It was my man’s birthday the other day and despite my over opinionated views on the world, I like to keep things simply personalized with regard to gift giving. After hand held presents were offered, we went to brunch, movies, Rockefeller Center Skating Rink, then SOB’s for some grub and the most enchanting woman to ever live killing the mic like she’d done it since inception.
While devouring spicy shrimp fajita and a decadent chocolate ‘annihilate-the diet’ dessert, she emerged. The sparkler on his cake illuminated her glorious caramel face as she danced her way to the awaiting stage, opened her mouth, and breathed into soothing French against hip-hop beat. ‘Wow’ I thought, ‘this woman really knows who she is’. And who would that be? Blue Nefertiti – better known by her government, Celia Faussart. Prior to flying independently, Nefertiti was one-half of the Grammy-nominated duo Les Nubians, previously sharing the gold encrusted stage with her equally exquisite sister, Helene.
(To the dismay of the birthday boy) I had to furiously research Nefertiti as soon as I arrived home and came to find out that, though she was born in Paris to a French father and Cameroonian mother, she now lives in Brooklyn with her two magical children (this information obviously made me appreciate her existence even more). In fact, to reinforce her multiple influences, Nefertiti explained in a previous interview, that her stage name was thought up in an attempt to both link Europe and Africa as well as connect the past to the present. Consequently, during the course of the show, she made a point to assert that, though French by birth and primary experience, she is musically influenced by all parts of the world, considers herself saved by and devoted to Hip-Hop, and believes that that her music (both with Les Nubians and individually) is meant in part to open Americans to sounds of other cultures. Well, we’re open.
Later that night as I recounted the show, a union of European opera and classical cabaret with Hip-Hop, Jazz, Classical, and Tribal influence, I thought ‘yes the production was indeed as eclectic as her presence’ and, as I later realized, overall musical mission. Nefertiti’s link of place, culture, and experience has not only permeated her entire career, it has influenced her soul. And that was it. At some overwhelming point during the show I realized why this woman is so phenomenal. Like all of us, there are many different sides, views, gut feelings, and inner truths to Nefertiti but she is not fighting against one characteristic of her personality versus another like most of us subconsciously or willfully do daily. She has beautifully and seamlessly merged all aspects of her multiple selves into one fully present, perfectly comfortable presence and, to make her flyness that much more daunting, she has done it all through her groundbreaking music.
Blue Nefertiti has revolutionized ‘Afropean’ sound by being just herself and, in so doing, has allowed the eclectic mix of her life experiences to grace millions of anxious ears internationally. Now if that’s not the work of a majestic Nubian Queen then I just don’t know what is. All hail her haze.
