LEDISI PERFORMS HER TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE AT THE DUKE ENERGY CENTER FOR THE ARTS – MAHAFFEY THEATER ON JANUARY 12, 2022
St. Petersburg, Fla. (July 12, 2021) – With independent spirit and message-giving of the moment, GRAMMY® Award-winner Ledisi is set to appear at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater with Ledisi Sings Nina on Wednesday, January 12, 2022. This tribute to Ledisi’s “Shero,” Nina Simone, follows the release of her upcoming album by the same name. Tickets to this performance range from $45.50 to $79.50 and will go on sale to the public on Friday, July 16 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available online at TheMahaffey.com. Members of Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts have access to an exclusive presale starting Wednesday, July 14 at 10 a.m. Members can call (727) 300-2000 to reserve their seats.
On July 23, 2021, Ledisi, the New Orleans-born and Oakland-raised singer, pays tribute to the legendary Nina Simone with the album Ledisi Sings Nina. Featuring seven songs of social and personal import drawn from Simone’s celebrated songbook, Ledisi Sings Nina is a finely crafted, arrangement-driven collection recorded in Holland, Los Angeles, London, and New Orleans—before and after the pandemic began. It balances upbeat, big-band energy with atmospheric balladry, and an attention to historic detail that succeeds in updating the music for a modern hip-hop/R&B era. With the prowess of Ledisi’s voice, the messages of Simone’s music—of personal empowerment and collective protest—retain a relevancy for a BLM generation facing the same harsh challenges and bitter struggles of the 1960s.
The performances on Ledisi Sings Nina find the singer benefitting from top-tier support in a variety of contexts: the majority of tracks feature the world-renowned Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley with arrangements by Jochen Neufer, and others. “I’m Going Back Home” features the all-star New Orleans Jazz Orchestra directed by Adonis Rose. “Four Women” is powered by Ledisi in the company of three vocalists of equal authority: Lisa Fisher, Lizz Wright, and Alice Smith. “Wild Is The Wind”—with Spanish guitar, piano and drums—is the album’s sole live recording, taken from the 2020 PBS special broadcast Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone.
Ledisi Sings Nina—the singer’s tenth album—caps more than a year of impressive achievement that includes (in reverse order): Garnering a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance with the single “Anything For You” in March 2021 (her first after twelve nominations!) Starring in her first PBS TV special, Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone in December 2020. Performing as part of an all-star cast of artists and activists on HBO’s Between the World and Me, a poetic adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ groundbreaking book, in November, 2020. Releasing the album Wild Card, the debut recording on her own label Listen Back in August 2020. Publishing her second book, Don’t Ever Lose Your Walk: How To Embrace Your Journey, on her Chinwe’ya Publishing imprint, in January, 2020.
Order link for Ledisi Sings Nina: https://ledisimusic.lnk.to/LedisiSingsNina
LEDISI TOUR DATES:
7/24/21 Los Angeles, CA The Hollywood Bowl
7/31/21 Newport, RI Newport Jazz Festival at Adams State Park
8/17/21 San Diego, CA The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park
1/12/22 St. Petersburg, FL Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater
1/14/22 Miami, FL Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-
Dade County (Knight Concert Hall)
3/26/22 Chandler, AZ Chandler Center for the Arts
LEDISI ON THE WEB:
Website: https://www.ledisi.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ledisi/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ledisi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ledisi/
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About the Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater
The Mahaffey Theater, under the management of Big3 Entertainment, is one of Tampa Bay’s top-rated performing arts venues. Home to the Florida Orchestra, the world class Mahaffey Theater hosts top-quality national and international artists and performances – pop, rock, comedy, theater, dance, classical and interactive engagements and exhibitions. Located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, the 2,031-seat cultural jewel boasts spectacular waterfront views and is located only minutes away from white sandy beaches and world-renowned museums.
About Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts
Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts supports performing arts programming at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater. Our mission is to educate, engage and entertain everyone in our community through culturally diverse performances. We present inspiring arts education programs, community outreach initiatives, live mainstage performances and concerts, as well as special events for the enjoyment of the entire community.