The Voice

We may not talk about it much. And it may be a too idealistic thought for you to investigate. But whatever is your theory on the matter. Women have always been a source of strength for humanity, especially in musical terms. I don’t care what your debate is there is no argument to that. It is apparent that women are a voice of strength, resilience and persistent revolt.

This is apparent, when you think of the moment of Miriam Makeba making a noise in 1963, testifying against apartheid before the United Nation. There is no one who hollered harder against injustice, inequality and hate than Nina Simone when she was involved in the civil rights movement in the same time period. Maybe, Abbey Lincoln’s call for freedom was a little more earsplitting, with her We Insist – Freedom Now Suite, sounding a demand for change for all to hear.

Fortunately, this voice of the Woman cannot be silenced. An exciting project which continues to project powerful she-voices is the Mosaic Project by Terri Lyne Carrington.

The project places in one space women who have catapulted themselves above the mediocrity of today’s “women-is-skanky” pop-image (and for your reference “skanky” is not a necessarily a bad connotation as it describes a musical notion as well). So Dee Dee Bridgewater, Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves and youngster Esperanza Spalding, amongst others are only the few of the 21 artists the drummer Terri Lyne has integrated into her stunning and sophisticated soul-jazz release. The album resonates the Dianne Reeves That Day album which was produced by Carrington herself. Yet, it is much more layered in a lush texture, sensitive in its tonality, intentional in its funk-jazz-it-up mantra and multifaceted in its sound to be locked up to the “jazz-thing” identity.