A Timeless Voice Crosses New Water On "Love Me Or Leave Me"

Written By: Big C

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A voice like Nina Simone’s does not fade. It reshapes rooms long after the recording light goes dark. In celebration of her birthday, Tumbao Experience unveils Love Me Or Leave Me, a bold cultural re-contextualization that places Simone’s original vocal inside a lush Afro-Cuban jazz framework. It is a remix not designed for novelty, but instead it’s a dialogue of her unmistakable phrasing now carried by tumbao rhythms, brass flourishes, and percussive textures. Piano lines sway differently while percussion breathes underneath her tone, landing during a month globally associated with Black cultural reflection. As Dr. Samuel Waymon notes:

Nina always believed music should travel — across borders, across cultures, across generations. This project honors that belief while protecting the integrity of her voice.

"Love Me Or Leave Me" stands as a meeting point between African-American jazz lineage and Afro-Cuban rhythmic heritage. At the center of the project stands Demetrio Muñiz, renowned musical director of Buena Vista Social Club, who steers the arrangement into rich, rhythmic terrain without disturbing the emotional gravity of Simone’s performance.

The collaboration carries rare intimacy. Waymon, Simone’s brother and longtime musical partner, lends his own vocals, transforming the track into a sibling duet that bridges decades. Simone’s voice isn’t being archived. It’s being carried forward. Listen now and experience a legend breathing in a different rhythm

#NinaSimone #SamuelWaymon #TumbaoExperience #DemetrioMuñiz #BuenaVistaSocialClub #BlackMusicLegacy #CELBlog