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architectinahmedabad · 5 months ago

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Unveiling the Top Architects Reshaping Ahmedabad's Skyline

Ahmedabad, the bustling metropolis of Gujarat, is a city where tradition meets modernity. The skyline of Ahmedabad is a testament to this dynamic blend, thanks to the visionary architects who are continually pushing the boundaries of design and construction. Today, we're diving into the world of architectural marvels in Ahmedabad, focusing on one of the best architects in the city: Shayona Consultant. This firm has been leaving an indelible mark on Ahmedabad's landscape with its innovative designs and commitment to excellence.

The Architectural Renaissance of Ahmedabad

The evolution of Ahmedabad's architecture is a fascinating journey. From the intricate carvings of the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque to the minimalist brilliance of contemporary skyscrapers, the city is a canvas for architectural innovation. This renaissance is spearheaded by talented architects who bring creativity, sustainability, and a deep understanding of cultural context to their projects.

Shayona Consultant: A Beacon of Architectural Excellence

1. Innovative Designs and Sustainable Solutions

Shayona Consultant is renowned for its innovative designs that blend aesthetics with functionality. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for sustainable architecture, Shayona Consultant has become a pioneer in eco friendly architecture in Ahmedabad. Their projects often incorporate green building practices, ensuring minimal environmental impact while maximizing efficiency and comfort.

Notable Projects:

The Edge: A modern residential building with a focus on natural light and ventilation.

The House of Greens: A sustainable home featuring extensive use of natural materials and energy-efficient systems.

2. Cultural Sensitivity and Modern Elegance

Shayona Consultant excels at infusing cultural elements into modern architecture. Their designs often reflect the rich heritage of Gujarat while embracing contemporary aesthetics. This balance of tradition and innovation is evident in many of their landmark projects across the city.

Notable Projects:

The Heritage Hub: A cultural center that combines traditional architectural elements with modern functionality.

The GIFT City Pavilion: A visionary project aiming to create a global financial hub with state-of-the-art infrastructure.

3. Pioneering Urban Design and Planning

Shayona Consultant is a name synonymous with excellence in urban design and planning. The firm’s thoughtful and human-centric designs have significantly contributed to Ahmedabad’s architectural landscape, creating spaces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Notable Projects:

Urban Greens: A mixed-use development that integrates residential, commercial, and recreational spaces.

Smart City Project: An ambitious initiative to develop sustainable and smart urban infrastructure.

4. Contemporary Aesthetics and Functionality

Shayona Consultant is known for its contemporary designs that emphasize simplicity and elegance. Their projects often feature clean lines, open spaces, and a seamless integration with the environment. The firm has made a significant impact on both residential and commercial architecture in Ahmedabad.

Notable Projects:

Casa Feliz: A residential project that combines luxury with sustainability.

Corporate Towers: A commercial complex designed to optimize natural ventilation and light.

5. Bold Designs and Urban Innovation

Shayona Consultant’s work is characterized by a futuristic approach and a keen understanding of urban dynamics. Their projects often challenge conventional design norms, resulting in structures that are visually striking and highly functional.

Notable Projects:

The Courtyards: A residential complex designed to optimize natural ventilation and light.

Hotel Aura: A luxurious hotel that fuses traditional Indian architecture with modern amenities.

What Makes Shayona Consultant Stand Out?

1. Commitment to Sustainability

One of the common threads in Shayona Consultant's work is their commitment to sustainability. Whether it’s through the use of eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient designs, or green building practices, this firm is paving the way for a more sustainable future.

2. Cultural Sensitivity

In a city as rich in heritage as Ahmedabad, cultural sensitivity is paramount. Shayona Consultant has demonstrated an ability to respect and incorporate local culture and traditions into their designs, creating spaces that are not only beautiful but also meaningful.

3. Innovation and Creativity

Innovation is at the heart of Shayona Consultant’s work. They continuously push the boundaries of design, experimenting with new materials, technologies, and concepts. This creativity is evident in the unique and diverse projects that dot Ahmedabad’s skyline.

4. Focus on Human-Centric Design

Ultimately, great architecture is about enhancing the human experience. Shayona Consultant prioritizes human-centric design, creating spaces that are comfortable, functional, and conducive to the well-being of their occupants.

Conclusion

Ahmedabad’s skyline is a testament to the ingenuity and vision of its architects. From sustainable residential buildings to state-of-the-art commercial spaces, the city's architectural landscape is continually evolving. Shayona Consultant, as one of the best architects in Ahmedabad, is not just designing buildings; they are shaping the future of the city, one project at a time. Their work serves as an inspiration, showcasing the perfect blend of tradition and modernity, sustainability, and innovation.

As Ahmedabad continues to grow and evolve, we can look forward to even more groundbreaking projects from Shayona Consultant, further solidifying the city’s reputation as a hub of architectural excellence. So, the next time you stroll through Ahmedabad, take a moment to appreciate the incredible architectural feats that make this city truly unique.

