Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Nina Simonewas an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist who worked in a broad range of musical styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, and pop...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionJazz Singer
Date of Birth21 February 1933
CityTyron, NC
CountryUnited States of America
rap thinking hip-hop
I don't like rap music at all. I don't think it's music. It's just a beat and rapping.
teacher world concerts
Once I understood Bach's music, I wanted to be a concert pianist. Bach made me dedicate my life to music, and it was that teacher who introduced me to his world.
strange-places way hours
I don't like to go to strange places. I was in Italy for about five hours on my way to Africa.
music people choices
When I was studying... there weren't any black concert pianists. My choices were intuitive, and I had the technique to do it. People have heard my music and heard the classic in it, so I have become known as a black classical pianist.
music remember burden
Music is a gift and a burden I've had since I can remember who I was.
success determination practice
I demand perfection in what I do, and I practice very hard before I give a concert-sometimes three to six hours a day.
music cat drug
I don't like drug addicts and she sounds like a cat.
people naked kind
The allusion was that I was actually naked. I loved that. It always, kind of shocked people enough that they became mine immediately.
singing done singers
I was not reluctant to become a singer. Singing has been an activity I've done my whole life, without thought.
music song voice
I only knew classical music, which to me was the only true music. The only way I could survive at the bar was to mix the classical music with popular songs, and that meant I had to sing. What happened was that I discovered I had a voice plus the talent to mix classical music together with more popular songs, which at the time I detested.
music white people
Jazz is a white term to define black people. My music is black classical music.
artist
How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?
effort dying aversion
That is why we fly from the inner void, since God might steal into it. It is not the pursuit of pleasure and the aversion for effort which causes sin, but fear of God. We know that we cannot see him face to face without dying, and we do not want to die.
music looks use
It's time to take a look at my failures and stop calling them successes. Now I can start working at something that can use me best.