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The Reincarnation of an Egyptian Queen: Dystopian Lateness and Speculation in Nina Simone’s Afrofuturism

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Richard ElliottORCiD

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This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Equinox Publishing Ltd., 2022.

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Abstract

This article proposes Nina Simone as an Afrofuturist artist who explores themes of utopiaand dystopia in connection to posthuman discourses. Having established three mainways in which this is a speculative approach, it then explores gaps in existing theoriesof posthumanism and Afrofuturism. It also considers work that addresses the omissionof female musicians in Afrofuturist theory and proposes alternative theories in theform of speculative fiction and Black utopias. The article discusses Simone’s frequentallusions to Egyptian myth, her self-identification as a ‘robot’ and her interest in otherplanets, planes and spheres. It argues that, beyond the unexplored parallels with ‘classic’Afrofuturism, there is a sense of dystopianism, apocalypse and reterritorializationthroughout Simone’s mature work. To explore these connections, three case studies areused: the 1969 album Nina Simone and Piano!, the song ‘22nd Century’, and Simone’sperformance at the 1976 Montreux Jazz Festival.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Elliott R

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Jazz Research Journal

Year: 2022

Volume: 15

Issue: 1-2

Pages: 25-50

Online publication date: 20/12/2022

Acceptance date: 13/10/2022

Date deposited: 12/12/2022

ISSN (print): 1753-8637

ISSN (electronic): 1753-8645

Publisher: Equinox Publishing Ltd.

URL: https://journal.equinoxpub.com/JAZZ/article/view/22863

DOI: 10.1558/jazz.22863

ePrints DOI: 10.57711/fj1a-cy63

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