Nina Simone: Four Women

“My skin is brown, my manner is tough…” Nina Simone’s velvet voice was unafraid to sing lyrics that cut right to the truth. From the iconic “I Put a Spell on You” to “Feelin’ Good” to the protest song “Four Women” of the title, her music was a personal and political exploration branded in the kiln of the Civil Rights Movement. Simone’s lyrics weave a story of four women alienated from themselves and each other due to the color of their skin. But, through it all they remain triumphant — women proud “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.”