In a cozy conversation
THE READING LIST
The Book of Night Women by Marlon James: Six half-sisters (the night women) on a Jamaican slave plantation form a sisterhood with plans to overthrow their slave masters — one of whom is their father — and create a slave-free state. But it’s not that simple; here on the plantation, whiteness is elevated, God-like. (ZH)
THE PLAY LIST
Sunday Blues by Langa Mavuso: Langa has been on my mind, my playlist and my heart for a while, but the feeling became pressing this week. His voice, piano and
violins make for a clean love song that allows me to sing along, to wander and to quietly cry — asking love to stay. I dedicate it to a dearest sister who just lost her soulmate. (ZH)
The Blueprint by Shafiq Husayn and Blu: Los Angeles titan Shafiq is probably entering Bomb Squad season with the beats on this one, which means repeated listens before it separates into themes and colours (excuse the pun). Thanks to Blu’s slippery, skateresque flow, the collaboration problematises the LA state of mind from a kerbside perspective but refuses to lie face down. (KS)
Open House: In conversation with Neneh Cherry: Cherry has a warm voice and a fighting spirit. In this cozy conversation, interspersed with music, she speaks about what shaped her politics and memories. She paints unforgettable portraits of growing up in different parts of the globe, including the memory of her stepdad Don Cherry’s flute reverberating between the buildings in Stockholm. The production is so well timed that the musical interjections function more as punctuation than interruptions. (KS)