Andrew Garfield says Fela Kuti influenced his Spider-Man performance

British actor Andrew Garfield has said the music of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti influenced his portrayal of Spider-Man, particularly the superhero’s movements and commitment to justice. Garfield made the disclosure in a video posted on YouTube by the Track-star-show, titled “Testing Andrew Garfield’s Music Knowledge”, according to Punch. He said he creates a playlist for every character he plays and began listening to Fela’s music when he took on the Spider-Man role.

The actor said the Nigerian musician’s sound and rhythm helped him connect with the character both physically and emotionally. Garfield explained that Fela’s music made him more aware of the body and helped him explore Spider-Man’s physicality. “There was something about the sound and the rhythm that was really useful to me for that character,” Garfield said.

He also linked Fela’s revolutionary background to the superhero’s pursuit of justice. Garfield said the way he moved while wearing the Spider-Man suit was partly inspired by Fela and his music. He added that he wanted to reflect the power conveyed by the musician in the power of the fictional superhero.

“I was like, I don’t know what it is about this guy’s power that I want to somehow reflect in this guy’s power,” he said. The song played during the video segment was Fela’s “Water No Get Enemy”, from the 1975 album “Expensive Shit”. Garfield’s comments connect elements of his performance to the music, rhythm and public image of one of Nigeria’s most influential musicians, although he did not identify a specific movement or scene as directly based on Fela.