Podcast Summary: Dolly Parton's America

Special Episode: Jad Abumrad’s New Show – Fela Kuti: Fear No Man

Release Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Jad Abumrad
Featured Guest: Dele Sosimi Bamidele
Production: WNYC Studios & OSM Audio

Episode Overview

This special episode of Dolly Parton’s America serves as a launch pad for Jad Abumrad’s new series, Fela Kuti: Fear No Man. With his signature approach—personal, historical, and musical—Jad introduces listeners to the epic story of Fela Kuti: Nigerian musical innovator, father of Afrobeat, and political firebrand. Through the lens of keyboardist Dele Sosimi, who knew, played with, and was deeply influenced by Fela, the episode explores themes of trauma, nation-building, healing through music, and the enduring power of art to challenge and transform society.

Main Discussion Points & Episode Flow

1. From Dolly to Fela: Why This Story, Why Now?

[00:27–03:21]

• Jad Abumrad reflects on why, after Dolly Parton’s America, he felt compelled to make a show about Fela Kuti.

  • Draws parallels: Both Dolly and Fela are icons whose significance transcends genres and culture.
  • Fela’s music—a blend of funk, jazz, and resistance—incited real danger, provoked government violence, and marked him as a figure both revered and feared.
  • “He’s one of those figures that, like Dolly, just transcends every usual idea we have of what a musician should do or be.” (Jad, 01:09)

• Key Questions Raised:

  • In a world “on fire,” can music effect real change?
  • How does art liberate, resist, and heal?

2. Global Reverence for Fela Kuti

[03:21–06:03]

• Fela’s influence spans genres and generations:
  • Celebrity tributes from Ayo Edibiri, Questlove, Jay-Z/Beyoncé, Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Paul McCartney, Brian Eno, David Byrne, even President Obama.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • “When this music broke, I ended up just weeping … one of the most amazing musical moments of my life.” — Paul McCartney, 04:54
    • “He absolutely blew my mind. I thought, this is really the future of music.” — Brian Eno, 05:26
    • “Our very best art and our very best music stirs the soul.” — Barack Obama, 05:47

3. Dele Sosimi: Personal and National Histories

[06:39–13:15]

• Introduction to Dele Sosimi Bamidele (‘Dele’):

  • London-born, returned to Nigeria in childhood—his name, “one who sets foot on the motherland,” signals his deep connection to the Nigerian story.
  • Describes his journey from an “ice-cream-less” childhood in rural Nigeria to discovering music in high school, where a friendship with Fela’s nephew soon led to Fela’s orbit.

• Cultural Context:

  • Optimism post-1960 independence juxtaposed with the corruption and foreign exploitation that soon followed (“In that way, colonialism really didn't end. It just changed clothes.” — Jad, 14:08).

4. Trauma, Corruption, and Violence: Dele’s Family Tragedy

[13:15–23:09]

• Dele’s Father:

  • High-ranking auditor uncovers a massive banking scandal (mid-1970s Nigeria).
  • Rejects attempts at bribery; ultimately, he is murdered in a brutal nighttime attack (described in excruciating detail by Dele).

• Impact and Aftermath:

  • Dele, age 12, is traumatized and told by family and community to “pretend it didn’t happen.”
  • “You see in life, sometimes you get to the crossroads, you go to make a stance. Without a good name, you’re nothing.” — Dele recalling his father, 17:22

5. Meeting Fela: A Turning Point

[23:09–25:47]

• No One Had Ever Asked…

  • Upon being introduced to Fela, Dele is asked: “Tell me what happened to your dad. How is your mom coping? Have you had psychological counseling or psychotherapy?” (24:35)
  • It’s the first time Dele hears these ideas—he seeks out books on psychology.

