In my research paper, I wrote about Billie Holiday’s rendition of the song “Strange Fruit,” and how the combination of her physical presence and her musical choices is what her performance specifically so compelling. These recordings serve as a complementary piece to my paper. First, there is an audio recording of my rendition of Strange Fruit. I recommend closing your eyes and focusing on chord soundings through the song. The next is a video recording of me singing “Strange Fruit,” with the audio muted, introducing the visual aspect of this song.* Lastly, combining the audio and visual components with the clip of Billie Holiday singing “Strange Fruit” on BBC. I recommend watching the first two clips of the separated audio and video before going to Holiday’s performance.
AUDIO
*I had originally planned to film a video of me singing “Strange Fruit,” out of respect for Holiday’s rendition, exaggerating facial features so as to emphasize their importance to the song. However, as you can see on the homepage, I am a young white woman, who will never completely understand the kind of pain and suffering that Holiday is trying to relay in this piece. Though I would not have had the intention, I do not want to appear facetious or ignorant in regards to the song’s content. Alternatively, I suggest muting the audio of Holiday’s performance and immersing in Holiday’s facial expressions on their own before joining the two components together.