‘Fela Kuti: Fear No Man’ Podcast Features Over 200 Interviews, Including David Byrne, Burna Boy, Ayo Edebiri, Questlove and Paul McCartney

A new podcast will explore the life and music of Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. Jad Abumrad who created Radiolab as well as Dolly Parton’s America will host the show. Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, which will unfold over 12 episodes, is produced by Higher Ground, the media company founded by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama. The series will draw on over 200 interviews with Fela Kuti’s friends. family members and a variety of musicians. Ayo Edebiri, David Byrne, Brian Eno, Ayo Edebiri and Santigold will offer recent reflections while Burna Boy, Questlove and Paul McCartney will appear via archival audio.

“Fela is a thousand things, and I hope we captured some of that complexity in this series,” Abumrad comments. “He’s a movement builder, a cult leader, a groove weaver. But for me, what makes him so hard to shake is that his life asks a question: when the world is spinning out of control, what’s the right response? His weapon was music. And for a moment, that was enough to almost topple a government and create a new world order. Can art actually save us? I hope it can but I’m still not sure. On my more optimistic days, I reach for a Fela record.”

Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is currently available exclusively on Audible. However, on October 15 it will expand to other podcast platforms. This will take place in conjunction with Felabration, the festival in Lagos, Nigeria that extends from October 13-19.