Interview: Michael Franti

Love or peace?
Love of course. Peace only occurs when there is social justice. Without love, we’re not going to have peace.
Barefoot or shoes?
I’ve been barefoot now for more than 10 years. I started playing music in countries where kids couldn’t afford shoes, so I’d take my shoes off. I now collect shoes for children in America. I’d love to do that in Singapore.
Happiness is…
Aah… It comes from within.
If there’s one thing I could change about the world, it would be…
The cynicism of the world. People are too cynical and they give up and lose hope.
Person you’d most like to meet, dead or alive is…
Nelson Mandela. I’d much rather meet somebody who’s alive than dead. If there was one era I could go back to, it’d be the… 60s because there’s great music; it was a time of great change. I would much prefer go to the future than go anywhere back actually.
What’s on your bucket list?
Number one is to go to Singapore. Number two is to eat chili crab.
Catch Michael Franti at the Timbre Rock & Roots Festival on Apr 15, 11:30pm at the Marina Promenade, at the F1 track behind the Singapore Flyer, 6338-8277. $70-200 from Sistic.