It’s been over a decade since he passed away, but even from the grave Fela Kuti still remains one of the most influential African artistes on the global stage.
Regarded as the pioneer of Afrobeat, Fela’s footprint is hard to ignore even to date, with contemporary heavyweights such as Burna Boy and Wizkid sampling some of his compositions in their music.
It is no surprise that his name is among the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees alongside the likes of Jay-Z, Tina Turner, LL Cool J, Mary J. Blige, Foo Fighters, Chaka Khan, Carole King and Kate Bush.
Those who would have made it will be announced in May with the induction ceremony taking place in Cleveland, Ohio at a date to be announced.
To be eligible, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination.
LL Cool J has already had a shot at induction with this being his sixth nomination while Chaka Khan is on her third nomination as a solo artiste.
The public will participate in the induction selection process with fans able to vote every day on the Hall of Fame’s site or at the museum in Cleveland with the polls running up to April 30.
The top five artists selected by the public will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to pick the 2021 inductees.
The top five artists selected by the public will comprise one “fan’s ballot” tallied along with other ballots from musicians, historians and music industry members.
