Nina Simone

Nina Simone, the legendary black American singer, and also a composer, arranger, pianist and songwriter, was born at Tryon, North Carolina on 21 February 1933 as Eunice Waymon.

She studied at the Juilliard School of Music as a classical pianist, discovering her voice by accident. She became famous with her 1959 performance of the Gershwin song I Loves ya, Porgy.

To call her a blues or a jazz singer would be to belittle her catholic performing tastes, which encompassed African, gospel, blues, jazz, rock and western classical songs. Her phophetic anti-racist song Mississippi Goddamn put her in the limelight as a black civil rights campaigner, and made life in the USA for her unbearable. She left in 1973, eventually settling in France, where she died on 21 April 2003 in Carry-le-Rouet, aged seventy.

 

A selection of articles about Nina Simone

Spotlight. A Great Release - Geoff Pearce appreciates Laura van der Heijden and Jâms Coleman's cello and piano recital. '... the performers do not appear to be recorded with microphones too close, which results in realistic blending, and also a feeling of distance, perhaps reflecting the distant and mysterious qualities of the moonlight.'