Source By - https://tinyurl.com/bdefdhwh

#Top Architectural Firms In Ahmedabad #Top Architects In Ahmedabad #Best Architect In Ahmedabad #Architect In Ahmedabad

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coghive · 2 years ago

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Evan Craft Partners With HITKOR For Global Charity Concert May 5

Evan Craft, one of the most successful crossover artists in Latin music history and premium LIVE event and On Demand platform HITKOR, today announced an all-new, global live streaming special “En Vivo!” The Latin contemporary worship singer and songwriter is a Dove Award-winning artist and Christian radio sensation with more than 1.6 billion career streams and six million social media followers. Craft will showcase his impressive songwriting and vocal skills on the HITKOR stage May 5 beginning at 7:00 p.m. (PDT); all-access to red carpet festivities begins at 6:00 p.m. Presented by HITKOR’s charitable arm, HITKOR Kares, “En Vivo!” will be broadcast to more than 30 countries with proceeds benefiting Hope the Mission (formerly Hope of the Valley), one of the nation’s largest charity organizations based in Los Angeles that is working to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger and homelessness. LIVE tickets are $14.99 and All-Access passes are $19.99, however for this special engagement, FrontRow advanced ticket discounts are $9.99 and $14.99, respectively and are available until the day before the show (use code “EVAN” at checkout and purchase only at HITKOR.com). “I’m committed to making a difference in a hurting world and using HITKOR’s premium live streaming platform, we can maximize our reach to fans around the world and in turn increase our contributions to a good cause,” says Craft, who records his musical projects in English and Spanish. “My fans can look forward to a one-of-a-kind evening featuring an all-star band and some very special guests. Plus, you’re helping me raise money for a very timely and important cause,” he says.

“Evan’s passion and authenticity coupled with his exceptional songwriting and singing have catapulted him to the top of the charts and we are ecstatic to welcome him into the HITKOR family,” says Russ Miller, CEO of HITKOR. “Evan also shares in our passion to raise awareness around good causes and with HITKOR Kares, we’re excited to team up with Evan for this important cause.” “Evan Craft is not only a gifted singer, musician and songwriter whose music inspires millions around the world, he is also a true servant leader with a heart of sincere compassion for those most marginalized in our community,” says Ken Craft, CEO of Hope the Mission. “For the past four years, Evan has donated his time and talent to host a Christian Concert called Mi Casa, now Hope the Concert, where 100% of the proceeds have gone to Hope the Mission. Because of his generous efforts, we have been able to open new shelters and provide life giving services to those in need in Los Angeles.” Craft’s singles “Be Alright” and “Desesperado” have seen huge success hitting #1 and #14 on Christian radio, respectively; “Be Alright” was nominated for song of the year at the 53rd Annual GMA Dove Awards. The latest radio single “Fight On My Knees” entered the Top 25 on the Billboard AC chart with new adds weekly. Craft provided direct support for the Glory Nights Tour featuring KB in fall 2022. Craft has a number of collaborations under his belt including KB (“Be Alright Remix”), Christine D’Clario (“Healer”), Pat Barrett (“Same Spirit”), Miel San Marcos (“Looks Like Heaven”) and Ke’Erron (“Fix My Eyes” / “You Keep Hope Alive”). Read the full article

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laresearchette · 2 years ago

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Friday, December 16, 2022 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: THE APOLOGY (AMC+/Shudder) LITVINENKO (AMC+/Sundance Now) IF THESE WALLS COULD SING (Disney + Star) FROM THE SOURCE (discovery +) THE KINDNESS PROJECT (discovery +) RANCH TO TABLE (discovery +) STOREFRONT STORIES (discovery +) METALLICA PRESENTS: THE HELPING HANDS CONCERT (Paramount +) JOE BOB’S GHOULTIDE GET-TOGETHER (Shudder) SEX DIARIES (HBO Canada) 11:00pm/11:30pm WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT? 90TH ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS PARADE (CW Feed) DR. PIMPLE POPPER: WITH EVERY CYST-MAS CARD I WRITE (Premiering on December 17 at 3:00pm (actually it premiered on December 15, one day earlier than in the U.S. and I missed it.)) A CHRISTMAS TO TREASURE (Premiering on December 18 on Lifetime Canada at 8:00pm) HOLIDAY HERITAGE (Premiering on December 21 on Lifetime Canada at 7:00pm)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA ABOUT FATE ELEITA (Season 1) INFINITE

CBC GEM THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE

CRAVE TV ALL MY PUNY SORROWS ANGELIQUE’S ISLE A CANDY COATED CHRISTMAS CHARLOTTE CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE DINE YOUR SIGN (Season 1) HOLLOW IN THE LAND THE NEW ROMANTIC RENO 911! (Season 7)

DISNEY + STAR LE PUPILLE MUPPETS MOST WANTED (Sing-Along Version)

NETFLIX CANADA BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS COOK AT ALL COSTS DANCE MONSTERS FAR FROM HOME PARADISE PD: PART 4 PRIVATE LESSON THE RECRUIT A STORM FOR CHRISTMAS SUMMER JOB THE VOLCANO: RESCUE FROM WHAKAARI

A KINDHEARTED CHRISTMAS (CTV Life) 7:00pm: To capture the holiday spirit, Jaime anonymously gives gifts to those in need. Word spreads and people in town wonder who this "Secret Santa" is. She remains anonymous and meets Scott. Jamie tries to keep her secret and pursue a new romance.

