Music must awaken people to do their duty as citizens and act.
Fela KutiRead
I realized that you cannot think European and want to write or create something African. You have to think African in everything.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Authenticity in creativity requires embracing one's own cultural identity.
Fela Kuti's quote emphasizes the importance of cultural authenticity in creative expression. He asserts that to truly create something representative of African culture, one must think and operate within the framework of that culture, rather than adopting a foreign mindset that may dilute or misrepresent the essence of African identity.
Themes
AfricanIdentityCreativityCultureAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
Use this quote during a cultural conference to emphasize the importance of authentic representation in art.
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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