Nina

Out of all the singers, for me, Nina Simone stood out the most. Her use of tone, her expression and her lyrics all send out a message. A message of pain and misery and constant struggle. Her songs paint pictures for the listeners, but these are unfortunately not imaginations. She merely describes the environment she grew up in. She describes the harsh realities of the lives of black people in the struggle for civil rights.

As an artist she faced discrimination, owing obviously to her gender and race. Coming from an oppressed background she remained resilient. But initially, she did not use her music to be political. Gradually, she started channelling her anger and her frustration into an art form and created masterpieces like Mississippi Goddam, which was considered revolutionary therefore was banned in several places.

In it, she explains the atrocities that were prevalent within the South such as police brutality and murders. The violent and anxious times are compared to walking a land mine, the people of colour would never know what could set it off. She takes names and points out specific political figures while talking about current affairs.

The more striking piece by her was undoubtedly Strange Fruit. The song describes the lynchings and hangings which were prevalent across the United States, especially the South. It is a commentary, I believe, on how unnatural human looks across a beautiful natural canvas of trees and the sun and the sky and wind. It’s beautiful the way it’s been described but also very eerie. The words help to paint the most horrific picture which gives you a complete understanding of the depth of the situation.  Even though the lyrics are not originally her own but the tone of her voice as well as her expression which seeps through so perfectly only add to the narrative. I felt there was something unforgiving in her voice. Unforgiving yet hopeless. Her take on the song was so much more impactful, just by way of how she changes her tone with the words she speaks, to place emphasis.