Going back and forth between Western Arabic and African countries clearly created the various musical backgrounds I could have and obviously influenced my professional attitude, my way of approaching both music composition and singing, particularly phrasing. — Rokia Traore Copy Share Image
My influences are jazz, blues, European classical music; they are rock music and pop music. So many kinds of music. World music from different… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
I think about all these influences and musical cultures, then the opinion of the audience is of course important, but when I'm working on… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
I don't know if it's due to my age, that I'm older now, [but] I love the essentials. I don't like the things around… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
Without an audience, all your dreams will not come true at all, because you need an audience to write new songs and continue to… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
Traveling changed my personality and gave me ability to do the music I do and to think in a certain way that everything can… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
The interesting thing for me is to put together all my influences and all my experiences I got through my traveling with my father. — Rokia Traore Copy Share
I wanted to come back to the guitar after three albums and almost 10 years. I started to miss this instrument and I wanted… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
I don't think I'm unique or that I'm trying to do something unique, but I feel it is something I would like to hear.… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
I can change the arrangements on stage while I am playing or singing, doing signs to the musicians to change things because the audience… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
You can't be unique any way. Music is made from seven notes. You will always come back to something. Even if you think you… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
I'm in a state of my life when the essential is very important to me. I don't like long songs with complicated arrangements and… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
The fact of playing an instrument and singing... that I can try to make my dream of singing and becoming a professional musician come… — Rokia Traore Copy Share
We're repeating the same things all the time; there aren't many new things happening in this life. — Rokia Traore Copy Share
