Terry Gross

His music became more spiritual or ambient.

I don't know how you'd describe it exactly.

What kind of spirituality did he pursue?

Well, let's take a break here.

If you're just joining us, my guest is Jad Abumrad.

We're talking about his new podcast limited series about the father of Afrobeat, the Nigerian musician Fela Kuti.

It's called Fela Kuti, Fear No Man.

We'll be right back.

This is Fresh Air.

Another place where Fela really loses me, he's an AIDS denier.

You know, AIDS is kind of raging in Africa at the time, and he doesn't believe it's real.

And then he contracts AIDS himself and won't admit that he has it.

So his children weren't – his oldest children weren't sure whether they should have a big public funeral or not because he had lost a lot of his popularity and he died of AIDS.

So they decide finally to hold a big funeral and like tens of thousands of people show up.

Your series made me think about how art in some ways has a lot more power in authoritarian governments that want to ban art.

Because when something is taboo and you're not allowed to hear it, creating it and hearing it are very subversive acts.

Yeah.

Like in America, in the U.S., we're maybe heading in that direction.

Well, it's been great to talk with you, Jed.

Thank you so much and congratulations on the series.