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Zhang Zhang: "When Radio France instrumentalizes Nina Simone's work to promote multiculturalism"

2023-05-26T09:19:42.976Z

Highlights: Violinist Zhang Zhang criticizes a France Musique podcast dedicated to Nina Simone. She says the singer was an "ambassador" of universalism. Simone's life and music should be celebrated, she says. Zhang Zhang is a member of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra and runs a charity, ZhangomusiQ, which organizes concerts whose proceeds are entirely donated to charities. She is also a social entrepreneur and founder of a foundation to help young people in China.


FIGAROVOX/TRIBUNE - The violinist criticizes a podcast of France Music dedicated to the singer, making her an ethno-racial activist. Yet Nina Simone was an "ambassador" of universalism, she recalls.


A renowned violinist, Zhang Zhang is a member of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. Also a social entrepreneur, she founded and runs a charity, ZhangomusiQ, which organizes concerts whose proceeds are entirely donated to charities. Born in China during the Maoist Cultural Revolution, Zhang Zhang emigrated to Thailand at the age of 10 and then to Canada. She continued her musical training in the United States and Switzerland.

On May 19, France Musique posted a podcast about Nina Simone. In the aftermath, the account of France Culture tweeted: "When the young Eunice Waymon begins music theory lessons, she learns, stunned, that "one white equals two blacks". The tweet has since been deleted. For anyone with even minimal knowledge of the musical terminology used in the United States, these lines can only be described as "alternative truth fabricated to promote an ideological narrative peddled as historical fact." In other words, it is a counterfeit. The veracity of this "souvenir" is equivalent to a Louis Vuitton handbag made in a clandestine Chinese provincial factory, sold on the streets of San Remo by street vendors. But these sellers are not trying to pass off their fake goods as genuine items. They are smart enough not to take their potential customers for complete fools.

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Did the journalists, producers, presenters of France Musique responsible for this podcast really know that in the United States, where Nina Simone studied music, note figures are based on their temporal length and not on their color? Two-tone notation does not exist in English, German, Italian, or Russian. If this is true, it would be a demonstration of the lack of general musical culture. Would they have assumed that their audience is too uneducated to know this? The quote originated from a biography of Nina Simone, Melody of Wrestling written by Sophie Adriansen. It opens with this dialogue between Nina Simone and her teacher Muriel Massinovich:

"One white is worth two black.

-Correct.

-One white is worth two black!

"Yes, Eunice, why do you repeat it like this?" A black is worth one time, a white one is worth two beats, a round is worth four beats. A crook is worth half a time, a double crook is worth half a crook."

By instrumentalizing this remarkable woman, this magnificent artist, we appropriate her story without her consent, while stigmatizing classical music, portraying it as inherently discriminatory.

Zhang Zhang

In an article published on May 21 by Libération, the author admitted that this childhood memory was a fictitious dialogue. Yet France Music did not change the title of the podcast "A white equals two blacks", nor made a statement to their audience indicating that this "anecdote" is a pure invention. Nina Simone's story, her resilience, activism, challenges she faced and overcome at a time when racial discrimination was endemic and devastating are not unknown to the public. His own memoirs and interviews offer a glimpse into this extraordinary life journey. For some authors and journalists today, wasn't Nina Simone's true experience moving enough? Not powerful enough? To the point that some feel the need to "improve" his story to make it more convincing? For whom? What for?

Making her say what she never said is also an attempt to rewrite her true story. By instrumentalizing this remarkable woman, this magnificent artist, we appropriate her narrative without her consent, while stigmatizing classical music, portraying it as inherently discriminatory, while music is one of the most unifying forces among human beings. Nina was one of its most memorable messengers.

One of Nina Simone's great contributions is the richness of the colors of her music, which combines classical and jazz, gospel and improvisation. She is a true ambassador of universalism.

Zhang Zhang

One of Nina Simone's great contributions is the richness of the colors of her music, which combines classical and jazz, gospel and improvisation. She is a true ambassador of universalism. Thanks to his talent, creativity and commitment, his music has broken down barriers and walls. The prejudices that tried to prevent him from achieving his dream were overcome by his voice and strength. She created links between different musical styles, thus connecting different audiences. Nina Simone's life and music should be celebrated. Instrumentalizing it to promote a divisive ideology is no way to honor it. To name a podcast series featuring this artist by summarizing her life with "One White Is Worth Two Blacks" as the title is disrespectful and dishonest.

Isaac Newton had assigned colors to each note in the scale, which includes neither black nor white, but the colors of the rainbow. Perhaps we should consider music as he did: a set of colors and sounds, beauty and wonder, shared by all of us, the voice of our humanity.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2023-05-26

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