Sarah Jane Morris in her latest work transforms the lives of eleven artists into masterpieces accompanied by her sublime voice
“The edge is where the magic is found”. “It is at the edge that the magic is found”. This is the title of one of the songs on Sarah Jane Morris’ new album, dedicated to a series of wonderful women who contributed to the history of music. The song is specifically dedicated to Amy Winehouse, one of his favorite artists, to her short but exaggeratedly intense life, delicately hinting at the tragedy of her fall. The magic of these musicians is often born from lives on the edge, difficult situations of which they became champions thanks to their songs. The album, presented last March 8 in London on the occasion of International Women’s Day, is entitled “The Sisterhood 2”, created with Tony Rémy, one of the most important and versatile guitarists in the world.
Two years later “Sisterhood”where he paid homage to artists of the caliber of Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Annie Lennox, “Sisterhood 2” contains eleven new original songs celebrating some of the most influential singer-songwriters of our time.
Eleven masterpieces that tell the greatness of Patti Smith, Sinéad O’Connor, Peggy Seeger, Etta James, Joan Baez, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Armatrading, Janis Ian, Tracy Chapman and Amy Winehouse.
Women who have faced battles and become spokespersons for them, giving a notable social tribute.
The song dedicated to Sinéad O’Connor is touching “Oh Mother My Mother”focused on the metamorphosis and forgiveness given to the mother after a troubled and difficult childhood. As if, after death, they were transformed into two birds who peacefully meet on the banks of a lake.
Some extraordinary performers of world music are not on the album, because one of the fundamental requirements of this project is that the performers were also authors of the lyrics.
Sarah’s amazing voice, with its unmistakable timbre, does the rest.
How was the “Sisterhood” project born?
“It all started during Covid when I ordered the autobiographies of the artists who shaped my career on Amazon: I wanted to find out everything about them, who were a powerful source of inspiration. I ordered and read more than fifty! Reading those autobiographies, I fell in love with their lives, their experiences and I thought that a recording project could be born from it. Like the passing of a torch from generation to generation, starting with Bessie Smith and ending with Kate Bush who is one of the “greatest” of me. She symbolically passed the torch to me, as I would later pass it to other singer-songwriters.”
And with Tony Rémy, your friend and best collaborator, you have found the ideal creative partner
“I asked Tony to start the project as soon as the lockdown restrictions allowed: I read my lyrics to him and we immediately decided that we would develop each song in the musical genre of the artist I had written about. This made the project extremely intense for us: it required everything we had learned in music.”
After the live in Rome on April 23rd, you will be in Milan at the Blue Note on May 8th and 9th and on May 22nd in Pesaro. You have a very intimate relationship with Italy, which has become your second home
“I love Italy and the Italian public because it allows me to be who I am. Today like many years ago.”
Meaning what?
“In 1989 I came to Italy as a supporter of Simpy Red and no one treated me like an artist of their equal level like the Italians. In the same year my song “Me&Mrs. Jones” was banned in the UK. They asked me to change the title to “Me&Mr. Jones” because England was terrified that I was homosexual, even though I wasn’t. I refused and my album was boycotted. Four years later, again in the United Kingdom, Kate Lang came out, and England at that point wanted me to be a lesbian, but I wasn’t and I didn’t want to lie. It was the end of my career. In Italy, however, Me&Mrs. Jones reached number one! I went on the covers of several magazines, many stylists wanted to dress me and I collaborated with Riccardo Cocciante to the song that later won Sanremo. Italy is my free place. It’s my place of love, and if there hadn’t been Brexit, I would already be living here!”
Is there already a Volume 3 in the works?
“Absolutely. We’re already thinking about Sisterhood 3, because there are too many interesting women to sing about!”
