded his mother, the legendary activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, by throwing her from a building.
The atrocity only solidified Fela’s status as Africa’s most fearless musical rebel, etching the tragedy into Nigeria’s collective memory.
Now, Zombie takes its rightful place in the Grammy Hall of Fame, joining the ranks of timeless classics by Michael Jackson, Jay-Z, Santana, and other global icons.
Fans and music historians alike hail this recognition as a long-awaited tribute to Fela’s towering influence on both music and activism worldwide.
Fela, who passed in 1997, pioneered Afrobeat—a fusion of jazz, highlife, and Yoruba rhythms laced with incendiary political defiance. His fearless lyrics and hypnotic grooves inspired artists from Burna Boy to Beyoncé, ensuring his legacy remains immortal.
This Grammy honor adds to a growing list of posthumous tributes, including documentaries, critically acclaimed biographies, and the electrifying Broadway hit Fela!
Born in 1938, Fela was a saxophonist, composer, and unrelenting freedom fighter who used his music to expose corruption, colonialism, and dictatorship—enduring imprisonment, torture, and repeated attacks without ever backing down.
Terngu Iorfa
