Name	Gothenburg
Native name	''Göteborg''
Image dot map	Blank map of Europe cropped.svg
Dot x	128
Dot y	116
Dot map caption	Location of Gothenburg in Europe
Dot mapsize	280px
Image shield	Göteborg vapen.svg
Coordinates region	SE
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	Sweden
Subdivision type3	Municipality
Subdivision name3	Gothenburg Municipality,Härryda Municipality,Partille Municipality andMölndal Municipality
Subdivision type2	County
Subdivision name2	Västra Götaland County
Subdivision type1	Province
Subdivision name1	Västergötland and Bohuslän
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	Anneli Hulthén
Established title3	Charter
Established date3	1621
Area footnotes
Area total km2	450
Area water km2	14.5
Area water percent	3.2
Area urban km2	203.67
Area metro km2	3717
Population as of	2011 (urban: 2010)
Population total	516,532
Population density km2	auto
Population metro	933,560
Population density metro km2	auto
Population urban	549,839
Population density urban km2	auto
Timezone	CET
Utc offset	+1
Timezone dst	CEST
Utc offset dst	+2
Coordinates display	displayinline,title
Website	www.goteborg.se }}

Gothenburg (; pronounced ) is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 516,532, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 933,560 inhabitants in the metropolitan area.

The City of Gothenburg was founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus. It lies by the sea at the mouth of Göta Älv—the river running through the city—and is the largest seaport in the Nordic countries.

Gothenburg is home to many students, as the city includes both the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology. Volvo Cars was founded in Gothenburg in 1927. The city is a major centre in Sweden for sports and home to the IFK Göteborg, GAIS and Örgryte IS association football teams and the Frölunda HC ice hockey team.

Gothenburg is served by Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport, located southeast of the city centre. It is the second largest airport in Sweden.

Name

The city was named after the Geats (Swedish: ''Götar'' varied: Geatas, Gautar, Goths, Gotar, Gøtar, Götar), the inhabitants of Gothia, now southern Sweden—i.e. ''"Defence of the Geats"''. The river on which the city sits is the ''Göta Älv'' or Gothia River. ''Göta borg'' "Gothia Fortress" is the fort on the Göta River, built to protect the port, which was intended to be Sweden's commercial window to the west.

In Dutch, Scots and English, all languages with a long history of being spoken in this trade and maritime-oriented city, the name ''Gothenburg'' has traditionally been used for the city as in the Gothenburg Film Festival. The French form of the city name is ''Gothembourg''. ''Gottenburg'' can also be seen in some older English texts. These traditional forms are now sometimes replaced with the use of the Swedish ''Göteborg'', for example by the Göteborgsoperan and the Göteborg Ballet. However, Göteborgs universitet, previously designated as Göteborg University in English, changed to the University of Gothenburg in 2008. Other old variations in Swedish are ''Götheborgh'', and the more common, ''Götheborg''. One English text written in the late 15th century states the name as "''Guthaeborg''".

History

In the 16th and 17th century, the configuration of Sweden's borders made Gothenburg strategically important as the Swedish gateway to the west, lying on the west coast in the narrow area between the territories of Denmark–Norway. After several failed attempts, Gothenburg was successfully founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus (Gustaf II Adolf). The site of the first church built in Gothenburg, subsequently destroyed by Dutch invaders, is marked by a stone near the north end of the Älvsborg Bridge in Färjenäs park. The church was built in 1603 and destroyed in 1611. The city was heavily influenced by the Dutch. Dutch city planners were contracted to build the city as they had the skills needed to build in the marshy areas around the city. The town was designed after Dutch cities like Amsterdam, and therefore the plan of the streets and canals closely resembles that of Jakarta, which was built by the Dutch around the same time. The Dutchmen initially won political power and it was not until 1652, when the last Dutch politician in the city's council died, that the Swedes acquired political power over Gothenburg. During the Dutch period the town followed Dutch town laws and there were propositions to make Dutch the official language in the town. Heavy city walls were built during the 17th century. These city walls were torn down after about 1810, because the development of cannons made such walls less valuable as a defence.

Along with the Dutch, the town also was influenced by Scots who came to settle in Gothenburg. Many became people of high profile. William Chalmers was the son of a Scottish immigrant and donated his fortunes to set up what later became Chalmers University of Technology. In 1841 the Scotsman Alexander Keiller founded the Götaverken shipbuilding company that still exists today. His son James Keiller donated Keiller Park to the city in 1906. The Scottish influence can still be felt in Gothenburg in the present-day with names like Glenn and Morgan, which in the rest of Sweden are rare, are not uncommon in Gothenburg, as is the use of a Scottish sounding "r" in the local dialect.

The Gothenburg coat of arms was based on the lion of the coat of arms of Sweden, symbolically holding a shield with the national emblem, the Three Crowns, to defend against its enemies.

In the Treaty of Roskilde (1658) Denmark-Norway ceded the then Danish province Halland, to the south, and the Norwegian province of Bohus County or ''Bohuslän'' to the north, leaving Gothenburg in a less exposed position. Gothenburg was able to grow into an important port and trade centre on the west coast thanks to the fact that it was the only city on the west coast that was granted, together with Marstrand, the rights to trade with merchants from other countries.

In the 18th century, fishing was the most important industry. However, in 1731 the Swedish East India Company was founded, and the city flourished due to its foreign trade with highly profitable commercial expeditions to Asian countries.

The harbour developed into Sweden's main harbour for trade towards the west, and with Swedish emigration to North America increasing, Gothenburg became Sweden's main point of departure. The impact of Gothenburg as a main port of embarkation for Swedish emigrants is reflected by Gothenburg, Nebraska, a small Swedish settlement in the United States.

With the 19th century, Gothenburg evolved into a modern industrial city that continued on into the 20th century. The population increased tenfold in the century, from 13,000 (1800) to 130,000 (1900). In the 20th century major companies that developed included SKF (est. 1907) and Volvo (est. 1926).

In 2001, major protests occurred in the city during the EU summit and the visit by U.S. president George W. Bush.

Geography

Gothenburg is located on the west coast, in Southwestern Sweden, approximately half way between the capitals Copenhagen, Denmark, and Oslo, Norway. The location at the mouth of the river Göta älv, which feeds into Kattegatt, an arm of the North Sea, has helped the city grow in significance as a trading city. The archipelago of Gothenburg consists of rough, barren rocks and cliffs, which also is typical for the coast of Bohuslän. Due to the Gulf Stream the city has a mild climate and quite a lot of rain.

The Gothenburg Metropolitan Area (''Stor-Göteborg'') has 816,931 inhabitants and extends to the municipalities of Ale, Härryda, Kungälv, Lerum, Mölndal, Partille, Stenungsund, Tjörn, Öckerö in Västra Götaland County, and Kungsbacka in Halland County.

Angered, a suburb outside Gothenburg, consists of Hjällbo, Rannebergen, Hammarkullen, Gårdsten and Lövgärdet. It is a Million Programme part of Gothenburg, like Rosengård in Malmö and Botkyrka in Stockholm. Angered has 40,000 inhabitants in total. It lies north from Gothenburg and is isolated from the rest of the city. Bergsjön is another Million Programme suburb north of Gothenburg, Bergsjön has 14,000 inhabitants. Biskopsgården is the biggest multicultural suburb on the island Hisingen, which is a part of Gothenburg separated by the river.

Climate

Gothenburg has an oceanic climate according to Köppen climate classification. Despite its high northern latitude, temperatures are quite mild throughout the year and much warmer than places in similar latitude, or even somewhat further south, mainly because of the moderating influence of the warm Gulf Stream. During the summer, daylight extends 17 hours, but lasts only around 7 hours in late December.

Summers are warm and pleasant with average high temperatures of and lows of , but temperatures of occur on many days during the summer. Winters are cold and windy with temperatures of around , even though it rarely drops below . Precipitation is regular but generally moderate throughout the year. Snow mainly occurs from December to March. Although snow is not unusual in November and April and can sometimes occur even in October and May.

Typical temperatures and precipitation for each month:

Parks and nature

Gothenburg has many parks and nature reserves ranging in size from tens of metres to hundreds of hectares. There are many more green areas that are maintained on varying.

Selection of parks:

Kungsparken. 13 hectares, built between 1839–1861. Surrounds the canal that circles the city centre.

Trädgårdsföreningen. A park and horticultural garden, it is located next to Kungsportsavenyn. Founded in 1842 by the Swedish king Carl XIV Johan and on initiative of the amateur botanist Henric Elof von Normann. In the park there is an acclaimed rose garden with some 4,000 roses of 1,900 species.

Slottsskogen. 137 hectares, Created in 1874 by August Kobb. Has a free "open" zoo that includes seals, penguins, horses, pigs, deer, elk, goats and many birds. Hosts the Way Out West Festival.

Änggårdsbergens Naturreservat. 220 hectares. Bought in 1840 by Arvid Gren, a pharmacist, in 1963 donated to the city by Sven and Carl Gren Broberg who stated the area must remain a nature and bird reserve. Lies partly in Mölndal.

Delsjöområdets Naturreservat. Approx. 760 hectares. In use since 17th century as a farming area, a lot of forest management was carried out in the late 19th century. Skatås gym & motionscentrum is situated here.

Rya Skogs Naturreservat. 17 hectares, in 1928 became a protected area. Contains remnants of a defensive wall built in the mid to late 17th century.

Keillers Park. James Keiller donated the park in 1906. He was the son of Scottish Alexander Keiller who founded Götaverken, a shipbuilding company.

S.A. Hedlunds Park. Sven Adolf Hedlund, newspaper publisher and politician bought the 15 hectare Bjurslätt farm in 1857, in 1928 it was gifted to the city.

