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Fela Finally Honoured With Grammy, 29 Years After Death.

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Nearly 30 years after his passing, Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti has been awarded one of the most prestigious honours in global music, as the Recording Academy announced it will posthumously bestow a Lifetime Achievement Award on the Nigerian icon.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The honour will be presented at the Grammy Awards, making Fela the first African to receive the highly coveted Lifetime Achievement Award.

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The award recognises Fela’s lasting impact on global music, culture and political expression, solidifying his status as one of the most influential musical figures of the 20th century.

Reacting to the announcement, Fela’s son and fellow Afrobeat artiste, Seun Kuti, described the recognition as deeply emotional and symbolic.

“Fela has lived in the hearts of the people for a very long time. Now the Grammys have acknowledged it, and it’s a double victory. It brings balance to the Fela story,” Seun said.

A former manager and long-time associate of the late singer, Rikki Stein, noted that the recognition had come after a long delay.

“For a long time, Africa was not really a priority. That appears to be changing now,” he said.

The recognition comes amid growing global interest in African music, driven largely by the international success of Afrobeats — a genre whose foundation was laid by Fela decades ago.

In 2024, the Grammys introduced the Best African Performance category, widely viewed as a nod to Africa’s expanding influence on the global music scene.

This year, Nigerian superstar Burna Boy also secured a nomination in the Best Global Music Album category, further highlighting Africa’s rising profile at the awards.

Among Global Music Legends

Fela’s Lifetime Achievement Award places him alongside some of the most celebrated figures in music history.

Past recipients include Bing Crosby, while this year’s honourees also feature Carlos Santana, Chaka Khan and Paul Simon.

Members of Fela’s family, friends and long-time associates are expected to attend the Grammy ceremony to receive the award on his behalf.

“The global human tapestry needs this — not just because he’s my father,” Seun Kuti added.

Fela was widely regarded as more than a musician — a cultural philosopher, political activist and the architect of Afrobeat.

Alongside legendary drummer Tony Allen, he pioneered the genre by fusing West African rhythms with jazz, funk and highlife, marked by extended improvisations and politically charged lyrics.

Over a career that spanned several decades until his death in 1997, Fela released more than 50 albums and emerged as one of Africa’s most outspoken critics of authoritarian rule.

Through his music and activism, he repeatedly challenged Nigerian military regimes, transforming Afrobeat into both a sound and a powerful tool of resistance.

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We Will Work Towards Our Wedding” – Nkechi Blessing Reconciles With Ex-Husband, Falegan.

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Nollywood actress Nkechi Blessing has rekindled her relationship with her former partner, Opeyemi Falegan, four years after their highly publicised breakup.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The actress announced their reconciliation during a TikTok live session on Saturday night, revealing that they had been communicating since February 2026.

However, Nkechi said she had made a public apology a condition for rebuilding their relationship, insisting that Falegan must take responsibility for some of the negative remarks he made about her during their past disagreement.

According to her, his previous comments have continued to resurface online, with some social media users recently using them to ridicule and attack her.

She said: “I told you in February that if we must do this, you have to apologize to me because what you said years ago, some irrelevant nitwits still used it to insult me yesterday. That is to tell you that the internet never forgets. Anything dey outside? Lie, is anything dey outside? I have gone back to square one. You people should watch me and my baby; we will work towards our wedding, my love.”

Falegan subsequently acknowledged his past actions and tendered an apology to the actress.

He said: “From the bottom of my heart to the depth of my soul, I’m sorry, Nkechi. That’s in the past.”

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‘I Was Shocked’ – Funke Akindele Speaks On Influencer Who Ignored Her Promo Offer.

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Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, has revealed how a social media influencer ignored and turned down her offer to pay for promotional content for her 2024 movie, Everybody Loves Jenifa.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Akindele made the revelation during a panel discussion at the Creative Africa Nexus Weekend (CANEX WKND).

The actress explained that she was initially hesitant to contact the unnamed influencer but eventually decided to reach out to explore a possible promotional partnership for the movie.

According to her, she waited for several days before receiving a response that the influencer’s management was not interested in the proposed collaboration.

Akindele said she even offered to pay for the promotional content, but the influencer allegedly ignored her message.

Despite the experience, the filmmaker maintained that the rejection did not discourage her from seeking promotional partnerships, adding that she had learnt not to allow such situations to affect her emotionally.

She also disclosed that she later came across claims that she had blocked someone over the disagreement but did not reveal the identity of the influencer.

Recounting the experience, she said:

“There was this influencer I reached out to, I sent a message to them that I would like to create content. One, two, three… for almost a week. And I did not want to send this message, this was during ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’ but I tried and I was like let me send it, so I sent it.

“The person was like ‘I am sorry, my management does not want me to do this’. And I was like ‘I would pay’ but the person ignored me. Then months after, I read that I blocked somebody because of this.

“I didn’t let it affect me. I embraced it. I didn’t go and reply. I just said, God, take control. I got back to it.”

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Yoruba Did Not Start Nollywood’ – Nkem Owoh Makes Bold Revelation.

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Veteran Nollywood actor Nkem Owoh, popularly known as Osuofia, has clarified that Yoruba people pioneered home-video production in Nigeria but did not start Nollywood.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Owoh made the clarification during an appearance on Curiosity Made Me Ask, a programme hosted by Nigerian skit maker and content creator, Adebayo Abidemi, better known as Bae U.

The actor explained that the name Nollywood was not in existence when he and other filmmakers began producing movies. He noted that the term was introduced much later following discussions among industry stakeholders.

He credited Yoruba filmmakers, particularly veteran filmmaker Hubert Ogunde, with pioneering the home-video tradition and contributing to its popularity in Nigeria.

Owoh also insisted that his earlier comments about the origins of Nollywood had been misunderstood, stressing that he was referring specifically to home-video production rather than the creation of the Nigerian film industry.

He said, “I never said Yoruba started Nollywood. When did Nollywood come out? When we started film, there was no Nollywood as a name.

“Ogunde is not Igbo. I am not telling you that Yoruba started it.

“Yoruba did not start Nollywood; they started home video and the rest.”

Meanwhile, Owoh recently opened up about how his reputation as a comic actor sometimes influences people’s reactions to him, even in serious situations.

According to him, many people have become so accustomed to seeing him in humorous roles that they often laugh at his actions, even when he has no intention of being funny.

He recalled an incident at a gathering where he was invited to lead a prayer. However, shortly after he began praying with words calling on God, some attendees reportedly burst into laughter.

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