The Reading / Listening - Fela Kuti - Level 0

The legendary musician Fela Kuti has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys. He is the first African to get the award. His daughter said the award was "better late than never". She said her father didn't care about awards. She said being acknowledged by his people was what made him happy.

Fela Kuti was born in 1938. He revolutionized African music. He started Afrobeat, which mixed traditional rhythms, jazz, and funk to make a powerful sound. He was an amazing live performer and he toured the world. His concerts were a celebration of rhythm. His influence on music is still alive today.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Fela Kuti - Level 1 Fela Kuti - Level 2   or  Fela Kuti - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.okayafrica.com/fela-kuti-becomes-the-first-african-artist-to-receive-a-grammys-lifetime-achievement-award/1420138
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/2/1/fela-kuti-becomes-first-african-to-get-grammys-lifetime-achievement-award
  • https://www.france24.com/en/culture/20260131-fela-kuti-first-african-honored-grammys-lifetime-achievement-award-afrobeat


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The legendary
  2. awarded a Lifetime
  3. at the
  4. He is the first African
  5. the award was better
  6. her father didn't care
  7. acknowledged
  8. what made him
  1. about awards
  2. late than never
  3. happy
  4. Achievement Award
  5. by his people
  6. to get the award
  7. Grammys
  8. musician Fela Kuti

Paragraph 2

  1. Fela Kuti was born
  2. He revolutionized
  3. make a powerful
  4. He was an amazing live
  5. he toured the
  6. His concerts were a celebration
  7. His influence
  8. still alive
  1. on music
  2. performer
  3. today
  4. world
  5. sound
  6. African music
  7. of rhythm
  8. in 1938

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

(1) _________________________________________________ Fela Kuti has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys. He is the first African to (2) _________________________________________________. His daughter said the award was "better (3) _________________________________________________". She said her (4) _________________________________________________ about awards. (5) _________________________________________________ acknowledged by his people was what (6) _________________________________________________.

Fela Kuti was (7) _________________________________________________. He revolutionized African music. He started Afrobeat, (8) _______________________________________________ rhythms, jazz, and funk to (9) _________________________________________________ sound. He was (10) _________________________________________________ performer and he toured the world. (11) _________________________________________________ a celebration of rhythm. His influence on music is                                              (12) _________________________________________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ThelegendarymusicianFelaKutihasbeenawardedaLifetimeAchievem
entAwardattheGrammys.HeisthefirstAfricantogettheaward.Hisdau
ghtersaidtheawardwas"betterlatethannever".Shesaidherfatherdidn
'tcareaboutawards.Shesaidbeingacknowledgedbyhispeoplewaswha
tmadehimhappy.FelaKutiwasbornin1938.HerevolutionizedAfrican
music.HestartedAfrobeat,whichmixedtraditionalrhythms,jazz,andf
unktomakeapowerfulsound.Hewasanamazingliveperformerandhet
ouredtheworld.Hisconcertswereacelebrationofrhythm.Hisinfluence
onmusicisstillalivetoday.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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