I prefer to talk about our problems, to be proud of them, in place of trying to hide them. Because you can't. And I prefer to dance, to smile on it, to laugh on it.
StromaeRead
Hip-hop, pop, dance - the common point is melancholy. That's international, and I like this word because it's not only about sadness or happiness - it's both at the same time. And that's human, and that's life.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the duality of emotions expressed in music, highlighting how both sadness and happiness coexist in the human experience.
In this quote, Stromae articulates the complex nature of human emotions as reflected in various music genres. He suggests that melancholy serves as a common thread among hip-hop, pop, and dance music, indicating that these genres capture the intertwined feelings of joy and sorrow. This duality is an essential part of life and resonates universally, reflecting the multifaceted nature of human experiences.
In practice
During a music festival speech about the power of songs to express diverse emotions.
I prefer to talk about our problems, to be proud of them, in place of trying to hide them. Because you can't. And I prefer to dance, to smile on it, to laugh on it.
Too many jazz pianists limit themselves to a personal style, a trademark, so to speak. They confine themselves to one type of playing.
Very few of the men whose names have become great in the early pioneering of jazz and of swing were trained in music at all. They were born musicians: they felt their music and played by ear and memory. That was the way it was with the great Dixieland Five.
The difference between blues, jazz, rock n' roll and rap is that rap stayed poor. Even the white rappers are poor. It's scarier to look at poor people; it makes everyone uncomfortable. Their pain is something that people would like to see swept under the rug.
The Official Bulletin declared that the Poles should be as proud of me as the Germans are of Mozart; obvious nonsense.
It's like there was me, then the Beatles phase, and now I'm me again.
I come to sing for the people, not for the government. God made the sunshine for everyone and made the moon for everyone. We have to follow his example so we have to play music for everyone too. We have a message, and in order for our message to reach the people, we have to play.
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