How do you sum up Nina Simone? Someone whose talents have spread so far and wide, and who has touched and inspired so many people. I was seven when my father introduced me to her music and I'll never forget it. He put on I Got Life and the passion in her voice just grabbed me. It was one of those moments that you can pick out in your path as a singer.
Simone has always fascinated me. She was born into a large family, and her musical gifts were recognised at an early age. She had aspirations to be a classical pianist, and studied at Juilliard before finding her voice singing and playing in bars to fund her studies. The most important thing about being a great singer is having your signature sound, and Nina sure had hers.
Many of the songs she's best known for were very simple compositionally and pretty easy to sing along to, but - and it is a big but - when Nina sang, the raw emotion she injected into each word pierced the depths of the listener's soul. That's not something just anyone can do. Her vocal style was so rich and deep, she would almost speak when she sang, like she was having a conversation with you, or preaching a sermon. Even on record, Simone managed to convey this feeling of intimacy. Her concerts, meanwhile, were an amazing experience. The respect the audience would afford her was so moving. The minute she hit the stage there was absolute quiet, not a sound. She always had a very serious look on her face when she performed. Music was not a joke for this incredible singer, it was her life, and that's something I hold in very high regard.
Music aside, few people are aware of her massive contribution to the civil rights movement. Simone was passionate and angry about the injustices she endured as a black woman in the US, and what she had to face, particularly in the 1950s and 60s, made her music that much more poignant. The song Mississippi Goddam was her response to the murder of civil rights activist Medgar Evers and the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that left four young black girls dead. She spoke and sung at rallies, and her songs have become anthems for the movement. Every artist wants to be remembered, but not many make a real difference. Nina did.
And, of course, her music has been hugely influential. Countless musicians have been moved by her, and not just jazz or soul singers. Even now, decades after these songs were released, her music is relevant to modern audiences - the dance acts Kruder & Dorfmeister and St Germain have reworked Little Girl Blue and I'm Feeling Good.
Her last album, 1993's A Single Woman, was as powerful as anything she had put out in her earlier career, and showed that she still had that indefinable something that everyone wants and only a few have. She's such an inspiration to me. Her voice, style, charisma and sheer unabashed talent have stood the test of time, and I admire that so much. When I hear the words, "It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for me", I'm still feeling good over 40 years after Nina Simone sang it.
· Nina Simone's A Single Woman, her last studio album, is rereleased this week on Warner Jazz. Mica Paris performs at IndigO2, London, on June 29. Box office: 0844 844 0002
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