Arts & Entertainment

Fela Kuti, Sade Adu Get Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Selection

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Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and Sade, fronted by Nigerian-British singer Sade Adu, are to be inducted into the 2026 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, according to BBC Africa.

Fela Kuti’s latest recognition comes months after he became the first African musician to receive the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, nearly 30 years after his death.

Nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame are selected by a group of around 40 industry professionals, including previous inductees, academics and journalists with expertise in music.

The induction ceremony will take place on 14 November at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles.

Fela Kuti was a revolutionary musician who transformed Afrobeat into both a global music genre and a weapon of political resistance against oppression and corruption.
Born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti in 1938, he came from a politically active Nigerian family that deeply shaped his worldview and artistic mission. While studying in London, he formed his first band, Koola Lobitos, and later drew inspiration from artists like James Brown and Sly Stone during his travels in the United States.
Blending West African highlife, jazz, and soul, he created Afrobeat as a bold, rhythmic sound rooted in cultural pride and defiance.
Fela used his music as a direct platform for resistance, openly confronting corruption and authoritarianism in songs such as “Water Get No Enemy” and “Beasts of No Nation.”
Albums like Alagbon Close marked his shift toward more explicit political critique, which often led to harassment and imprisonment by the Nigerian government.
Despite this, he became an icon of resistance whose influence spread worldwide, celebrated for both his musical innovation and fearless activism.
Sade (the band) has spent over four decades crafting a distinctive blend of jazz, soul, and R&B, defined by smooth grooves, elegant arrangements, and the captivating vocals of Sade Adu.
With more than 50 million records sold, their timeless songs of love and introspection have built a deeply loyal global following.
Formed in London in 1982, the band, Adu alongside Andrew Hale, Paul Spencer Denman, and Stuart Matthewman, broke through with Diamond Life and songs like Smooth Operator.
Maintaining the same lineup throughout their career, Sade created a signature sound that remains influential and instantly recognizable across generations.

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New Americans Magazine
Deba Uwadiae is an international journalist, author, global analyst, consultant, publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the New Americans Magazine Group, Columbus, Ohio. He is a member of the Ohio Legislative Correspondents Association, OCLA.
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