Higher Ground, the media company founded by former U.S. President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, has launched a new podcast series titled Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, hosted by award-winning radio and podcast producer Jad Abumrad. The series, released exclusively on Audible on Thursday, September 18, 2025, examines the life, music, and political activism of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.
The 12-episode Audible Original draws from over 200 interviews with Kuti’s family, friends, musicians, historians, and activists, alongside previously recorded conversations with global artists including Burna Boy, Questlove, and Paul McCartney. The podcast also features new interviews with Ayo Edebiri, David Byrne, Brian Eno, and Santigold. The series situates Kuti’s music within the broader context of political resistance, exploring how his Afrobeat compositions became a tool of social critique and defiance against oppression in Nigeria.
Speaking about the launch, Made Kuti, Fela’s grandson, reflected on the musician’s enduring influence. “Fela poured his hopes and beliefs out in his raw and unfiltered newly invented genre of music, aiming to inspire change in the mindset of so many people.
He took fearless risks that probably led him to being the most incarcerated musician in history,” Made Kuti said.
“Today his music inspires musicians and listeners all around the world, but his nation that he tried so hard to help to develop is arguably several times worse than it was while he was alive. Today so many of us carry on his vision for a better future and Felabration is just one of many ways we show how thankful we are for all the risks he took to inspire us.”
Host Jad Abumrad described the podcast as a multi-layered exploration of Kuti’s artistry and activism.
“Fela is a thousand things, and I hope we captured some of that complexity in this series,” Abumrad said. “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.”
Abumrad, known for his work on Radiolab and Dolly Parton’s America, brings extensive experience in audio storytelling, narrative design, and sound engineering. A 2011 MacArthur Fellow, Abumrad has been a pioneer in using soundscapes to deepen engagement with complex subjects.
The podcast release coincides with the 25th anniversary of Felabration, the annual week-long festival in Lagos celebrating Fela Kuti’s life and music, which runs from October 13 to 19. In conjunction with the festival, the first two episodes of Fela Kuti: Fear No Man will be available across all podcast platforms on October 15, with weekly episodes following thereafter.
Produced by Western Sound and Talkhouse, and presented by Audible and Higher Ground, the series forms part of Higher Ground’s portfolio of cultural and musical podcasts, which includes IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, The Wonder of Stevie, Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, and Renegades: Born in the USA.
Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is available exclusively on Audible starting September 18, and will be accessible on other podcast platforms from October 15, offering listeners a comprehensive exploration of Fela Kuti’s artistic legacy and political impact.
