As the Recording Academy honors Fela Anikulapo Kuti with a historic Lifetime Achievement Award, global attention has once again turned to the Kuti family, not only for legacy, but for the individuals actively shaping Afrobeat’s modern presence. On Saturday night at the Grammys Special Merit Awards, Fela Kuti was honored alongside music icons Chaka Khan, Cher, Carlos Santana, Paul Simon, and Whitney Houston, placing Afrobeat firmly within the canon of global music history. The honour was presented by the Recording Academy in Los Angeles, with his children, Yeni, Femi, Kunle, and Shalewa Kuti, accepting the award on his behalf, celebrating his lasting Afrobeat legacy. One name drawing renewed interest amid this moment is Shalewa Kuti.
We’re so proud, this is for Africa. I’m so honoured to be his daughter. This honour reminds us that although his voice was often resisted, it was never silenced. The award is a celebration of his courage, his art, and his unwavering commitment to freedom and dignity,” Shalewa Kuti said.
Shalewa Kuti, born Omosalewa Anikulapo-Kuti, is far from a background figure in Afrobeat history. She is a DJ, music producer, creative entrepreneur, and studied law, known in music circles as DJ Shaarks. Her work places her at the intersection of Afrobeat’s roots and its contemporary global evolution, a position that has become especially relevant as the Grammys spotlight Afrobeat’s origins.
Unlike the performance-led paths of some of her siblings, Shalewa carved her own lane behind the scenes and on the turntables. She studied Mass Communication at Moshood Abiola Polytechnic before going on to study law at the University of Lagos. Her academic background reflects a deliberate blend of media, communication, and legal knowledge, tools that later informed her approach to music, culture, and creative business.
Her career spans DJ culture, music production, and event curation, with a clear focus on Afrobeat-inspired sounds and cross-border collaborations. Under her imprint Shaarks Music, she has released and promoted projects that connect Afrobeat’s foundational sound with contemporary African club culture, including collaborations with South African artists and DJs.
Shalewa Kuti has also played a direct role in expanding Afrobeat’s global footprint through her involvement with Felabration, the annual celebration of Fela’s life, music, and political legacy. In 2019, she organized Felabration UK, helping take the festival beyond Nigeria and introducing Afrobeat’s history to new international audiences, a move that closely mirrors the Grammys’ growing recognition of African music and its origins.
The timing of Fela Kuti’s Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award has placed renewed emphasis on Afrobeat’s origin story, especially as Afrobeats continues to dominate global charts and festivals. For many observers, Shalewa Kuti represents a bridge between these two worlds: the politically charged Afrobeat foundation created by Fela, and the modern African music ecosystem shaped by DJs, producers, and cultural curators.
In past conversations, Shalewa has acknowledged the weight of carrying the Kuti name, describing it as both a responsibility and a challenge. Yet her career choices reflect a clear intention to build credibility on her own terms, through education, technical skill, and consistent participation in the music ecosystem rather than symbolism alone.
As Grammy conversations continue to spotlight Afrobeat’s influence on global music, Shalewa Kuti’s name is increasingly surfacing as audiences look beyond the icon and toward the people actively sustaining and evolving the culture today.
With Afrobeat now formally recognized by the Recording Academy, the focus is no longer only on where the sound came from, but on who is shaping where it goes next. And in that conversation, Shalewa Kuti stands firmly in the frame.
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