Hisingsparken. Gothenburg's biggest park.

Flunsåsparken. Built in 1950. Has many free activities during the summer such as concerts and theatre. See links.

Gothenburg Botanical Garden. 175 hectares. Opened in 1923. Won an award in 2003 and in 2006 was 3rd in "The most beautiful garden in Europe" competition. Around 16,000 species of plant and tree. The greenhouses contain around 4500 species including 1600 orchids.

Culture

The sea, trade and industrial history of the city is evident in the cultural life of Gothenburg. The greatest attraction in the city is the amusement park Liseberg (see Points of interest). Another fact related to the industrial heritage of the city is that many of the cultural institutions, as well as hospitals and the university, were created thanks to donations from rich merchants and industrialists, for example the Röhsska Museum.

There are many free theatre ensembles in the city, besides institutions like Gothenburg City Theatre, Backa Theatre (youth theatre), and Folkteatern. On 29 December 2004, the Museum of World Culture was opened in Gothenburg, located near Korsvägen.

The Gothenburg Film Festival, held each year, is the largest film festival in Scandinavia. Similarly, the Gothenburg Book Fair, held every year in September, is the largest such event in Scandinavia.

Citing the Financial Crisis the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has announced that Gothenburg will host the 2010 World Library and Information Congress, previously to be held in Brisbane, Australia.

Architecture

There are very few houses left from the 17th century when the city was founded, since all but the military and royal houses were built of wood. One example is Skansen Kronan.

The first major architecturally interesting period is the 18th century when the East India Company made Gothenburg an important trade city. Imposing stone houses with a Classical look were erected around the canals. One example from this period is the East India House, which today houses Gothenburg’s City Museum.

In the 19th century, the wealthy bourgeoisie begun to move outside the city walls which had protected the city when the Union of Denmark and Norway was still a threat. The style now was an eclectic, academic, somewhat over decorated style which the middle-class favoured. The working class lived in the overcrowded city district Haga, in wooden houses.

In the 19th century the first important town plan after the founding of city was created, which led to the construction of the main street, Kungsportsavenyn. The perhaps most significant type of houses of the city, Landshövdingehusen, were built in the end of the 19th century; three storey-houses with the first floor in stone and the other two in wood.

A very important period in the architectural history of the city was the early 20th century, when the National Romantic style dominated. Among the many monumental building erected the Masthugget Church can be mentioned.

And in the beginning of the 1920s, when the city celebrated its 300th anniversary, the Götaplatsen square with its Neo-Classical look was built.

After this the predominant style in Gothenburg and rest of Sweden was Functionalism which especially dominated the suburbs like Västra Frölunda and Bergsjön. The prominent Swedish functionalist architect Uno Åhrén served as the city planner here from 1932 through 1943. In the 1950s, the big stadium Ullevi was erected when Sweden hosted the 1958 FIFA World Cup.

The modern architecture of the city is being formed by such architects as Gert Wingårdh who started as a Post-Modernist in the 1980s.

A further remarkable construction is Brudaremossen TV Tower, one of the few partially guyed towers in the world.

Characteristic buildings

The Gothenburg Central Station is in the heart of the city, just next to Nordstan and Drottningtorget. The building has been renovated and expanded numerous times since the grand opening in October 1858. In 2003 a major reconstruction was finished which brought the 19th century building in to the 21st century expanding the capacity for trains, travellers and shopping. Not far from the centralstation is Skanskaskrapan, or more common known as "The Lipstick". It's 86 meters high with 22 floors and coloured in red-white stripes. The skyscraper was designed by Ralph Erskine and built by Skanska in the 1980s as the headquarter for the company.

By the shore of Göta Älv is the Gothenburg Opera. It was completed in 1994. The architect Jan Izikowitz was inspired by the landscape and described his vision as "Something that makes your mind float over the squiggling landscape like the wings of a seagull.

Feskekôrka, or Fiskhallen, is a fishmarket by the Rosenlundskanalen in the heart of Gothenburg. Feskekôrkan was opened on 1 November 1874 and the name comes from being compared with a church.

The Gothenburg Law Court is in the Beaux-Arts.

The Gothenburg Synagogue at Stora Nygatan, near Drottningtorget, was built in 1855 according to the designs of the German architect August Krüger.

Music

Gothenburg has a diverse music community—the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra is the best known when it comes to classical music. Gothenburg also was the birthplace of the Swedish composer Kurt Atterberg. Bands like The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Ace of Base are well known pop representatives of the city. There is also an active indie scene. For example, the musician Jens Lekman was born in the suburb of Angered and named his 2007 release ''Night Falls Over Kortedala'' after another suburb (Kortedala). Other internationally acclaimed indie artists include the electro pop duos Studio, The Knife, Air France, The Tough Alliance, songwriter José González and pop singer El Perro Del Mar as well as genre bending quartet Little Dragon fronted by vocalist Yukimi Nagano. Another son of the city is one of Swedens most popular singers, Håkan Hellström, who often includes many places from the city in his songs.

Gothenburg's own commercially successful At the Gates, In Flames and Dark Tranquillity are credited with pioneering melodic death metal. Another well known band of the Gothenburg scene is The Haunted. Progressive power metal band Evergrey also originate from the city as do power metal bands HammerFall and Dream Evil.

The Metaltown Festival is a two day festival featuring heavy metal music bands, held in Gothenburg. It has been arranged annually since 2004, taking place at the Frihamnen venue. The most recent festival in June 2010, included bands such as Coheed and Cambria, Dark Tranquility, Rammstein, Amon Amarth, and In Flames.

Food and drink

The city has a number of star chefs – over the past decade, seven of the Swedish Chef of the Year Awards have been won by Gothenburgers. A popular place to buy fish ingredients is the Feskekôrka ("Fish Church"); an indoor fish market which got its name from the building's resemblance to a Gothic church. Five Gothenburg restaurants have a star in the 2008 Michelin Guide: ''28 +'', ''Basement'', ''Fond'', ''Kock & Vin'', ''Fiskekrogen'' and ''Sjömagasinet''.

Sports

As in all of Sweden, a variety of sports are followed, including but not limited to football, ice hockey, basketball, team handball, and figure skating. There is a varied amateur and professional sports clubs scene. Gothenburg is the birthplace of football in Sweden as the first football match in Sweden was played there in 1892. The city's three major clubs, IFK Göteborg, Örgryte IS and GAIS share a total of 34 Swedish Championships between them. IFK has also won the UEFA Cup twice. Other notable clubs include BK Häcken (football), Pixbo Wallenstam IBK (floorball), multiple national team handball champion Redbergslids IK, and three time national ice hockey champion Frölunda HC, Gothenburg has also a professional basketball team Gothia Basket. The bandy department of GAIS, GAIS Bandy, played qualification matches to the highest division Elitserien last season.

The city's most notable sports venues are Scandinavium (ice hockey), and Nya Ullevi (multisport) and the new-built Gamla Ullevi (football).

Gothenburg has hosted a number of international sporting events including the 1958 FIFA World Cup, the 1983 European Cup Winners' Cup Final, an NFL preseason game on 14 August 1988 between the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings, the 1992 European Football Championship, the 1993 and the 2002 World Men's Handball Championship, the 1995 World Championships in Athletics, the 1997 World Championships in Swimming (Short track), the 2002 Ice Hockey World Championships, the 2004 UEFA Cup final, the 2006 European Championships in Athletics, and the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships. Annual events held in the city are the Gothia Cup and the Göteborgsvarvet.

Gothenburg will host the XIII FINA World Masters Championships 2010. Diving, swimming, synchronized swimming and open water competitions took place from 28 July to 7 August. The water polo events will be held on the neighboring city of Borås.

Economy

Due to the Gothenburg's advantageous location in the centre of Scandinavia, trade and shipping have always played a major role in the city's economic history, and they continue to do so. Gothenburg port has come to be the largest harbour in Scandinavia.

Apart from trade, the second pillar of Gothenburg has traditionally been manufacturing, and industry which significantly contributes to the city's wealth. Major companies operating plants in the area include SKF, Volvo, and Ericsson. Volvo Cars is the largest employer in Gothenburg, not including jobs in supply companies. The blue collar industries which have dominated the city for long are still important factors in the city's economy, but they are being gradually replaced by high tech industries.

Banking and finance are also important trades as well as the event and tourist industry.

Gothenburg is the terminus of the Valdemar-Göteborg gas pipeline, which brings natural gas from the North Sea fields to Sweden, through Denmark.

Historically, Gothenburg was home base of the 18th century Swedish East India Company and were from the founding of the city until the late 1970s a world leading city in ship building with shipyards as Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstads AB, Götaverken, Arendalsvarvet and Lindholmens varv.

Government

Demographics

Gothenburg, like most Swedish metropolitan areas, has a large immigrant population. According to Statistics Sweden in 2005, there are 108,480 immigrants resident in Gothenburg, which is about 20% of the population, out of which 10% are from Finland and 9% from Iran.

Education

Gothenburg has two universities, both of which started off as colleges founded by private donations in the 19th century. The University of Gothenburg has approximately 25,000 students and is one of the largest universities in Scandinavia and one of the most versatile in Sweden. Chalmers University of Technology is a well known university located in Johanneberg 2 km south of the inner city, lately also established at Lindholmen in Norra Älvstranden, Hisingen.

There are also four folk high schools (''Arbetarrörelsens Folkhögskola i Göteborg'', ''Folkhögskolan i Angered'', ''Göteborgs Folkhögskola'', and ''Kvinnofolkhögskolan'').

