In a powerful fusion of politics, music, and activism, former U.S. President Barack Obama has honored Nigeria’s Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti in a newly released podcast titled “Fear No Man.” The audio series, produced by Higher Ground Productions — a company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama — in partnership with Audible, explores Fela’s fearless spirit, revolutionary music, and unyielding defiance of oppression.
The podcast, narrated and hosted by Jad Abumrad, creator of the award-winning show Radiolab, paints an intimate and unapologetic portrait of the man who used music as a weapon against tyranny. Fear No Man has immediately captured global attention — not only for its storytelling brilliance but for the Obamas’ decision to spotlight an African icon whose message of freedom still echoes across generations.
🎧 Fear No Man: The Sound of Defiance
The series dives deep into Fela Kuti’s extraordinary life — from his early days studying music in London to his radical transformation after witnessing racial and political injustices in Nigeria. Through exclusive interviews, archived recordings, and expert analysis, Fear No Man revisits Fela’s bold artistic journey: one that fused Yoruba rhythms, jazz, funk, and highlife into the genre that would electrify the world — Afrobeat.
Abumrad’s narration doesn’t just retell history; it examines the heartbeat behind Fela’s rebellion. The podcast recounts how songs like “Zombie,” “Water No Get Enemy,” “Sorrow, Tears & Blood,” and “Coffin for Head of State” became anthems of protest — attacking Nigeria’s military dictatorships, corruption, and social hypocrisy.
Obama’s tribute aligns with the central message of the series — that Fela Kuti was not just a musician, but a fearless truth-teller who refused to be silenced.
🌍 Obama’s Cultural Bridge: Why This Tribute Matters
Obama has long been an admirer of Fela’s legacy. Over the years, he has mentioned Fela Kuti’s music in his annual summer playlists, highlighting tracks like “Lady” and “Water No Get Enemy.” Now, with Fear No Man, he extends that admiration into a cultural conversation that honors Africa’s influence on global consciousness.
In an era where Afrobeat has inspired international stars such as Burna Boy, Wizkid, Rema, and Tems, Obama’s decision to help spotlight Fela’s roots underscores a larger narrative — the world’s rediscovery of Africa as a wellspring of revolutionary art and thought.
> “Fela didn’t just make music — he made movements,” Obama is quoted as saying in connection with the series. “His story reminds us that art can confront power and redefine identity.”
This move by Obama’s production company isn’t just homage; it’s recognition of a legacy that shaped Black consciousness and protest culture worldwide — from the streets of Lagos to the marches of Ferguson.
⚡ The Spirit That Still Shakes Systems
Fear No Man captures how Fela’s activism cost him dearly — his Kalakuta Republic compound was destroyed by Nigerian soldiers, his mother Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, a pioneering feminist, was fatally injured during one of the raids, and Fela himself faced arrests, censorship, and brutal beatings.
Yet, every time the government tried to silence him, he turned his pain into power — recording songs that exposed political corruption, police brutality, and social decay. His courage made him a symbol of resistance — a man who feared no man, living up to the title of the podcast.
The episodes draw parallels between Fela’s struggle and today’s realities. From the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria to the Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, Fela’s message of “music as protest” feels eerily prophetic — a reminder that the battle against systemic injustice continues globally.
🎙️ How Fear No Man Expands Fela’s Legacy
Produced by Higher Ground — the same company behind Obama’s award-winning Netflix documentaries and Spotify projects — the series is a creative powerhouse, blending storytelling, archival audio, and deep interviews.
Listeners are taken on a sonic journey through Fela’s rebellious art, spiritual awakening through Yoruba mysticism, his creation of Afrobeat as both sound and weapon, and his unapologetic stance against oppression.
The title Fear No Man sums up Fela’s essence — a man who rejected colonial subservience, challenged patriarchal norms, and preached self-liberation long before “Afrocentrism” became mainstream.
🎵 From Kalakuta to the White House Playlist
It’s poetic that a U.S. president once seated in the Oval Office is now celebrating a man once declared a threat to the Nigerian state. Obama’s tribute reminds the world that Fela’s influence transcends geography and generation.
His songs are still sampled by international artists, his image still painted on murals from Lagos to New York, and his philosophy still studied in universities as part of global cultural movements.
Through Fear No Man, Fela’s voice — once deemed too dangerous for radio — now streams freely across platforms, reaching millions who are discovering the man behind the music.
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