This may be a dream, but I'll say it anyway: I was supposed to be married last year, and I bought a gown. When I meet Nelson Mandela, I shall put on this gown and have the train of it removed and put aside, and kiss the ground that he walks on and then kiss his feet.

I do love to sing Jacques Brel songs, intensely. I get terribly excited, just by reading a couple of lines in any one of his songs.

I play piano, by ear. Yes, I write songs... and good ones.

When I was studying... there weren't any black concert pianists. My choices were intuitive, and I had the technique to do it. People have heard my music and heard the classic in it, so I have become known as a black classical pianist.

I don't like to go to strange places.

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

I try to swim every damn day I can, and I've learned to scuba dive and snorkel.