Jamila Woods Returns With Her Directorial Debut & New Song, “Giovanni.”

By | October 16, 2018 at 4:55 pm | No comments | ILL Tracks, MUSIC, Videos | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Following her incomparable debut HEAVN, Jamila Woods returns with her directorial debut and new single, “Giovanni.” “Giovanni” is named for the poet, writer, activist, and educator Nikki Giovanni, and is inspired by her poem “Ego Tripping (there may be a reason why).”

Moving between music video and documentary, the film balances Woods’s music and imagination with an elemental, front-and-center glimpse of the prism of Black women that inspire Woods. In fact, the first voice in this video is not Jamila’s but her grandmother’s, asserting plainly, “If you really want something done and done well, do it yourself.” Monologues from performance artist Po’ Chop, teaching artist and scholar Dominique James, former Chicago Youth Poet Laureate E’mon Lauren, hair artist Mo G, yoga instructor, and youth programming director Kesha Daniels-Rush (Woods’ cousin) and author/healer Philippa Norman (Woods’s mother) reinforce that truth.

“‘Giovanni’ is a song about owning & celebrating all the parts of myself. It’s about legacy and lineage, and how the love & strength of the people who made me makes me feel invincible.” – Jamila Woods

Watch the video for “Giovanni” above. Enjoy!

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