Fresh Air

Fela Kuti and the music of political resistance

February 12, 2026·44 min·7-min readinterviewmusic
Podzilla Summary (7 min)
TLDR
Fela Kuti, the Nigerian pioneer of Afrobeat, used hypnotic, layered music and politically charged lyrics to ignite a youth rebellion against post-colonial authoritarianism, enduring brutal repression—including the murder of his activist mother and the burning of his compound—while remaini

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Guest

J

Jad Abumrad

interview on Fresh Air

Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

Fela KutiJad AbumradFunmilayo Ransom-KutiTerry GrossDanny MillerSam Brigger

Books

Dolly Parton's Americaby Jad AbumradFela Kuti, Fear No Manby Jad Abumrad

Companies

NPR

Topics

Long Form JournalismMusic IndustryPolitical NewsPop Culture

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