FELA KUTI

The African mind has a lot to contribute, not only to world understanding of the arts, but to an understanding of spiritualism. That is the contribution Africa will make to the world of the future - an injection of sanity into the environment of the universe itself.

Even death doesn't worry me, man. When my mother died it was because she finished her time on earth. I know that when I die I'll see her again, so how can I fear death?

A police uniform is just a piece of clothing sewn by the same tailors who sew your clothes.

The human spirit is stronger than any government or institution.

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.

An African man should not do anything called housework or cooking.

My mother was the most wicked mother ever seen in life when it came to beating. Oh-la-la! Every time I would say, 'This is the end of me.' Oh, how she would beat me.

By the time I finished school, I found out I wasn't qualified to study anything but music.

I realized that you cannot think European and want to write or create something African. You have to think African in everything.

I'm not your average politician. I believe in higher forces.

Being African didn't mean anything to me until later in my life.

America needs to hear some good sounds from Africa, man. The sanity of the world is going to be generated from Africa through art.

It's crazy; in the States, people think the black power movement drew inspiration from Africa. All these Americans come over here looking for awareness. They don't realize they're the ones who've got it over there.

When you start to think of revenge, you start to think of hate. I don't believe in hating people. It's a retrogressive thing.

Western music is Bach, Handel and Schubert. It's good music, cleverly done. As a musician, I can see that.

My country will be a symbol of free human society.

My ideas are threatening to the government.

I would never run away from my country. Even at the point of death, I doubt I would move out, because what is the point of leaving your own country?

Our prisons are very bad. When I was in Ikoyi prison, people were dying every day. They were carrying bodies out of the prison every day.

No, I didn't hear about 'Live Aid.' I was in prison, and we were not allowed newspapers in prison.

I've suffered quite a lot, to the point where I've experienced death. Years before I wasn't fit to die, but I understand life better now. Death is nice, death is beauty.

Classical music gives musicians a kick. But African music gives everyone a kick.

People thought I was trying to say that women had no say, no rights. I was not saying that. I was saying that women had a role, a duty. When they want to have a say in government - though in Africa they are not expected to do that - they are not discouraged. They can do what they want to do.

Marriage is a terrible institution, it creates such a regression of the mind.

When I do things, I do things honestly.