The 25 Days of Great Singers Day 6: Nina Simone What can I say about Nina Simone that those who have heard her dont already know? Nina was born in North Carolina in 1933 and was the sixth of eight children in a poor family. She studied piano starting at the age of three giving her first classical recital at the age of twelve. Her first hit came from her recording of I Loves Ya, Porgy by George Gershwin which was also her only top 20 Billboard hit in the US. Just listening to that song can give you chills. She was quite good at that. Her songs Feeling Good, Sinnerman, and Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood remain popular to this day if for nothing else but the plethora of covers. She could sing anything. In the 1960s she became involved in the civil rights movement and became a voice for peace and equality. She put out heart-breaking songs like I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free and Mississippi Goddamn and the poignant and life-affirming To Be Young, Gifted, And Black which was covered famously by Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway. Her voice could range from lovable and smoky to downright intimidating. Her honey-coated yells give me shivers literally every time I hear her. Seriously listen to the end of Sinnerman or Feeling Good and try and not be impressed. Throughout my decades-long love affair with Nina Simone Ive never met two people with the same opinions on her or her singing but one thing is always the same: shes absolutely unmistakable and not easily forgotten. Theres no denying the emotion in her voice and the sheer brilliance of her arrangements. She was a musical force. My choice today is an absolutely heart-wrenching song by Jacques Brel that she nailed called Ne Me Quitte Pas. The translation is dont leave me. You dont even have to speak French or understand a single word she sings to know exactly what shes singing. And thats her power. Pure, raw emotion.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 17:24:43 +0000