37 Quotes by Compay Segundo

I’ve done a lot of things away from my homeland.

I don’t sit in the corner waiting for death: death has to pursue me. I’m going strong. I hope to reach 100 and ask for an extension, just like my grandmother did.

Young people don’t want to be second to anyone. Everyone wants to be an overnight star. Look how many years I had to wait, how many roads I had to travel, how many songs I had to sing. And now I’m just beginning, never ending.

Ry Cooder for me is a master, a great master that has a wonderful feel for Cuban music. He’s also paid tribute my talent a bit, even though I don’t know half of what he knows.

Can you imagine that Cuba and Europe’s youth, who had forgotten about traditional music, who only thought of rock music, are now looking back towards their grandparents? That is a phenomenon.

As far as pleasures, you’ve got to have limits. You shouldn’t have too much of good things, so you’ll always have a desire for more and you won’t get bored.

I’ll only stop singing when I’m in my grave.

The music that I play and that I like is traditional music, maybe it’s because of my age.

When it comes to musicians, I’m like the daddy of musicians here in Cuba.