Gothenburg has some 25–30 high schools. Four of the more notable schools are Schillerska gymnasiet, Donnergymnasiet, Hvitfeldtska gymnasiet and Göteborgs Högre Samskola. There are also some high-schools connected to big Swedish companies. One is SKF Technical high-school (belonging to SKF) and Gothenburg's technical high-school (belonging to Volvo).

Points of interest

Gothenburg is a popular destination for tourists on the Swedish west-coast, and offers a number of cultural and architectural highlights.

The main boulevard is called Kungsportsavenyn (commonly known as ''Avenyn'', "The Avenue"). It is about one kilometre long and starts at Götaplatsen — which is the location of the Gothenburg Museum of Art, the city's theatre, the city library as well as the concert hall— and stretches out all the way to Kungsportsplatsen in the old city centre of Gothenburg, crossing a canal and a small park. The ''Avenyn'' was created in the 1860s and 1870s as a result of an international architecture contest, and is the product of a period of extensive town planning and re-modelling. ''Avenyn'' has Gothenburg's highest concentration of pubs and clubs.

Scandinavia's largest shopping centre, Nordstan, is located in central Gothenburg. Gothenburg's Haga district is known for its picturesque wooden houses and its cafés.

The Gothenburg Opera house was inaugurated in 1994, and is an architectural landmark situated right next to the Göta älv river. Museums include the Gothenburg Museum of Art, Göteborgs Konsthall, Röhss Museum, and several museums of sea and navigation history, natural history, the sciences, and East India. The Museum of World Culture was inaugurated in 2004. Aeroseum, close to the Göteborg City Airport, is a unique aircraft museum in a former military under ground Air Force base.

The Gothenburg Botanical Garden is considered to be one of the most important botanical gardens in Europe with three stars in the French Guide Rouge. Next to the botanical garden is Gothenburg's largest park, Slottsskogen, where the Natural History Museum (Naturhistoriska Museet) is located. The park is also home to the city's oldest observatorie and a zoo.

The amusement park Liseberg is located in the central part of the city. Liseberg is Scandinavia's largest amusement park by number of rides, and the most popular attraction in Sweden by number of visitors per year (more than 3 millions). Located near Liseberg is a science discovery centre named Universeum.

One of Gothenburg's most popular natural tourist attractions is the Southern Gothenburg Archipelago, which is a set of many picturesque islands that can be reached by ferry boat. Within the archipelago Älvsborg Fortress, Vinga and Styrsö islands are popular places to visit.

The Gunnebo House can be seen South of Gothenburg, in Mölndal. It was built in a neoclassical architecture towards the end of the 18th century.

Transportation

Air

}} There are two international airports around Gothenburg: Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport is located 20 km east of Gothenburg, and is the largest international airport serving the Gothenburg region in Sweden. With 4.3 million passengers in 2006 it is Sweden's second-largest airport. It is operated by the Swedish Civil Aviation Administration (Luftfartsverket). It has connections with about 40 scheduled destinations.

Gothenburg City Airport is located 15 km northwest of the city centre. It was formerly known as ''Säve Flygplats'', and today it is Gothenburg's second international airport and Sweden's 7th largest airport. It is located within the borders of Gothenburg Municipality. In addition to commercial airlines, the airport is also operated by a number of rescue services, including the Swedish Coast Guard, and is used for other general aviation. Most civil air traffic to Gothenburg City Airport is Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizzair. It has connections with 23 scheduled destinations.

Sea

The Swedish company Stena Line operates between Gothenburg/Frederikshavn in Denmark and Gothenburg/Kiel in Germany.

The "England ferry" (''Englandsfärjan'') to Newcastle over Kristiansand (run by the Danish company DFDS Seaways) ceased at the end of October 2006, after being a Gothenburg institution since the 19th century. DFDS Seaways' sister company, DFDS Tor Line, continues to run scheduled freight ships between Gothenburg and several English ports, and these have limited capacity for passengers and their private vehicles. There are also freight ships to North America and East Asia.

Rail and intercity bus

Other major transportation hubs are ''Centralstationen'' (Gothenburg Central Station) and the Nils Ericson Terminal with trains and buses to various destinations in Sweden, as well as connections to Oslo and Copenhagen (via Malmö).

Freight

Gothenburg is a logistic centre, with transports by train and truck from Sweden and Norway to Gothenburg harbour which is by far the largest port in Scandinavia with a cargo turnover of 36.9 million tonnes a year (2004).

Public transport

With over 80 km of double track the Gothenburg tram is the largest tram/light rail network in Scandinavia. The bus network, however, is almost as important. There are also some boat and ferry services. The lack of a subway is due to the soft ground on which Gothenburg is situated. Tunneling is very expensive in such conditions. There is also a commuter rail in Gothenburg servicing nearby some nearby cities and towns.

Notable people

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Gothenburg is twinned with:

Bergen, Norway Turku, Finland Aarhus Municipality, Denmark Oslo, Norway Shanghai, China Lyon, France Chicago, United States Cracow, Poland St. Petersburg, Russia Tallinn, Estonia Rostock, Germany Badalona, Spain

See also

Metropolitan Gothenburg

Gothenburg archipelago

Gothenburg Protocol (on acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone)

Largest European metropolitan areas

Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits

Notes and references

External links

Goteborg.se – City of Gothenburg website GothenburgGuide.com – Gothenburg tourist guide Goteborg.com – Gothenburg tourism portal VisitSweden – VisitSweden's profile of Gothenburg

Category:Metropolitan Gothenburg Category:Municipal seats of Västra Götaland County Category:Swedish municipal seats Category:Populated places in Västra Götaland County Category:Coastal cities and towns in Sweden Category:Geats Category:Port cities in Sweden Category:Port cities and towns of the North Sea Category:Populated coastal places in Sweden Category:Populated places established in 1621

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Name	Sean Paul
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques
Born	January 09, 1973 Kingston, Jamaica
Genre	Dancehall, Reggae, R&B;
Occupation	Musician, Actor, Songwriter, Producer
Years active	1998–present
Associated acts	Dutty Cup Crew, Mr. Vegas, Jay Sean, Beyonce, Ziggy Marley
Label	VP/Atlantic Records
Website	}}

Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques (born January 9, 1973), who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer from Dutty Cup Crew.

Life and career

1973–1996: Early life

Sean Paul was born in Kingston and spent his early years in Upper Saint Andrew Parish, a few miles north of Kingston. His parents, Garth and Frances, were both talented athletes, and his mother is a well-known painter. His paternal grandfather was a Sephardic Jew whose family emigrated from Portugal, and his paternal grandmother was Afro-Caribbean; his mother is of English and Chinese Jamaican descent. Sean Paul was raised as a Catholic. Many members of his family are swimmers. His grandfather was on the first Jamaican men's national water polo team. His father also played water polo for the team in the 1960s, and competed in long-distance swimming, while Sean Paul's mother was a backstroke swimmer. Sean Paul played for the national water polo team from the age of thirteen to twenty-one, when he gave up the sport in order to launch his musical career. He attended the Wolmers High School for Boys, Hillel Academy High School, and the College of Arts, Science, and Technology, now known as the University of Technology, where he was trained in commerce with a view to pursuing an occupation in hotel management.

1998–2004: ''Stage One'' and ''Dutty Rock''

left|thumb|Sean Paul in September 2005. He made a quick cameo appearance in the 1998 film ''Belly'' on stage performing. He made a very successful collaboration with DMX & Mr. Vegas (Top Shotter) as a soundtrack of the film. In 2000, Sean Paul released his debut album, ''Stage One'' with VP Records. In 2002, he began working extensively with a team of producers and choreographers from Toronto, namely Jae Blaze and Blaze Entertainment and announced the release of his second album, ''Dutty Rock''. Pushed by the success of the singles "Gimme the Light" and the Billboard Hot 100 topper, "Get Busy", the album was a worldwide success, eventually selling over six million copies. Simultaneously, Sean Paul was heard on Beyoncé's U.S. #1 single "Baby Boy" and Blu Cantrell's "Breathe", a chart hit in Europe. Both helped to push his reputation further still in the United States.

He appeared on ''Punk'd'', ''106 & Park'', ''Sean Paul Respect'', ''Making the Video'' ("Get Busy", "Gimme the Light", and "Like Glue") and his music videos have been broadcast on MTV and BET. Paul's biggest hits included "Get Busy", "Like Glue", "Gimme the Light", "Baby Boy", and "I'm Still in Love with You".

2005–2008: ''The Trinity''

Sean Paul's third album ''The Trinity'' was released in on September 27, 2005. The album produced five big hits, "We Be Burnin'", "Ever Blazin'", "Give It Up to Me", "Never Gonna Be The Same" and the U.S. chart-topping smash hit "Temperature".

The video of "(When You Gonna) Give It up to Me" (featuring Keyshia Cole) was also featured in the movie ''Step Up'' in 2006.

He was nominated for four awards at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, including male artist of the year, rap artist of the year, hot 100 single of the year, and pop single of the year for his hit "Temperature". He also won an American Music Award for "(When You Gonna) Give It Up To Me" beating Kanye West and Nick Lachey who were also nominated for the award.

His song "Send It On" from "The Trinity" featured on the 2005 Vauxhall Corsa advert. Sean Paul often contributes his songs to various ''Riddim Driven'' albums (by VP Records). In March 2007, he returned to his native Jamaica to perform at the Cricket World Cup 2007 opening ceremony.

Sean Paul appears on the game Def Jam: Fight for NY as part of Snoop Dogg's crew and again in the game's sequel, Def Jam Icon.

