Song of the Day: Miles Davis, “Tutu”


Legendary peace crusader Desmond Tutu passed away on December 26 in Cape Town, South Africa. He was 90. Tutu played a huge role in the opposition of apartheid in South Africa. For this, he received a Nobel Prize for Peace in 1984. Miles Davis named his 1984 album Tutu, widely regarded as his last game-changer record, in his honor. The record was definitely politically-charged and inspired by the situation in South Africa at the time. Speaking about the title track, Davis said: “I wrote [it] because I was reading about Desmond Tutu and his work, and at the time, we were mostly hearing only about Nelson Mandela. So, I wanted to highlight Bishop Tutu too because my grandfather was also an Episcopal bishop.”

Like this article?  Get more when you subscribe.

Join Our Newsletter
Join thousands of other jazz enthusiasts and get new music, artists, album, events and more delivered to your inbox.

The Authoritative Voice in Jazz