>> good evening from los angeles, i'm tavis smiley. first up tonight, part two of my conversation with the legendary director, francis ford coppola. he's out with a new project called "tetro," as you'll see in the second part of our conversation. he opens up about a lot of subjects, including the ups and downs about his career. also, femi kuti stops by. the son of the late great fela kuti is in the states now for a number of concerts, including a headlining slot last week at the hollywood bowl. his most recent c.d. is called "day by day." we're glad you've joined us. that's all coming up right now. ♪ >> there's so many things that

wal-mart is looking forward to doing, like helping people live better, but mostly we're looking forward to helping build stronger communities and relationships. because of your help, the best is yet to come. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. tavis and nationwide insurance, working to improve financial literacy and the economic empowerment that comes with it. >> ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] tavis: there is so much to talk about with francis ford coppola, there was no way we could get it all in one program. he was kind enough to stick

around for a few more questions. i began the second part of our conversation by asking him about the financial ups and downs of his life and career. what lessons have you taken from that part of your life, having fame, having fortune, losing it, being able to get it back again? just talk to me about that. >> well, you know, from the time i was about college age, really, 17, i kind of came into my own. i was very much a lonely kid. i was always the new kid in school. i went to many, many different -- i went to six high schools. tavis: you moved around a lot. >> my father for some reason moved around a lot. i never had any friends in school because i'd be gone in six months. in the last year of high school and finally in college, i came into my own. i was a theater major. i used to like theater even in high school, because i was good with technology. i could run the lights and the sets, but that's where the girls were around the theater school.

so i wanted to get to meet them, if i could. then i won a little play wrige -- play righting thing in college, and i was starting to direct the productions and began the head of the various drama and musical clubs and i really was successful. and then my like last year, i was going to go to the yale graduate school to be a play write. i notice there was a theater that said showing of a silent film called "october," 10 days that shook the world. i peeked in and there was four or five people sitting there. and i saw this 4 1/2-hour film, and i had never seen anything like it in my life. and i came out and i said i want to make movies. and i'm not going to go to the drama school i'm going to go to the ucla drama school. and from that point, i was very

successful. at 20 i was depsh i won a very important ucla award, the goldwin award. got to meet sam gold wynn, he was a very interesting man. he used to stay in touch with my career. and i wrote the screenplay the life of general patton when i was 22. i got the job because they said, "young man, do you have military experience?" and i said yes. but the truth is i had been in military school for a year. i ran away. so patton was -- i had a screen writing career. and really, from the time i was 20, i was on my way. so this fall from grace you speak of -- once i made "the godfather," i was always famous. and even though i was broke at sometimes, because i never hesitated to risk my own money -- and i was young. so i figured, well, i'll work hard and make it back. little did i know that i was

going to spend age 40 to age 50 paying a humongous -- $27 million. i used to make a payment every year, every nickel i had, so that i could keep my home in napa. so i was still famous. i was vell known. but i was also famously broke for a while. it was so cute. sophia was just a little girl at the time. we lived in a beautiful home at that time, a victorian place on the vineyards. and the process servers would come. they're not supposed to come on your property, but they did. so we'd run away. little 8-year-old sophia would step up and say, "what are you doing here? you're not allowed to be here. this is tara." [laughter] she wasn't afraid. so it's hard to my wife, i would imagine, because i never had corporations. so that when i went broke, they would cut off the account at the grocery store, too.

but we never starved by any means, and i was able to pay off that debt. albeit i was working on projects, they would give you the script and you would direct it and i would always try to find something i loved about it. but that was that period of movies. and quite by accident, and not an intentional thing, i was in the wine business more because we lived there, and there were grapes and there was that tradition, and the italian-american. and the wine business in general in america took off and people started to really appreciate wine and the healthful quaties and enjoyment. wine is a no-lose situation. it's good with your meal. you can learn about it. you can have a wonderful wine for $10 or even less, and then you can have one that's even more wonderful and it never stops. it just goes up and up and up. and the wine business took off, and i suddenly found i had a company that was doing real well

