Afrobeats superstar, Davido, born David Adeleke, recently joined the Fela Anikulapo-Kuti family at the GRAMMY Honors Party in Los Angeles, celebrating the legacy of the late Afrobeat pioneer.
The occasion marked Fela’s posthumous recognition with the GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award, making him the first African artist to receive this prestigious honour.
Videos shared on Instagram by Davido’s logistics manager, Israel DMW, captured the singer mingling with Fela’s children, Femi and Yeni Kuti, alongside other members of the family at the event.
Posting clips from the ceremony, Israel DMW wrote, “A night for late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Abami Eda of the universe. Outside LA.”
Fela will receive official recognition this weekend from the Recording Academy, with the Lifetime Achievement Award scheduled for presentation in Los Angeles on Saturday, the night before the main GRAMMY Awards gala.
Other music legends honored at the event include Cher, Whitney Houston, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, and Chaka Khan.
Commenting on Fela’s achievement, his first cousin and head of the Kuti family, Yemisi Ransome-Kuti, described the recognition as a triumph for Africa, “This is a celebration for the African people and they should take it as their award. Another African is being celebrated.”
She also highlighted the need for award-giving bodies to recognize artists while they are still alive, saying, “…award-giving bodies should not wait until artists are gone before recognising their impact.”
Reflecting on how Fela might have responded, Ransome-Kuti added, “Better late than never,” noting that the Afrobeat legend was not particularly concerned with Western recognition during his lifetime.
Meanwhile, Davido’s “With You”, featuring Omah Lay, has been nominated for Best African Music Performance.
The category also includes strong contenders such as Burna Boy’s “Love”, Wizkid and Ayra Starr’s collaboration “Gimme Dat”, Hope and Love by Ugandan star Eddy Kenzo featuring Mehran Matin, and “Push 2 Start” by South African singer Tyla.
