Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
In a world that’s on fire, what is the role of art? Can a song save a life, change a law, topple a president, or get you killed? Jad Abumrad, creator of Radiolab, tells the story of Fela Kuti's political awakening in music: how a classically trained 'colonial boy' traveled to America, returned to Nigeria, and created Afrobeat as a musical language of resistance. The podcast mixes oral history, musicology, journalism, and sound design, drawing from over 200 interviews with Fela's family, friends, and scholars.
Episodes
13: African Counterpoint
On the occasion of Fela's Lifetime Achievement Grammy, Jad is back to put his musical legacy in a very different context, with the help of Michael Veal, Randall Woolf, David Byrne and Brian Eno.Thanks to LSO Live on behalf of the London Symphony Orchestra See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-in
12: Bloodline Covers
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.
11: Endless Returns
Thirty years after Fela’s death, Nigeria erupts — and Fela is again at the center of it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
10: Death in His Pouch
Fela told his followers that he could never die. So what happens when the unthinkable finally happens?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
9: Things Will Collide
After "Zombie," the military can no longer abide by Fela and his followers. A global celebration of Nigeria’s Pan-African ambitions turns into a brutal raid, torture and death, with thousands of people watching. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
8: Zombie
In January, 1976, Fela drops his most fiery, confrontational song – “Zombie” is a blistering attack on the army, soldiers, and everyone who “just follows orders” to protect those in power. The song inspires ordinary Nigerians to stand up against tyranny wherever they see it — from traffic cops on the beat to the powerful general / head-of-state. And the response from the government —
7: Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense
As Fela’s campaign against the state begins to take form, three young lieutenants rise up to lead his political charge.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
6: The Queens
According to some, the key to Afrobeat was its women. And one of the keys to understanding this “very complicated” man is how Fela both liberated and oppressed the women closest to him, depending on who you ask. Audio clip of Ayo Edebiri courtesy of Sundance Institute. Used by Permission.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.co
5: Trickster Makes the World
Fela was known almost as much for his hijinx as he was for his music. He took aim at the powers-that-be and, over and over, paid for it in blood. And yet, every provocation served as creative inspiration. Audio clip of Konkombe courtesy Harcourt Films Ltd.Lijadu Sisters appear courtesy of Secretly Publishing and Numero Group. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Califo
4: Vengeance of the Vagina Head
Origin story part 2. The “ideological genealogy” of Fela’s revolution actually extends back farther than 1969. Fela’s began twenty years earlier, when he was an 8 year old boy watching his mom make history.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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.
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/priv
1: To Hell and Back
Fela’s music had the power to move hearts, change minds, and in the case of one man, heal the deepest wounds. Audio clip of Ayo Edebiri courtesy of Sundance Institute. Used by Permission.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Introducing Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
Follow Fela Kuti: Fear No Man on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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