and i had equally gotten involved with these resorts that i had built for the fun of it. so i decided, well, now i can finance my own movies. tavis: it is an amazing, amazing journey that you've been on. is there anything -- i don't know that there is. but if there is, francis ford coppola would know. is there anything we don't know about "apocypse now"? it seems that it's been written about everything that happened on the set to keep that project from being made. is there anything we don't know about the making of that film? >> well, you know, i always like my children to be with me. so i had a little rule with my wife that if ever i was going to go somewhere for more than two weeks, i want to take the kids out of school and have it there -- have them with me. and it was a good decision. but my wife was an artist. and she didn't like just being the director's wife. so i bought her a camera and i said you shoot something.

really what i wanted her to do was to stay. so she was making this documentary about "apocalypse now," a famous documentary. and i would come home and say, god, this movie is terrible, i hate this movie, i'm going to flunk, this is the worst movie i've ever made. hoping she'd say, darling, it will be fine, just wait and see. instead, she said wait a minute, i want to get the camera so you can say it. so she pretty much covered it much the thing is not only in a way had i written myself in a corner, because vietnam was not like any other war. so to try to make a more or less conventional war film about an unconventional war and set of moral issues was very tough. and so i had -- i was available enough to what was really going on to make the film be very surreal and explore what vietnam might have really been like. but then i didn't know how to end it. plus, it was my money, because nobody would give me -- even

after all those oscars and having won many awards and made two godfather pictures, nobody would let me make "apocalypse now." so i basically put up my home, which happened to be a beautiful napa valley estate -- and everything else, by the way, not just myself -- in order to make the film. and so not only was i frightened of like what i had gotten myself into creatively, i also knew that the 200 days of shooting at was mounting up i outside, so it was going to wipe me out and -- i owed, so it was going to wipe me out and i was frightened. tavis: it's a fascinating life you have lived. i assume that being able to do what you like at this point in your life, to be in control of what you do, to be financially stable and to put out a movie like "tetro," i assume that is like heaven for you, as close as there is. >> it's a wonderful thing. i have this wonderful family who

are all doing interesting things. i'm proud of my children and the fact that they're personal filmmakers, meaning they make film not because they get money or anything, they do it because they love it. and i can do the same now. and that's the difference when you're making these kinds of films. you don't care whether you're paid or not, that's not what it's about. it's tooearn about cinema, which is this wonderful, exciting field. you can't learn -- you could be 100 years and there still would be more to learn, which keeps you young. and i can finance them myself. i'm proud to have prospered in a way i never expected. i can fly around, do the things i want to do. as i said, i'm going to be so busy counting my blessings that when i die i'm not even going to notice it. tavis: that's a good place to close this conversation, if it has to close. a great place to close. i had been thinking of a better word for iconic, so i've got

some work to do, because he's so much more than an icon. what an honor it is to have him on the program, begin all he's done, francis ford coppola. his new movie is called "tetro." thanks for coming to see us. up next, acclaimed nigerian musician femi kuti. stay with us. tavis: femi kuti is an acclaimed musician who has followed in the footsteps of his father. he's currently on a major tour which includes a terrific show at the hollywood bowl on father's day here in l.a. his latest c.d. is called "day by day." femi, nice to have you on the program. are you doing all right? >> yes. >> how are things in lagos? >> the government is still spending the oil money like it's their personal property and all

that. tavis: how difficult is it to -- i want to ask a two-part question here. how difficult is it to live under those conditions, especially for you, because you travel around the world, you're regarded and loved around the world. you could live anywhere else around the world. you're a countryman and live under these conditions and you support them and do what you can for them. but how difficult a challenge is that for you, when you could be living here in l.a., for example? >> these days it's quite a big challenge because of the opportunities that i have to stay somewhere in l.a. and all that. my work will be easier. i would be able to work with great musicians around the world. in lagos and nigeria, it's very difficult. the conditions, with no electricity, the poverty level. everybody keeps asking for money. you have so many people.