• Fela's Unusual Compassion:

  • Fela vows to fight for Dele’s family to receive support and justice.
  • “That statement, my life has changed. I said, that’s it. It’s my new hero. I will follow this man to hell and back. Now I know what my calling [is].” — Dele, 26:04

6. Healing Through Music

[26:21–34:11]

• Learning Fela’s Music Was Therapy

  • Instead of “traditional” therapy, Dele immerses himself in Fela’s musical world—studying, practicing, and eventually joining his band.
  • Describes grueling but hypnotic rehearsals—enduring loops, fierce discipline (even fines for missed notes), yet finding stability, solace, and even communion in the repetition.
    • “That repetitive thing just keeps me … It’s okay, it’s okay. Hang in there.” — Dele, 31:06

• On Stage: Connection and Liberation

  • Fela encourages watching the crowd, finding a single dancer, and using that energy to drive creative improvisation. Concerts become spiritual and cathartic spaces for both performers and audience, moments of real healing.
  • “That was my therapy ... You actually have to find a way, what makes you ... what takes you to a place where you are okay.” — Dele, 33:16

7. Legacy and Complications

[34:57–37:25]

• Fela’s Legacy is Complex:

  • Visionary, prophet, prophet, musical genius—and sometimes a “tyrant.”
  • Fela’s music was “the weapon,” inspiring millions to resist and rethink their conditions.
  • “People who are still hero-worshipping him, I feel sorry for them. He’s a very complicated man.” — Dele, 36:21

• Series Preview:

  • The podcast promises to dive deeper: the radicalization of Fela, the state’s response, generational echoes, and how music's weaponry outlasts the gun.

• Jad’s Closing Thought:

  • “If you’re someone who doesn’t think art has power, you need to listen to this.” (37:28)

Notable Quotes & Key Moments with Timestamps

• On Fela’s Icon Status:
  “He’s one of those figures that, like Dolly, just transcends every usual idea we have of what a musician should do or be.” — Jad Abumrad, 01:03

• Musician Tributes:
  “When this music broke, I ended up just weeping ... one of the most amazing musical moments of my life.” — Paul McCartney, 05:02
  “He absolutely blew my mind. I thought, this is really the future of music.” — Brian Eno, 05:26
  “Our very best art and our very best music stirs the soul.” — Barack Obama, 05:47

• On Nigeria’s Corruption:
  “Colonialism really didn't end. It just changed clothes.” — Jad Abumrad, 14:08

• Dele’s Father’s Resolve:
  “Without a good name, you’re nothing.” — Dele (recounting his father), 17:22

• Fela’s Compassion:
  “I’m going to fight for your family … right now, both your mom and you children should be in therapy … the full salary of your dad, I’m going to fight for that.” — Fela, via Dele, 25:27

• Healing Power of Music:
  “That repetitive thing just keeps me … It’s okay, it’s okay. Hang in there.” — Dele, 31:06
  “You actually have to find a way what makes you … what takes you to a place where you are okay.” — Dele, 33:16

• On Complicated Legacies:
  “He didn’t just speak the truth. He sang the truth. … He became a tyrant. People who are still hero worshipping him, I feel sorry for them.” — Dele, 36:18

Important Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|---------------| | Introduction & Why Fela? | 00:27–03:21 | | Celebrity Testimonies on Fela’s Influence | 04:03–06:03 | | Dele’s Background & Family History | 06:53–13:15 | | Discovery of Father’s Murder/Corruption | 13:15–23:09 | | Dele Meets Fela – A New Path | 23:09–25:47 | | Music as Therapy: Joining the Band | 26:21–34:11 | | Fela’s Complicated Legacy & Series Preview | 34:57–37:25 |

Summary & Takeaways

• Jad positions Fela Kuti as a crucial figure for understanding both music’s power and Nigeria’s history—complex, liberating, and deeply human.
• Dele’s story is both intensely personal and emblematic of Nigeria’s struggles with violence, trauma, and the ongoing quest for self-determination.
• Fela emerges as a healer, mentor, and visionary—at once prophet and tyrant, but always fiercely honest.
• The episode underscores the communal, transformative potential of art and why Fela’s spirit—and struggle—still matters.

Call to Action: “Search up and subscribe to Fela Kuti: Fear No Man. It’s on every podcast app with new episodes every week … Let’s go.” — Jad Abumrad, 37:28