I was always a politician from the day the civil rights people chose me as their protest singer.

Anything human can be felt through music, which means that there is no limit to the creating that can be done with music. You can take the same phrase from any song and cut it up so many different ways - it's infinite. It's like God... you know?

I'm a real rebel with a cause.

I love the classics but there are many new ideas to be made into reality. I'd rather be concerned with my own thing. There are many masters of classical piano so I'll leave it to them.

Jazz is a white term to define black people. My music is black classical music.

What kept me sane was knowing that things would change, and it was a question of keeping myself together until they did.

My job is not done. I address my songs now to the third world. I am popular all over Asia and Africa and the Middle East, not to speak of South Africa, where I'm trying to go to see Nelson Mandela.