A few years ago, news broke that a film about Nina Simone was in the works, promptly titled Nina. For many of us who are fans of this dynamic goddess of a woman, we were thrilled...until we learned that Zoe Saldana was selected to portray the Empress of Soul.  Fans on social media, specifically #BlackTwitter, being the force that it is, rebuked the casting and even suggested much better choices to portray Nina.   The filmmakers didn't get permission from Nina Simone's estate to do the film as Nina's daughter, Lisa, took to Facebook to address this point specifically.  As a matter of fact, given Nina's legacy, she probably would've had an issue with Zoe portraying her as well. Of course, we can't know for sure.  The film is still scheduled to be released later this year, and apparently, Zoe had to come to terms with the poor casting decision as well, after initially being very disappointed behind the backlash. 

To some extent, the making of this film can be credited for spurring a renewed interest in Nina Simone, thus introducing a new generation to this woman's body of work and activism.  In June, Netflix released a phenomenal documentary about the singer & activist's life, What's Happening, Miss Simone?, featuring her daughter, so we know for certain that Nina Simone's estate cleared this one. The rare footage and the integration of interviews gives the effect of Nina narrating her own story, which is illuminating, powerful, and equally sad.  We picked the most definitive quote from the documentary to adequately summarize Nina's life. It was spoken by the oldest daughter of Malcolm X: 

          "Nina Simone was a free spirit in an era that didn't really appreciate a woman's genius."


We've selected a couple of many incredible performances to post here in celebration of Nina Simone. May her spirit soar high and we hope she is pleased with the adoration that we continue to give her. 

  

Charenee Wade is NYC based jazz vocalist that's poised to become a major voice in preserving this illustrious art form. With a voice both soaring and sweet, her recent project is a tribute to the music of the late Gil Scott-Heron. After listening to the project for the first time, we found ourselves completely in love with Charenee and definitely believe that Gil's spirit is pleased with this offering.  Check out these two videos that will give you more depth into the project as well as Charenee as an artist.  Then, skip over to iTunes or Google Play and support this album!