Obamas Join The Kuti Family In Honoring Fela Kuti With New Podcast Series

UNITED KINGDOM – JANUARY 01: Photo of Fela KUTI; Fela Kuti performing on stage (Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns)

Redferns

Michelle and Barack Obama honor Fela Kuti’s artistry and activism with a podcast series that connects the Afrobeat pioneer’s Pan-African vision to a worldwide audience.

Michelle and Barack Obama have been silent disruptors in the digital media world through their company, Higher Ground. The Obamas have joined the Kuti family in commemorating the late Afrobeat pioneer with a podcast series dedicated to the story of Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

Hosted by Jad Abumrad, Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, the 12-episode podcast series, offers a unique retrospect on the Pan-Africanist spirit of a music legend. Fear No Man features a collection of recent and past interviews with figures in the arts, including Ayo Edebiri, Santigold, Questlove, Paul McCartney, David Byrne, Burna Boy, and more.

Fear No Man, will not only feature figures in the arts but also, expectedly, members of the Kuti family, including Fela’s children Yeni Kuti and Femi Kuti, as well as his grandson Made Kuti, also the son of Femi.

The podcast arrives during the week-long worldwide celebration from October 13 to October 19 dedicated to the “Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense” artist, known as Felabration. Primarily based in Lagos, Nigeria, the Kuti family’s venue, New Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, hosts a series of events throughout the week, including a fashion competition, intellectual debates, an afrobics dance competition, and multiple concerts between New Afrika Shrine and Freedom Park, also located in Lagos.

The global jubilee coincides with Fela Kuti’s birthday on October 15 each year. Felabration further multiplied worldwide, as several affiliates, thought leaders, and enthusiasts host their own celebrations in Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with permission from the late Kuti’s estate.

Felabrators abide by a theme each year, and this year’s theme is Shakara. “Shakara,” the 1972 infectious polyrhythmic jam, is among Kuti’s most renowned works. With its call-and-response between Kuti’s authoritative voice, trumpet, and a signature saxophone solo, the song delivers Kuti’s Pan-African critique of a modern Lagos, a place enriched by Nigeria’s oil phenomenon which fostered a “shakara” culture (Yoruba slang for “showing off”), a misstep of the Nigerian elite and a product of postcolonial corruption. At this year’s Felabration, Felabrators will show off their best homage to Kuti. 2025 marks the 25th Felabration jubilee.

In addition to Fear No Man, Partisan Records, host of Fela Kuti’s full catalog, where his longtime manager Rikki Stein serves as CEO, announced the release of the first-ever vinyl edition of The Best of the Black President, featuring Kuti’s most revered works, including “Water Get No Enemy,” “Lady,” and “Zombie.”

Kuti’s longtime cover artist, Lemi Ghariokwu—globally recognized for his stint od designing 26 of Fela’s iconic covers, including Yellow Fever, Sorrow, Tears, and Blood, and Beasts of No Nation, is returning to his Kalakuta brush and reimagine the artwork, while Taofeek Abijako, the founder of New York-based fashion brand Head of State, designed the 4xLP set, dawned by a sturdy book cover that cleverly doubles as a playable Ludo board. A collector’s item for the Afrobeat enthusiast (Afrobeat, not Afrobeats as there is a significant difference), only 3,000 copies will be sold globally starting November 21.

Fela youngest son, Seun Kuti, presently a leading authority of the Afrobeat genre, has been the head of his father’s band, Egypt 80, since Kuti’s death in 1997— a role he has maintained for the past 34 years. Seun is set to perform at Freedom Park, Lagos, for this year’s Felabration.

The arrival of Fear No Man in collaboration with Felabration stands as a testament to Fela Kuti’s enduring legacy as the pioneer of Afrobeat. With recognition by the Obamas in curation, Kuti’s ability to effortlessly project his voice beyond Nigeria, and nearly 30 years after his death, his work remains pristinely timeless, and his message continues to permeate the consciousness of enthusiasts worldwide. Fear No Man is available for consumption on Audible.