The Greatness and Music Of Fela Kuti - Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

Join us on Sunday, February 1st from 7 p.m. for Fela talks curated by Visual Engineer and Houston base multidisciplinary artist and curator James Iroha Uchechukwu with support from @adebantu.

James Iroha will trace Fela's journey, including the moments, influences, and decisions that shaped him into the icon we know today.

We will explore Fela's political legacy and how that same spirit continues to inspire citizen movements across Africa and beyond.

The conversation will dives into the heartbeat of Afrobeat itself, exploring how percussion shapes its spirit, storytelling, and message of resistance.

It's a deep dive into how Kalakuta became a symbol of defiance and freedom, followed by a silent listening session to Fela’s music of resistance.

Go Into the Lyrics unpacks how Fela turned music into a manifesto for social justice, democracy, and change.

A live DJ set powered by @djtools

Expect seamless blends, irresistible beats, and the kind of Lagos energy that refuses to stand still.

📍 SAID INSTITUTE, Houston, Tx

🗓 Sunday FEB 1st

🕖 7 PM - 9 PM

Entry is FREE, but space is limited. Click the link in bio to register.

On December 19, the first African musician ever awarded a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award was announced.

The honor goes to Fela Kuti, the Afrobeat pioneer and activist who died in 1997. He joins an elite group of legends like The Beatles, Johnny Cash, John Coltrane, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hedrix, Bob Marley and Frank Sinatra — all recognized for making "creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording."

"Fela Kuti's music was a fearless voice of Africa — its rhythms carried truth, resistance and freedom, inspiring generations of African musicians to speak boldly through sound," says the legendary Senegalese singer Youssou N' Dour.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

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Host or Publisher Society for Africans in the Diaspora