2009: ''Imperial Blaze''

The newest Sean Paul album entitled "Imperial Blaze" was released on August 18, 2009. The lead single, “So Fine”, which was produced by Stephen “Di Genius” McGregor, premiered on Sean Paul's official website on April 26, 2009.

Speaking to Pete Lewis of 'Blues & Soul' magazine in August 2009, Sean Paul stated that 'Imperial Blaze' "Actually signifies 'The King's Fire'. It's that thing inside of you that gives you the desire to do whatever you do, and be the best in the world at it."

The new album consists of 20 tracks including "So Fine", "Press it Up", "She Want Me", "Private Party" which are party tracks and also love songs such as "Hold My Hand" (feat Keri Hilson), "Lately", "Now That I've Got Your Love" among others. Producers on the album include Don Corleone, Jeremy Harding, and Sean's brother Jason 'Jigzagula' Henriques. All the full songs of the album have been added to Sean Paul's Myspace page on the day of release of the album.

Up until now there have been eight music videos: "Always On My Mind (with Da'Ville)", "Give It To You (with Eve)", "Watch Them Roll", "Back It Up" (with Left Side/Mr. Evil), "(I Wanna See You) Push It Baby" (with Pretty Ricky), "Hit 'Em" (with Fahrenheit and his brother Jason "Jigzagula" Henriques), "Come Over" with Estelle, and also the video of his first single, "So Fine" from the new album.

He has recently been featured in Shaggy's video, "Save A Life", which also includes appearances from Elephant Man and Da'Ville, among others. In an effort to raise money for a children's hospital, Shaggy, Sean Paul and others will be having a benefit concert. All proceeds will go towards getting new equipment and technology 'For Aid to the Bustamante Hospital for Children'. In an interview in 2009 he says he is planning to release a new album in 2011.

During the premiere for MNET's Big Brother Africa 5: All-Stars on July 18, 2010, he performed his songs "Temperature", "Hold My Hand", and "So Fine". Sean Paul made a show in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

(2011- present): New studio album

Sean Paul is currently in the studio making his fifth coming album due for release at the end of 2011. The first song, " Got 2 Luv U" (featuring Alexis Jordan) was released for purchase on the 26th of June.

Discography

''Stage One'' (2000)

''Dutty Rock'' (2002)

''The Trinity'' (2005)

''Imperial Blaze'' (2009)

''Upcoming Fifth Studio Album'' (2011)

Filmography

;Films

1998

Year !! Title !! Role
	|	Belly (film)>Belly''	Himself

Awards and nominations

American Music Awards

*2006, Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist (winner)

*2003, Favorite Hip-Hop/Rap Male Artist (nominated)

*2003, Favorite Hip-Hop/Rap Album ''Dutty Rock'' (nominated)

BET Awards

*2003, Best New Artist (Nominated)

MTV Romania Music Awards

*2007, Best International Artist (winner)

Grammy Awards

*2010, Best Reggae Album: ''Imperial Blaze'' (nominated)

*2006, Best Reggae Album: ''The Trinity'' (nominated)

*2004, Best New Artist: (nominated)

*2004, Best Reggae Album: ''Dutty Rock'' (winner)

*2004, Best Male Rap Solo Performance: "Get Busy" (nominated)

MOBO Awards

*2009, Best Reggae Act (Winner)

*2006, Best Reggae Act (Winner)

*2005, Best Reggae Act (Nominated)

MTV Video Music Awards

*2006, Best Dance Video "Temperature" (nominated)

*2003, Best Dance Video "Get Busy" (nominated)

*2003, Best New Artist "Get Busy" (nominated)

Soul Train Awards

*2009, Best Reggae Artist (Winner)

*2007, Best Dance Cut "When You Gonna (Give It Up to Me)" (nominated)

References

External links

Official website

Category:1973 births Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Jamaican Roman Catholics Category:Jamaican male singers Category:Jamaican people of Chinese descent Category:Jamaican reggae singers Category:Living people Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:Jamaican people of English descent Category:Reggae fusion artists

ar:شون بول bg:Шон Пол da:Sean Paul de:Sean Paul es:Sean Paul eo:Sean Paul fa:شان پال fr:Sean Paul hi:शॉन पॉल is:Sean Paul it:Sean Paul he:שון פול kn:ಸೀನ್ ಪಾಲ್ ka:შონ პოლი ht:Sean Paul lv:Šons Pols hu:Sean Paul nl:Sean Paul ja:ショーン・ポール no:Sean Paul pl:Sean Paul pt:Sean Paul ro:Sean Paul ru:Шон Пол simple:Sean Paul sr:Šon Pol fi:Sean Paul sv:Sean Paul th:ฌอน พอล tr:Sean Paul zh:尚恩·保罗

name	Gorilla Zoe
background	solo_singer
birth name	Alonzo Mathis
birth date	January 26, 1983
origin	Atlanta, Georgia
genre	Hip hop
occupation(s)	Trap Star
years active	2005–present
label	Bad Boy, Block, Atlantic, Konvict Muzik
Associated acts	Lil Wayne, Yung Joc, Boyz n da Hood, Gucci Mane, OJ Da Juiceman
Website	Zoe Coming Zoe Coming }}

Alonzo Mathis (born January 26, 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia) better known by his stage name Gorilla Zoe (, rhymes with ''JOE''),in . he is an American rapper and member of rap group Boyz N Da Hood. His solo debut album ''Welcome to the Zoo'' came out in 2007.

Biography

He replaced Young Jeezy as a member of Boyz n da Hood. He first saw success in collaborations with Hood Figga Gorilla Zoe Yung Joc "Coffee Shop" and "Bottle Poppin'," which charted under several Billboard charts. His first solo album, ''Welcome to the Zoo'', was released October 2007, peaking at #18 on the ''Billboard'' 200, #8 on Top R&B;/Hip-Hop Albums, and #3 on Top Rap Albums. His second solo album, ''Don't Feed Da Animals'', featuring the single "Lost, was released on March 17, 2009. ''Don't Feed Da Animals'' topped the ''Billboard'' Top Rap Albums chart. "What It Is", featuring Rick Ross, and Kollosus, and "Echo" followed.

For the month of February 2010, Gorilla Zoe released a mixtape every day on the mixtape website DatPiff.com. Gorilla Zoe is currently working on a mixtape with Die-Verse City's member "Qu1k". He also just released an EP named I Am Atlanta 3. It is currently available on ITunes. Gorilla Zoe also has 2 brothers Yansane Mathis and Darius Smith also known as rapper/song writer Money Gettn aka Black L-Vis with Bucalino Entertainment (Independent Label in Atlanta,Georgia). Money Gettn has a self titled single "Money Gettn featuring Miguel Scott also known as Big Gee from group Boyz N Da Hood with Big Duke, Jody Breeze and Gorilla Zoe and solo hit single L-Vis" soon to be released in the summer of 2011.

In February 2011, it was revealed that he would take part in a new Hiphop/Pro Wrestling collaboration, the Urban Wrestling Federation with taping of the first bout "First Blood" taking place in June 2011.

Discography

Studio Albums

Year	Title	Peak chart positions
!align="center" width="40"	!align="center" width="40"	!align="center" width="40"
				* Released: September 25, 2007	Bad Boy South/Block Entertainment>Block	* Format: CD, digital download
				* Released: March 17, 2009	Bad Boy South/Block Entertainment>Block	* Format: CD, digital download
	align="left"			* Released: June 14, 2011	Bad Boy South/Block Entertainment>Block	* Format: CD, digital download

Singles

As lead performer

Year	Title	Peak chart positions			Album
		!align="center" valign="top" width="40"	!align="center" valign="top" width="40"	!align="center" valign="top" width="40"
align="left" valign="top"
	align="left" valign="top"|"What It Is" (featuring Rick Ross & Kollosus)
align="left" valign="top"
	align="left" valign="top"

Mixtapes

Gorilla Zoe has released 32 mixtapes. During the month of February 2010, he released a mixtape every day for the 28 days of February. Gorilla Zoe mixtapes

References

External links

Official web site

Category:Rappers from Atlanta, Georgia Category:Bad Boy Records artists Category:African American rappers Category:Living people Category:1983 births

de:Gorilla Zoe es:Gorilla Zoe fr:Gorilla Zoe ko:고릴라 조 it:Gorilla Zoe sw:Gorilla Zoe ja:ゴリラ・ズー pl:Gorilla Zoe sq:Gorilla Zoe fi:Gorilla Zoe sv:Gorilla Zoe

name	Mos Def
background	solo_singer
birth name	Dante Terrell Smith
born	December 11, 1973Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
origin	Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper, actor, singer, activist
years active	1994–present
label	Rawkus, Priority, Geffen, Downtown, GOOD Music
associated acts	Soulquarians, Black Star, Talib Kweli, Native Tongues Posse, Kanye West, Gorillaz
notable instruments	}}

Dante Terrell Smith (born December 11, 1973) is an American actor and MC known by the stage name Mos Def (). Mos Def started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which released the album ''Black Star'' in 1998. He was a major force in the late 1990s underground hip hop explosion spearheaded by Rawkus Records. As a solo artist he has released the albums ''Black on Both Sides'' in 1999, ''The New Danger'' in 2004, ''True Magic'' in 2006, and ''The Ecstatic'' in 2009.

Although he was initially recognized for his musical output, since the early 2000s, Mos Def's screen work has established him as one of only a handful of rappers who have garnered critical approval for their acting work. Mos Def has also been active in several social and political issues.

