Jazz90.1 in partnership with the African-American Public Radio Consortium are pleased to present three radio specials during Black History Month. You can hear the programs on Jazz90.1 FM and streaming online via the FREE iHeartRadio app.
Feeling Good – The Nina Simone Story – Tuesday February 11 – 8 p.m.
Told by her daughter, vocalist Lisa Simone Kelly, Feeling Good: The Nina Simone Story is a touching, intimate look at the life, work, and genius of jazz composer, pianist, vocalist, and civil rights activist Nina Simone.
The emotions that Nina brought to her music and the passionate way she lived her life were positively palpable. She was a progressive black woman of her time who spoke her mind, particularly on the issue of civil rights for African Americans.
She brought this creed to her music. Whether it was a song she composed or one she interpreted, Nina had the ability to communicate its meaning beyond words. She excavated the essential soul of every song that she sang.
Whether it was belting out a protest song, moaning out a love ballad or blues tune, or playing the piano with classical virtuosity, Nina commanded her audience. In her offstage life, she always demanded to be treated with respect and dignity. For a black woman of her time, that stance alone was revolutionary.
But in this documentary we also hear about the tender, vulnerable, and sometimes funny Nina from the people that she loved and trusted… Her close circle of friends (including former NPR Host Verta Mae Grosvenor), family members, people in her band, recording industry professionals who had the rare opportunity to call her a friend.
In Feeling Good we get to hear lots of Nina’s music, and remember how nimbly she could transition from jazz to gospel to blues to classical piano licks in a way that seemed effortless. Nina Simone deserves to be honored, and this documentary does it elegantly.
The Afrobeat Revolutionary: Fela Kuti – Tuesday February 18 – 8 p.m.
To some, he was a great composer and bandleader, to others a prophet, and to others a revolutionary—and Fela Anikulapo Kuti inhabited all of these spaces simultaneously. Born in Nigeria, Fela was Africa’s first international cultural icon.
In the music documentary The Afrobeat Revolutionary, hosted by recording artist Neneh Cherry (daughter of the late jazz trumpeter Don Cherry), we learn the story of the dramatic life of Fela Kuti, who created the music now known as Afrobeat. We also come to understand the arc of his life, which he devoted to protesting for the human rights of Nigerians and other Africans, and the high price he paid for it.
A trip to the U.S. in the late 1960s changed Fela’s music and politics forever. He became involved in the fusion jazz/rock scene and was exposed to the excitement of the Black Consciousness movement, in which blacks in America were embracing their African culture and heritage with pride.
The sound Fela created, known as Afrobeat, combines jazz, funk, and African highlife over a beat that is funky to the core and hypnotic. He composed for his huge band, which included a horn section, a guitar section, multiple percussion instruments, a chorus, and dancers. Fela led the band vocally and also played baritone saxophone and keyboards.
THE AFROBEAT REVOLUTIONARY WAS PRODUCED BY BBC PRODUCER SUE CLARK
*Where Is The Love: The Donny Hathaway Story – February 25 – 8 p.m.
Hosted by Roberta Flack
*A school board meeting will be broadcast on the air that evening. You can still enjoy this special streaming online via our website and mobile app.