PULSE (APTN) 7:00pm: Meet Cameron Fraser-Monroe, a Tla'amin dance artist and choreographer who combines classical ballet and hoop dance in his performances. In this episode, he premieres a contemporary interpretation of Flames of Fire.

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN/TSN3/TSN4) 7:30pm: Raptors vs. Nets (SN1) 7:30pm: Warriors vs. 76ers (SN Now) 8:00pm: Knicks vs. Bulls (TSN/TSN4/TSN5) 10:00pm: Bucks vs. Mavericks (SN1) 10:00pm: Nuggets vs. Lakers

IT'S A VERY MERRY MUPPET CHRISTMAS MOVIE (CBC) 8:00pm: Kermit tries to save the theater from a banker (Joan Cusack) who wants to demolish it and open a trendy nightclub.

#XMAS (W Network) 8:00pm: When interior designer Jen is selected for a social media competition for a design brand, she poses as an influencer with her best friend playing her husband and her nephew as her baby.

CHRISTMAS BY THE BOOK (Super Channel Heart & Home) 8:00pm: A romance expert conceals her recent breakup and asks a morning show producer to pretend they are a couple before she is exposed as a fraud. When he agrees, she never expects to find herself falling for him.

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 9:00pm: Blues vs. Flames

CROSS COUNTRY CAKE OFF (CTV) 9:00pm: The search for Canada's best holiday cake maker continues at the historic Casa Loma estate in downtown Toronto, Ont; eight cake makers from Canada's most populated region arrive with cakes in hand.

A SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL (Global) 9:00pm: A star-studded collection of "Saturday Night Live's" hilarious Christmas-themed sketches from various seasons, including D... in a Box, Schweddy Balls, Elf on the Shelf, A Christmas Carol and many more.

ALL MY PUNY SORROWS (Crave) 9:00pm: A struggling writer returns to her hometown after hearing about her sister's failed suicide attempt.

CANADA'S DRAG RACE: CANADA VS. THE WORLD (Crave 2) 9:00pm: The queens star in the blockbuster film "Spy Queens"; guest judge Joe Zee.

CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE (Starz Canada) 9:00pm: Three quirky sisters enjoy some fun in the sun when they reunite with their estranged father in the Caribbean during the holidays.

NLL LACROSSE (TSN/TSN3) 10:00pm: Roughnecks vs. Warriors

CHRIS WATTS, COLORADO KILLER DAD: THE FRIENDS SPEAK (Super Channel Fuse) 10:00pm: Chris and Shanann Watts were by all accounts the perfect couple with two perfect children; in 2018, the family was shattered by the disappearance and murder of Shanann and the kids at the hands of Chris himself.

CHARLOTTE (Crave) 10:50pm: Charlotte Salomon, a young German-Jewish painter, flees Berlin on the eve of the Second World War and attempts to reinvent herself in the South of France.

#cdntv #cancon #canadian tv listings #canadian tv #pulse #cross country cake off #canada's drag race #nba basketball #nhl hockey #nll lacrosse

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outswanqueen · 5 years ago

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Happy early Birthday from @globalgiftfoundation and @casaglobalgift 🎉

Thank you all for the love and the beautiful bday cake!!! 🎂

So honored to be here and to be a part of this organization!! 💕

#giveback #love #family Marbella, Spain 😘

— Lana Parrilla

#lana parrilla #happy birthday #spain #marbella #swanqueen #swan queen #regina mills #once upon a time #swan mills family #evil regals #swanmillsfamily #ouat #casa global gift #global gift foundation #happy birthday lana

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kellisanth · 5 years ago

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@casaglobalgift @globalgiftfoundation

#lana parrilla #global gift gala #global gift foundation #casa global gift

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morrita-carvajal · 5 years ago

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Desenfrenadas ft La Casa De Las Flores

#juliantina #juliantinas #juliantiners #barbara lopez #juliana valdes #bárbara lópez #barbarena #camila valero #juan pablo medina #la casa de las flores #desenfrenadas #st regis #global gift gala

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abitterlifethroughcinema · 4 years ago

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THE St. Jordi BCN Film Festival ’21 FILM REVIEWS

VOL. I: What’s Good!

by Lucas Avram Cavazos

YOUR #VOSEng take on upcoming international cinema premiering in Catalonia & Spain soon

To begin with, for a fellow who has for years been used to screening or viewing hundreds of movies annually, thereby spending hella time in cinemas, a global pandemic has been a true shock to the dork’s system. It has been a testament to the mindset of ‘the show must go on’ to see so many of our local and other European film festivals pushing back against the virus and powering through what could be deemed a safety issue by many. But basta! For starters, temp checks and hand sanitiser stations plus mandatory mask wearing have made a true return to movie going a half-wonderful respite. And so many thanks to Conxita Casanovas, Marien Pinies, David Mitjans, Cines Verdi BCN, Institut Francaise, and Casa Seat plus ALL the industry, press and movie lovers for making one of my favourite film festivals back to life for the half-decade anniversary. And I’m not just saying that for shits n’ giggles.

