Music must awaken people to do their duty as citizens and act.
Fela KutiRead
Music is a spiritual thing, you don't play with music. If you play with music you will die young. You see, because when the higher forces give you the gift of music...musicians hip, it must be well used for the gift of humanity.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Music is a profound gift that should be respected and used responsibly.
Fela Kuti emphasizes the sacred nature of music, suggesting that it is a spiritual gift that should not be trifled with. He believes that musicians have a responsibility to use their talent for the greater good of humanity, implying that a lack of respect for this gift can lead not only to a disregard for the art form but also to unfortunate consequences in life.
Themes
MusicSpiritualGiftResponsibilityHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a music appreciation class to emphasize the importance of respecting musical art.
More from Fela Kuti
All quotes →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.
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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