A tribute by dancer Korra Obidi at the gravesite of Afrobeat icon Fela Anikulapo-Kuti has stirred intense debate online especially after receiving an unexpected endorsement from Fela’s son, Seun Kuti.
During her recent visit to Nigeria, Obidi recorded herself performing a twerking routine at Fela’s resting place in Lagos. Posting the video on Instagram, she described it as a personal offering, writing: “We all know that one thing Fela loved was a woman with gyrating hips. So I decided to twerk for baba.”
Her gesture immediately drew backlash, with many social media users calling it disrespectful and inappropriate for a gravesite. However, Seun Kuti stepped in to defend the dancer.
Responding to the video, he insisted the tribute was perfectly in tune with his father’s well-known love for dance, bold expression, and free-spirited art.
“You guys know what baba likes but you will never give him what he wants,” Seun wrote. “E go better for you my sister.” His comments suggested that Obidi’s unconventional performance honoured, rather than insulted, Fela’s cultural legacy.
The incident underscores the enduring and often polarising nature of Fela Kuti’s influence, continuing to spark conversations about artistic expression, respect for the dead, and how cultural icons should be remembered.
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