and that's very difficult. and you see the poverty level. it's painful. that's very difficult. but then it's like myself destiny. my father went through it. it would be very sad if i turn my back on my people right now. i consume myself with the fact that when i die and i see people, i want them to smile at me. and i want them to say you didn't turn your back on the struggle. tavis: that's very important to u, right? >> yes, very. tavis: what do you make of the fact that much of what you are fighting for, much of what you are fighting against, to your point about your very famous father a moment ago, your father was fighting the same fight. years later you're sill fighting the same fight. >> i was with some friends in the hotel, and i told them when my father was fighting, we were 13. i'm 46 now, we are closing on

50, and it's sad that after all this time we are still talking about the same basic facts my father was fighting for that he was beaten so many times for. went to prison so many times for. we have children in their teens and it's the same story worse than before. and there's nothing we can do about it. and that's very, very sad. that's depressing. tavis: so where do you find -- i know you want to hear them say well done, that you did a great job, as you said a moment ago. but that's in the hereafter. in the here and now, what keeps you fighting every day? what keeps you getting up every day? >> probably anger, because like when you realize that we were 13 and i'm 46 now, that we have the same problems, the kind of era right now with the same corrupt system and to know that

this corruption is getting worse, i mean, you go to america, you go to europe, you see they still have the problems, where they have the basic amenities. they have electricity, running water in the bathrooms and all that. and you can't understand why africa, the richest continent, can't provide these things for the people. you see all the highways. you can travel from florida to boston to houston to l.a. i mean, the highwaysysre magnificent, the buildings. why can't we have all this in africa? if i was a leader -- i would be envious of america. i never had the means to provide these things for my people, i would do this. so these are the things that keep me going that make me angry and determined to fight asking these questions, why can't you provide this for your people. tavis: you said if you were a leader. you are a leader. you just lead in a different sort of way. you have your own sort of ministry. you're not an elected official. >> i don't want to go there. tavis: i'm going to go there, though. it raises the question as to why

that doesn't interest you. >> because i want to play music. i love traveling, i love my fans all over the world. i love playing in l.a., san francisco, new york, washington, milwaukee, paris. i love all those places. if i were president, i wouldn't be able to do that. and it's a very, very serious job. if you look at a country like nigeria for instance, you are talking about making 150 million happy. that would take your whole life, it would take your family from you. if you are going to be sincere about cleaning up the country, it could wear you down, and even your health, it could take your health from you, because it's so complicated right now. i don't think i would be able to do that if i were honest with myself. tavis: so how, then, to use your word again, how do you take that anger and turn it into

energy? how do you take that anger and use it as fuel for your music? >> that's a very complicated question. i think all i'm doing, i can only put it as a gift from the creator. that gives me the will, the talent and everything i'm doing. because sometimes i'm puzzled. sometimes i say, wow, how did i alive at where i am today. how did the music come? how do i arrive at the ideas? i can only believe it's a kind of gospel thing happening. tavis: what do you make of the fact that you have been gifted in the same way that your father was gifted? >> i'm not surprised about that. because when you read history, you know that the son always takes after the father in many respects. the child always wants to be like his father from when he was a kid. i've always wanted to be a musician. i've always admired my father. i always respected him. i never thought anybody's music sounded like his.

i thought it was unique. from when i was a kid, i listened to everybody. but his music was always special to me. and i think all children are like that with their parents. my son is like that with me. even if he turns out to be a musician, i wouldn't be one bit surprised about that either. tavis: you have a son playing with you. he's how old now? >> he's 13 now. tavis: so you played with your dad when you were that same age. >> i was 16. he started much -- and because he had a better opportunity than i did. i had to struggle. i had to teach myself the instruments. my father was like find your way. you have to find your way. probably he did that, again, thinking about it, he wanted me to find -- see the difficulties of life. because his experience, i mean, every part of his body was beaten and broken. so i think maybe his experience with the law enforcement in nigeria made him have a very hard line with his kids, saying, no, you have to see life in this

