I think that anybody from the 20th century, up to now, has to be aware that if it wasn't for Louis Armstrong, we'd all be wearing powdered wigs. I think that Louis Armstrong loosened the world, helped people to be able to say "Yeah," and to walk with a little dip in their hip. Before Louis Armstrong, the world was definitely square, just like Christopher Columbus thought.

I had to run away from home in order to be a musician. Because I came from a family of... my father was a health inspector; my mother was a social worker. And I was pretty smart in school. So they expected me to be some kind of academic - schoolteacher, or doctor, lawyer - and they were very disappointed when I told them I wanted to be a musician.

All my experiences removed geography from my world.

Africa has been troubled for a long time - well, the world has been troubled ever since I was born.

I grew up with protests, marches, demonstrations, struggle. But I come from a clan of community workers.

I lived for music since I could think.

It's obvious that the rest of the world loves high African culture - African culture, period.