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" When I was 5 or 6, I was messing around with the piano, and I listened to everything from Chopin to boogie-woogie. "

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" In looking out into the world, it didn't look all that nice out there. And who were the nice people? Certainly Mahatma Gandhi was. "

" As I got more involved in music, one of the things that made me excited, from the time I was a child, was that clear link between our ancestors and the sounds we hear today. "

" 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. "

" I didn't want to fall into the trap of complacency. "

" I wanted to explore the connections between different kinds of music. "

" I enjoy music wherever it's coming from. "

" Very old music is, like, 11th century in my mind. That's very old. "

" I love playing in Germany. I love playing anywhere where people are going to enjoy the music. Germany is especially nice to play. "

" 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. "

" I would have never gotten to college if it hadn't been for getting up at 4 A.M. and milking them Holsteins. "

" I'm doing exactly what I should be doing, every day on the road. "

" 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. "

" I've got tons more stuff to do. "

" My mother was American, and my father was from the Caribbean, and there was a big open door into the world of humanity and music. "

" I was always taught that Latin, Caribbean people were cousins to me, as well as blues was a cousin to me, as well as Africans were direct relatives to me. It was all a part of my language. "

" It's just like heirloom tomatoes; this is heirloom music. We used to have all kinds of diversity in our poultry, in our vegetables, in our fruits, and slowly but surely the monoculture beast comes in. I'm saying that's not a good idea. And if it means that I gotta do it on my own, then I do it on my own. "

" I wanted to keep pushing the musical ideas I had about jazz, music from Africa and the Caribbean. "

" 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. "

" 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? "

" I just worked my own personal thoughts into my music, and just kept at it until I found a way in. "

" The blues is played everywhere. There's no place I've been where they don't have blues or aren't interested in blues. "

" My parents grew up during the Harlem renaissance. "

" I'm perceived as someone who goes out and searches for new music, but it was all present in my household. "

" As a kid, I always felt connected to Africa; it was something I was very proud of. "

" Naw, it - it never stops, man... You gotta be doing what you're supposed to be doing - whenever, however it's coming down, you know. If you're getting your butt kicked - you still gotta do what you gotta be doing. "

" I'm old enough to chew my peas and corn without choking. "

" I see myself as a composer who plays music and likes to play with other people, and not just as a solo artist. "

" Music is like the soul of the planet. "

" 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.' "

" It's pretty exciting. An honorary doctorate of the arts. It doesn't get any better. "