The 15-time Grammy-winner Alicia Keys, the woman who gave us the iconic tune “Fallin’,” recently partnered with Netflix to celebrate Queen Charlotte of Bridgerton (yes, that series with the luscious Regency-era costumes) by breathing new life into her 2003 hit song “If I Ain’t Got You.” This time around, Keys enlisted over 70 female musicians from all over the world to create a global orchestra composed entirely of women of colour. Talk about female empowerment!
But this performance is about more than just the celebration of feminism. As Keys herself acknowledged, it is the culmination of centuries of oppression and marginalization for women of colour. It’s about breaking down barriers and dismantling the patriarchal structures that have been in place for far too long.
The Queen Charlotte’s Global Orchestra is a symbol of hope. It’s a tribute to the Black women who came before us and who were never given opportunities like these. In fact, this orchestra is doing something unprecedented: it’s creating history.
Report has it that Black women have been underrepresented and undervalued in the arts. But this orchestra is a beautiful reminder that what we have to offer is unique and valuable and deserves a space to be celebrated. Alicia Keys also demonstrates that by coming together, something truly magical can be created.
“The entire idea was quite ambitious,” Keys tells Billboard with a laugh, adding that Netflix was excited to take on the challenge and shift the perspective of what an orchestra looks like. “I feel like it’s going to open the minds of many people to realize that women of color belong everywhere and we’ve always been everywhere. It’s magical.”
“We’re all after the ability to be liberated, to just feel comfortable in our skin, to be allowed to be who we are. To demand that from ourselves and to practice that is so important,”
“It feels like when we have an orchestra of all women of color from all over the world, that we’re finally doing something right.’ This is what our ancestors never experienced.”
It’s encouraging the efforts from a major media platform like Netflix teaming up with a talented artist like Keys to create something special. It’s even more encouraging when this collaboration becomes an opportunity to uplift women of colour, allowing them to shine in ways they may not have had the chance to before.
In the end, the Queen Charlotte’s Global Orchestra is about more than just music. It’s about creating change, closing gaps and breaking barriers. It’s about celebrating a group of women who have been underrepresented for far too long. It’s about rewriting history and leaving a legacy for generations of young girls to come, so they know that anything is possible.
