“Nina Simone: The High Priestess of Soul” Description:
I chose Nina Simone as the subject of my painting because of her legacy of passion, liberation, empowerment, and grit and because she is a reminder that “an artist’s duty is to reflect the times”, something I aspire to reflect in my own work.
Nina Simone was an iconic figure of American music and her body of work reflects her incredible skills as a concert pianist, storyteller, singer, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Although Simone is often classified as a Jazz artist, something she rejected because it pigeonholed her into a specific category, her music blends gospel, blues, folk, pop, and classical styles, giving it a layered depth that is unmatched.
She became known as the “High Priestess of Soul” because of her ability to draw the listener in with her distinctive and hypnotic voice and impressive musicianship. In fact, one of her songs, “I Put a Spell on You”, captures the very essence of this moniker and before you know it, she has indeed, cast a spell on you with her seductive alto voice and polished piano prowess.
I chose to capture her during a performance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1968. I love her penetrating stare at the viewer and that she is caught in a moment before her performance started. She became notorious for demanding absolute quiet before she performed and her challenging gaze reflects her command of the audience and this notion. I also admire her knitted jumpsuit and wanted to challenge myself to paint its intricate patterns and details. Her fashion style was fearless, bold, and unapologetic. It was a celebration of her, just as much as her music was.
The background is a rich, deep red, similar to the stage she performed on and I added orbs of light to mimic stage lights and the circular shape of her earrings. I added a halo of light around the microphone to symbolize the power and magic of her voice.
I also added wafting smoke coming into the composition and appearing to emanate from her and the piano. This curling smoke contributes to the atmosphere of the festival and also has a hypnotic quality as it takes its direction from the energy coming off her body and the music coming from the piano.
Simone’s image is framed by soft yellow curves that imitate the silhouette of the piano and house the quotes, “I’ll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear” and “I’m a real rebel with a cause”. I chose the first quote because it reflects one of her songs, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free”. It also mirrors the civil rights movement and resonates with those struggling with identity and individualism.
Many of Simone’s songs from this era communicate her outrage at the treatment of Black Americans and the struggle for civil rights. One of her songs, “Mississippi Goddamn!” became an iconic protest song in response to the murder of civil rights leader, Medgar Evans and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, where four young girls were killed.
Another song, “Young, Gifted, and Black” became the unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement. Simone wrote this song to inspire Black children and underscore their gifts and empowerment.
I chose the second quote, “I’m a real rebel with a cause” because it captures Simone’s commitment to speaking out against racial oppression and her desire to change the narrative of her people.
I painted blue piano keys in the background to emphasize Simone’s talents as a concert pianist and arranged them in a shifting pattern as an homage to the improvisation found in Jazz music. I chose blue for the keys to add a moodiness to the background and complement the other primary colours in the composition.
Simone enjoyed playing Back, Brahms, Beethoven, Chopin, and Schubert and once said, “Bach made me dedicate my life to music”. While she initially wanted to perform just as a concert pianist, she was told if she wanted to work, she had to sing too. This shaped her future career and critics always had a difficult time classifying her music. I bookended the quotes in the composition with bars from one of Bach’s compositions as a reminder of her first love. Her foundation in classical music is definitely responsible for her rich, unique style.
Nina Simone wrote in her autobiography that her purpose as an artist was to, “make people feel on a deep level”, and my intent as an artist is to do the same. To listen to her music is to experience a direct channel to her soul. Her freedom was in her art and there is no greater gift than that.