Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
Higher Ground
In a world that’s on fire, what is the role of art? What can music actually…do?Can a song save a life? Change a law? Topple a president? Get you killed?In Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Jad Abumrad—creator of Radiolab, More Perfect, and Dolly Parton's America—tells the story of one of the great political awakenings in music: how a classically trained 'colonial boy' traveled to America, in search of Africa, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a battering ram against the state—creating a new musical language of resistance called Afrobeat.For years, the world’s biggest stars made pilgrimages to Nigeria to experience Fela’s Shrine, the epicenter of his musical revolution. But when the mix of art and activism got too hot, the state pulled out its guns, and literally opened fire.Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is an uncategorizable mix of oral history, musicology, deep dive journalism, and cutting edge sound design that takes listeners deep inside Fela’s life, music, and legacy.Drawing from over 200 interviews with Fela Kuti’s family, friends, as well as scholars, activists, and luminaries like Burna Boy, Paul McCartney, Questlove, Santigold, and former President Barack Obama (just to name a few), Fela Kuti: Fear No Man journeys deep into the soul of Afrobeat to explore the transformative power of art and the role artists can play in this current moment of global unrest.An Audible Original presented by Audible and Higher Ground. Produced by Western Sound and Talkhouse.©2025 Higher Ground, LLC (P)2025 Audible Originals, LLC.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 29, 2025 • 40min
5: Trickster Makes the World
Fela Kuti's antics and music created a bold fusion of defiance and creativity. The exploration of Yoruba trickster Ishu reveals how humor can reshape reality. Tales of Fela's arrest and the 'expensive shit' saga highlight his art's resilience against oppression. His confrontation with Decca Records over unpaid royalties illustrates a refusal to be exploited. Raids and violence constantly fueled his songwriting, while his unique method of composing became a form of resistance. Fela's words and ideas remain influential in public discourse, challenging societal norms.
Oct 22, 2025 • 55min
4: Vengeance of the Vagina Head
Cheryl Johnson Odom, a historian who unearthed vital materials on Fela Kuti's mother, and Judith Byfield, an expert archivist of the Kuti family legacy, delve into Fela's roots of activism. They reveal how Fumilayo Ransome-Kuti's ladies' club morphed into a powerful political movement, addressing taxation injustices. The discussion highlights compelling protests, including the symbolic 'sitting on a man' and the impact of the women's union on political landscapes, showing how Fela's revolutionary spirit was deeply influenced by his mother's legacy.
Oct 22, 2025 • 28min
3: Enter the Shrine
Fela’s club, The Shrine, was an oasis of freedom amidst a brutal dictatorship. Once inside – and on the dancefloor – the music intoxicated, enraptured and, ultimately, inspired resistance.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 15, 2025 • 56min
2: Becoming Fela
Every superhero – and superstar – has an origin story. For Fela, it happened in 1969 Los Angeles, where a potent mix of music and politics turned a “missionary boy” into a Pan-Africanist freedom fighter and ignited a musical firestorm.Voice of America audio clips courtesy of voanews.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Oct 15, 2025 • 38min
1: To Hell and Back
In this enlightening discussion, Dele Shosemi, a Nigerian-born keyboardist who played with Fela Kuti's Egypt 80, shares his transformative journey. He vividly recounts meeting Fela and the profound impact of that encounter on his life. Dele delves into the harrowing night of his father's murder, Fela's surprising empathy, and how music became a source of healing for him. He also highlights the intense rehearsal culture in Fela's band and the unique way performances became an engaging dialogue with the audience.
Oct 7, 2025 • 2min
Introducing Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
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