09/02/2011

Bebel's debut song was, as expected, precocious

Internationally acclaimed and Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Bebel Gilberto was born in New York on May 12, 1966, to father Joao Gilberto, the iconic voice of bossa nova, and singer Miúcha. Her father's influence would always color her musical path, and with the addition of elements of electronic music, Bebel took the legacy of the musician from Bahia to the dance floor, earning...

citeşte în întregime »

09/02/2011

She was one of the most extraordinary artists of the twentieth century, an icon of American music.

When Nina Simone died on April 21, 2003, she left a timeless treasure trove of musical magic spanning over four decades from her first hit, the 1959 Top 10 classic “I Loves You Porgy,” to “A Single Woman,” the title cut from her one and only 1993 Elektra album. While thirty-three years separate those recordings, the element of honest emotion is the glue that binds the two...

citeşte în întregime »

09/02/2011

There were many sides to Nina Simone.

Among her most amazing recordings were the original and so-soulful version “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” and “I Put A Spell On You” (which had reached to #23 in the U.S. charts), eerily moody, unrestrained, drama to the max; “Ne Me Quitte Pas” tender, poignant, filled with melancholy; and with gospel-like fervor, the hypnotic voodoo of “See-Line...

citeşte în întregime »