The Simone Chronicles with Simone at Bayside Miami
Lisa ‘Simone’ Kelly, entertainer, songwriter, actress, mother and daughter of the legendary Dr. Nina Simone appeared at Bayside Marketplace outside Bubba Gump Shrimp on a cozy sunny afternoon. Like a gazelle, she was easy, wearing jeans with a blue plaid gauze shirt. Her affability was immediate. Strolling casually along the outer rim of Bayside it quickly became apparent this should not be the standard, stiff structured interview. This gentle, softly spiritual woman spoke in a voice that was itself musical, yet she emanated a passionate, powerful constitution. Simone spoke dearly of her daughter, paralleling life experiences with those of her own and she spoke of the legacy that became her destiny alone to fulfill. Her warmth and compassion were contagious as she defined herself repeatedly thrust into roles she must embrace without aforethought.
Simone spoke of her experience in the military and how it impacted her mother, Nina Simone. It was difficult to imagine this talented woman who performed so fluidly as ‘Aida’ on Broadway, in military attire. Yet that is Simone, multifaceted in more ways than just her music. She is a chameleon of sorts with no two photos alike. Here Simone speaks about her career and things perhaps no one before has invited her to share. It was a rare opportunity to hear, first-hand, the heart of Simone. Her CD “Simone on Simone” is a unique composition of the songs her mother, Nina Simone, rendered in her time, in her signature style. The CD opens, affectionately, with Nina Simone introducing Simone for their first time together on stage. From that moment on Simone takes you into her artistic style, her soaring voice generating goosebumps. The dual renditions of their songs are at once, complete and fulfilling in their own right. As a fan of Nina Simone since childhood, I know every note, every word, those stylized pauses and inflections in her songs since discovering her on the Newport Jazz Festival album in my Dad’s collection. To relive Nina Simone’s songs through Simone is a thrill one must experience and there is nothing wanting in it. Indeed, if you have not yet discovered Nina Simone you will want also to have the Nina Simone experience.
Some have not heard of Nina Simone, a travesty of American culture, but that is about to change as we explore this path with Simone in what we shall call “The Simone Chronicles”. There was a tearful moment as Simone shared her mother, Nina’s trials in her career with performances that transcended time and space when she was on stage. Simone reminded us, despite her mother’s great legacy as The High Priestess of Soul” Nina Simone, when the lights went down and all was quiet was as human as the rest of us. It is so easy for fans to imagine that an icon rides on a fast train of fame and adoration that never stops nor pulls into a station.
There is so much more to discover of the Simones, it is impossible to grasp in one interview. Fortunately, we have Simone, a treasure right here in Miami. So as long as we can, we will follow her story in The Simone Chronicles. On recall, Nina Simone had a tremendous role in shaping the Civil Rights movement in the United States including a significant historical gesture in the march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. You will need to come back for the sequel to learn more. There are treasures to be told: treasures such as the upcoming Nina Simone Project in Atlanta, Georgia “The Nina Simone Experience” from April 16th through April 25th, 2010. We will cover these stories with Simone right here in Miami, and you will be simply amazed.
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