Chicago songwriter, poet, activist and soul singer Jamila Woods is currently on everyone’s lips. With her second album “Legacy! Legacy!” she does not only offer musical excellence, but also a political statement. With songs titled like “Betty”, “Miles”, “Basquiat” or “Baldwin”, she draws attention to the legacy of Afro-American pioneers like the author James Baldwin, the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, but also to the tragic marriage between the legendary singer Betty and Miles Davis, which was shaken by violence and fueled by musical breakthroughs.
Jamila Woods “Legacy! Legacy!” is everything else than exhausting to listen. It’s full of catchy melodies such as in “Sun Ra” and even includes with “Betty (for Boogie)” an upbeat track. She packages truly personal stories in a historical context and thereby brings Afro-American legacy to life.
Give yourself some food for thought and listen to Jamila Woods’ “Legacy! Legacy!” here: