🎶 In December, my friend Jude surprised me with tickets to see Samara Joy for my birthday. Somehow, the time for the concert snuck up on us with a quickness. Ms. Samara Joy is nothing but divine. I’m convinced the spirit of Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday may very well be resting in her belly. Everyone in that room found themselves emotional, in awe, and moved to a higher plane ✨
After having our seats swapped, we found ourselves at the best table and even made a new friend. To make matters even more divine, as the show came to a close, I turned around to see the thee Lianne La Havas sitting behind us. Yes - that
@liannelahavas , the one whose self-titled album got many of us through the pandemic. ❤️
I often become the most awkward and shy version of myself when it comes to working up the courage to speak to new people in the wild. But I couldn’t leave without getting an autograph for Jordan, a dear friend & the lead actress of
@redforrevolution , who is also a Ms. La Havas fan. During our first session together, we had
@jordanehull sing a few of her favorite songs before diving into the music of Red for Revolution, and “Bittersweet” by Lianne La Havas was one of those songs. She instantly blew us all away. And Jordan’s version of “I Don’t Wanna Know” from episode six is very Lianne-coded.
I wish I had a sharpie and a notebook, but I did have a pink pen, a copy of To Be Young Gifted and Black by Lorraine Hansberry, and tucked inside it, our Red for Revolution poster cards. I asked Ms. La Havas if she could autograph a postcard for Jordan, and she graciously agreed, but first asked if she could keep one of our cards. I got to share a bit about our series with her, which felt especially surreal on a week when Red for Revolution is up for two Webby Awards. Today is actually the last day to vote for us in Best Original Music & Sound Design and Best Fiction Podcast!
Everything about the night felt divine, from where we were seated to witnessing the brilliance of
@samarajoysings to the unexpected blessing of meeting Lianne La Havas. Endless gratitude for the kindness of strangers, good music, and good friends, both old and new 🫶🏾🙏🏾
