By John Paul
Former United States President, Barack Obama, has paid glowing tribute to Afrobeat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, describing him as a musical genius who fused art and activism to create one of the world’s most powerful musical movements.
In a now-viral video clip shared on his social media account, Obama announced the release of a new 12-episode documentary podcast titled “Fela Kuti: Fear No Man”, produced by Higher Ground, the media company he co-owns with his wife, Michelle Obama.
The former president said the series celebrates the life and enduring influence of Fela, whom he described as “a musical genius from Nigeria who made some music that I really love, combining funk, jazz, and soul into a whole new genre called Afrobeat.”
“It’s a beautiful show about a unique figure in musical history who mixed art with activism,” Obama said, adding that the project follows the success of Higher Ground’s earlier podcast, The Wonder of Stevie, which focused on music icon Stevie Wonder.
Currently on its fourth episode, Fear No Man chronicles Fela’s evolution from his childhood in Abeokuta to his time in 1969 Los Angeles, where exposure to the civil rights movement reshaped his worldview and transformed him from a missionary’s son into a Pan-African revolutionary.
The podcast traces what producers call “the genealogy of Fela’s revolution,” recounting how witnessing his mother, the late nationalist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, confront colonial authority inspired his lifelong defiance and political consciousness.
Episode one, titled “To Hell and Back,” features Obama among a roster of global voices reflecting on Fela’s legacy. In his appearance, Obama praised the musician’s ability to use sound as a vehicle for social change.
“Music like Fela’s doesn’t just keep folks moving,” Obama said. “It makes them feel alive. Our very best art and our very best music touch the soul.”
According to the producers, Fela Kuti: Fear No Man draws from more than 200 interviews with Fela’s family, friends, and contemporaries — including Burna Boy, Paul McCartney, Questlove, and Santigold — as well as members of the Kuti family such as Yeni, Femi, and Mádé Kuti.
The series, they said, delves deep into the soul of Afrobeat to explore how Fela’s fearless artistry became a weapon against oppression and a rallying cry for justice across generations.
“Through Fela’s story,” the producers noted, “we examine the transformative power of art and the role artists can play in a time of global unrest.”
Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is available for streaming on Higher Ground’s podcast platforms, continuing Fela’s mission to make music not just for entertainment, but as a force for truth and liberation.
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