Kamasi Washington
Los Angeles’ own Kamasi Washington performs his score to the documentary based on the former First Lady’s bestselling memoir.
When jazz titan Kamasi Washington was asked to score the documentary BECOMING based on former First Lady Michelle Obama’s autobiography of the same name, one of the first things he did was listen to the Obamas’ Spotify playlists, where the Motown-leaning soul and R&B conveyed a feeling he described as a “melancholy joy...sun shining through the rainy clouds.” The resulting score with its lush, hopeful theme “Becoming” has earned an Emmy nomination for Washington.
In Conversation
Jazz giant Kamasi Washington discusses his approach to composing scores and what he’s been up to.
Playlist: KAMASI WASHINGTON / SOUND/STAGE
This playlist draws its inspiration from the BECOMING score’s 1970s retro vibe. The tracks are easygoing, soulful, and uplifting in the “sunshine through the rainy clouds” kind of way that Kamasi Washington used to describe Michelle Obama’s own playlists. Most of the songs have long, languid intros, and every single one of them is interested in easing your troubled mind.
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