On Wednesday, June 26, Belltown’s staple concert house The Crocodile was blessed with a visit by Jamila Woods who was touring her album Legacy! Legacy!
Before Jamila took the stage, duendita gave us a stunning solo performance. Her use of vocal distortion and sampling made for an interesting, almost sad, but beautiful sound. And don’t let her distorted voice fool yo – duendita has pipes, and she knows how to use them. On stage, she described herself as “a weird girl from Queens” and thanked us for “letting her be weird for us.”
Her latest project, a direct line to My Creator really gives us insight to who duendita is, anymore importantly, how she describes beauty. She sings for women. She sings for people of color. But most importantly, she sings for anyone who has ever been made to feel less than they are. Her live performance moved many people in the audience to tears – one woman next time I wrote a seven-page paper on the symbolism in a direct line to My Creator, while another watery-eyed fan threw an envelope on stage that was sealed with a sparkly heart sticker. It was the perfect act to open for Jamila Woods, and everyone in the building wanted more duendita.
Jamila Enters The Stage
From beginning to end, Jamila’s entire performance was amazing. Her sound is a perfect blend of jazz and R&B. Listening to Legacy! Legacy! at a live venue was way better than I ever could have expected. The band had so much energy, with each member getting a solo at one point or another throughout the show.
Like the title implies, the album itself is a celebration of black culture and art and a reminder of the strength that comes with being born black in America. It’s a celebration of our legacy and as a black man, in a room full of strong black women, the Chicago native’s message really resonated with me. Sometimes you have to be reminded that it’s okay to be proud of your culture.
The album is 13 songs, with 12 being named after prominent figures in the black community, and the final is named after artist Frida Khalo. When Jamila performed the ninth track off the album, BASQUIAT, she did so with her right fist raised in the air. I turned around, and the entire audience was holding their fists out, almost as if to salute Jamila. I’ve never been to such an empowering show. Everyone really was there for the message, and the message really was worth being there for.
After the last song, Jamila exited the stage, followed by the band, who had set down their instruments. The crowd relentlessly chanted one more song, and after a few minutes, the band came back out and hit us with two more songs. It was hands down one of the best shows I’ve been to this year.
