Nina Simone Quotes

• It is an artist’s duty to reflect the times.

  Nina Simone

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• It wasn’t a matter of becoming interested in music; music is a gift and a burden I’ve had since I can remember who I was. I was born into music. The decision was how to make the best use of it.

  Nina Simone

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• 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.

  Nina Simone

• To most white people, jazz means black and jazz means dirt, and that’s not what I play. I play black classical music.

  Nina Simone

• 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.

  Nina Simone

• There’s no excuse for the young people not knowing who the heroes and heroines are or were.

  Nina Simone

• The worst thing about that kind of prejudice… is that while you feel hurt and angry and all the rest of it, it feeds you self-doubt. You start thinking, perhaps I am not good enough.

  Nina Simone

• Slavery has never been abolished from America’s way of thinking.

  Nina Simone

• Once I understood Bach’s music, I wanted to be a concert pianist. Bach made me dedicate my life to music, and it was that teacher who introduced me to his world.

  Nina Simone

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

  Nina Simone

• I’m a real rebel with a cause.

  Nina Simone

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

  Nina Simone

• I don’t like rap music at all. I don’t think it’s music. It’s just a beat and rapping.

  Nina Simone

• I’m a real rebel with a cause.

  Nina Simone

• I think the rich will eventually have to cave in too, because the economic situation around the world is not gonna tolerate the United States being on top forever.

  Nina Simone

• I think the rich are too rich and the poor are too poor. I don’t think the black people are going to rise at all; I think most of them are going to die.

  Nina Simone

• I think if I were over there in America, protest music would be more important. But I’m not going.

  Nina Simone

• I had spent many years pursuing excellence, because that is what classical music is all about… Now it was dedicated to freedom, and that was far more important.

  Nina Simone

• I don’t like rap music at all. I don’t think it’s music. It’s just a beat and rapping.

  Nina Simone

• Greed has driven the world crazy. And I think I’m lucky that I have a place over here that I can call home.

  Nina Simone

Nina Simone (23)

Birth:	21st February, 1933
Death:	21st April, 2003
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Activist, Musician, Lyricist, Singer

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Today's Anniversary - 22nd December

Births

• 1962 - Ralph Fiennes
• 1861 - Sara Jeannette Duncan
• 1962 - Mark Ruffalo
• 1905 - Kenneth Rexroth
• 1957 - Susan Powter

Deaths

• 2001 - Lance Loud
• 1989 - Samuel Beckett
• 1943 - Beatrix Potter
• 1906 - Robert Rainy
• 1899 - Dwight L. Moody