Nina Simone's Live at the Village Gate was Satruday night makeout music in m girlfriend's basement in 1963. Her version of House of the Rising Sun was the first one I heard. Then came Black is the color of my true love's hair, Sinnerman, and Mississippi Goddamn - her anthems sung as she accompanied herself on piano. I was caught up in the folk revival and knew that the civil rights marchers were the good guys but was just a naive Catholic School boy with no real engagement in the outside world. But I knew there was something special going on with Nina Simone. Fifty years later her magic is captivating people. And we are again struggling with racism, though the circumstances are much changed, as our Black President affirms, the legacy of America's original sin haunts us still. - gwc
Nina Simone’s Time Is Now, Again - The New York Times
By
Nina Simone is striking posthumous gold as the inspiration for three films and a star-studded tribute album, and she was name-dropped in John Legend’s Oscar acceptance speech for best song. This flurry comes on the heels of a decade-long resurgence: two biographies, a poetry collection, several plays, and the sampling of her signature haunting contralto by hip-hop performers including Jay Z, the Roots and, most relentlessly, Kanye West.
Fifty years after her prominence, Nina Simone is now reaching her peak.
No comments:
Post a Comment