Obama’s tribute came in a video shared on his social media platforms on Wednesday night, where he introduced a new podcast series dedicated to Fela’s life and revolutionary artistry. The 12-part series, titled “Fela Kuti: Fear No Man,” is produced by Higher Ground — the audio production company owned by Barack and Michelle Obama.
The former president praised Fela as “a musical genius from Nigeria” who “combined funk, jazz, and soul into a whole new genre called Afrobeat.” He described the series as a “beautiful show about a unique figure in musical history who mixed art with activism.”
The podcast, now in its fourth episode, takes listeners through key phases of Fela’s extraordinary journey — from his childhood years witnessing his mother, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, make history as a political activist, to his transformative experience in 1969 Los Angeles, where he was influenced by the Black Power movement and redefined his music into a tool of cultural and political defiance.
In its debut episode, “To Hell and Back,” Obama himself is among the featured voices reflecting on the enduring power of Fela’s music. “Music like Fela’s is able to not just keep folks moving but also make them feel alive,” Obama remarked. “Our very best art and very best music touch the soul.”
According to the show’s producers, Fear No Man draws from over 200 interviews with Fela’s family, friends, and a constellation of global artists and thinkers — including Burna Boy, Paul McCartney, Questlove, and Santigold. Members of the Kuti family, such as Femi, Yeni, and Mádé Kuti, also lend their perspectives on the Afrobeat pioneer’s enduring cultural impact.
The podcast delves deep into the soul of Afrobeat, exploring not only Fela’s fearless political stance but also the wider role of art in challenging power and inspiring change amid contemporary global unrest.
Through this tribute, Obama once again affirms Fela Kuti’s timeless influence — a reminder that music, when fused with conviction, can become one of humanity’s most potent forces for freedom and transformation.