Creating a new rhythm for a radical classic
BLITZ BAZAWULE ON BRINGING HIS MUSICAL ROOTS TO A NEW ADAPTATION OF THE COLOR PURPLE
WORDS AMON WARMANN
Fantasia Barrino as Celie;
Alamy, Marco Vittur
ALICE WALKER’S SEMINAL 1982 novel The Color Purple is a story that warrants retelling. Following the trials and triumphs of Celie, an African-American woman living with an abusive husband in 1900s Georgia, it was first adapted for the screen as a drama by Steven Spielberg in 1985.
Now it’s the turn of filmmaker Blitz Bazawule, who takes the story in a fresh, new musical direction, with Spielberg on producing duties alongside Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders and Quincy Jones.