Intermissions & Interludes
Creative art influences and reflects our culture. It impacts our daily conversations, our identities, and how we build community. But real life happens when the curtain closes and when the music stops—during intermission and interludes.
About the Artists
Vibraphonist, composer, arranger, and educator Nikara Warren is a true Brooklynite.
Born and bred in the eclectic and electric enclave, her debut album 'NIKARA presents...Black Wall Street' represents a convergence of Nikara's personal, cultural, familial, and musical journeys. Here, she explores abstract sound-collage, hip-hop, jazz, neo-soul, Afro-Latino and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, and more. Granddaughter of world-renowned jazz pianist Kenny Barron, Warren has graced many stages with her 7-piece band, including The Kennedy Center, SFJazz, Winter Jazz Fest, ClasiJazz Spain and many more. Music critic Kira Grunenberg states, "Nikara Presents Black Wall Street doesn't project its versatility and creative range through scholarly jazz arrangements or covers chasing perfectionism. Instead, it offers original music converged around a stylistically fluid foundation.”
Zacchae’us Paul is a young multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter of the highest caliber. His music is a kaleidoscope of styles and sounds that enriches the soul and nourishes the mind. Rooted in the vibrant city of Atlanta, GA, his inspired music delves deep into the very fabric of society, tackling pressing issues such as reparations for historical injustices and the empowering love and spirituality embodied by black women.
Like a harmonious symphony, Paul’s music weaves together the diverse threads of jazz music, seamlessly blending different styles and showcasing the captivating clash and interplay between them. It serves as a testament to the power of music created specifically for local neighborhoods and communities, a soundtrack that reverberates through the very streets it was born in.
As part of a new wave of jazz artists pushing the boundaries of the genre, Paul is making his mark on the music industry. His label debut, executive produced by NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington and featuring guest artists like Melanie Charles, Gregorie Maret, donSMITH, Cisco Swank and Candid label mate Morgan Guerin will be out in 2024.
On April 24, 2022, we celebrated the hit HBO series, Insecure. Without question, Insecure has been one of the most influential TV series for Black millennials in the last few years. Homes were split between #TeamNate and #TeamLawrence—and the short-lived #TeamDaniel.
Life is not always #BlackGirlMagic and #BlackBoyJoy, and at its core, Insecure created a space on television for Black folks to be regular, imperfect, figuring out life as we go, and the relationships it takes to endure.
