nina simone
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Feeling Good, Finally? Nina Simone’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Is a Bittersweet Victory
In the world of women in music, there are queens, princesses, first ladies and even a duchess—but there has only ever been one high priestess of soul: Nina Simone. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced today that Nina Simone will be among 2018’s group of inductees—which includes rock bands Bon Jovi, Dire Straits,…
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Watch: The Jazz Legends Who Fearlessly Fought for Freedom
Jazz has always been one of the soundtracks of black people’s journey toward freedom in America. Artists like Nina Simone and Gary Bartz became the fearless messengers of African-American protest. In honor of Black Music Month, we pay tribute to some of the most political artists and moments in jazz music.
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Watch: Black Power and Creative Expression
The video below was published in partnership with Peabody Spotlight, a digital series produced by the Peabody Media Center at the University of Georgia in commemoration of Black History Month. Each part of the series draws from the vast Peabody Awards archives, the third-largest repository of audiovisual materials in the United States. Peabody Spotlight will…
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All the People (Who Aren’t Doing Anything) Trump Should Ask to His Inauguration
Let’s be honest with each other. There’s way too much hateration in this dance soiree (yes, that is what Mary J. Blige was trying to sing to us). This land of the free and home of the brave that we’ve found ourselves living in is taking a turn for the worse. Like, Jennifer Holliday, who…
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Soundtrack for Survival: 10 Songs to Help You Through a Trump Presidency
I was in the fourth grade when my white best friend told me a racist joke. “Why are black people so dark?” he asked a group of us at lunch, with a mischievous grin. I looked at him dumbfounded. I put down my milk box, wiped what had dribbled down from the corners of my…
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Nikki Giovanni on Her Friend Nina Simone: If She Were Here, She’d Be Wearing a 'Black Lives Matter' T-Shirt
The documentary The Amazing Nina Simone, by filmmaker Jeff L. Lieberman, provides an intimate look at the life of singer Nina Simone, who combined art with activism. Often called the voice of the civil rights movement, Simone made songs, including “Mississippi Goddam,” that spoke to the turbulence of the time and the brutal fight for civil…
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Zoe Saldana As Nina Simone Is What Happens When Diversity Doesn't
When news first broke a few years ago that Zoe Saldana would be cast in Nina — the yet-to-be-released biopic about the iconic artist and activist — I wasn’t as put off about the aesthetic dissimilarity between Saldana and Simone as many of us seemed to be. Mainly because I generally don’t believe an actor needs to…
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PJ and The Playlist Thursdays, Vol 1
I dont know why I never did this before. But better late than never they say. They say a lot of things. Anyway, because so many folks here at VSB are self-appointed music heads (myself being one of them) and have such vast and expansive musical tastes, I think I’m going to start doing a…