Early life

Mos Def grew up during the golden age of hip-hop and has rapped and acted since he was six. He attended Philippa Schuyler Middle School in Bushwick, Brooklyn. He majored in Musical Theater at Talent Unlimited High School of the Performing Arts in Manhattan. He studied at New York University in the Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

He has two younger brothers, Abdul Rahman (a.k.a. "Gold Medal Man"), who is Mos Def's full-time DJ, and Anwar Superstar. He also has a younger sister, Ces "Casey" Smith, and a younger half-brother, Jermone Victor Moulton, who resides in Brooklyn and shares the same mother, Sheron.

Mos Def converted to Islam. While his father was initially a member of the Nation of Islam and later an active member in the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, who merged into mainstream Islam from the Nation, Mos Def was not exposed to Islam until the age of 13. At 19, he took his ''shahada'', the Muslim declaration of faith. He is friends with fellow Muslim rappers Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Q-Tip.

Career

Music career

Mos Def began his music career in 1994 in the short-lived group Urban Thermo Dynamics with his younger brother D.c.Q and younger sister Ces. Despite their contract with Payday Records, the group only had two singles, and their debut album ''Manifest Destiny'' was not released until 2004, when it was distributed by Illson Media. In 1996, he emerged as a solo artist and worked with De La Soul and Da Bush Babees, before he released his own first single, "Universal Magnetic", which was a huge underground hit.

Mos Def signed with Rawkus Records and formed the group Black Star with Talib Kweli. They released an album, ''Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star'', in 1998. Mostly produced by Hi-Tek, the album featured the hit singles, "Respiration" and "Definition", which would go on to be featured in VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip-Hop. Mos Def released his solo debut album ''Black on Both Sides'' in 1999, also through Rawkus. Around this time he also contributed to the Scritti Politti album ''Anomie & Bonhomie'' and Rawkus compilations ''Lyricist Lounge'' and ''Soundbombing''.

After the collapse of Rawkus, he signed to Interscope/Geffen Records, which released his second solo album ''The New Danger'' in 2004. ''The New Danger'' contained a mix of several musical genres, including soul, blues, and rock and roll, performed with his rock band Black Jack Johnson, which contained members of the bands Bad Brains and Living Colour. The singles included "Sex, Love & Money" and the B-side "Ghetto Rock"; the latter went on to receive several Grammy Award nominations in 2004.

Mos Def's final solo album for Geffen Records, ''True Magic'', was quietly released on December 29, 2006. ''True Magic'' features production from The Neptunes, Rich Harrison and Minnesota, among others. The album was released in a clear-case with no cover art. Neither Geffen nor Mos Def himself promoted the album at all, which is the main reason the album was received under the radar.

The song "Crime & Medicine" is essentially a cover of GZA's 1995 single "Liquid Swords", though it contains different verses. Also, the track "Undeniable" samples a version of the Barrett Strong/Norman Whitfield composition "Message from a Black Man". The song "Dollar Day" uses the same beat as Juvenile's "Nolia Clap".

MTV reported that this album isn't a full version, but a teaser/promotional debut. A new version of the album would be released spring 2007, with updated songs and cover art. However, on October 17, 2007, Okayplayer reported, through discussions with Mos Def's management, that these rumors were unsubstantiated. The CD was intended to be released without promotion or cover art, as per Mos Def's request. There would be no future re-release.

On November 7, 2007, Mos Def performed live in San Francisco at a venue called The Mezzanine. This performance was recorded for an upcoming "Live in Concert" DVD. During this performance Mos Def announced that he would be releasing a new album to be called ''The Ecstatic''. He sang a number of new tracks; in later shows, Def previewed tracks produced by Madlib and was rumored to be going to Kanye West for new material. Producer and fellow Def Poet Al Be Back stated that he would be producing as well. The album was released on June 9, 2009; upon its release, only Madlib's production had made the cut, along with tracks by Preservation, The Neptunes, Mr. Flash, Madlib's brother Oh No, a song by J. Dilla, and Georgia Anne Muldrow.

Mos Def appears alongside Kanye West on the track "Two Words" from The College Dropout album, the track "Drunk And Hot Girls" and the bonus track "Good Night" off West's third major album, Graduation. In 2002, he released the 12" single Fine, which was featured in the ''Brown Sugar'' Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Mos Def also appears on the debut album from fellow New Yorkers Apollo Heights on a track titled, "Concern." In October, he signed a deal with Downtown Records and appeared on a remix to the song "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice. Mos Def appeared on Stephen Marley's album ''Mind Control'' on the song "Hey Baby." In 2009, Mos Def worked together with Somali rapper K'naan to produce the track "America" for K'naan's album Troubadour.

In April 2008 he appeared on the title track for a new album by The Roots entitled ''Rising Down''. The new single, Life In Marvelous Times, was made officially available through iTunes on November 4, 2008, and is available for stream on the Roots' website Okayplayer.

April 2009 saw him traveling to South Africa for the first time where he performed accompanied by The Robert Glasper Experiment at the renowned Cape Town International Jazz Festival. He enticed his bemused African following with an encore introduced by his own rendition of John Coltrane's "Love Supreme" followed by a sneak preview of the track "M.D. (Doctor)", much to the delight of the fans.

Mos Def also designed two pairs of limited edition Converse shoes. The shoes were released to Foot Locker stores on August 1, 2009 in very limited amounts.

In late 2009, Mos Def created a brand of clothing line with UNDRCRWN called the "Mos Def Cut & Sew Collection." All clothing items will be sold in select stores located around the U.S. and almost exclusively on the UNDRCRWN website. 2009 also found Mos Def among the MCs collaborating with the Black Keys on the first Blakroc album, a project headed by the Black Keys and Damon Dash. Mos Def appeared with Jim Jones and the Black Keys on the Late Show with David Letterman to perform the Blakroc track "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)".

In March 2010, Mos Def's song Quiet Dog Bite Hard was featured in Palm's "Life moves fast. Don't miss a thing." campaign.

Mos Def features on the first single, "Stylo", from the third Gorillaz album, ''Plastic Beach'', alongside soul legend Bobby Womack. He also appears on the track titled "Sweepstakes".

In September 2010, after appearing on Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Friday track "Lord Lord Lord", Mos Def confirmed his signing with GOOD Music.

Mos Def has been an active contributor to the recovery of the oil spill in the Gulf, performing concerts and raising money towards the repair of the damages. In June 2010, he recorded a cover of the classic New Orleans song originally by Smokey Johnson, "It Ain't My Fault" with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lenny Kravitz and Trombone Shorty.

Acting career

He began his professional acting career at the age of fourteen, appearing in the TV movie ''God Bless the Child'', starring Mare Winningham. He then played the oldest child in the short-lived family sitcom, ''You Take the Kids'', starring Nell Carter and Roger E. Mosley. His most notable acting role before his music career was that of Bill Cosby's sidekick on the short-lived detective show, ''The Cosby Mysteries''. He also starred in a 1996 Visa check card commercial featuring Deion Sanders. In 1997 he had a small role alongside Michael Jackson in his short film and music video "Ghosts".

After brief appearances in ''Bamboozled'' and ''Monster's Ball'', Mos re-invigorated his acting career with his performance as a talented rapper who is reluctant to sign to a major label in ''Brown Sugar''. He was nominated for an Image Award and a Teen Choice Award.

In 2001, he took a supporting role to Beyoncé Knowles and Mehki Phifer in the MTV movie Carmen: A Hip Hopera as Lt. Miller, a crooked cop.

In 2002, he played the role of Booth in Suzan-Lori Parks' ''Topdog/Underdog'', a Tony-nominated and Pulitzer-winning Broadway play. He and co-star Jeffrey Wright won a Special Award from the Outer Critics Circle Award for their joint performance. He also received positive notices as the quirky Left Ear in the blockbuster hit, ''The Italian Job'' in 2003. He also appeared in 2003 in the music video ''You Don't Know My Name'' of the song by Alicia Keys.

In television, Mos Def has appeared on Comedy Central's ''Chappelle's Show'', and has hosted the award-winning HBO spoken word show, ''Def Poetry'' since its inception. The show's sixth season aired in 2007. He also appeared on the sitcom ''My Wife And Kids'' as the disabled friend of Michael Kyle (Damon Wayans).

Mos Def won Best Actor, Independent Movie at the 2005 Black Reel Awards for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Lucas in ''The Woodsman''. For his portrayal of Vivien Thomas in HBO's film ''Something the Lord Made'', he was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe, and won the Image Award. He also played a bandleader in HBO's ''Lackawanna Blues''. He then landed the role of Ford Prefect in the 2005 movie adaptation of ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''.

In 2006, Mos Def appeared in ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'' alongside fellow Black Star companion Talib Kweli, while also contributing to the film's soundtrack. Also, Mos Def was featured as the black banjo player in the infamous "Pixie Sketch" from ''Chappelle's Show: The Lost Episodes''. He was later edited out of it on the DVD. Additionally, Mos Def starred in the action film ''16 Blocks'' alongside Bruce Willis and David Morse. He has a recurring guest role on ''Boondocks'', starring as "Gangstalicious". He is also set to be in ''Toussaint'', a film about Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture, opposite Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes. He made a cameo appearance — playing himself — in the movie ''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''.

In 2008, Mos Def starred in the Michel Gondry movie ''Be Kind Rewind'', playing a video rental store employee whose best friend is played by co-star Jack Black. He also portrayed Chuck Berry in the film ''Cadillac Records'', for which he was nominated for a Black Reel Award and an Image Award.

In 2009, he appeared in the ''House'' episode entitled "Locked In" as a patient suffering from locked-in syndrome. His performance was well-received, with E! saying that Mos Def "delivers an Emmy-worthy performance." He was also in the 2009 film ''Next Day Air''.

