Music must awaken people to do their duty as citizens and act.
Fela KutiRead
I'm playing deep African music.
Interpretation
Fela Kuti emphasizes the rich heritage and depth of African music as a vital cultural expression.
This quote by Fela Kuti highlights the importance of African music not only as an art form but also as a deep cultural connection to the continent's history, identity, and social issues. By stating that he is 'playing deep African music', Kuti underscores the layers of meaning, rhythm, and tradition present in the music, inviting listeners to appreciate and engage with the emotional and social narratives woven into the sounds of Africa.
In practice
In a discussion about the influence of African culture in modern music.
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.
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
When you say 'design,' everybody thinks of magazine pages. So it's an emotive word. Everybody thinks it's how something looks, whereas for me, design is pretty much everything.
You have to be aware of what the audience's expectations are, and then you have to pervert them, basically, and hit them upside the head from a direction they weren't looking.
I started studying what the nature of a monument is and what a monument should be. And for the World War III memorial I designed a futile, almost terrifying passage that ends nowhere.
People compose for many reasons, to become immortal; because the piano happens to be open; because they want to become a millionaire; because of the praise of friends; because they have looked into a pair of beautiful eyes; or for no reason whatsoever.
I love that moment just before the curtain goes up, whether I'm sitting in the audience or standing backstage. It's full of expectation. It's a thrill that's unequaled anywhere.
Purple Haze all in my brain, lately things don't seem the same. Actin' funny but I don't know why. 'Scuse me while I kiss the sky.
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