Kiri Te Kanawa

“As a singer, you can't be in a place where you're not getting inspired.”

“Singing is a very barefoot sport.”

“I've always believed that you should never be in a place where you're not challenged.”

“The voice is a very delicate instrument.”

“I was never one for sitting around, waiting for things to happen.”

“Retirement is not a word I like, because I don't think I'm retiring. I'm just stopping.”

“You sing with a certain amount of longing for things you don't have.”

“I have to look after my voice. It's a gift.”

“I suppose I'm a cultural hybrid. I'm not a pure Maori. I'm a mixture of Maori and European.”

“One has to build a life outside of the stage.”

“I don't think I'm a diva. I'm a worker.”

“You have to have the passion for what you do.”

“I think the beautiful thing about music is that it's a universal language.”