In 2010, he appeared on the children's show Yo Gabba Gabba! as Super Mr. Superhero. He also appeared in ''A Free Man of Color'', John Guare's play at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre.

In 2011, it was announced he would appear on the Showtime television series ''Dexter''. He will play Brother Sam, an ex-con who has supposedly found religion despite finding himself in violent situations.

Social and political views

By the early 1990s, a brand of socially conscious hip hop that had been pioneered and popularized by Public Enemy, KRS-One, and De La Soul, among others, had been eclipsed in popularity by gangsta rap. Mos Def, as well as Talib Kweli, The Roots, Common, and others, helped socially aware rap music experience something of a comeback in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Mos Def's collaboration with Talib Kweli, ''Black Star'', was released during the aftermath of the deaths of 2Pac and The Notorious B.I.G. and focused on violence and negativity in hip-hop, in collaboration with other acts that did the same. His music has also made reference to his Islamic faith, and his contention that black artists receive little credit for their role in the birth of rock and roll.

On Mos Def's 2004 album ''The New Danger'', he took his penchant for experimentation to a new level. Most of the songs were more hip-hop flavored stylings of blues and rock, with fewer raps thrown in. This threw off fans who were expecting another full-blown rap album. ''The New Danger'' also featured the controversial song, "The Rape Over," a parody of Jay-Z's ''The Blueprint'' hit "Takeover". His label made him take the song off releases of the album, citing clearance issues with Jay-Z and The Doors, a band which the song samples. The song has garnered controversy over its veiled reference to Israeli-American record executive Lyor Cohen (the "tall Israeli" who then was head of The Island Def Jam Music Group).

Mos Def and Immortal Technique released a similarly controversial song, "Bin Laden" in 2004, which blamed the Reagan Doctrine and President George W. Bush for the September 11, 2001 attacks. A club remix song, featuring Eminem, was released the following year, in 2005.

In September 2005, Mos Def released the single "Katrina Clap," renamed "Dollar Day" for ''True Magic'', (utilizing the instrumental for New Orleans rappers UTP's "Nolia Clap"). The song is a criticism of the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina. On the night of the MTV Video Music Awards, Mos Def pulled up in front of Radio City Music Hall on a flatbed truck and began performing the "Katrina Clap" single in front of a crowd that quickly gathered around him. He was subsequently arrested despite having a public performance permit in his possession.

On September 7, 2007, Mos Def appeared on ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' where he spoke about racism against African Americans, citing the government response to Hurricane Katrina, the Jena Six and the murder conviction of Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mos Def also claimed that Al-Qaeda was not responsible for 9/11, and that Al-Qaeda is not responsible for as much terrorism as they are portrayed to be. He appeared on ''Real Time'' again on March 27, 2009, and spoke about the risk of nuclear weapons. Mos Def said that he did not listen to any of Osama Bin Laden's messages because he did not trust the translations.

In 2000, Mos Def performed a benefit concert for death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal.

Personal life

In 1996, Def married Maria Yepes. After having two daughters, Chandani and Jauhara Smith, he filed for divorce in 2005. The divorce became final in 2006. Two years later, Def's divorce lawyers Blank Rome sued Def for more than $60,000 in unpaid legal bills.

In October, 2006 Mos Def appeared on ''4Real'', a documentary television series. Appearing in the episode "City of God," he and the 4Real crew traveled to City of God, a slum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to meet Brazilian MC MV Bill and discover the crime and social problems of the community.

He has recently taken up skateboarding and said he's looking to host a skateboarding event in the United Arab Emirates.

Nominations

Black Movie Awards

* 2006 Source Awards

Black Reel Awards

* 2008, Best Supporting Actor: ''Cadillac Records''

* 2003, Best Actor- Independent: ''Civil Brand''

* 2004, Best Supporting Actor: ''The Italian Job''

* 2005, Best Actor TV Movie/Mini-Series: ''Something the Lord Made''

* 2005, Best Indie Actor: ''The Woodsman'' (won)

Emmy Award

* 2004, Best Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series: ''Something the Lord Made''

Golden Globes

* 2005, Best Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series: ''Something the Lord Made''

Grammy Awards

* 2005, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Sex, Love & Money"

* 2006, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Ghetto Rock"

* 2007, Best Rap Solo Performance: "Undeniable"

* 2010, Best Rap Solo Performance: "Casa Bey"

* 2010, Best Rap Album: "The Ecstatic"

* 2011, Best Short Form Music Video: "Stylo" (with Bobby Womack and Gorillaz)

* 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: ''Cadillac Records''

* 2003, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: ''Brown Sugar''

* 2005, Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie or Mini-Series: ''Something the Lord Made''

Discography

''Black on Both Sides'' (1999)

''The New Danger'' (2004)

''True Magic'' (2006)

''The Ecstatic'' (2009)

Filmography

''Ghosts (Michael Jackson film) ''Where's Marlowe?'' ''Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme'' ''Carmen: A Hip Hopera'' ''Showtime (film) ''The Italian Job (2003 film) ''The Woodsman'' Vivien Thomas ''Lackawanna Blues'' ''Dave Chappelle's Block Party'' ''Prince Among Slaves (film) ''Be Kind Rewind'' ''Next Day Air'' ''I'm Still Here (film) ''Yo Gabba Gabba

Year !! Film !! Role !! Notes
1991	The Hard Way (1991 film)>The Hard Way''	Dead Romeos Gang Member
1997	Ghosts'' ||	Townsperson
1998	|	Wilt Crawley
rowspan="3"	2000	|	Himself
''Bamboozled''	Big Blak Afrika
''Island of the Dead (2000 film)	Island of the Dead''	Robbie J
rowspan="2"	2001	|	Lieutenant Miller
''Monster's Ball''	Ryrus Cooper
rowspan="4"	2002	Showtime'' ||	Lazy Boy
''Civil Brand''	Michael Meadows
''Brown Sugar (2002 film)	Brown Sugar''	Chris 'Cav' Anton Vichon
''My Wife and Kids''
2003	The Italian Job'' ||	Left Ear
rowspan="2"	2004	|	Detective Lucas
''Something the Lord Made''	| Nominated - Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie Nominated - Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for TelevisionNominated - Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Mini-Series or Television Movie
rowspan="3"	2005	|	The Bandleader
''The Boondocks (TV series)	The Boondocks (2005-2008)	Voice Of Gangstalicious
''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (film)	The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''	Ford Prefect (character)>Ford Prefect
rowspan="4"	2006	|	Himself
''16 Blocks''	Eddie Bunker
''Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby''	Himself
''Journey to the End of the Night (2006 film)	Journey to the End of the Night''	Wemba
2007	Prince Among Slaves'' ||	Narrator
rowspan="2"	2008	|	Mike
''Cadillac Records''	Chuck Berry
rowspan="2"	2009	|	Eric
''House (TV series)	House''	Lee
2010	I'm Still Here'' ||	Himself
2010	(TV series)	Yo Gabba Gabba!''	Super Mr. Superhero

References

External links

Mos Def / Dante Smith discographies at Discogs.

Mos Def at Geffen Records.

Mos Def Fan Message Board

Category:1973 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:African American actors Category:African American Muslims Category:Converts to Islam Category:African American Muslims Category:African American rappers Category:American vegetarians Category:Living people Category:People from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Category:Rappers from New York City Category:Slam poets

ar:موس ديف bg:Мос Деф cs:Mos Def da:Mos Def de:Mos Def es:Mos Def fr:Mos Def fy:Mos Def ko:모스 데프 id:Mos Def it:Mos Def he:מוס דף nl:Mos Def ja:モス・デフ no:Mos Def pl:Mos Def pt:Mos Def sq:Mos Def simple:Mos Def fi:Mos Def sv:Mos Def uk:Мос Деф

name	Nina Simone
background	solo_singer
birth name	Eunice Kathleen Waymon
born	February 21, 1933Tryon, North Carolina, United States
died	April 21, 2003Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône, France
genre	Jazz, blues, R&B;, folk, gospel
occupation	Singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, activist
years active	1954–2003
label	Bethlehem, Colpix, Philips, RCA Victor, CTI, Legacy Recordings
website	http://www.ninasimone.com/ }}

Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), better known by her stage name Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music. Simone aspired to become a classical pianist while working in a broad range of styles including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B;, gospel, and pop.

Born the sixth child of a preacher's family in North Carolina, Simone aspired to be a concert pianist as a child. Her musical path changed direction after she was denied a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, despite a well-received audition. Simone was later told by someone working at Curtis that she was rejected because she was black. She then began playing in a small club in Philadelphia to fund her continuing musical education to become a classical pianist and was required to sing as well. She was approached for a recording by Bethlehem Records, and her rendition of "I Loves You Porgy" became a smash hit in the United States in 1958. and accompanied with her expressive jazz-like singing in her characteristic low tenor. She injected as much of her classical background into her music as possible to give it more depth and quality, as she felt that pop music was inferior to classical. Her intuitive grasp on the audience-performer relationship was gained from a unique background of playing piano accompaniment for church revivals and sermons regularly from the early age of six years.

After 20 years of performing, she became involved in the civil rights movement and the direction of her life shifted once again.

Biography

Youth (1933–1954)

Simone was born Eunice Kathleen Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina. The sixth of eight children in a poor family, she began playing piano at age three; the first song she learned was "God Be With You, Till We Meet Again". Demonstrating a talent with the instrument, she performed at her local church, but her concert debut, a classical recital, was given when she was twelve. Simone later claimed that during this performance her parents, who had taken seats in the front row, were forced to move to the back of the hall to make way for white people. Simone said she refused to play until her parents were moved back to the front, and that the incident contributed to her later involvement in the civil rights movement.

