Music must awaken people to do their duty as citizens and act.
Fela KutiRead
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.
Interpretation
Fela Kuti expresses how his music embodies the essence and diversity of his cultural background.
In this quote, Fela Kuti highlights the intricate elements of his music, such as rhythm, sounds, and chord sequences, emphasizing that they collectively represent a rich tapestry of cultural heritage. He articulates that through these musical components, he conveys the depth and vibrancy of an entire continent, showcasing how music can serve as a powerful medium for cultural expression.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of cultural representation in the arts.
Music must awaken people to do their duty as citizens and act.
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.'
Music is a weapon of the future / music is the weapon of the progressives / music is the weapon of the givers of life
As far as I was concerned, it was the absence of women in the poetic tradition which allowed women in the poems to be simplified. The voice of a woman poet would, I was sure, have precluded such distortion. It did not exist.
Music is the art which is most nigh to tears and memories.
Eiffel saw his Tower in the form of a serious object, rational, useful; men return it to him in the form of a great baroque dream which quite naturally touches on the borders of the irrational ... architecture is always dream and function, expression of a utopia and instrument of a convenience.
Music and love are the only accomplishments of humanity which do not, in an absolute sense, have to be called attempts with unsuitable means.
I write and that way rid myself of me and then at last I can rest.
The camera relieves us of the burden of memory. It surveys us like God, and it surveys for us. Yet no other god has been so cynical, for the camera records in order to forget.
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