ipl-logo

What Happened Miss Simone Essay

1142 Words5 Pages

‘What Happened, Miss Simone?’ is a documentary designed to let the audience view the ‘Other side’ of Nina Simone’s career. From her beginning of stardom, to her gradual collapse, this shows that not all music careers are easy. Through being abused to being the abuser, it shows that music can take a toll on anyone. This documentary film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary and was a winner of five awards including “Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary” and “Peabody Award for Documentary and Education”. Directed by Liz Garbus (Also known for ‘Bobby Fischer Against The World’ and ‘The Farm: Angola, USA’), through her journals, interviews, and stock footage, the film covers as the audience watches the downward spiral of yet …show more content…

Nina said she would not perform unless her parents were at the front. That was the first time she felt discrimination. Then on September 15, 1963, Birmingham Bombings triggered something into Nina. She began to make a song ‘Mississippi, Goddam’. This song revolutionized the Civil Rights movement, being the only one to truly express how they feel about these bombings. Nina’s career gradually started to downfall when she started to make ‘Civil Rights Music’. One of her songs during this time ‘Young, Gifted, and Black’ was one of the ‘anthems’ during the Civil Rights Movement to make sure that the female African Americans needed to feel appreciated by society. Playing more political songs took a major blow for her music career. Then she started to become worse and worse as these time went on. Nina was no longer being invited to major tv shows/interviews because of her role during the Civil Rights Movement. She went up to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and told him ‘I’m not non-violent’ and also saying ‘If I’d have my way, I’d been a killer’. Nina became more and more incoherent. The only reason Nina and Andrew were still together was only for the sake of the child, and that they can go and ‘fool around’ with other

Show More
Related
1233 Words | 5 Pages

On April 4th of 1928 Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in St. Louis, Missouri. She was given the name “Maya” by her brother, Bailey. Both Maya and Bailey were sent to live with their grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas after her parents divorced. When Maya went to visit her mother at the age of eight she was raped by her mother’s boyfriend.

Read More
1445 Words | 6 Pages

“AMY” Rhetorical Analysis The “AMY” documentary recently announced as an Academy Award winning for Best Documentary Film ; it’s a film that captures the true life of the legendary singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse whom she is recognized for her expressive unique voice, dramatic hair style, and over-exaggerated eye makeup that made herself stand out in the crowd. “AMY” was directed by Asif Kapadia by his side producer James Gay-Rees. Kapadia and Rees try to tell the story of Winehouse in a way no one has ever done so before.

Read More
1889 Words | 8 Pages

The Liberal Pauli Murray Pauli Murray led an impressive life and left behind a legacy of peaceful civil rights protests, many legal writings, and an admirable dedication to her religion and parishes. I became acquainted with Pauli Murray through her memoir Song in a Weary Throat: An American Pilgrimage, which was a very intriguing read. The memoir addressed the issues she felt were important, primarily the two most important aspects of her identity: her race and gender.

Read More
1331 Words | 6 Pages

However, she was a victim or at least that is how she viewed herself until music came into her

Read More
1632 Words | 7 Pages

“Coming of Age in Mississippi” is an autobiography about the life of African America civil rights activist Anne Moody (Essie Mae). Moody narrates her childhood in Mississippi through her college years in New Orleans and her involvements in the major historical civil right movements. The autobiography details the challenges and the injustices faced by African Americans particularly in the southern states. In this historical autobiography, Moody jeopardize her and her family 's life to end the oppression of African Americans. She also presents her participation in the most important civil right movement like famous the Woolworth 's sit-in and other demonstrations.

Read More
913 Words | 4 Pages

In Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi (1968), there are many situations that arise throughout Moody’s life, which show hope prevails supporting her ending statement “I WONDER. I really WONDER.” Although there are many stories of murder and racism scattered throughout this story, these events keep a young Essie Mae curious and a young adult Anne Moody determined. Since the curiosity and determination Moody possesses stems from these acts against the Negro population, it ultimately gives her the hope to look forward to the rights she will gain after testifying to the events that have taken place in Mississippi. Every sit-in and protest Moody participates in shows the underlying hope she has that Negros will one day have the same rights as white people.

