Hey everyone, LAVAS here, and welcome to a deeply personal episode of Mother Tongue.

This one's for Grace Jones and Nina Simone. You know, as a masculine-presenting black lesbian, finding my place in the world hasn't always been easy. But then there are these two icons.

This episode isn't a typical music show. Instead, I've created an hour-long soundscape, a mix built from carefully selected tracks dancing with powerful voice notes from Grace Jones and Nina Simone themselves. I wanted to capture the essence of their spirit, their wisdom, their unapologetic truth, through their own words.

It's a journey through their thoughts, their experiences, and the sheer force of their personalities, all set against a backdrop of music that resonates with what I am probably projecting as their energy. This is a tribute to the women who continue to show me it is more than okay to exist outside of the boxes society tries to shove us into.

Tune in, and let's immerse ourselves in their articulation of freedom and authenticity.

Tracklist:

• TRY - Madison McFerrin

• Chariots Of Fire - Jazzuelle

• UMDALI (Violet Green Mix) - LAVAS

• See-Line Woman - Atjazz feat. Dominique Fils-Aimé

• Ntozabantu - Lebo Mathosa

• Cat Lady - Fouk

• Live My Life - Winnie Khumalo

• Paradise Architects - Theo Parrish

• Chicken Dinner - Fouk

• Bug In The Bass Bin - Innerzone Orchestra

• White Mountain - Jessica Lauren

With supporting interviews snippets about Nina Simoe and Grace Jones