About this episode
Writer, composer, and Peabody Award-winning podcaster Jad Abumrad joins Kirk to talk about Fela Kuti: Fear No Man , his new 12-part series on the life, music, and legacy of Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti. DISCUSSED/REFERENCED: “Miryea’s Death” by Jack Nitzche from Revenge , 1990 “Prologue” by Alexandre Desplat from Birth , 2004 Excerpt from Port(al), music by Paola Prestini and Jad Abumrad, performed by the Brooklyn Youth Chorus “It’s Highlife Time” and “Amaechi’s Blues” by Fela Kuti and his Koola Lobitos, ca. 1963-69 “Jeun Ko Ku,” “Eko Ile,” and “Je’nwi Temi” by Fela Kuti from Afrodesiac , 1973 “Zombie” by Fela Kuti from Zombie , 1976 “The Great Curve” by Talking Heads from Remain in Light , 1980 “Life During Wartime” and “Once in a Lifetime” by Talking Heads from Stop Making Sense , 1984 “The Prince We Never Knew“ - Sasha Weiss’ essential New York Times feature on Ezra Edelman’s unreleased Prince documentary “RITUAL” by Jon Hopkins from Ritual , 2024 “Open Eye Signal” by Jon Hopkins from Immunity , 2013 “A Quiet Glow” by Siavash Amini from Songs for Sad Poets , 2022 “In The Dust of This Planet” - 2014 Radiolab Episode featuring the poetry of Eugene Thacker “The Right Man (Daniele Baldelli & Marco Dionigi Cosmic Remix)” from The Units - Connections , 2011 “quiero sentirme bien” by Kali Uchis from Sin Miedo , 2020 “Looking for Love” by The Tallest Man On Earth from Henry St. , 2023 “Sweet Surrender” by Sarah McLachlan from Mirrorball , 1999 ----LINKS----- 💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS! Patreon | Paypal 🏠 HOMEPAGE strongsongspodcast.com 👚 MERCH strongsongspodcast.com/store 📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER newsletter.kirkhamilton.com 📷 SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com 💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER strongsongspodcast.com/discord 🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music 🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS kirkhamilton.com/gear 🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC kirkhamilton.com/music 🎨 SHOW ART Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics -------------------- OCTOBER 2025 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS AccessViolation Andy Ben Barron Catherine Warner Cesar Christopher McConnell Christopher Miller Corpus Frisky Damon White Daniel Hannon-Barry Dave Florey David Mascetti Elizabeth Culver Greg Jamie White Jay Swartz Jenness Gardner Jeremy Dawson Joe Laska Ken Hirsh Lisa Crotty Melanie Andrich Melissa Lucas Nathaniel Bauernfeind Paul Delaney Rick Keeler Robyn Metcalfe Rush Sami Samhuri Thomas McIlheran OCTOBER 2025 HALF-NOTE PATRONS Aaron Cain Aaron Wade Aaron Wilson Abbie Berg Abraham Benrubi Achint Srivastava Adam Clark Adam Stofsky Adam W Ailie Fraser AJ Schuster Alan Kress Alan Maass Alex Alex Miller Alexander Alexander Polson Alison Dugan Amanda Furlotti Andrew Baker Andrew Fair Andrew Hofer Angela Livingstone Anthony Mentz Arjun Sharma Aruni Jayatilleke Ashley Bea Ben Stein Bernard Khoo Betsy Barre Bill Thornton Bonnie Prinsen Brad Callahan Brendan McLeod Brett Douville Brian Amoebas Brian Rinckenberger Brian John Peter Bruno Gaeta Carlos Lerner Caro Field Catherine Clause cbalmain Charles McGee Cheryl Wilke Chris K Chris Remo Christian Hessmann Christopher Selby Spink Clare Holberton Claudia Carty Clint McElroy Colin Hodo Dallas Hockley Dan Cutter Dani Daniel Kaberon Daniel Markoff Daniel Nervo Dave Douglass Dave Kolas dave malloy Dave Sharpe David David David Futter David Joske David Noah David Stroud Deebs Dent Earl Dermot Crowley Dhu Wik Diane Hughes Diane Turner Dick Morgan Donald Mackie Doreen Carlson Doug Belew Douglas H Frazer Dr Arthur A Gray E Margaret Warton Edward Steen Eoin de Burca Eric Helm Eric Prestemon eric sp Eric Stone Erik Ethan Bauman Ethan Laser Freddy Freeman Gary Pierce Gavin Doig Geraldine Butler Glenn Jackson Grettir Asmundarson Henry Mindlin HiddenJester Ian Karmel Ian Pidd Inmar Givoni irritable James James Johnson James McMurry Jamie Janice Berry Jason Pratt Jeff Jeff Ulm Jeffrey Bean Jeffrey Olson Jennifer Bush Jez Jim Sellers Joe Gallo John Berry john halpin Jonathan Daniels Jordan Gatenby Joseph Romero Josh Singer Joshua Hill JRRJ Julie Kellman Justin McElroy Karma Jay Kaya Woodall Kayla Russell Kellen Steffen Kelli Brockington KenIsWearingAHat Kenneth Jung Kevin Marcelo Kevin Potter Kevin Stafford Kym Griffith Lauren Knotts Lauren Reay Lawrence Lee R. LG Linda Duffy Lisa Turner Lottie Aron Luigi Boccia M Shane Borders Margaret McReynolds Martín Salías Mathias Schmidt Matt Betzel Matthew Jones Max max barnes Melanie Stivers Melissa Kuhns Melmaniac Merv Adrian Meryl Allison Michael Michael Berman Michael Casner Michael Singer Michael Wisnosky Michelle Laughran mino capossela Misty Haisfield mjs Monica St. Angelo Mordok’s Vape Pen Naomi Watson Nathan Gouwens Nell Morse Ol Parker Pascal Rueger Paul Bigelman Paul Wayper Peter Harding PhantomMare Philip Kelly Portland Eye Care Princess of Whales R J Helow Rachel Rand LeShay Randal Vegter Randy Souza Richard Sneddon Richard Toller Rishi Sahay Rob Tsuk Robert Granat Robert Heuer RsP Ryan Rairigh Sarah Vetters Sean Murphy Seattle Trans and Nonbinary Choral Ensemble Simon Hellman STEPHEN Stephen Tsoneff Stephen Wolkwitz Steve B Steve Martino Steve Paquin Stu Baker Suzanne Crawford Sy Jacobs Tanner Morton TB Thomas Tim Rosenwong Tim Sheehan Tom Coleman Tucker Ped Wendy Gilchrist Whit Sidener Wiggy Hash Zach Putnam Zak Remer ----LINKS----- 💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS! Patreon | One-Time Donation 🏠 HOMEPAGE 👚 MERCH 💬 DISCORD SERVER 📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER 🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS 🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC 📷 KIRK’S SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram | Bluesky 🎧 EVERY STRONG SONG: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music 🎨 SHOW ART: Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics