Former senator Babafemi Ojudu has criticised comparisons between contemporary musicians and the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, describing such parallels as misplaced and uninformed.
Ojudu’s remarks come amid the ongoing feud between Grammy-winning artiste Wizkid and Seun Kuti, son of the Afrobeat pioneer.
In a post shared on his Facebook page, Ojudu portrayed Fela as far more than a musician, describing him as a movement, a revolution, and a fearless conscience who stood firmly against military dictatorships and social injustice in Nigeria.
He noted that Fela’s legacy was forged through immense personal sacrifice, including over 200 arrests, imprisonment, torture, and periods of exile, all endured in the course of his resistance against oppression.
According to Ojudu, Fela not only created Afrobeat but also elevated it into a globally recognised genre now studied in universities around the world and performed on major international stages. He added that Fela’s influence on global music and political activism remains unparalleled.
Ojudu dismissed comparisons between Fela and younger artists as misguided, stressing that Fela’s contributions to music, culture, and activism set him apart as a singular figure in history.
“Fela was not just a musician; he was a movement, a conscience, and a revolution in human form. His music gave birth to Afrobeat, a genre that reshaped global music and African identity,” Ojudu wrote.
He further recalled how Fela endured state-sponsored violence, including the burning of his Kalakuta Republic commune, the killing of his mother, and repeated harassment by security forces, yet remained defiant in his art and activism.
“For any young person—musician or not—to compare himself to Fela, he must first endure the sacrifices, persecution, and resistance that defined Fela’s life,” Ojudu added.
The controversy was triggered after Wizkid reportedly claimed to be a greater artist than Fela, following an exchange with Seun Kuti, who had earlier criticised the singer’s fan base.
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