Fela Kuti

Music must awaken people to do their duty as citizens and act.

The rhythm, the sounds, the tonality, the chord sequences, the individual effect of each instrument and each section of the band - I'm talking about a whole continent in my music.

I'm playing deep African music.

The art, the greatness of the music, the experience of the music is what I'm about. I think most African artists have destroyed their artistry by commercialization, and I don't want to belong to that bag.

The human spirit is stronger than any government or institution.

My message was 'Think African. Make schools read African history.'

Music is a weapon of the future / music is the weapon of the progressives / music is the weapon of the givers of life

Music is a spiritual thing, you don't play with music. If you play with music you will die young. You see, because when the higher forces give you the gift of music...musicians hip, it must be well used for the gift of humanity.

Music is the weapon. Music is the weapon of the future.

When you start to think of revenge, you start to think of hate. I don't believe in hating people. It's a retrogressive thing.

To be honest and truthful in all endeavours is an experience, not a regret

I must identify myself with Africa. Then I will have an identity.

When I was young we weren't even allowed to speak our own languages in school. They called it 'vernacular,' as if only English was the real tongue.

Being African didn't mean anything to me until later in my life.

The music of Africa is big sound: it's the sound of a community

Without Tony Allen, there would have been no Afrobeat.

I realized that you cannot think European and want to write or create something African. You have to think African in everything.

I would never run away from my country. Even at the point of death, I doubt I would move out, because what is the point of leaving your own country?

In America we talk about South Africa, but I tell people that apartheid is nothing compared to what is happening in my country where black oppresses black.

It's crazy; in the States, people think the black power movement drew inspiration from Africa. All these Americans come over here looking for awareness. They don't realize they're the ones who've got it over there.