Simone's mother, Mary Kate Waymon, was a strict Methodist minister and a housemaid. Simone's father, John Divine Waymon, was a handyman who at one time owned a dry cleaning business, but who also suffered bouts of ill health. Mary Kate's employer, hearing of her daughter's talent, provided funds for piano lessons. Subsequently, a local fund was set up to assist in Simone's continued education. With the assistance of this scholarship money she attended high school.

After finishing high school, she had studied for an interview with the help of a private tutor to study piano further at the Curtis Institute, but she was rejected. Simone believed that this rejection was related directly to her race. Simone then moved to New York City, where she studied at the Juilliard School of Music.

Early success (1954–1959)

To fund her private lessons, Simone performed at the Midtown Bar & Grill on Pacific Avenue in Atlantic City, whose owner insisted that she sing as well as play the piano. In 1954 she adopted the stage name Nina Simone. "Nina" (from niña, meaning 'little girl' in Spanish) was a nickname a boyfriend had given to her, and "Simone" was taken from the French actress Simone Signoret, whom she had seen in the movie ''Casque d'or''. Simone's mixture of jazz, blues, and classical music in her performances at the bar earned her a small, but loyal, fan base.

In 1958, she befriended and married Don Ross, a beatnik who worked as a fairground barker, but quickly regretted their marriage. After playing in small clubs, in 1958 she recorded a rendition of George Gershwin's "I Loves You Porgy" (from ''Porgy and Bess''), which she learned from a Billie Holiday album and performed as a favor to a friend. It became her only ''Billboard'' top 40 success in the United States, and her debut album ''Little Girl Blue'' soon followed on Bethlehem Records. Simone missed out on more than $1 million in royalties (mainly because of the successful re-release of ''My Baby Just Cares for Me'' during the 1980s) and never benefited financially from the album, because she had sold her rights to it for $3,000.

Becoming popular (1959–1964)

After the success of ''Little Girl Blue'', Simone signed a contract with Colpix Records, and recorded a string of studio and live albums. Colpix relinquished all creative control to her, including the choice of material that would be recorded, in exchange for her signing the contract with them. At this point, Simone only performed pop music to make money to continue her classical music studies, and was indifferent about having a recording contract. She kept this attitude toward the record industry for most of her career.

Simone married a New York police detective, Andrew Stroud, in 1961; Stroud later became her manager.

Civil rights era (1964–1974)

In 1964, she changed record distributors, from the American Colpix to the Dutch Philips, which also meant a change in the contents of her recordings. Simone had always included songs in her repertoire that drew upon her African-American origins (such as "Brown Baby" and "Zungo" on ''Nina at the Village Gate'' in 1962). On her debut album for Philips, ''Nina Simone In Concert'' (live recording, 1964), however, Simone for the first time openly addressed the racial inequality that was prevalent in the United States with the song "Mississippi Goddam", her response to the murder of Medgar Evers and the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Alabama that killed four black children. The song was released as a single, and it was boycotted in certain southern states. "Old Jim Crow", on the same album, addressed the Jim Crow Laws.

From then on, a civil rights message was standard in Simone's recording repertoire, becoming a part of her live performances. Simone performed and spoke at many civil rights meetings, such as at the Selma to Montgomery marches. Simone advocated violent revolution during the civil rights period, rather than Martin Luther King's non-violent approach, and she hoped that African Americans could, by armed combat, form a separate state. Nevertheless, she wrote in her autobiography that she and her family regarded all races as equal.

She covered Billie Holiday's "Strange Fruit", a song about the lynching of black men in the South, on ''Pastel Blues'' (1965). She also sang the W. Cuney poem "Images" on ''Let It All Out'' (1966), about the absence of pride she saw among African-American women. Simone wrote "Four Women", a song about four different stereotypes of African-American women, and included the recording on her 1966 album ''Wild Is the Wind''.

Simone moved from Philips to RCA Victor during 1967. She sang "Backlash Blues", written by her friend Langston Hughes on her first RCA album, ''Nina Simone Sings The Blues'' (1967). On ''Silk & Soul'' (1967), she recorded Billy Taylor's "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" and "Turning Point". The album ''Nuff Said'' (1968) contains live recordings from the Westbury Music Fair, April 7, 1968, three days after the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr. She dedicated the whole performance to him and sang "Why? (The King Of Love Is Dead)", a song written by her bass player, Gene Taylor, directly after the news of King's death had reached them. In the summer of 1969 she performed at the Harlem Cultural Festival in Harlem's Mount Morris Park.

Together with Weldon Irvine, Simone turned the late Lorraine Hansberry's unfinished play ''To Be Young, Gifted, and Black'' into a civil rights song. Hansberry had been a personal friend whom Simone credited with cultivating her social and political consciousness. She performed the song live on the album ''Black Gold'' (1970). A studio recording was released as a single, and renditions of the song have been recorded by Aretha Franklin (on her 1972 album ''Young, Gifted and Black'') and by Donny Hathaway.

Later life (1974–2003)

Simone left the United States in September 1970, flying to Barbados and expecting Stroud to communicate with her when she had to perform again. However, Stroud interpreted Simone's sudden disappearance, and the fact that she had left behind her wedding ring, as an indication of a desire for a divorce. As her manager, Stroud was in charge of Simone's income.

When Simone returned to the United States she learned that a warrant had been issued for her arrest for unpaid taxes (as a protest against her country's involvement with the Vietnam War), causing her to return to Barbados again to evade the authorities and prosecution. Simone stayed in Barbados for quite some time and she had a lengthy affair with the Prime Minister, Errol Barrow. A close friend, singer Miriam Makeba, then persuaded her to go to Liberia. After that she lived in Switzerland and the Netherlands, before settling in France during 1992.

She recorded her last album for RCA, ''It Is Finished'', during 1974. Simone did not make another record until 1978, when she was persuaded to go into the recording studio by CTI Records owner Creed Taylor. The result was the album ''Baltimore'', which, while not a commercial success, did get good reviews and marked a quiet artistic renaissance in Simone's recording output. Her choice of material retained its eclecticism, ranging from spiritual songs to Hall & Oates' "Rich Girl". Four years later Simone recorded ''Fodder On My Wings'' on a French label. During the 1980s Simone performed regularly at Ronnie Scott's jazz club in London, where she recorded the album ''Live at Ronnie Scott's'' in 1984. Although her early on-stage style could be somewhat haughty and aloof, in later years, Simone particularly seemed to enjoy engaging her audiences sometimes by recounting humorous anecdotes related to her career and music and by soliciting requests. In 1987, the original 1958 recording of "My Baby Just Cares For Me" was used in a commercial for Chanel No. 5 perfume in the United Kingdom. This led to a re-release of the recording, which stormed to number 4 on the UK's ''NME'' singles chart, giving her a brief surge in popularity in the UK. Her autobiography, ''I Put a Spell on You'', was published in 1992. She recorded her last album, ''A Single Woman'', in 1993.

In 1993, Simone settled near Aix-en-Provence in Southern France. She had suffered from breast cancer for several years before she died in her sleep at her home in Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône on April 21, 2003. (In addition, Simone received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in the late 1980s). Her funeral service was attended by singers Miriam Makeba and Patti Labelle, poet Sonia Sanchez, actor Ossie Davis, and hundreds of others. Elton John sent a floral tribute with the message "You were the greatest and I love you". Simone's ashes were scattered in several African countries. She left behind a daughter, Lisa Celeste Stroud, an actress and singer, who took the stage name Simone, and has appeared on Broadway in ''Aida''.

Musical style

Simone standards

Throughout her career, Simone assembled a collection of songs that would become standards in her repertoire. These songs were self-written tunes, tributes to works by others with a new arrangement by Simone, or songs written especially for Simone. Her first hit song in America was her rendition of George Gershwin's "I Loves You, Porgy" (1958). It peaked at number 18 in the pop singles chart and number 2 on the black singles chart. During that same period Simone recorded "My Baby Just Cares for Me", which would become her biggest success years later, in 1987, when it was featured in a Chanel No. 5 perfume commercial. A music video was created by Aardman Studios for the commercial. !!DON'T put detailed cover/sample/soundtrack use of songs here, only the very basics. Put that sort of information on the ARTICLE ABOUT THE SONG OR ALBUM!! Well known songs from her Philips albums include "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" on ''Broadway-Blues-Ballads'' (1964), "I Put a Spell on You", "Ne Me Quitte Pas" (a rendition of a Jacques Brel song) and "Feeling Good" on ''I Put A Spell On You'' (1965), "Lilac Wine" and "Wild Is the Wind" on ''Wild is the Wind'' (1966). Especially the songs "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Feeling Good", and "Sinnerman" (''Pastel Blues'', 1965) have great popularity today in terms of cover versions (most notably a version of the former song by The Animals), sample usage, and its use on soundtracks for various movies, TV-series, and video games. "Sinnerman", in particular, has been featured in the TV series ''Scrubs'' and ''Person of Interest'', on movies such as ''The Thomas Crown Affair'', ''Miami Vice'', and ''Inland Empire'', and sampled by artists such as Talib Kweli and Timbaland. The song "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" was sampled by Devo Springsteen on "Misunderstood" from Common's 2007 album ''Finding Forever'', and by little-known producers Rodnae and Mousa for the song "Don't Get It" on Lil Wayne's 2008 album ''Tha Carter III''. The song "See-Line Woman" was sampled by Kanye West for "Bad News" on his album ''808s and Heartbreak''.

