25 June 2015

NINA SIMONE

back in 1987, Miss Simone released a new claymation video for the remaster of “My Baby Just Cares For Me” and that is when  the one & only Nina Simone & everything about her became cemented into my life as a boy…  that year, the video was always on TV & the song on every radio station.  no internet yet haha.  her bold choices & her fearless defense of human rights inspire me to this day.

in 2001, i scored tickets to Nina Simone’s last LA performance at the Greek Theater, my favourite concert venue in LA.  Miss Simone's age & the toll of living on the edge did nothing to weaken her strong stage presence.  honest as always, Nina Simone owned the night, even when she chose a couple times to abruptly stop a song so that she could restart it properly or in a different key, with everyone in the crowd chearing her on even more.  Miss Simone passed away just two years later.  and now, RadicalMedia’s new documentary film about her hits theaters in LA & NY, and starts airing June 26th on Netflix.  

for those of you in LA today, award winning director Liz Garbus will be presenting the film at LACMA tonight.  i highly encourage you to see it on the big screen whenever you get a chance.    it will be in cinemas mainly in Los Angeles & New York.  meanwhile, check out the TRAILER & the following articles from Hungertv, the LA Times, the NY Times and Vanity Fair...