Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is a new 12-episode podcast from acclaimed journalist Jad Abumrad, creator of Radiolab and Dolly Parton’s America. Drawing on more than 200 interviews, including Fela’s family, scholars, activists, Burna Boy, Questlove, Santigold, Paul McCartney, and Barack Obama, the series reexamines the life of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
Abumrad traces Fela’s journey from his mother’s anti-colonial activism to his political awakening in 1969 Los Angeles, and ultimately to the creation of Afrobeat: a sound that fused jazz, funk, and West African rhythms with sharp, unrelenting protest. The podcast delves into the music, the mythology, and the personal cost of Fela’s resistance – from the Zombie era clashes to the violence that reshaped his life.
Fear No Man shows why Fela remains a global symbol of artistic courage. Decades after his death, his music still fuels movements like #EndSARS, proving that some voices never fade, they rise again when the world needs them most.