Former US President Barack Obama has paid tribute to legendary Afrobeat artist, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, describing him as a unique figure in musical history who mixed art with activism.
He described Fela as “a musical genius from Nigeria” who fused funk, jazz and soul into what became known worldwide as Afrobeat.
Obama said this in a video posted on his social media account on Wednesday night, where he urged fans to listen to a podcast series dedicated to the story of Fela.
Titled “Fela Kuti: Fear no man,” the 12-episode podcast commemorates the life and legacy of the late Afrobeat pioneer on Higher Ground, a podcast owned by Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama.
“You may have heard our documentary podcast last year about Stevie Wonder called The Wonder of Stevie. Well, I want to be the first to tell you about the next podcast from Higher Ground that just came out. It’s about the legendary Fela Kuti.
“He is 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.
Currently in episode four, the podcast traces the genealogy of Fela’s revolution, “when he was an 8-year-old boy watching his mom make history.”
It also explores the icon’s life in 1969 Los Angeles, where a potent mix of music and politics turned a “missionary boy” into a Pan-Africanist freedom fighter and ignited a musical firestorm.
In episode one, titled “To Hell and Back,” the former US president is one of the interviewees who extolled that Fela’s music had the power to move hearts, change minds, and heal the deepest wounds.
“Music like Fela’s is able to not just keep folks moving but also makes them feel alive, our very best art and very best music. Touch the soul,” Obama said.
According to the producer, 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 Mádé Kuti, also the son of Femi.
“Drawing from over 200 interviews with Fela Kuti’s family, friends, as well as scholars, activists, and luminaries like Burna Boy, Paul McCartney, Questlove, Santigold, and former President Barack Obama, Fela Kuti: Fear No Man journeys deep into the soul of Afrobeat to explore the transformative power of art and the role artists can play in this current niSment of global unrest,” the producer said on the podcast description.
