Listen

Playlists: Grace Jones & Patti Smith

Dorian S. Ham & Adrian Willis

Oct 16, 2019

A performance still of choreographer nora chipaumire for her for her live performance album 100% POP

Inspired by her formative years in Zimbabwe and two of the world’s fiercest female music icons, Grace Jones and Patti Smith, choreographer nora chipaumire shares her Bessie Award-winning live performance album with Columbus over the course of two evenings: #PUNK on October 24 and 100% POP on October 25. From this inspiration, Wex house DJs Citizen Dorian S & Trueskills have created playlists featuring chipaumire's idols and a few related artists. Mixed in are thoughts from chipaumire on Jones and Smith and how she's incorporated the presence of these women into her work.

"Grace Jones is perhaps the first superstar who was black, female and unapologetic about her presence that I️ fell in love with. In 100% POP, Grace Jones‘s renowned 'one man show' further instigates the idea of a 'cover.' We approach this by soundclashing elements of Grace Jones, Zimbabwe’s Chimurenga music, dub and noise."

"In her iconic song, 'Rock 'n' Roll Nigger,' Patti Smith declares, 'I haven't fucked much with the past, but I fuck plenty with the future.' Spurred by this daring proclamation, I declare myself to be an 'African nigger'—the sort who fucks with the past, and fucks even harder with the present/future."