Natural Fact
a cover story on the legendary Nina Simone
by Michael A. Gonzales
http://blackadelicpop.blogspot.com






My upcoming cover feature on Nina Simone will be published in the Wax Poetics #48, due on stands in September. While it would've been difficult to write about Simone's entire life in a single magazine piece, Natural Fact concentrates on Simone's political and personal transformation from naive country girl to "rhythmic rebel" after befriending playwright Lorraine Hansberry and the New York City crew of Black intellectuals that included James Baldwin and LeRoi Jones.

In addition, the story explores the real sisterhood she shared with Hansberry, author of A Raisin in the Sun, and how their friendship helped shape Simone's music, stage persona and personality. For the piece, I interviewed Simone's daughter Lisa Celeste Kelly, who has done tributes to her mother under the name Simone, as well as friends and fans Amiri Barakka, Asha Bandele, David Nathan, Dyana Williams, N'Dambi Blue, Alicia Keys, Mister Mann Friby and others.

I'd like to thank my friends Devin Roberson, Asia Minor, Serena Kim and Tomika Anderson, all who helped guide me on the the road to Simone years ago. While I've written many profiles and essays, this 6,000-word piece has a special place in my personal canon. Big-up to Wax Poetics editors Andre Torres and Brian DiGenti for allowing me the space to do Simone right. In the usual Wax Poetics style, the vintage pictures are simply beautiful.



To access the interview with Gonzo: Afro.astro.channel

Blackadelic Pop: http://blackadelicpop.blo...chael.html

For Wax Poetics: http://www.waxpoetics.com