Fela Kuti
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Fela’s “Zombie” Marches into Grammys Hall, 28 Years After the Band Stopped Playing
Nearly three decades after his death, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s 1976 album Zombie earns a peculiar place in the Grammys Hall of Fame—becoming the only Nigerian record to infiltrate this circle of sonic antiquities.
The Recording Academy seems to agree that an afrobeat-fueled critique of military authority qualifies as “historically significant,” so long as it’s aged at least 25 years and comes with brass and swagger.
Femi Kuti, Fela’s eldest son, accepts the award on behalf of the family, calling it an honor and posting to X with an air of measured pride: “Our father’s legacy lives on.”
Zombie now takes its place among works from Jay-Z and Cat Stevens, as if to suggest the path from Lagos protests to Grammy reverence is just a trumpet solo away.
Source: NotjustOk – Published on June 13, 2025

