Female Pioneers Celebrated at Popejoy Hall

In a tribute honoring the musical legacies paved by Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, Bessie, Billie, and Nina: Pioneering Women in Jazz fills Popejoy Hall with the soundtrack of a social movement on Sunday, March 28 at 3 pm.

These three Black women dared to use music as a platform to speak to the injustices they each faced throughout their personal and professional lives. Their voices and their songs became powerful weapons against the widespread racist practices of the Jim Crow era.

These three iconic females were from different generations but each became one of the most influential performers of their time. Each woman brought her exceptional talent to fight racial prejudice, sexism, and poverty. Their songs propelled the message for Civil Rights into homes across the country: Bessie Smith in the 1920s, Billie Holliday, in the 1930s and '40s, and Nina Simone in the 1960s.

Today, the legacy continues under Grammy Award-winning producer Eli Wolf, who brought together rising stars Charenee Wade, Vanisha Gould, and Tahira Clayton to sing the songs of Smith, Holliday, and Simone. To continue the legacy paved by these women, the show brings their unforgettable hits to the Popejoy stage. Bessie, Billie, and Nina: Pioneering Women in Jazz will inspire audiences to connect the issues raised today with the songs these women sang as much as a century ago. Theirs is an entertaining and inspiring show, one to be enjoyed for its musical gifts as well as its all-too-timely messages.

Wade, Gould, and Clayton celebrate the legacy paved before them while they each bring outstanding credits of their own to bear on the project. Wade tours with the The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and teaches at the Aaron Copeland School at Queens College. Gould is a vocalist and an important young voice in the New York jazz scene who recently released an album entitled "In Her Words." Clayton was chosen Most Promising Artist at the 2018 UNISA International Jazz Voice Competition in South Africa and is vice president of the Women in Jazz Organization.

Bessie, Billie, and Nina: Pioneering Women in Jazz comes to Popejoy at a fitting time. By reviving the songs of three legendary champions for Civil Rights, this show gives perspective to the history of the Civil Rights movement while hearing the music sung by a new generation of Black female artists. Experience a musical movement that gives a voice to those who would not be silenced.

Tickets for Bessie, Billie, and Nina: Pioneering Women are on sale for $65, $55, $45, and $25. Tickets may be purchased online at popejoypresents.com. Tickets are also available to purchase in person at the UNM Ticket Offices located at the UNM Bookstore or by calling (505) 277-4569. For more information on the upcoming season, visit popejoypresents.com.

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