Dr. Ope Banwo,the founder of Stingomania 360, has dismissed the growing social media debate comparing global Afrobeats star Wizkid with Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, describing it as misguided and unnecessary.
In a commentary shared online, Banwo argued that while both artistes are exceptional in their own right, placing them side by side ignores the fundamental difference between stardom and historical impact.
According to him, Wizkid represents the height of modern musical success—global recognition, chart dominance, sold-out shows, and international awards—while Fela was something far bigger than music.
“Wizkid is a global superstar, a hitmaker, and a cultural export. He deserves his respect,” Banwo noted. “But Fela was a force of nature who used music as a weapon—shaping politics, culture, rebellion, and identity. Music was just his tool, not his destination.”
Banwo stressed that Fela was not merely a successful musician but the creator of an entire genre, Afrobeat, whose influence extended beyond sound into ideology, activism, and national consciousness.
“You don’t compare the creator of a genre to those who later perfected or expanded it,” he said. “Fela didn’t just make music; he changed the ecosystem. Festivals, movements, and ideologies were inspired by him.”
He added that comparing Wizkid to Fela was like comparing “an orange to the tree that produced it,” noting that Wizkid’s success exists partly because of the cultural foundation laid by pioneers like Fela.
Drawing parallels from politics and governance, Banwo likened the comparison to measuring modern Lagos governors against the political architect who designed the system, or weighing contemporary leaders against historic figures whose influence reshaped generations.
“This isn’t a rivalry debate like Sunny Ade versus Ebenezer Obey,” he said. “This is about legacy versus legacy-making. There is greatness, and then there is historic greatness.”
While acknowledging Wizkid’s role in taking Afrobeats to unprecedented global heights, Banwo argued that the comparison distracts Nigerians from far more pressing national concerns.
“Wizkid is great—no argument,” Banwo concluded. “But Fela was history.”
