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" Recording in Jamaica is like nothing else. The studios are always closed in America. But in Jamaica, the studio doors are wide open, and there's music blasting out in the street. You can see the reaction of people immediately. "

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" Playing on the streets of Iraq, or in Israel or the Gaza strip, I'd sing angry protest songs against war. People would say, 'Make us clap, make us dance, and laugh and sing.' It really made me think about the importance of happy music. "

Michael Franti

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" San Francisco has always been a haven for misfits and weirdos. I'm both of those, which is why I came here. "

" It doesn't matter if you're black, white, gay, straight, come from different countries, different language... every single person is significant and is meaningful. "

" I think my soul is intact, but my methods of reaching people are completely different. "

" Like sunshine, music is a powerful force that can instantly and almost chemically change your entire mood. "

" Music was a central part of my childhood because my mother played organ and piano in the church, and that meant all us kids had to be in the church choir. "

" My usual day is I get up around 11 o'clock and do yoga and then eat afterwards. Then I have sound check and play soccer and do running with the guys in the band after sound check, and then do the show and eat dinner after the show and usually get to bed around 3 o'clock by the time we get everybody on the bus and get rolling. "

" I took a trip in 2004, a year after the war started in Iraq. I played music on the streets of Baghdad for Iraqi civilians. I'd also play for U.S. soldiers at night when they were off duty in the bars. Then I would talk to people, and I would film them and ask them about their life and the conflict. "

" I think that fear comes about when there's things in the world that we want to change, things we're scared or angry about, and we can't change them, and so we become fearful; we develop anxiety. "

" The more places I go to, the more I realize I understand so little about the world. "

" We can bomb the world to pieces, but we can't bomb it into peace. "

" Power to the peaceful! "

" Traveling to the Middle East and playing music for people on the street, for soldiers, for people in hospitals, and for people who lost their homes, and seeing people open up through the experience of music really restored my faith in music, in art, and in culture to change things. "

" I hope I inspire people to dream bigger than what they are living, but a dream within their reach. "

" I've always found that the poorer the places that I go, the more smiles I see, and the more happiness I see. "

" I came up playing in both punk rock bands and hip-hop bands, and I found a more universal way of reaching people, especially with music that has a message to it. "

" When someone can't afford to wear shoes, it's not just about them not having shoes on that day. It's about a cycle of poverty that exists within their community. "

" It really is a strange time we're living in, when saying 'Don't kill people' is considered a radical point of view. "

" Rap has so many possibilities that need to be explored. There are different factions of rap, but some are in a rut. Rap doesn't have to be about boosting egos and grabbing your crotch and dissing women. There's a way to make political and social issues interesting and entertaining to the young rap audience. "

" History shows that Americans believe in doing the right thing. "

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" Everybody's opinion is equally valid, and I feel like everybody should have an opportunity to speak out, and everyone should have the courage to speak out. "

" Investing now in safe-guarding people by helping them to adapt to climate change, will help save money and lives while building resilience. "

" I'm a news junkie who's constantly reading newspapers and magazines. I look around and see what's happening in the world. "

" Bonnaroo has kind of become the granddaddy of all American festivals. The thing I love about it most is that it wasn't born out of picking the top ten bands off the Billboard chart and creating a festival around it. "

" I'd play music on the street, especially in developing nations where a lot of kids couldn't wear shoes. In order to relate with kids that would be following me barefoot, I would take off my shoes, and they would all laugh at me because I couldn't go three steps without wincing. "

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" In Jamaica, the music is recorded for the sound system, not the iPod. It's about experiencing music together, with other people. "

" Many kids in foster homes have a lot of emotions that are hard to get out. It's important to let them know they can make a difference in the community. "

" After a show, I'll get the 16-year-old white kid whose lip is pierced, his head is shaved and his parents hate him, and the young gangster from the screwed-up 'hood, and they say that now they realize there's someone out there who thinks like they do. "

" My music is part of the quest I have to find new ways of telling stories, and also, I want to inspire people. "

" Everyone deserves music. "