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DIAround the time I turned 15, my mom gifted me a Nina Simone compilation record called, “Nina Simone’s Finest Hour”.
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I was immediately awestruck by her voice, which at the time was so different than any voice I had ever heard before. Strong and rich, forceful and tender, raw and exuberant. I was of course, also deeply impressed with her piano playing, but there was always something in her voice- her brutal honesty, and her willingness to speak very candidly in her music about social and political turmoil, that was somehow left even more of an impression on me than her very obvious technical skill.
I think that seeing a woman embody this so beautifully in her work, really influenced me to want to write songs that are directly political alongside songs that are more personal or poetic. I think there’s a place for them all.
I wrote this song, “The Door”, during Trump’s first term, outraged by the cruelty of his family separation policy at the border and jumped at the chance to have it arranged for the @awesomeorchestra by @brianadammccune
Now, so many years later look where we are. People made excuses for his cruelty and the cruelty of his administration then, and now more people are being separated, jailed, and killed.
That doesn’t have to be our reality though. We can always choose to see the humanity in others. As long as we’re alive, we have new chances every day to start over.
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Photo by @lea_brun0
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Video by @y.sun_and_moon.x
@dialunamusic
