On Friday 13th March, Ort Cafe hosts Ort Sings Nina Simone. Doors open at 8pm, with admission charged at £5 (suggested donation)
With all proceeds going to Dudley Mind, Ort Sings Nina Simone is a showcase of the artists’ best, performed by Abi Budgen, Amit Dattani, Eleanor Dattani, Sadie Roach, Kate Wilkins, Anne-Marie Allen & friends.
Ort Sings Nina Simone celebrates the music of the American jazz singer/songwriter and civil rights activist, Nina Simone, who died in 2003 from breast cancer. Considered one of the finest songwriters and musicians of her day, her music has lasted over fifty years and remains some of the most memorable music the world over.
Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina in 1933, (she took her stage name because she did not want her religious family back home to find out she was playing piano in an Atlantic City bar) Nina Simone’s talent as a musician was evident when she started playing piano by ear at the age of three. She studied classical music with an Englishwoman named Muriel Mazzanovich, where she developed a love for Bach, Chopin, Brahms, Beethoven and Schubert.
After graduating from high school, the small community where she grew up raised money for a scholarship to study classical piano at The Juilliard School, New York City.
Turning her interest to jazz, blues and folk music after lacking the money to complete the course, she released her first album in 1958, and within a few years became known as a civil rights activist.
Nina Simone released forty-five albums from 1958 to 1993, a mix of live, compilation and studio albums. As one of the most extraordinary artists of the twentieth century, it is only fitting that this event celebrates the best of her.
With Nina Simone known to have lived with bipolar disorder and/or borderline personality disorder, as well as substance abuse, Dudley Mind is a fitting cause for an evening of the artists’ well loved music. Ort Sings Nina Simone also stands as testament to the potential, talent and achievements of people who also battle against mental heath issues.
You can access information on Dudley Mind at www.dudleymind.org.uk or by clicking on the logo.
A quote form their website states: ‘Dudley Mind aims to improve the mental health of people living in the local area, and to assist people experiencing mental health distress on their journey of recovery. We are an independent charity that is affiliated to Mind (the national mental health charity).’
Ort Sings Nina Simone is held in loving memory of Chris Long.
Ort Sings Nina Simone will be held at Ort Café on Friday 13th March. Doors open at 8pm with admission charged at £5 (suggested donation). For further event, visit http://ortcafe.co.uk/ort-sings-nina-simone/
For more on Ort Café, visit http://ortcafe.co.uk/
