Season 1 · Episode 79
Where Did All The Protest Music Go?
How Fela Kuti’s music became the soundtrack for social change.
The Sam Sanders Show · KCRW
January 2, 202650m 34s
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Show Notes
<p dir="ltr">There was a time when popular music was inseparable from civil rights and civil unrest. But today, very few popular songs reflect the grievances seen in the streets. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Fela Kuti is an artist who wasn’t afraid to make protest music. Known as the father of Afrobeat, his music became the soundtrack for social change in his native Nigeria. </p>
<p dir="ltr">He’s the focus of the new podcast <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fela-kuti-fear-no-man/id1835735529"><em>Fela Kuti: Fear No Man</em></a> created by Jad Abumrad. He tells Sam about the lasting impact of Kuti’s work, his complicated history, and asks… why are musicians today so afraid to get political? </p>
<p dir="ltr">Sign up for <a href="https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/the-sam-sanders-show">Sam’s Newsletter</a> to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>The Sam Sanders Show</em> is a production of KCRW and Sam Sanders Productions.</p>
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