So yesterday was Bob Marley and today is Jazz Singer Nina Simone...
Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), better known by her stage name Nina Simone, was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music.
Born the sixth child of a preacher's family in North Carolina, Nina's prodigious musical talent prompted her ambition to become the first black concert pianist, but the realities of poverty and racial prejudice forced her to redirect her ambitions. Her musical path changed direction after she was turned down for full scholarship at a prestigious music institute, the Curtis Institute of Philadelphia. She then began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education to become a classical pianist and was required to sing as well.
Her distinctive and original style arose from a fusion of gospel and pop songs with classical music, in particular with influences from her first inspiration, classical composer Bach, and accompanied with her expressive jazz-like singing in her characteristic low tenor. She injected as much of her classical background into her music as possible to give it more depth and quality, as she felt that pop music was inferior to it.
After twenty years of performing, she became involved in the civil rights movement and the direction of her life shifted once again. Simone's music was highly influential in the fight for equal rights in the USA.
This is one of my favourite songs of all time and I've posted it on this blog before, but this is a song I can listen to everyday.
'Feeling Good' by Nina Simone
