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CBJC Festival Magazine 2016

Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium produces a Jazz Festival every year. 2016 brings our 17th Annual Festival. The Brooklyn grassRoots festival this year runs from April 15th until May 15. This years event was fantastic. View our magazine for a look inside.

Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium produces a Jazz Festival every year. 2016 brings our 17th Annual Festival. The Brooklyn grassRoots festival this year runs from April 15th until May 15. This years event was fantastic. View our magazine for a look inside.

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each bearing an intimate and personal<br />

facet of Nina Simone that was given to the<br />

rest of us as a treasured artifact, a valued<br />

relic.<br />

Tahiya Nyahuma led a large contingent of<br />

The Philadelphia Congress of the National<br />

Congress of Black Women in a powerful<br />

but sensitive recovery<br />

of Nina’s lost dream<br />

at conservatory. Sister<br />

Nyahuma presented<br />

the Honorary Degree<br />

from the Curtis Institute<br />

that had denied<br />

her admission at 19,<br />

along with the heartbreaking<br />

story of Nina’s<br />

unjust rejection. It<br />

helped me understand<br />

how rage can be born<br />

from the thing you love<br />

the most. . Sister Nyahuma<br />

finished with<br />

the dedication of commissioned<br />

art work in<br />

Nina Simone’s name<br />

and the acknowledgment<br />

of her chapter<br />

members there in the<br />

church. Those Philly<br />

sisters were fine and a<br />

great example of how<br />

far-reaching the goddess<br />

community extends.<br />

Then Cecile Tyson spoke on behalf of<br />

a long and dear friendship: “I can’t remember<br />

a time when I didn’t know Nina<br />

Simone.” From there, she launched into<br />

a meaningful recitation of the Langston<br />

Hughe’s poem, “I’ve Known Rivers”. It was<br />

politely devastating. Then Dr. Verta Mae<br />

Grosvenor, herself known to make a skillet<br />

talk Gullah, charmed household insights<br />

40<br />

and child rearing techniques into a lustrous<br />

and warm portrait of Nina Simone.<br />

She began on the ‘mommy network’ but<br />

finished by stating that “…Langston dug<br />

Nina as much as Nina dug Langston”.<br />

Then Dorethea Church, Dr. Nina’s personal<br />

stylist, came before us and allowed<br />

Ms. Nina Simone on the piano<br />

the world a look at Nina dressing. With<br />

absolute naturalness, Sister Church spoke<br />

of Dr. Nina’s ability to remain elegant under<br />

any circumstances, in every situation.<br />

Nina Simone held court from the back of<br />

limousines. Then Sonia Sanchez looked<br />

through the veil and spoke with the ancestors<br />

to manifest Nina’s voice. Sister Sanchez<br />

shattered us with her poem “Indigee,<br />

So Close to the Ancestors…” We are deep<br />

in Old World tradition when the voice<br />

of the deceased is invoked. This is major<br />

Amazon technology but nothing new to<br />

the goddess Sanchez. “Nina’s intelligence<br />

was kissing our hearts. She was like Nut<br />

arching over us.” Sonia has made the Mask<br />

talk many times.<br />

And the voice came<br />

when Sam Waymon,<br />

Nina’s brother sang.<br />

He manifested her<br />

with exact intonation<br />

and phrasing. His<br />

keyboard work has<br />

always contained the<br />

same personal virtuosity.<br />

The combination<br />

was pleasantly<br />

unnerving to those<br />

who had never experienced<br />

it. There in<br />

our midst was the living,<br />

vocal presence of<br />

Dr. Nina, thrilling us<br />

like only she is able to;<br />

yet she was gone. Sam<br />

played generously<br />

and graciously in spite<br />

of his own grief. His<br />

personal salute could<br />

not have been better.<br />

Then Patti La Belle<br />

testified to Dr. Nina’s protective nurturing<br />

in a story about champagne in a plastic<br />

cup. Patti sang the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ for<br />

Nina, after telling another wonderful story<br />

about Nina and Andouille sausages. It was<br />

all so right.<br />

Attillah Shabazz faced her moments of<br />

testimony in the same confident stride<br />

as the people before her. Crisp and to the<br />

point, she put the world on notice that the

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