‘ARETHA – A Love Letter To The Queen Of Soul’ cast – Image © Cybele Malinowski
Thandi Phoenix was nurtured on the sounds of “fierce black women.” Her parents had a large record collection and the house was always filled with the reverberating vocals of powerful female singers including of course, the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin.
It set the bar high for Phoenix who herself aspired to be a singer from an early age; but Franklin was also a role model.
“I mean, she was such an incredibly powerful and strong female figure in the music industry and I think for black women and women of colour, she was just a voice that could inspire us all and, you know, show us what was possible,” says Phoenix, reflecting on Franklin’s influence.
Thandi Phoenix. Image: Sydney Opera House
Phoenix is one of a group of Australian artists who are performing in Aretha: A Love Letter to the Queen of Soul, a concert that is part tribute, part memoir. She, along with Emma Donovan, Ursula Yovich, Montaigne and Thndo, will sing a selection of 32 songs made famous by Aretha Franklin, while, at intervals, Jada Alberts will narrate stories about Franklin’s life, career, and the meaning in her music.
Phoenix actually prefers not to use the word tribute.
“It’s more of a celebration because each of us, individually, we’re our own unique artist,” she explains. “Coming onto this project we wanted to pay our respects to Aretha, but also inject a different version and a new life into the songs that only we can do…nobody is trying to mimic Aretha. There’s only one.”
Aretha: A Love Letter To The Queen Of Soul. Image: hero
Joe Accaria (Velvet Rewired) is the music director and he’ll be working with a band of elite musicians to create an incredible wall of sound.
Wittling Franklin’s enormous catalogue down to just 32 songs was no easy feat, but the final playlist aptly reflects the span of her career, the depth and range of her art, and the miracle of her voice. The songs also help tell Franklin’s story, from her gospel roots through a fractured childhood, struggle against racism and sexism, love, tragedy, and her ultimate claim to the music royalty throne.
It’s a poignant gig for Phoenix who has had some reckoning to do recently with regard to her own career and life. After the challenges of the pandemic, the end of a relationship, and losing several people close to her, Phoenix decided to cut ties with her label and become an independent, self-managed artist.
“You know, sometimes you just have to lose so much to start afresh and have a new perspective on life and I just feel like that’s where I’m at,” she says.
In the label system, Phoenix never felt autonomous, never had full creative control.
“I’m now just free and flowing and putting things out that I’m passionate about and that I love.”
That sense of freedom is evident in her new EP, Rebirth, which will be released in early July, followed by a concert tour. The EP has been preempted by two singles, “Take It Back” and “Hot Sauce.”
Meanwhile, Phoenix is really looking forward to performing as part of the amazing ensemble for Aretha: A Love Letter to the Queen of Soul. The performers will all be on stage together singing as a group, in pairs, trios, and solo.
“When we all got together it was such a nice warm, real genuine connection between us all and you could just feel the love and respect.”