As an educator and broadcaster, history not only steeps itself within the confines of my classes, sessions and weekly radio/livestream shows, but every single one of us are literally living and walking and thriving through history, even as I scribe. So congratulations to anyone reading this, because you are Destiny's Child’ing it all over this place like drum n’ bass! On to the festival and cinema though please…

The St. Jordi BCN Film Festival revolves around the celebrated St. George’s/Day of the Book holiday here in Catalonia and so all the movies are based upon literary and historical works and facts. Red carpet moments and celebrities also make up the soirees and this year proved even better than others, with the likes of Johnny Depp and Isabelle Huppert being hosted by Cines Verdi, Institut Francaise and Casa Fuster. Depp, dressed as his character (I believe!) from his latest premiere Minamata -reviewed below- even mentioned that he would have loved to stay longer if he could keep Casa Fuster all to himself. And the day after her premiere for Mama Weed -also reviewed below- Huppert was seen being gorgeous at another film screening and then meandering about Gracia. But let’s speak about some of the movies that piqued my interest and will hopefully do the same to yours.

Petit Pays by Eric Barbier ####

Winner of Best Film at this year’s festival awards, Petit Pays tells a quasi-true story of family struggle during the Hutu vs Tutsi massacre that befell the gorgeous countries of Burundi and Rwanda in the early-to-mid 90s. But that is just the mere slice of what the plot truly entails. Focusing on little Gaby (Djibril Vancoppenolle) and his wee sister Ana (Dayla De Medina) as they make their way through childhood/pre-teen years, the plot thickens when the genocide starts to spill over and touch their lives, hectically lived with their Belgian father (Jean-Paul Rouve) and Rwandan mother (Isabelle Kabano, winner of the Best Actress award at this year’s festival). Truth be told, they do live in the lap of African middle class pleasantries, but as the film tenses up, reality sets in for all involved, including us viewers. The harsh reality that director Barbier fuses into the novel adaptation by French-Rwandan rapper/author Gael Faye seeks to display to the audience the truth of a genocidal history and how the sins of the parents always come back to burden or visit the children.

Where to watch: debuts in local cinemas 28/05/21

Promising Young Woman by Emerald Fennell ####

Oscar-nominated and local premiere hit Promising Young Woman had a stellar reception at this year’s festival and what a tour de force it turned out to be. The film plot revolves around medical school dropout Cassie Thomas (Carey Mulligan), who turns 30 and passes her time working at a trendy coffee shop but completely unmotivated whilst also continuing to live with her increasingly-worried parents. Years after her best mate killed herself, Cassie drags the guilt and loss along with her…until a blast from the past shows up, gets his coffee spat in and then falls head over heels into what will turn into a revenge tale beyond one’s craziest notions. A tale of loss that touches on modern themes in a frighteningly understandable way is few and far between these days. Fennell’s work here puts her on the map for sure.

Where to watch: in local cinemas NOW

Minamata by Andrew Levitas ###-1/2

This year marks 50 years since a collective understanding by world powers finally began to comprehend the enormity that factories create against Mother Nature and living creatures. It’s New York and 1971 when we find W. Eugene Smith (Johnny Depp), Life magazine photo journalist and one awash in a realm of problems. Then, adding to that drama, we find him suddenly embroiled on a task and mission that is presented by a couple of his fans, without his awareness that he has also stumbled onto a truth beyond wills. Environmental devastation affecting the innocent in Minamata, Japan is where we eventually spend the plurality of the film, and if you can get through the end scene of it without tears or shame of what mankind has wrought, you’re a tougher kid than I.

Where to watch: in local cinemas as of 30 April

Mama Weed by Jean-Paul Salomé ####

I cannot even begin to explain how much I absolutely enjoyed screening this film by the gifted and curious director Salomé, but it is without a doubt the tour de force work of ageless French star Isabelle Huppert that summons one to watch and compels them to laugh and engage. Undoubtedly, adapting any work of art from literature is never an easy undertaking, but the bringing to life of Patience Portefeux, a judicial interpreter for France’s investigation division, turns out to be crown jewel by Huppert. Serving up comical thrills, blithe acting when under insane pressure by duel forces and fierce Arab queen fashions, this film will have you white-knuckled, perplexed and laughing, all in tandem. THIS is an early-in-the-year film that deserves some attention!

Where to watch: in local cinemas NOW

My Salinger Year by Philippe Falardeau ###-1/2

Based on the like-titled autobio novel by Joanna Smith Rakoff, the movie stars Margaret Qualley as Joanna, an aspiring writer and young upstart in an NYC lit agency, whose tasks include many things, including answering the many fan mail letters that come for the agency’s fave writer J.D. Salinger, he of the oft-loved US American coming-of-age novel Catcher in the Rye. Even this guy connected to Holden Caulfield as a youth so when Joanna one day fields a call from Salinger and then gets caught trying to find endearing manners to respond to these grand fans, an incident leads to a coming-of-age awareness experience for Joanna and we the audience are the ones who are all the better for it.