Simone's years at RCA-Victor spawned a number of singles and album songs that were popular, particularly in Europe. In 1968, it was "Ain't Got No, I Got Life", a medley from the musical ''Hair'' from the album '''Nuff Said!'' (1968) that became a surprise hit for Simone, reaching number 4 on the UK pop charts and introducing her to a younger audience. In 2006, it returned to the UK Top 30 in a remixed version by Groovefinder. The following single, the Bee Gees' rendition of "To Love Somebody" also reached the UK top 10 in 1969. "House of the Rising Sun" was featured on ''Nina Simone Sings The Blues'' in 1967, but Simone had recorded the song in 1961 and it was featured on ''Nina At The Village Gate'' (1962), predating the versions by Dave Van Ronk and Bob Dylan. It was later covered by The Animals, for whom it became a signature hit.

Performing style

Simone's bearing and stage presence earned her the title "High Priestess of Soul". She was a piano player, singer, and performer, "separately and simultaneously". On stage, Simone moved from gospel to blues, jazz, and folk, to numbers with European classical styling, and Bach-style fugal counterpoint. She incorporated monologues and dialogues with the audience into the program, and often used silence as a musical element. Simone compared it to "mass hypnosis. I use it all the time". Throughout most of her life and recording career she was accompanied by percussionist Leopoldo Fleming and guitarist and musical director Al Schackman.

Simone had a reputation in the music industry for her volatility. In 1995, she shot and wounded her neighbor's son with a pneumatic pistol after his laughter disturbed her concentration. She also fired a gun at a record company executive whom she accused of stealing royalties. According to a biographer, Simone took medication for a condition from the mid-1960s on. All this was only known to a small group of intimates, and kept out of public view for many years, until the biography ''Break Down And Let It All Out'' written by Sylvia Hampton and David Nathan revealed this in 2004 after her death.

Legacy and influence

Music

Musicians who have cited Simone as important for their own musical upbringing include Antony and the Johnsons, Nick Cave, Van Morrison, Christina Aguilera, Elkie Brooks, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Kanye West, Lena Horne, John Legend, Elizabeth Fraser, Cat Stevens, Anna Calvi, Peter Gabriel, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Mary J. Blige, Michael Gira, Angela McCluskey, Lauryn Hill, Patrice Babatunde, Alicia Keys, Ian MacKaye, Kerry Brothers, Jr. "Krucial", Amanda Palmer, Steve Adey and Jeff Buckley. John Lennon cited Simone's version of ''"I Put a Spell on You"'' as a source of inspiration for the Beatles song ''"Michelle"''. Musicians who have covered her work (or her specific renditions of songs) include Black Rock Coalition Orchestra, J.Viewz, Carola, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Marilyn Manson, Donny Hathaway, David Bowie, Elkie Brooks, Roberta Flack, Jeff Buckley, The Animals, Nick Cave, Shivaree (band), Ambrosia Parsley, Muse, Cat Power, Katie Melua, Timbaland, Feist, Shara Worden, Common, Lil Wayne, and Michael Bublé. Simone's music has been featured in soundtracks of various motion pictures and video games, including but not limited to, ''The Big Lebowski'' (1998), ''Point of No Return'' (AKA ''The Assassin'', 1993), ''Notting Hill'' (1999), ''Any Given Sunday'' (1999), ''The Thomas Crown Affair'' (1999), ''Six Feet Under'' (2001), ''The Dancer Upstairs (film)'' (2002), ''Before Sunset'' (2004), ''Cellular'' (2004), ''Inland Empire'' (2006), ''Sex and the City'' (2008), ''The World Unseen'' (2008), ''Revolutionary Road'' (2008), ''Watchmen'' (2009), ''The Saboteur'' (2009), ''Repo Men'' (2010). Frequently her music is used in remixes, commercials, and TV series.

Film

The documentary ''Nina Simone: La Legende'' (''The Legend'') was made in the 1990s by French filmmakers, based on her autobiography ''I Put A Spell On You''. It features live footage from different periods of her career, interviews with friends and family, various interviews with Simone then living in the Netherlands, and while on a trip to her birthplace. A portion of footage from ''The Legend'' was taken from an earlier 26-minute biographical documentary by Peter Rodis, released in 1969 and entitled simply, ''Nina''.

Her filmed 1976 performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival is available on video courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment, and it is screened annually in New York City at an event called, "The Rise and Fall of Nina Simone: Montreux, 1976,", which is curated by Tom Blunt.

Plans for a Nina Simone biographical film were released at the end of 2005, to be based on Simone's autobiography ''I Put A Spell On You'' (1992) and to focus on her relationship in later life with her assistant, Clifton Henderson, who died in 2006. TV writer Cynthia Mort (''Will & Grace'', ''Roseanne'') is working on the script, and singer Mary J. Blige will play the lead role. Release of the movie is scheduled for 2012.

Her music was used in the S4C show, "Alys", in 2010.

A song sung by Nina Simone on her 1970 live album, ''Black Gold'', is used in the film ''The Dancer Upstairs''.

In the film ''Point of No Return'', the protagonist choses "Nina" as her codename in honor of Simone, her mother's favorite musical artist as well as her own. Simone's music features prominently in the film.

Honors

On Human Kindness Day 1974 in Washington, D.C., more than 10,000 people paid tribute to Nina Simone. Simone received two honorary degrees in music and humanities, from the University of Massachusetts and Malcolm X College. She preferred to be called "Dr. Nina Simone" after these honors were bestowed upon her. Only two days before her death, Simone was awarded an honorary degree by the Curtis Institute, the music school that had refused to admit her as a student at the beginning of her career. In 2010, Tryon, NC erected a statue in her honor along Trade street.

Discography

! Year	! Album	! Type	! Label	! Billboard
1958		Studio
	'' Nina Simone and Her Friends ''	Studio
'' The Amazing Nina Simone ''	Studio
'' Nina Simone at Town Hall ''	Live and studio
	'' Nina Simone at Newport ''	Live
	Studio
	'' Nina at the Village Gate ''	Live
'' Nina Simone Sings Ellington ''	Live
	'' Nina's Choice ''	Compilation
'' Nina Simone at Carnegie Hall ''	Live
	'' Folksy Nina ''	Live
'' Nina Simone in Concert ''	Live
'' Broadway-Blues-Ballads ''	Studio
		Studio
'' Pastel Blues ''	Studio
	'' Nina Simone with Strings ''	Studio (strings added)	Colpix
'' Let It All Out ''	Live and studio
	Studio
	'' High Priestess of Soul ''	Studio
'' Nina Simone Sings the Blues ''	Studio
'' Silk & Soul ''	Studio
1968	'' Nuff Said ''	Live and studio
	'' Nina Simone and Piano ''	Studio
	Studio
''A Very Rare Evening''	Live	PM Records
1970		Live	RCA Records
		Studio	RCA Records
''Gifted & Black''	Studio	Canyon Records
1972		Live and studio	RCA Records
	''Live at Berkeley''	Live	Stroud
''Gospel According to Nina Simone''	Live	Stroud
	'' It Is Finished ''	Live	RCA Records
''Sings Billie Holiday''	Live	Stroud
1978		Studio	CTI Records
1980	'' The Rising Sun Collection ''	Live	Enja
1982	'' Fodder on My Wings ''	Studio
1984	'' Backlash ''	Live	StarJazz
1985	'' Nina's Back ''	Studio
1985	'' Live & Kickin ''	Live
	'' Let It Be Me ''	Live
	Live	Hendring-Wadham
'' The Nina Simone Collection ''	Compilation	Deja Vu
1993	''A Single Woman''	Studio	Elektra Records
Additional releases
1975	''The Great Show Live in Paris''	Live	RCA?
1997	''Released''	Compilation	RCA Victor Europe
	''Gold''	Studio remastered	Universal/UCJ
''Anthology''	Compilation (from many labels)	RCA/BMG Heritage
2004	''Nina Simone's Finest Hour''	Compilation	Verve/Universal
	''The Soul of Nina Simone''	Compilation + DVD	RCA DualDisc
''Nina Simone Live at Montreux 1976''	DVD only	Eagle Eye Media
	''The Very Best of Nina Simone''	Compilation	Sony BMG
	Remix	Legacy/SBMG	5 (contemp.jazz)
''Songs to Sing: the Best of Nina Simone''	Compilation/Live Compilation	Deluxe
''Forever Young, Gifted, & Black: Songs of Freedom and Spirit''	Remix	RCA
2008	''To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story''	Compilation	Sony Legacy
2009	''The Definitive Rarities Collection - 50 Classic Cuts''	Compilation	Artwork Media
?	''Nina Simone Live''	DVD only: Studio 1961 & '62	Kultur/Creative Arts Television

References

Bibliography

External links

Nina Simone discography – at iMusic.am

Article on Nina Simone in the Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians

The Nina Simone Database – A comprehensive Nina Simone website

Nina Simone – Legacy Recordings Page

L'hommage: Nina Simone – Tribute and archival site

Nina Simone at The Music Box – A collection of reviews

Eunice Waymon-Nina Simone Memorial Project North Carolina-based scholarship, statue & music festival

Nina Simone Biography at About.com

Obituary from ''The Daily Telegraph''

Nina Simone: The "Princess Noire" - audio report by ''NPR''

Category:1933 births Category:2003 deaths Category:American Methodists Category:African American female activists Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:African Americans' rights activists Category:American expatriates in France Category:American jazz pianists Category:American jazz singers Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul musicians Category:Cancer deaths in France Category:Charly Records artists Category:Deaths from breast cancer Category:Jazz songwriters Category:Juilliard School alumni Category:Musicians from North Carolina Category:People from Polk County, North Carolina Category:People from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:Soul-jazz musicians Category:Torch singers Category:Women in jazz

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