Is Fela’s music actually a weapon of the future? What does his legacy tell us about the real power of art and the artist?See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Is Fela’s music actually a weapon of the future? What does his legacy tell us about the real power of art and the artist? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is Fela’s music actually a weapon of the future? What does his legacy tell us about the real power of art and the artist?See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

12: Bloodline Covers

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&nbsp;Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Jad Abumrad—creator of&nbsp;Radiolab,&nbsp;More Perfect,&nbsp;and&nbsp;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&nbsp;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),&nbsp;Fela Kuti: Fear No Man&nbsp;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.

Society & Culture

Music

Music History

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.

Share 12: Bloodline Covers

Sign up to save your podcasts

12: Bloodline Covers

12: Bloodline Covers

More shows like Fela Kuti: Fear No Man

This American Life

Radiolab

Fresh Air

The New Yorker Radio Hour

The Moth

99% Invisible

Song Exploder

On the Media

The Kitchen Sisters Present

Heavyweight

Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Articles of Interest

Dolly Parton's America

IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson

Renegades: Born in the USA

Search Engine

The Sum of Us

Your Mama’s Kitchen

The Big Hit Show

The Wonder of Stevie

Classical Music Happy Hour

The Second Opinion with Dr. Sharon