way. i have a kind of peaceful life, so i am more of a conventional father to my son. i make sure he has a very good education, i make sure he can read and write music. i give him all the talent i can. those that i do know, i teach them. so he has all the weapons he will will need if he wants to become a musician. if he wants to become a footballer or sports or whatever, i'll be happy for him. so i'm not as hard in that respect as my father. tavis: you play how many instruments now? >> i play about four. tavis: about four instruments. >> yes. tavis: did you ever take your father saying to you, femi, find your own way, as him being difficult with you? >> yes, i was i was very angry. at the time i wanted to play the saxophone in his band. one day he calls me, "why do you

pick the same thing every night? the sange thing, you repeat it, change it!" and he shouted. i was like how dare you talk to me like this. you are not teaching me. it was that that got me thinking that i now knew i had to change my improvisation, think of other ways, practice more and be more dexter rows with my instruments. but now out of my maturity a a age, i can understand that he must have been a very frustrated person. i couldn't understand the pain that he was going through, his broken bones that never healed. he still had to perform. he had to compose the numbers he did. so his life was very complicated. tavis: you don't have that many wives. >> no. i'm not married, no. tavis: how did you find yourwn way? how did you create your own sound, distinctly different from

that of your father and develop your own fan following? how did you do that? >> just determination, anger. i was very determined. when i left i was determined to succeed. i put like a minimum of 12 hours a day practicing, practicing. and when i practiced -- when i practiced like the saxophone for so many years, i got bored. i moved to the trumpet, moved to the keyboards. and all of this i taught myself what to do. how to play the trumpet, for instance, find the keys and i found my way on that. it's taken me ages to be comfortable on the trumpet and teach myself the piano and all that. so i'm like that. i see no hope. i'm very determined to like find a way. i always find a way. it's very stressful. i get very irritated and angry with myself on not being able to succeed, and you just put more effort all the time.

i could go two days without sleep, just practicing, saying i must get it, i must get it. so that was because of the kind of life i had in my father's home. tavis: what does music do for you? >> everything. music does everything. i think -- i keep saying if i couldn't play music, probably i would -- ok. for my children, i would still stay alive, if i could. if i couldn't play my horn again , i wouldn't want to live anymore, if i couldn't perform. if i couldn't practice even. even if i couldn't perform, i would not be that sad. but if i couldn't wake up every morning and pick up my trumpet and practice my skills, i would be a very sad person. and every time -- when i'm sick and i can't play, i'm so depressed. and i have to rest, i have to rest, but i want to play. i'm so into that motion of i have to play. it's like eating breakfast now

or lunch. i always have to play now. tavis: for someone who's never heard what you do or what your father does, how would you describe what afrobeat music is? >> it's music from an african man's perspective, an african man who grew up -- his father, my great grandfather was a composer in music. he did all the songs for his native language, and his father was a composer as well. he composed the national anthem for the states in africa, and my father was a pianist for his school. so he had all this as a teenager. and then he went to trinity college. he had all the traditional music around him. because where he grew up, it was all about drums and folk songs. so my father had all this. and then he goes to trinity college to study and classical

music. he gets involved with miles davis, coaltrain, dizzy gillespie and goes crazy for this music. he comesesack to nigeria and he gets involved with high life. then he goessssssssssssssssssss meets the black panthers. he reads about malcolm x and goes completely berzerk. and then he takes all the knowledge he has, the music he has, goes back to nigeria, and that's afrobeat. >> and that's why everybody can't do it. that's a whole lot mixed up in there. but thankfully, femi kuti can. his latest c.d. is called "day by day." what a legacy you have been bequeathed and i'm honored to have you on the program. nice to have you here. that's our show for tonight. catch me on the weekends on pri, public radio international. i'll see you back here next time on pbs. until then, good night from l.a., thanks for watching, and

as always, keep the faith. ♪ ♪ >> for more information on >> there's so many things that wal-mart is looking forward to doing, like helping people live better, but mostly we're looking forward to helping build stronger communities and

relationships. because of your help, the best is yet to come. >> nationwide insurance proudly supports tavis smiley. thais and nationwide insurance. working to improve financial literacy and the economic empowerment that comes with it. ♪ nationwide is on your side ♪ >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--