Sometimes I sound like gravel, and sometimes I sound like coffee and cream.
Nina SimoneRead
Jazz is a white term to define black people. My music is black classical music.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nina Simone emphasizes that jazz music, often labeled as 'white,' is essentially rooted in the African American experience and culture.
In this quote, Nina Simone critiques the way in which jazz has been categorized within a predominantly white cultural framework, asserting that the true essence of the music is deeply tied to Black identity and heritage. She highlights the importance of acknowledging the roots and origins of jazz as a form of black classical music, which underscores the cultural significance and contributions of Black artists to this genre.
Themes
JazzBlack CultureMusicIdentityClassical
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the cultural origins of music genres in a university lecture.
More from Nina Simone
All quotes →I only knew classical music, which to me was the only true music. The only way I could survive at the bar was to mix the classical music with popular songs, and that meant I had to sing. What happened was that I discovered I had a voice plus the talent to mix classical music together with more popular songs, which at the time I detested.
Nina SimoneRead
Everything that happened to me as a child involved music. It was part of everyday life, as automatic as breathing.
Nina SimoneRead
I didn't get interested in music. It was a gift from God.
Nina SimoneRead
This may be a dream, but I'll say it anyway: I was supposed to be married last year, and I bought a gown. When I meet Nelson Mandela, I shall put on this gown and have the train of it removed and put aside, and kiss the ground that he walks on and then kiss his feet.
Nina SimoneRead
I have to be composed; I have to be poised. I have to remember what my first piano teacher told me: 'You do not touch that piano until you are ready and until they are ready to listen to you.
Nina SimoneRead
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