Read More
2321 Words | 10 Pages

In 1971, Alvin Ailey choreographed Cry, a three part work solo dance set to gospel music that describes an emotional journey filled with struggle, hardships, defeat, survival and joy. It was intended as a birthday present to Alvin’s mother and a dedication to all black women everywhere. The first part of the dance is the struggle of trying to maintain pride irrespective of the opposition faced from outside. The second part reveals the sorrow within after the woman’s pride has been shattered into pieces and finally the third part is a spirited celebration of finding strength and joy in God. Even though cry was dedicated to only black women, i argue the notion that all women both black and white of the nineteenth century could relate

Read More
1800 Words | 8 Pages

As Hughes’ works were well published, African Americans, not just from Harlem, started to follow in his footsteps and create art that celebrated their skin colour. Professor Bercovitch argues that The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain “embod[ies] the voice of the community”, attributing his popularity during the Harlem Renaissance to this communal voice that speaks for those who cannot (Bercovitch, 2003). In addition, in the 1960s, Hughes befriended the popular singer Nina Simone, encouraging her to use her music to further the civil rights movement. Hughes was an inspiration to Simone, who was already an established voice in popular culture and the civil rights movement. Hughes even wrote The Backlash Blues for Simone to perform as a protest song.

Read More
1906 Words | 8 Pages

Well-known writer and essayist Joan Didion, in her essay, The White Album, shatters every preconceived notion of the late nineteen sixties. Set primarily in Los Angeles, California Didion blends reportage and personal essay to recount cultural tensions that arose during the period- protests, murder, apathy-with her own psychosis. Incorporating fragmented narrative and film technique Didion offers snapshots of the events with language that is curt yet symbolic of her unique style. “The White Album,” demonstrates that everything in life is meant to teach us something. Through Didion’s experiences behind the pen, as a news reporter, her narration attempts to understand the lesson and discovers "We Tell OURSELVES STORIES in order to live" (Didion

Read More
1060 Words | 5 Pages

Now, jazz musicians are renowned for professionalism, refinement, and culture. Jazz is a fine art, a representation of humanity’s progress. As jazz musicians, we need to maintain a higher set of values than any other type of musician. So if we, Manouche Jazz musicians, don’t care about the fate of the Romani, yet we play their music, then our profession is hypocritical. If we pretend to hold ourselves to the level that jazz is defined by, while also appropriating the music of an already struggling culture, Manouche Jazz musicians, in particular, are hypocritical appropriators.

Read More
807 Words | 4 Pages

When thinking of the Civil Rights Movement, for many of us, it seems like it was a thousand years ago, but for many, the memory and pain is still fresh, and it seems like yesterday. When thinking of this movement, we often think of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Park, and Malcom X, when there were so many others fighting and key to the movement. Ella Baker had a deep sense of family, which translated into her philosophy. Like most African American citizens of her time, Ella Baker had close relatives that remember the “Slavery Days”, which helped to form Ella and her views.

Read More
1167 Words | 5 Pages

History of Madonna: Did you know that Madonna, the queen of pop, was raised by her grandparents in Christian religious background? This essay will focus on the cultural influences of Madonna as an artist during America since her childhood. It will look at her changing fashion styles, identity, sexuality, how she had an impact on women and women 's independence as well as her overall impact upon society, not only through her music but through her individual strength. Taraborrelli, J. Randy. Madonna: an intimate biography.

Read More
1044 Words | 5 Pages

"The Girl Who Survived" by Carol Bierman and Bronia Brandman. This book is about a family who went into hiding during the holocaust. Bronia starts of at the age of nine years old and ends up being the only one out of her family to survive. Bronia along with Mila, Mendek, and Bonzeka are the main characters in this book. The story was about the family and unsuspected new friends and what they experienced long the way.

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

Imagine how it feels to be stuck in a tiny, miniscule room for almost two years, not able to make a sound or movement and if heard by someone,death or concentration camp is the destination? The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett is about a small family which consists of Anne, Margot, Mr. Frank, and Mrs. Frank who were in a shock of fear, and went into hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Over the course of the story other characters join the family into hiding such as Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan, and their son Peter. During the time of hiding, Anne kept a diary to write down all her thoughts, fears, and feelings and was later known to be the most important piece of literature from the times of the Holocaust. The story takes you through their everyday lives of hiding in the annex which also includes arguing and times of happiness.

Read More
670 Words | 3 Pages

Based on Simone's intimate performance, I can relate to her situation through her longing vocals. Allowing myself to express my feelings of unrequited love through her words. 0:00 Introduction: The piano, playing in low-key, sets the tempo in a brief opening. 0:08 Chorus 1, Section 1: Nina begins singing the lyrics. Simultaneously, the piano sets the motive in which

Read More

More about What Happened Miss Simone Essay

Related Topics

Open Document