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" As a kid, I always felt connected to Africa; it was something I was very proud of. "
Taj Mahal
Proud
Always
Connected
Related Quotes:
" What you have to understand is that blues... it's in a line from the oldest forms of African music. If you're playing it like it's an echo of the past, it would be a lot less exciting, but this music lives today. "
Taj Mahal
Blues
You
Past
" No matter what went down, music was always going to be a part of my life. What ultimately happened is that, over a period of time, I just kind of looked around and when like, 'Wow! I'm actually making a living doing this.' "
Taj Mahal
Time
My Life
Down
" Ziggy Marley is the third generation of Marleys I know. I knew his grandmother and his dad - I did a children's album with his grandmother. They're like family. "
Taj Mahal
Like
Children
Family
" When I was a kid, there was so much talent outside of recorded music. "
Taj Mahal
Talent
Kid
Much
" I didn't want to fall into the trap of complacency. "
Taj Mahal
Trap
Want
Complacency
" The one thing I've always demanded of the records I've made is that they be danceable. "
Taj Mahal
Thing
Always
One Thing
" As a solo performer, it's total involvement. What I do is to break down the wall between audience and performer. "
Taj Mahal
Solo
Audience
Down
" All the music that I play today, I actually heard either at home or in my neighborhood when I was growing up in the '40s and '50s. "
Taj Mahal
Growing Up
Up
Home
" I just worked my own personal thoughts into my music, and just kept at it until I found a way in. "
Taj Mahal
Music
Thoughts
Own
" Music is like the soul of the planet. "
Taj Mahal
Soul
Planet
Music
" I've got tons more stuff to do. "
Taj Mahal
More
Tons
Stuff
" The blues is played everywhere. There's no place I've been where they don't have blues or aren't interested in blues. "
Taj Mahal
Blues
Been
Place
" More and more people are finally realizing that in the heart of America, there's all this incredible music that wasn't widely heard before because it wasn't in the interest of those who feel they have to control the taste of the wider public. "
Taj Mahal
Control
People
America
" I wanted to keep pushing the musical ideas I had about jazz, music from Africa and the Caribbean. "
Taj Mahal
Music
Africa
Caribbean
" I don't need the credits for playing the blues and paying the dues. I've already done it. There are some other things to do here - movies and scores and voice-overs. "
Taj Mahal
Blues
Playing
Done
" My parents grew up during the Harlem renaissance. "
Taj Mahal
Parents
Up
Grew
" I came up not understanding that a lot of people didn't start to hear music until they went to college or were turned on by an older brother or sister. "
Taj Mahal
College
Brother
Music
" I'm doing exactly what I should be doing, every day on the road. "
Taj Mahal
Every Day
Should
Day
" As a youngster, my parents made me aware that all that was from the African Diaspora belonged to me. So I came in with Caribbean music, African music, Latin music, gospel music and blues. "
Taj Mahal
Me
Parents
Caribbean
" I'm old enough to chew my peas and corn without choking. "
Taj Mahal
Corn
Old
Enough
" I love playing in Germany. I love playing anywhere where people are going to enjoy the music. Germany is especially nice to play. "
Taj Mahal
People
Nice
Music
" If the Rolling Stones are playing a concert across town, that's not my audience anyways. But I do find that there's a lot of people coming back around to see me again. "
Taj Mahal
People
Back
Audience
" My grandparents on my father's side came to this country from the Caribbean with a strong connection to Africa and no shame about it. "
Taj Mahal
Connection
Father
Grandparents
" What the future of the planet and music and art and all of it is sharing; it's diversity. "
Taj Mahal
Future
Music
Sharing
" It's very interesting, the dynamics of popularity. When you do something all the time, you don't worry about whether it's trendy or not. "
Taj Mahal
You
Interesting
Time
" I'm perceived as someone who goes out and searches for new music, but it was all present in my household. "
Taj Mahal
New
Music
Someone
" If what you're talking about is seeing someone perform, then I'll have to say that in the rhythm-and-blues side of things, seein' Otis Redding live was it, you know? "
Taj Mahal
Live
Seeing
Know
" I would have never gotten to college if it hadn't been for getting up at 4 A.M. and milking them Holsteins. "
Taj Mahal
College
Would
Getting
" I'm a composer, man. "
Taj Mahal
Man
Composer
" It's pretty exciting. An honorary doctorate of the arts. It doesn't get any better. "
Taj Mahal
Arts
Exciting
Get