Meshell Ndegeocello Releases “Pour une âme souveraine” – A Tribute to Nina Simone

by Corey Brown Saturday, October 13th, 2012

Meshell Ndegeocello is following up her 2011 release, Weather, with the release of her tenth studio album, Pour une âme souveraine (“For a sovereign soul”). The album is a dedication to Nina Simone, who Ndegeocello says was a “powerful influence both musically and politically”.

“She wanted success, was pressured to make hits, but her own sound was still irrepressible,” said the singer-songwriter/bassist. “She had things to say, she protested. She was a loud, proud black, female voice during a time when black female voices were not encouraged to make themselves heard.”

Joined by guitarist Chris Bruce, keyboardist Jebin Bruni and drummer Deantoni Parks, Ndegeocello recorded the album in just ten days. Guest appearances on the album include Sinead O’Connor, Lizz Wright, Valerie June, Tracy Wannomae, Toshi Reagon and Cody ChesnuTT.

The album offers up a mix of classic tunes and songs written by and for Simone.

“We really wanted to do something we felt was true to Nina Simone. By that realizing it meant we had to do what felt true to us,” says Chris Bruce, who co-produced the album along with Meshell, and wrote the arrangements. “The aim was not to re-create the existing versions, because we felt strongly that the only way to honor Nina would be for Meshell to find her own voice in the material. Nina was always exploring and experimenting, and quite cathartic. If you are familiar with her work at all you will frequently find that there exist multiple versions of the same song. So we wanted to tap into that same creative spirit and make the songs our own. And in the end hopefully have something we feel she would appreciate and feel pride.”

Pour une âme souveraine is available on CD, vinyl and digital formats (iTunes and Amazon MP3).

Preview and download Pour une âme souveraine:

Pour une âme souveraine Track List:

Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
Suzanne
Real Real feat. Toshi Reagon
House of the Rising Sun feat. Toshi Reagon
Turn Me On
Feelin’ good
Don’t Take All Night feat. Sinead O’Connor
Nobody’s Fault But Mine feat. Lizz Wright
Be My Husband feat. Valerie June
Black is the Color of My True Loves Hair feat. Valerie June
See Line Woman feat. Tracy Wannomae
Either Way I Lose
To Be Young, Gifted and Black feat. Cody ChesnuTT
Four Women

Ndegeocello is currently on tour. Here are the upcoming tour dates:

October 14, 2012: Washington, DC @ The Howard Theatre
October 15, 2012: Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live
October 16, 2012: New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom
October 19, 2012: Durham, NC @ Duke University, Reynolds Industry Theater
October 20, 2012: Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall Theater
November 23, 2012: Chicago, IL @ Old Town School of Folk Music
December 1, 2012: Detroit, MI @ Detroit Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts
December 4, 2012: Austin, TX @ One World Theater
December 7, 2012: Los Angeles, CA @ UCLA Live
December 9, 2012: San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
December 12, 2012: Portland, OR @ Mission Theater