With Social Media, Fela Would Have Revolutionized Afrobeat Beyond Imagination – Seun Ali
Cultural curator Seun Ali has sparked conversations online after sharing his views on what the late Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti could have accomplished in today’s digital age. Speaking in a recent interview, Seun Ali said that if social media had existed during Fela’s time, the legendary musician would have taken Afrobeat to even greater global heights.
According to Seun Ali, Fela was not just a musician but a movement — a fearless voice who used music to challenge oppression, bad governance, and social injustice. “Fela understood the power of communication, protest, and unity through art. With platforms like Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube, and TikTok, he would have mobilized millions across continents,” Ali explained.
He further emphasized that Fela’s messages of freedom and African consciousness would have spread faster and wider with the help of social media virality, giving Afrobeat a larger international stage long before its current global dominance through artists like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido.
Seun Ali added that today’s artists owe much of Afrobeat’s global recognition to Fela’s legacy, which remains timeless. “Even without the internet, Fela reached the world. Imagine what he would have done with hashtags, live broadcasts, and digital activism,” he noted.
As conversations continue about the evolution of Afrobeat music, Seun Ali’s remarks reignite appreciation for Fela’s visionary impact and the potential power of technology in amplifying African creativity.
