Shanta Nurullah

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July 8, 2018 

Sunday 

Today is the big Sisterfire Festival day. We get a slow start, though, opting to skip the picnic. Instead we get carryout sandwiches and head for the 2 pm Narrative stage. Our…

July 7, 2018 

We stay in, relaxing and luxuriating with Law & Order and bits of movies on HBO – a big screen contrast to our tiny screen options at home (yes, we love TV). we arrange meetups…

July 6, 2018 

Friday 

We enjoy 

the spaciousness 

Of our King suite 

A wall sized window 

The lack of deadlines and alarms 

And each other 

Eventually 

We extricate ourselves 

From…

July 5, 2018  

Wheeling through back corridors 

Midway yields some surprises 

4th floor theme: The Art Institute 

Nat King Cole sings “Mona Lisa” 

3rd floor: Buckingham Fountain 

Dinah Washington’s lyrics 

Include a…

July 1, 2018 

Summer Morning 

EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING 

We complain, but maintain 

Entertaining those 

Who value what we do so much 

That they endure the heat 

For as long as they can 

…

May 13, 2018  

Today I’m not internally demanding that I hear from my children today. K got hers in yesterday. It was such a gift to experience the expanded version of Baby Soul Jam. Hundreds of families partying…

April 28, 2018 

Black Earth Ensemble's 20th Celebration 

Received a invitation to come to the twentieth year celebration of Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble at Constellation Chicago. When I accepted the invitation to play, Niki seemed genuinely pleased.…

April 21, 2018 

We’re ready to play. 

In her stage debut 

Grandbaby Noni spits up 

As Zahra causes a spill. 

Half the band disappears 

For the dual cleanup. 

The music begins. 

Aretha 

You’ve been playing on my life’s soundtrack for a long long time 

From Mother’s record club arrivals 

I’ve Never Loved a Man 

To college anthems 

All I’m asking for is a little Respect 

…

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January 29, 2018

Although it was not apparent from the 60th Grammy telecast on CBS , quite a few women won Grammy awards this year. We were highly visible as presenters and performers, with many standout performances, among them …