Where to watch: in local cinemas on 4/6/21

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thesethingsofours · 4 years ago

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Nina Simone, Duende & Pastel Blues

Nina Simone’s Pastel Blues is a true embodiment of duende — the rare depth and darkness that impels her work.

1969 © Jack Robinson / Hulton Archive

Her distinctive warble permeates thousands of movie soundtracks, hip hop samples and advertisements, let alone the countless personal moments by which people demarcate their lives. This omnipresence allows us to forget who Nina Simone was, and the outright value of her music. For the streaming generation, knowledge of such an artist is limited to “top hits”; on some Spotify, Sunday Mood playlist. Or worse, the songs will only wriggle into the brain from various attempts to sell Coca-Cola, Seat Atecas, Renault Clios, Volvo XC90s, Fords, Apple Watches, Chanel №5, Warehouse discount clothes, Virgin Flights, HTC Phones, Jockey underwear and Behr Paint.

Most egregious among these is the Muller Light yoghurt advert, inescapable for anyone sentient in early 2000s UK. It uses her 1968 song I Ain’t Got No, I Got Life, but only the second, I Got Life half; carving it off entirely from its I Ain’t Got No essence. In its truncated form, the song sounds like a free-wheeling celebration of life and limb: Got my hair, got my head / Got my brains, got my ears / Got my eyes, got my nose / Got my mouth, I got my smile. Yet the missing section is a lengthy condemnation of segregated American society, where disenfranchised black people had been given nothing to cling to: Ain’t got no mother, ain’t got no culture / Ain’t got no friends, ain’t got no schoolin’ / Ain’t got no love, ain’t got no name /…Ain’t got no god / Hey, what have I got? / Why am I alive, anyway?

Yes, the song contains positivity in tune and verse, but stripping the darkness from Simone’s work also strips away its incandescent light. It would be like taking Rodin’s Gates of Hell and shrouding everything except the seemingly peaceful thinker at the centre; or cutting the lightbulb from the top of Picasso’s Guernica and presenting it as a bright, merry, representative segment. Or a millionaire DJ taking Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream Speech and turning it into a dance track during race protests and a global pandemic. But surely not even David Guetta would do that.

The reduction of such a deliberate and profound artist to commercialised snippets is saddening. In Simone’s case this is particularly true because of the highly unusual, powerful darkness that clutches her music. She has something rare. In Spanish, it is known as duende.

Duende

Rooted in Iberian cultures, duende derives from “duen de casa”, meaning “possessor of a house”. Originally the superstition of a dark, goblin-like spirit, it is now the concept of impassioned, death-endorsing, creative invention; typically associated with the performative aspects of Flamenco. In that context, poet and playwright Federico García Lorca describes its contemporary meaning (in his 1933 Buenos Aries lecture, Theory and Play of the Duende), as the “buried spirit of saddened Spain”.

As a guitar maestro explained to him, “the duende is not in the throat: the duende surges up, inside, from the soles of the feet”. Lorca quotes others, one, after listening to Paganini’s violin, identified it as, “a mysterious force that everyone feels and no philosopher has explained”; or another, upon hearing Manuel de Falla perform Nocturno, proposed that, “all that has dark sounds has duende”. In Lorca’s own words:

For every man, every artist called Nietzsche or Cézanne, every step that he climbs in the tower of his perfection is at the expense of the struggle that he undergoes with his duende. Not with an angel, as is often said, nor with his Muse…

…With idea, sound, gesture, the duende delights in struggling freely with the creator on the edge of the pit. Angel and Muse flee, with violin and compasses, and the duende wounds, and in trying to heal that wound that never heals, lies the strangeness, the inventiveness of a man’s work.

Nina Simone embodies duende.

It exists not only within her more explicit protest songs, born of the Civil Rights movement, but is present in everything she did — a ferocity, fragility, sadness and authenticity that claws its way up her throat and flings itself from her open mouth. It’s an otherworldly channelling of something very few can access, but which audiences pray to feel. With music so steeped in darkness, using it to gleefully sell products is a comedy — a joke on the shamelessness naivety of consumers and marketeers — as well as a tragedy.

