My daughter is in more competition with me. I never wanted to be bigger than my mother or to challenge her. Nina Simone More Quotes by Nina Simone More Quotes From Nina Simone I try to swim every damn day I can, and I've learned to scuba dive and snorkel. Nina Simone umpiresswimtrying I don't like to go to strange places. Nina Simone strange-placesstrange I love to travel to hear different kinds of music. Nina Simone different-kindsdifferentkind I can't stand loud guitars that make me deaf. Nina Simone deafloudguitar I was reared in the church from the age of three. I've played piano since I was three. I performed at revivals and for my people around North Carolina for several years. People around town collected money to send me to school. Nina Simone pianoyearsschool As I got older though I wanted a life of my own. The classical training was very demanding and thorough. It was a very sheltered existence. Even though I heard blues and gospel on the radio sometimes, it was always back to the piano and study and give recitals. Nina Simone trainingpianogiving By the time I was eight I was taking classical piano lessons and I wanted to be a concert pianist. But that didn't work out. I graduated from high school and my formal education ended. Nina Simone pianoeightschool If I want to take a particular form of blues somewhere else I have the equipment to do it but I never even thought of it. Nina Simone formsomewhere-elsewant I'll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear! Nina Simone meyoufreedomfear Sometimes I sound like gravel, and sometimes I sound like coffee and cream. Nina Simone likecoffeesoundsometimes It's an artist's duty to reflect the times in which we live. Nina Simone reflectlivedutyartist I'm not a blues singer, I'm a diva. Nina Simone divabluessinger As a political weapon, it has helped me for 30 years defend the rights of American blacks and third-world people all over the world, to defend them with protest songs. To move the audience to make them conscious of what has been done to my people around the world. Nina Simone mepoliticalpeopleworld You get racism crossing the street; it's in the very fabric of American society. Nina Simone streetyousocietyracism At this crucial time in our lives, when everything is so desperate, when every day is a matter of survival, I don't think you can help but be involved. Nina Simone daythinkyoutime To me, we are the most beautiful creatures in the whole world. Black people. And I mean that in every sense. Nina Simone meblackbeautifulpeople I think that the artists who don't get involved in preaching messages probably are happier - but you see, I have to live with Nina, and that is very difficult. Nina Simone liveseethinkyou You feel the shame, humiliation, and anger at being just another victim of prejudice, and at the same time, there's the nagging worry that maybe... you're just no good. Nina Simone goodyouangertime I didn't get interested in music. It was a gift from God. Nina Simone giftgetmusicgod Did you know that the human voice is the only pure instrument? That it has notes no other instrument has? It's like being between the keys of a piano. The notes are there, you can sing them, but they can't be found on any instrument. That's like me. I live in between this. I live in both worlds, the black and white world. Nina Simone meyoublack-and-whiteblack
