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LEGACY OF BILLIE HOLIDAY’S ‘STRANGE FRUIT’ ENDURES WITH IMPASSIONED COVER BY ANDRA DAY

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LEGACY OF BILLIE HOLIDAY’S ‘STRANGE FRUIT’ ENDURES WITH IMPASSIONED COVER BY ANDRA DAY IN SUPPORT OF THE EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE
Two-time Grammy nominee Andra Day covers iconic song to join Google in support of the Equal Justice Initiative’s “Lynching in America” initiative.
NEW YORK, September 15, 2017 – Andra Day, the award-winning singer, songwriter, and philanthropist, released today a recording and music video for Strange Fruit, the historic song originally recorded by Billie Holiday in 1939. The recording is available on the Lynching in America site (lynchinginamerica.eji.org/strange-fruit) and Andra Day’s YouTube channel. Andra will also be performing Strange Fruit as part of her set at the Global Citizens Festival in NYC on September 23rd.
The goal of Lynching in America, which brings EJI’s multi-year investigation into more than 4,000 reported racial terror lynchings that took place in the United States during the period between Reconstruction and World War II to life, is to spark a national conversation about the connection between America’s painful history of racial violence and the forms of injustice that exist today, including racially-biased capital punishment, excessive sentencing, disproportionate sentencing of racial minorities, and police abuse of people of color.
As part of Google’s focus on Inclusion, the company has given more than $2MM in grants to the Equal Justice Initiative. In addition, Google volunteers have been working with the organization to digitize the Lynching in America research and ensure that as many people as possible have access to the information and content. The Equal Justice Initiative firmly believes that until we face the truth of our past, we cannot heal the deep wounds of our present.
Bryan Stevenson, the Founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative says, “In this collaboration between Andra Day, EJI, and Google, we use music to express a painful and difficult truth about our nation’s history of racial inequality. Inspired music has the power to expose and confront injustice differently than research, data and words alone.  It can heal and uplift us, it’s critical for human rights. Justice work needs a soundtrack that inspires the struggle, it’s energizing that talented artists like Andra rise to the challenge.”
Andra Day says, “Billie Holiday is one of the greatest inspirations for what I do now. She used her music as her platform and her voice to speak for people who were not able to speak for themselves. I am equally inspired by the work of Bryan Stevenson and EJI and I hope this song ignites new conversations about the connection between our past and present.” In the same spirit of music as activism, Andra also performed Stand Up For Something, the title track off of the upcoming film, Marshall, about Thurgood Marshall, the first African American United States Supreme Court Justice.
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“To Love Is To Perform”: Jada Di’Larosa’s Poetic Meditation on Love, Identity, and Solitude

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On April 17, 2026, independent artist Jada Di’Larosa introduces a deeply evocative new chapter in her creative journey with the release of To Love Is To Perform. Emerging from the rich cultural undercurrent of New Orleans, Di’Larosa delivers a project that feels intimate, cinematic, and emotionally unguarded—an album that quietly lingers long after the final note fades.

Blending elements of alternative, indie, and nu-jazz, the record is less about traditional structure and more about atmosphere and emotional storytelling. It unfolds like a series of late-night reflections—soft, immersive, and deeply personal. Each track carries a sense of stillness, where restraint becomes a powerful artistic choice, allowing listeners to fully absorb the subtle complexities within her sound.

Between the Spotlight and the Shadows

Jada Di’Larosa’s artistry is shaped by a compelling dual existence. As a professional dancer and showgirl, her nights are filled with performance, light, and spectacle. Yet beyond the stage, she retreats into solitude—writing music that mirrors her introspective nature. This contrast is the emotional backbone of To Love Is To Perform, where themes of identity, vulnerability, and perception are explored with striking honesty.

Rather than presenting a polished, conventional album, Di’Larosa embraces imperfection. The project carries the raw essence of demos—unfiltered, organic, and alive. In her own words, it is “a diary” of her experiences, offering a glimpse into a world that is both quietly glamorous and deeply introspective. That authenticity gives the album its emotional weight, transforming it into something profoundly human.

Sound as Atmosphere, Silence as Language

Musically, the album is guided by minimalism and mood. Piano and violin arrangements intertwine with her haunting vocal delivery, creating a soundscape that feels almost suspended in time. Di’Larosa’s voice is uniquely her own—delicate yet assured, drifting through each composition with a poetic cadence that enhances the storytelling.

Tracks such as “showgirl” and “movie star” reflect the tension between persona and reality, while “bayou st. john” grounds the album in a sense of place and memory. The title track, “to love is to perform,” offers a philosophical lens on relationships, suggesting that love itself can be an act shaped by roles and expectations. Meanwhile, “costume” emerges as a defining moment—an exploration of identity, illusion, and the masks we wear.

Tracklist

  1. showgirl
  2. movie star
  3. bayou st. john
  4. to love is to perform
  5. candy
  6. blackbird
  7. spinster
  8. a love noir
  9. costume
  10. curtain call

A Quietly Powerful Artistic Statement

What makes To Love Is To Perform so compelling is its refusal to conform. It does not chase trends or demand attention—it invites it. The album thrives in its subtlety, rewarding listeners who are willing to slow down and engage with its emotional depth.

There is a cinematic quality throughout the record, as if each track is a scene from an unseen film—rich with symbolism, mood, and introspection. It’s an experience designed not just to be heard, but to be felt.

Defining Her Own Space

In an industry often driven by visibility and constant output, Jada Di’Larosa stands apart through intentional distance and artistic focus. She allows her work to speak on her behalf, cultivating a sense of mystery that only enhances her presence.

With To Love Is To Perform, she offers more than music—she offers perspective. It is a body of work that explores the delicate balance between who we are and who we present to the world, capturing the beauty and complexity of both.

As the release date approaches, the album positions Di’Larosa as a distinctive voice in contemporary alternative jazz—an artist unafraid to embrace vulnerability, ambiguity, and the quiet power of self-expression.

Connect with Jada Di’Larosa
Official Website: www.jadadilarosa.com
Instagram: @jada.dilarosa
Available on Spotify, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and YouTube

For inquiries: jadadilarosa@yahoo.com

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