A Brief History

Born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in 1933 and raised in Jim Crow-era North Carolina, Simone was ambitiously desirous of becoming a concert pianist — an uncommon career path for a young black girl at the time. Despite obtaining the ability to do so, she was instead funnelled into performing a mixture of jazz, gospel, soul and folk. And blues, in every shade. Her voice — ostensibly untrained — was burnished in the fire of necessity: if she wanted to earn money in the clubs, she had to sing as well as play piano. She electrified audiences, but remained persistently dissatisfied with how she was received and perceived:

It’s only normal to want acceptance from one’s own country for one’s gifts God has given you. I’m tired of begging for it. It took me 20 years of playing in clubs, in nightclubs, on the concert stage doing all these records to get a decent, real accurate review of my gifts by the New York Times… It was the first time I had been compared to Maria Callas as a diva. All before that I had been labelled a jazz singer, a blues singer, High Priestess of Soul, which… I am not sure what that is. I have studied piano 18 years! So yes I’m tired. I’m too old to keep asking for love from the industry. (Nina Simone, 1984)

Elevated by activists and aficionados alike, yet shunned by the industry at the height of her popularity after vigorously speaking out for black rights (see: Mississippi Goddam), she evolved as an artist in parallel with the revolution of television; first appearing in grainy monochrome and then in saturated technicolour. In the 12-year period between 1959 and 1971, she released 16 studio albums. In the years that followed, before her death in 2003, she released just four more.

Pastel Blues

These days, the idea of albums is virtually defunct, Drakefied to an incoherent heap of songs occasionally “dropped” like laundry, to be worn or discarded at the listeners behest. But as with other great artists, if the extent of Simone’s depth and duende is to be appreciated, it is essential to listen to her albums — the home of her authorship.

Pastel Blues is a nine track, 36-minute LP, mainly of covers and blues standards. It was released in October 1965, eight months after Malcolm X was assassinated, seven months after Bloody Sunday in Selma, and two months after the Voting Rights Act became law. Arguably, it arrived at the height of the movement. Nina Simone was 32. Just imagine.

Although the title suggests something soft and light, underneath the label, the substance is preternatural. As you listen, watch the image on the cover transform from a gentle gaze into a pointed glare; a stare in stereo. Altogether, it is a marvellous enunciation of Nina Simone’s darkness, with which she writhed in body, mind, and soul to give us some of the most memorable artworks of the 20th century. Pastel Blues gives her duende its due.

Listen to Pastel Blues on Apple Music

Listen to Pastel Blues on Spotify (1965 Live Version)

Listen to Pastel Blues on YouTube

Track-By-Track

Be My Husband

It opens with Be My Husband, featuring lyrics incidentally written by Simone’s own husband (and manager), Andrew Stroud. Slightly off-kilter, echoey, four-beat stamping and clapping, heightened by the tight splash of a high-hat, introduces a languid, yet driving pace. With purity of purpose, Simone’s voice drawls intensely into her opening repeated demand: Be my husband and I’ll be your wife / Love and honour you the rest of your life.

It suggests a woman pleading for the hand of her lover, committing to do all he would expect of a wife: If you want me to cook and sew / Outside of you there is no place to go. In return, she asks him only to curb his wandering eye: Stick the promise man you made me / That you stay away from Rosalie, yeah. This is presumably the intended (somewhat biased) perspective of the lyricist. But the way Simone sings it, with improvised shrieks dropping into deep, bassy groans, something quite different is suggested.

Nina Simone & Andrew Stroud, photographer unknown.

At this point, Simone was four years into an emotionally and physically abusive marriage with Stroud. Knowing this, it has far more resonance to picture her in a kitchen, staring down a boorish, unsatisfactory, and unsatisfying man; stomping on a linoleum floor, and throwing him a powerful, sacred ultimatum — give me what you promised. To imagine it otherwise is to imagine how Ed Sheeran might perform it — with the frivolousness of a millennial wedding on a sunny day in Surrey, and all the stamping, clapping vigour of a gaggle of giggling, inebriated aunts.

Furthermore, Be My Husband is effectively a re-worked chain gang song from the segregated south — a version of Rosie by the Inmates of Parchman Farm Penitentiary recorded in 1947 Mississippi by ethnomusicologist, Alan Lomax (and notoriously sampled by… well, well, well… hello again, David Guetta). The original lyrics ring out: Be my woman, gal, I’ll be your man… Stick to the promise girl that you made me / Won’t got married til’ I go free. Even aside from Simone’s interpretation, its genesis as a song of imprisonment immediately gives it a grimmer tone.

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out

As it bows to track two, Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out, the heavy opening of the album is extended. A blues standard written in 1923, it was popularised by Bessie Smith’s 1929 recording and re-introduced to a new audience by Eric Clapton, who performed it throughout his career. Sam Cooke, Otis Reading, Janis Joplin, Bobby Womack, John Lennon, Derek and the Dominos and Duane & Gregg Allman all put their spin on it, with wildly varying degrees of quality, duende and notoriety.

It begins deceptively upbeat: Well once I lived the life of a millionaire / spending my money I didn’t care / Taking my friends out for a mighty good time. Simone’s version is no different as she lightly pads major key piano chords, but what immediately sets her rendition apart is the tremble in her voice. It sounds like she is singing through tears, not least when the song reaches its sobering bridge: Nobody wants you / Nobody needs you.

In Simone’s case, the song became painfully prescient. Following her fall from grace within the music industry, she left for Barbados in 1970, where she had an affair with then Prime Minister, Errol Barrow. Her subsequent divorce from Stroud limited access to her income, which he, as her manager, controlled. Also, due to an arrest warrant for taxes she withheld in protest at the Vietnam War, Simone was unable to return to the US, so ended up first in Liberia, then living across Europe. With little money to live from and few relationships to speak of, for a time, she came to epitomise the song.

