Rokia Traore Quotes

I don't get stage fright, I actually love the energy, I love the spontaneity, I love the adrenaline you get in front of a live audience, it actually really works for me.

Most of my act is improvisation. I'm inspired for the moment. Standing there in front of 2,000 or 3,000 people you don't know can be pretty inspiring.

I decided that instead of apologizing for having a lot to say, I wanted to create a format where people would come to hear me sing and speak.

When I'm on stage, my interaction with the audience is something that really makes me come alive. It's a feeling like no other. The energy of the crowd fuels something new inside.

I would just stand there puzzled, then realize this would be a great place to make a show.

I don't think I'm an entertainer. I never think, 'Wow, I can't wait to get the crowd moving.' Some of my favorite bands never moved an inch.

A live performance is the same no matter what genre it is. Wrestling, rock 'n roll, hosting, acting - it's the same thing.

I really enjoy doing the live stuff.

There's something interesting about playing live; you're in the moment, and I think it would be beneficial.

It's hard to beat the visceral high of playing live and creating something spontaneous.

Being on stage makes me come to life. When all eyes are on you, they're watching every move you make.

But I love singing live. Nothing beats the feeling of going out on stage and going, 'I can really sing.'

So what's so enticing about doing a play is that you get to do that thing that got you into acting in the first place... There's a real attraction to being able to play, to just play. And that's something that theater affords you.

Nothing makes an actor feel freer and more inventive and more creative than being trusted.

I felt like I was flying without a net. But once I realized that the audience was my partner, I was flying a jet, because the people would allow me to develop the character on stage.

Once I'm on stage, the energy of the crowd wipes my nerves away.

I'm always curious about anyone who has enough passion to go onstage and say, 'This is what I'm really passionate about.' It's always worth listening to.

To really be on stage and not know what you're going to say, and to be able to say something that makes people laugh, or do something that's sort of abstract or off the beaten path and have people connect to it by just putting your ideas together, that really makes me happy.

Music is very similar to comedy: It's all about texture, timing, context, vocabulary, performance. When someone's onstage doing a solo, essentially it's the same thing as what a comedian does. They're in the moment. They're listening.

I don't like planning what am I gonna say to the crowd. Sometimes the show takes a whole different twist.

Stand-up was my entree into the entertainment world. I didn't have to act out somebody else's words. I could just stand there with a microphone, and nobody would interrupt me. It's the most narcissistic thing you could probably do.

There's nothing like performing for a live audience.

I just love seeing my audience live, and I also love to see my peers perform because it inspires me to be a better performer as well.

I feel like I've gotten myself comfortable making beats in front of people, so like, if I'm in a big room of people, I'm not like, nervous. I wanna be able to make beats on the spot.

I love to perform and express myself to inspire people.