Chimurenga Renaissance Pays Tribute To Nina Simone With 'Speak The Truth For Free'
July 29, 2015
Zimbabwe's Chimurenga Renaissance aka Tendai 'Baba' Maraire — one half of Seattle-based hip-hop outfit Shabazz Palaces— pays tribute to the legendary Nina Simone with "Speak the Truth for Free," a reworking of a live version of her 1967 ballad "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free." The 4-minute track stays pretty true to the original version, with Simone's musical prowess shining through on the first half of the song accompanied by understated electric piano and guitar riffs. Chimurenga Renaissance follows, delivering an expressive verse with the declaration "speak the truth for free, my soul can't be bought." Listen to the track below, and be sure to catch Shabazz Palace live at Brooklyn's Music Hall of Williamsburg on August 5.