End of the Line

The first fully original song on the album, End of the Line is initially carried by another deception of positiveness, this time through its melody; romantic and light despite the lyrics: This is the end of the line / I’ve clearly read every sign / The way you glance at me / Indifferently / And take your hand from mine. Such is the flowing nostalgia of the tune, it is plausible to imagine the same song with all words made positive (e.g. The way you glance at me / So happily / And place your hand in mine).

Divisible into two parts, the first has the feel of Simone sipping a martini in a Rogers & Hammerstein bar (perhaps offering some musical theatrical hope of salvation). The second, however, gives way to resigned sorrow, over a steady, rumba beat. Aside from showcasing Simone’s prodigious classical piano-playing ability — albeit only through twinkling, floral runs — the richness of her vocal tone spills forth, smoothly and lusciously, particularly in the second half. While lyrically it lacks the forcefulness of other tracks, its simplicity opens the door to Simone’s abundant musicality.

Trouble in Mind

Written in 1924, Trouble in Mind is another blues standard, but given its title, after three tracks of despair, it surprisingly brings a degree of levity.

The original lyrics (as sung by Dinah Washington, Janis Joplin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ella Fitzgerald, Marianne Faithful, Johnny Cash and original recording artist Thelma La Vizzo) are far darker than this version. Typically, the singer, wrestling with the irrepressible demons of their psyche, contemplates suicide by train: I’m gonna lay my head / On some lonesome railroad line / Let the 2:19 train / Ease my troubled mind. Yet on Pastel Blues, it never gets that far.

While refrain of the song always concludes: I won’t be blue always / ‘Cause the sun’s gonna shine in my back door someday, Simone’s version leans more heavily on those lyrics than others’ versions; giving it a more hopeful perspective. She also dresses the music with a quicker, cheerier pace. Furthermore, instead of seeking the certainty and finality of a gruesome suicide, she resolves only that: I’m going down to the river / Gonna get me a rocking chair / If the Lord don’t help me / I’m gonna rock away from here.

Given she was be known to perform the full lyrics on other occasions, it is an interesting choice to uplift them on Pastel Blues. In terms of the album’s full narrative, however, it makes sense to offer a moment of optimism, keeping us on an undulating journey of emotion, rather than wallowing solely in melancholy.

Tell Me More and More and Then Some

The dynamic changes once again in Tell Me More and More and Then Some, as Simone hints towards her unapologetic, simmering, sexuality. Sex is known to have often enthralled her — as she wrote in her diary, “My attitude toward sex was that we should be having it all the time.”

Originally recorded in 1940 by Billie Holiday, Simone tweaks the lyrics to make the titular line more demanding, more desirous: I want more, more and then some. Accompanied by quivering, raunchy harmonica and clanging, insistent piano chords, Simone’s phrasing and emphasis draws lustfulness from the lyrics: You know how I love that stuff / Whisper from now on / To doomsday / But I never no no no no, ooh / I never, no I never, will get enough. It’s an erotic elaboration on Holiday’s already sultry interpretation, loading the request for whispered sweet nothings with a throbbing, sexual overtone.

Chilly Winds Don’t Blow

Chilly Winds Don’t Blow acts as a natural, also largely optimistic companion to Trouble in Mind, making Tell Me More and More and Then Some the bawdy, thick-cut meat between two, forward-looking slices of bread. That said, the song was previously released by Simone as single in 1959, as an even more upbeat spiritual, with denser orchestration and less of her signature vocal style.

On Pastel Blues, however, it is likely sung from a position of matured disappointment towards the unending hostility experienced by black Americans. With a sparser arrangement and greater vocal freedom, the new context is pointedly conveyed: There will be red roses round my door / I’m going where they’ll welcome me for sure, oh baby / Where the chilly winds, they don’t blow. Notably, as her piano rumbles, mimicking the sound of a rolling, cold wind, Simone also refers to her own maturity, as a woman. In this new version, she no longer wants to go where her father waits for her. Instead, it’s her daddy who will be waiting.

Ain’t No Use

Recorded in 1959 by Joe Williams and Count Basie, Ain’t No Use manifested as a break-up song. In that bright, brassy version, Williams croons at the opening: Ain’t no use of hanging round / Ain’t no use I put you down / There’s no love left / In my heart for you. In Simone’s rendition, the subject of the warning is much more ambiguous. When considered alongside Chilly Winds Don’t Blow and the tracks that follow, Simone instead implies a sense of exasperation, perhaps a desire to withdraw from broken American society, or the increasingly hostile music industry. She opens not with fallen love but accusation and fatigue: Ain’t no use baby / I’m leaving the scene / Ain’t no use baby / You’re too doggone mean / Yes I’m tired of paying dues / Having the blues / Hitting bad news.

