Music must awaken people to do their duty as citizens and act.
Fela KutiRead
The music of Africa is big sound: it's the sound of a community
Interpretation
Fela Kuti emphasizes the communal nature of African music as a representation of collective identity and expression.
This quote by Fela Kuti highlights the importance of community in African music, suggesting that it is not just an individual art form but a representation of collective experiences, culture, and identity. The 'big sound' signifies the vibrant and holistic expression that emerges from unity and shared experiences within a community, portraying music as a vital medium for storytelling and connection among people.
In practice
Using this quote in a speech about the cultural significance of music in African societies.
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.'
Meeting authors is kind of the death of the characters. That is always heartbreaking.
I don't outline at all; I don't find it useful, and I don't like the way it boxes me in. I like the element of surprise and spontaneity, of letting the story find its own way.
As an artist, I used to think that my responsibility was to do good work. But I had to learn from the '70s on that being a public figure presents another aspect of responsibility.
The thought of someone spending $20 to come and see me and saying, 'Oh, I prefer the record and she's completely shattered the illusion' really upsets me. It's such a big deal that people come give me their time.
Often I don't know what the song means until it's finished. Sometimes months later. I don't think that's bad. It implies that I don't know what I'm doing but-I think if you're able to follow your instincts, then that's knowing what you're doing.
It is only when light is reduced that the pupil opens and feeling goes out of the eyes like touch.
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