Music must awaken people to do their duty as citizens and act.
Fela KutiRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the suppression of native languages in favor of English in educational settings.
Fela Kuti's quote highlights the historical oppression of indigenous languages and cultures, emphasizing how the education system marginalized these languages by labeling them as 'vernacular.' This reveals a broader issue of cultural identity and the importance of recognizing and valuing linguistic diversity in society.
Themes
LanguageEducationCultural IdentityVernacularOppression
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech addressing educational reform, one might quote Fela Kuti to emphasize the need for preserving local languages in schools.
More from Fela Kuti
All quotes βThe 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.
Fela KutiRead
I'm playing deep African music.
Fela KutiRead
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.
Fela KutiRead
The human spirit is stronger than any government or institution.
Fela KutiRead
My message was 'Think African. Make schools read African history.'
Fela KutiRead
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