Introducing - Fela Kuti: Fear No Man

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Rolling Stone

Music, Music Commentary, Music Interviews

4.0 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 October 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Sharing an episode of the new podcast Fela Kuti: Fear No Man. When the world is on fire, what can music actually…do? Host Jad Abumrad recounts the true tale of one of the great political awakenings in music. Fela Kuti was a classically-trained Nigerian musician who traveled to America, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a battering ram against the state. Doing so he created a new musical language of resistance called Afrobeat. But when the mix of art and activism got too hot, the state pulled out its guns, and literally opened fire.In this episode, we hear how Fela’s music had the power to move hearts, change minds, and heal the deepest wounds. Listen to more episodes of Fela Kuti: Fear No Man at https://link.mgln.ai/rollingstone . When the world is on fire, what can music actually…do? Host Jad Abumrad recounts the true tale of one of the great political awakenings in music. Fela Kuti was a classically-trained Nigerian musician who traveled to America, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a battering ram against the state. Doing so he created a new musical language of resistance called Afrobeat. But when the mix of art and activism got too hot, the state pulled out its guns, and literally opened fire. In this episode, we hear how Fela’s music had the power to move hearts, change minds, and heal the deepest wounds. Listen to more episodes of Fela Kuti: Fear No Man at https://link.mgln.ai/rollingstone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Brian Hyatt, host of Rolling Stone Music Now, and I wanted to share a special episode with you.
0:05.6	It's all about how, when the world is on fire, what can music actually do?
0:10.1	For the answer, check out Falakuti, Fear No Man.
0:13.5	Jad Abomrad recounts the true tale of one of the great political awakenings in music.
0:18.9	Falakuti was a classically trained Nigerian musician who traveled to America, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a battering ram against the state.
0:28.6	Doing so, he created a new language of resistance called Afrobeat.
0:32.6	But when the mix of art and activism got too hot, the state pulled out its guns and literally opened fire.
0:38.9	This is Jad's first project post-Radio Lab.
0:41.8	He conducted interviews with Falakuti's family, historians, and luminaries like Ayo Edibiri,
0:47.9	David Byrne, Brian Eno, Sontagold, and Barack Obama.
0:51.7	The show is a mix that only Jad could create.
0:54.5	Oral history, musicology, deep- journalism, and cutting-edge sound design.
0:59.6	I'm going to play you an episode now.
1:01.5	You can listen to more episodes of Falakuti, Fear No Man, on Audible or Wherever
1:06.9	you get podcasts.
1:19.6	Music wherever you get podcasts. How do you describe Thela to someone who doesn't know?
1:22.3	I've played around.
1:23.5	I've done it a million times.
1:24.9	I don't know if any time has worked.
1:27.0	Like, I'll go.
1:27.9	Fela is like
1:29.1	Bob Marley and Mandela
	...

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