Poucas mulheres foram modernas como a Nina Simone

Acabo de ler a entrevista de Lisa Simone Kelly, filha da Nina Simone, publicada no jornal britânico Dailymail [completa, aqui]. Na página oficial de Nina no facebook foi publicado um texto, que, em síntese, coloca bons pingos nos "i"s ao avaliar o relato de Lisa, em essência um depoimento franco que não se propõe a encobrir ou glorificar, e sim dar conta de quem, na perspectiva da filha, foi a mãe, em sua condição humana. 

Lisa "Simone Kelly" is not dragging her mother's name "through the mud," as some people have been saying about this interview. Anyone who knows a lick about Nina Simone already knew these things about her. She could be difficult at times, downright abusive at others. Those closest to her for many years have all spoken out about her volatile nature. Hell, the woman was found guilty of firing a gun to frighten some neighbor boys she thought were being too rambunctious. Nina's short temper is not news, nor is it shocking or surprising to anyone who is familiar with her life and career. While Lisa's words might be jarring, they are her truth and one can only imagine what it was (and is) like being the daughter of Nina Simone, good or bad. Knowing Lisa personally, I can say without any doubt in my mind that she is not consumed with bitterness or hate for her mother. Quite the opposite. She has spent years trying to work through her conflicted feelings so that she may heal and be a better, stronger mother for her own daughter. Lisa spent the better part of ten years fighting for her mother's legacy and to keep her estate intact and on the right path. She neglected her own career in doing so and I was able to see how the politics and legal BS of the music industry wore her down -- so one can only imagine what it did for Nina, who herself was vocal about how the music industry can so easily exploit, abuse, and practically rob people -- especially a strong, talented, black woman. There is a lot of tragicness in the Nina Simone story and in the relationship between Lisa and her mother, but it isn't wholly defined by tragicness either. You are reading the words of a woman who is struggling to heal, understand, and remember her mother in an honest way that does not glorify her because of her fame and talent. Nina would be proud of her daughter. - Aaron Overfield

Lendo isso me lembrei de uma passagem de Aventuras no marxismo de Marshall Berman, quando ouviu no metrô de Nova York uma mãe negra conversando com sua jovem filha sobre os percalços da vida, e encerrando com a frase mais ou menos assim "podemos fazer isso dar certo, nós somos modernas". Poucas mulheres foram modernas como a Nina Simone. O relato duro e tocante de sua filha faz jus a isso.

Deixo vocês com a belíssima apresentação dessa grande artista no Festival de Montreux:

 

P.S. 2018 
Link para o trailer do excelente documentário produzido pelo Netflix  What Happened, Miss Simone? [aqui]