To this point, Pastel Blues is a solid, often special, blues album, but here it really begins to soar; marking it apart. The underlying anguish of the blues is of course ingrained in the genre, but with Simone, her duende, fraught personal life, and civil rights activism, a dramatic narrative acceleration begins to emerge in the gap between Ain’t No Use and Strange Fruit (and again between Strange Fruit and Sinnerman). Without realising, tracks one to eight have been quietly coaxing you towards the edge of a cliff. The final two rip through you, forcing you over the edge before you can pull back. Amidst the silence between the songs, everything that preceded becomes re-contextualised with a deeper, darker tone. Embrace the fall.

Strange Fruit

The majesty of Strange Fruit is well documented — in 1999, Time named it the best song of the century. It was written by Abel Meeropol — a white, Jewish sometime Communist, and real-life MacGuffin, who intersects with numerous historically important features of 20th century America, but never appears at their forefront.

As a student and then teacher at Dewitt Clinton High School in the Bronx, he crossed paths with a young James Baldwin and numerous other luminaries of American culture. After seeing a photograph of a lynching, he felt compelled to write; originally penning the words as an anti-lynching poem. Published in a teacher’s union publication, it concisely described the horror he had seen through the sinister metaphor of a seemingly innocuous fruit tree. He later set it to music and presented it to Billie Holiday, who recorded her socially and sonically remarkable version in 1937. In 1945, he gave up teaching to become a full-time songwriter under the pen name Lewis Allen (the first names of his two, tragically stillborn sons), most famously writing Frank Sinatra’s Oscar winning, patriotic short film and accompanying song, The House I Live in. Not only that, but in 1953 he adopted the two sons of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg — a Jewish couple famously executed for spying on America for the Soviet Union.

Abel Meeropol with sons Michael and Robert Meeropol in 1954, via Robert Meeropol

As for the song itself, if Holiday’s recording is classical — a regretful, tender jazz lament — Simone’s is something more modern, more openly enraged; a cutting, resonant howl; transcending genre. The arrangement is minimal and masterful at once, with often dissonant piano chords treading like distressed steps through fallen leaves towards the horrifying tree at the agonising conclusion. It climaxes with a literal wail as the end nears: Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck / For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck / For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop / Here is a strange and bitter crop.

Its intensity lent itself perfectly to the sample on Kanye West’s scorching rebuke of destructive celebrity relationships, Blood On the Leaves.

Sinnerman

Simone’s Sinnerman is virtually unrecognisable from the first, folky version recorded by the Les Baxter Orchestra in 1956. Baxter adapted (read: plagiarised) the song from On the Judgement Day, by the Sensational Nightingales, which in turn takes elements from the 1924 No Hiding Place Down Here, by the Old South Quartette. But much like Jeff Buckley’s version of Leonard Cohen’s similarly spiritual Hallelujah, Simone’s version remains, and will forever remain, the definitive iteration; the most copied, covered, celebrated and recognised; never bettered beyond that point.

As her Sinnerman evolves, it reveals the preceding short, eight tracks to have been little more than an (excellent) overture to this — the epic, operatic finale. At ten and a half minutes, it makes up nearly a third of the entire album. Brace yourself.

After the silent gap following Strange Fruit — another inhale between urgent roars — the first few bars are timeless, perhaps some of the most familiar notes ever recorded. Piano keys clamber over one another, skipping like a broken record. A foot taps out a light beat in the background. The percussion joins: a double-time, racing, hi-hat heart rate, yielding only to the occasional heavy, melodious thump of a double bass. Simone enters, Oh, Sinnerman, where you gonna run to? / Sinnerman, where you gonna run to?

After Strange Fruit, the question takes on new meaning. Picture Simone in a deep purple Cadillac Deville n hot pursuit of a fleeing lynch mob; hood down, foot down, brow furrowed, engine roaring, steering on the edge of control. This toying with tumbling gives the song its energy. Like running down a steep slope, with the slightest misstep, all would be lost. As the beats impatiently trip over the piano notes, it feels like it’s constantly accelerating; never settling into a regimented pace.

After erupting into a minute-long call and response of: Power!, Sinnerman changes gear. A jangling, twanging guitar breathes heavily in contemplation of the next charge. The music fades, leaving only intimidating clapping, until the piano returns most wonderfully with a couple of pleasingly apparent (yet well-intended) mistakes; three or four notes missed, misplaced, or hesitated over as the tune searches again for its order among the tumult. When found, it resurges with renewed purpose; Simone audibly hyperventilating in anxious anticipation: So I run to the river, it was boiling / I run to the sea, it was boiling / All on that day. Judgement Day has arrived, and the devil is everywhere.

(Should this masterpiece really ever be used to sell hatchbacks?)

It ends with a pleading prayer, agitated piano chords and chaotic drums: Don’t you know, I need you Lord?, Simone cries. Whether the prayer is answered, we’ll never know, but as the percussion takes over and batters us into a final, frenzied submission, it feels too late.

Exhausted and exhilarated, Pastel Blues is at its end. But within it, Nina Simone’s duende forever persists.

#music #women #art #nina simone #album #race #civil rights #duende #1960s music #jazz #soul

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