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I'm not suggesting our music is the only music, but I am suggesting that there are certain elements in America's culture that are so precious that it would be a shame for them to go down the drain.

A lot of musicians aren't proud; they'll do other work, just to be able to play music. I guess that's the way it's always going to be - musicians will have to suffer to a certain degree in order to obtain their outlet.

American musicians are very giving - they have the highest standard in the world - but they are also very demanding in their conditions.

More and more people are finally realizing that in the heart of America, there's all this incredible music that wasn't widely heard before because it wasn't in the interest of those who feel they have to control the taste of the wider public.

I mean, there's a hell of a lot of grounds for protest, but you don't do it through music.

Nobody else in the world has a form like the Native American musical, and Americans should be very proud.

Protest is patriotic. Since the beginning of musical time, American singers and songwriters have used their talent and bully pulpits to show us America's strengths and shortcomings.

It has always seemed slightly uncomfortable, the idea of politicised musicians. Very few of them are clever enough to do it; if they're good at the political side, the music side suffers, and vice versa.

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

I'm not really one of those people who believes that if you're a musician you can just leave that behind and start getting into politics.