EXTENDED PLAY
Fela Kuti
Fear No Man
AUDIBLE/HIGHER GROUND
The Best Of The Black President
PARTISAN. LP
DEAD NEARLY 30 years, does Kuti have any relevance – musical or otherwise – in the 21st century? “It’s the hardest shit you’ve ever heard,” says Chili Pepper Flea, suggesting 2026 is precisely the time we should be asking what the role of art is when the world is on fire. Created/ presented by Jad Abumrad (also responsible for Dolly Parton’s America), the 12-part podcast Fela Kuti – Fear No Man is a deep dive into colliding aspects of his life. Fans (Questlove, Barack Obama, who co-produces) and people who came into his orbit (Paul McCartney, Egypt 80 pianist Dele Sosimi) are among the 200-plus interviewees. “If you think music has no power, you need to listen to this,” suggests the presenter – while the reissued The Best Of The Black President (Partisan, ★★★★★) is a 13-track, 160 minutes alternative primer, and now available on 2-CD or 4-LP packages. Indispensable.