Meshell Ndegeocello
Jazz Modern CreativeGlobal SoundsSoul / Blues / FunkContemporary JazzBlack American MusicNeo Soul
Meshell Ndegeocello: Of Soul Mates and Battle Zones
In her latest masterpiece, "No More Water", Meshell Ndegeocello honours the legacy of James Baldwin, transforming it into a powerful commentary on social change and resistance.
The album title is taken from the two-line poem with which James Baldwin prefaced his book of essays, The Fire Next Time: 'God gave Noah the rainbow sign / No more water, the fire next time!' This quote originates from an old spiritual and reflects the ominous predictions that Baldwin describes in the book. Baldwin is widely regarded as one of the most important voices in US literature, as his descriptions of racism and homophobia remain relevant even decades later. Furthermore, the eloquence of his language combines passion and wit with an ingenuity and musicality that are unparalleled.Baldwin also said that music has a greater effect on society than literature. He even described music as the ultimate form of communication. According to Baldwin, no novel could match the joy of Louis Armstrong or the sadness of Billie Holiday. Therefore, one can assume that Baldwin would be grateful to Ndegeocello for using his prophetic words on "No More Water" to make a clear statement that is both disturbing and hopeful.The album is a continuation of what Ndegeocello started in 2016 when she produced a show for the Harlem Stage. Entitled "Can I Get a Witness?", it was a combination of musical theatre, readings and dance — an artistic exploration of Baldwin's world from various angles. 'No More Water' works in a similar way. Spanning 77 minutes, the audience embarks on a journey through African-American history, exploring its many facets. Stylistically, Ndegeocello remains true to the approach she has already taken on previous albums, particularly its direct predecessor, The Omnichord Real Book, released in 2023. Jazz, soul, R'n'B, gospel and funk merge to create a multi-layered portrait of the Black American population. Rich bass lines and her unmistakable tenor lead us through this gospel sermon, which meets its counterpart at eye level, away from the pulpit. While the music offers hope, the words often hit home directly and powerfully. Ndegeocello uses the words of activist Audre Lorde and writer Hilton Als, as well as Baldwin's, and mixes them with the contemporary poetry of Staceyann Chin.In "Tsunami Rising", the listener cannot escape the fact that Chin clearly links colonialism and racism with increasingly violent language, bringing it right up to the present day, to the point where the grimaces of the political right cast their shadows over the text. Chin counters: "Let us use our fire to crack this ground wide open / With an uprising like no other / That will never be forgotten / And will never die down / No more water, the fire next time."Despite the unmistakable nature of this message, the album never incites violence. Instead, Ndegeocello responds with music inspired by humanism and a deep longing for a better world. This is exemplified by the sequence in which "Tsunami Rising" is followed by the song "Another Country", which contains the lines "I would grant a pardon / Love is surely making me".The journey ends with "Down at the Cross" and the question "When I leave / Will it be better?" combined with the call to never give up: "Page by page / slowly break the spine / Until it is worn"."No More Water" is Meshell Ndegeocello's fourteenth album and a milestone in her discography. She made her debut in 1993 with Plantation Lullabies on Madonna's Maverick label. Given the hype surrounding her and her fusion of funk and other genres, a commercial career would have seemed inevitable back then. However, she decided otherwise, partly because she saw herself as different. Drawing from a wide range of stylistic influences, she created her own unique style, ultimately finding a kindred spirit in James Baldwin.Rudolf Amstutz, Jazz'n'moreThis article appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Jazz'n'more.