Zombie (Episode 8, Audio Only) | Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
Free with YouTube's ads, posted by Higher Ground Productions (HIGHER GROUND PRODUCTIONS)
An episode of Fela Kuti: Fear No ManPrevious episodeNext episode: Things Will Collide (Episode 9, Audio Only) | Fela Kuti: Fear No Man
It plays in YouTube's player, loaded from youtube-nocookie.com only when you press Play. From then on YouTube's player runs on this page: it shows YouTube's ads, YouTube receives your address and this page's, and its player may keep its own cookies and storage on your device. Pressing Play means you agree to be bound by YouTube's Terms of Service and accept this site's privacy notice, which says what this site keeps; Google's Privacy Policy covers what YouTube collects.
Add to the wallWatch on YouTubeHigher Ground Productions on YouTubeHIGHER GROUND PRODUCTIONS
Clips are not offered for films in YouTube's player: YouTube's terms allow no copies of its videos (YouTube API Services Developer Policies, III.E.1).
About this episode
What happens when a song becomes more powerful than the state itself?
In this explosive chapter of Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, host Jad Abumrad traces the story of “Zombie” — Fela Kuti’s legendary anthem that dared to call out the Nigerian military and changed the course of his life forever.
Released in 1976, Zombie wasn’t just a song — it was a spark that lit a national fire. Banned from radio but sung in every home, it mocked the mindless obedience of soldiers and emboldened people to defy authority. The groove was irresistible; the message, incendiary. As one listener recalls, “It made people brave. It made them fearless.”
Featuring new reflections from Ayo Edebiri, Santigold, and members of Fela’s inner circle — including Duro Ikujenyo — this episode revisits the cultural shockwave of Zombie and premieres Santigold’s electrifying new rendition, recorded for her child’s school fundraiser but pulsing with the same rebellious spirit.
This is the story of how rhythm became resistance — and how a 13-minute Afrobeat masterpiece nearly brought down a government.
About Fela Kuti: Fear No Man:
From Higher Ground Audio and Audible Originals comes an epic new documentary podcast from Jad Abumrad, creator of Radiolab and Dolly Parton’s America.
In a world on fire, what can art do? Fela Kuti: Fear No Man explores the life, music, and radical spirit of the Nigerian icon who invented Afrobeat — a sound that fused funk, jazz, and resistance into one of the most explosive musical movements of the 20th century.
Through vivid storytelling, original interviews, and rich archival sound, Jad Abumrad traces how Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s music became both a cultural revolution and a spiritual weapon. Featuring insights from Fela’s friends, family, and collaborators — and voices like Questlove, Ayo Edebiri, and even President Obama — this series asks: can music truly change the world?
🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more inspiring stories and authentic conversations:…
- Posted by
- Higher Ground Productions, the YouTube channel of HIGHER GROUND PRODUCTIONS, on 2025-11-12
- Rights holder
- HIGHER GROUND PRODUCTIONS, whose own site links this channel (checked 2026-10-31)
- Length
- 24 min
- Where it plays
- Wherever YouTube plays: its rights holder sets no limit
- Made for kids
- No, as YouTube designates it
- Language
- English, as YouTube records it
- What it is
- A full episode, as its rights holder calls it
- Who can watch here
- Adult profiles and older: no rating is recorded on YouTube, so adults only. How these videos are chosen
The title, description, picture, length, category, ratings, broadcast times, where it plays and whether it is made for kids come from YouTube. The rights holder named, how it was checked, what it is by its own title or playlist, and which profiles see it are this site's own.