Siri Vik: "Do I Move You?, The Life and Music of Nina Simone" at John G Shedd Institute for the Arts

Nina Simone delivered fierce honesty. She sang the rage of civil injustice, of struggle, of the human condition, and she sang whatever she pleased, whatever music she could believe. She had the power to hypnotize her audiences. She was often compared to Billie Holiday, but Simone herself thought opera singer Maria Callas was a more of a likeness, as she was “a diva like Callas more than anyone else.” It’s true that while her art, like Callas’, carries the spirit of wildness, it also contains the sacred and the transcendent. Her songs and her voice, to me, are territory of the soul. In the world, she was volatile, undiluted, untempered, dangerous in the way she demanded truth and justice in everything---- she was an idealist, and yes, something of a High Priestess....

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Nina Simone delivered fierce honesty. She sang the rage of civil injustice, of struggle, of the human condition, and she sang whatever she pleased, whatever music she could believe. She had the power to hypnotize her audiences. She was often compared to Billie Holiday, but Simone herself thought opera singer Maria Callas was a more of a likeness, as she was “a diva like Callas more than anyone else.” It’s true that while her art, like Callas’, carries the spirit of wildness, it also contains the sacred and the transcendent. Her songs and her voice, to me, are territory of the soul. In the world, she was volatile, undiluted, untempered, dangerous in the way she demanded truth and justice in everything---- she was an idealist, and yes, something of a High Priestess.

As she’s so often heard today, in snippets on soundtracks and commercials, I first discovered Nina Simone in La Femme Nikita: a cover of the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun.” I couldn’t say in words why her music drew me in so suddenly and certainly. Still, 25 years later, I was and still am hooked. It goes without saying, to explore this unique artistic voice, her life and musical story at The Shedd is a for me a great honor and joy. As well as her most memorable recordings like "I Loves You Porgy", "I Put A Spell On You" and of course, (how could we not?) "Feeling Good", we will also include some of her unexpected covers and lesser-known (though exquisite) folk and pop song interpretations. Truly, as “essential” Nina Simone includes standards from the American Songbook, blues, protest songs, gospel, centuries-old folksong, and French songs, Spanish songs; a kind of naked vocalism against the florid mastery of classical piano -- this program is eclectic and fresh to its core. And on that last note, the piano: I am most pleased to partner with Eugene pianist and arranger Nathan Alef in creating this layered and moving musical story of a true original of American music, Nina Simone.

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