What are you grateful for this week?
This week, I have been reflecting on how lucky I am to have some amazing women in my life.
International Women’s Day was on Friday, and it’s great to have a day dedicated to women. There's always the argument of why we need a day to celebrate women or a month to celebrate black history.
I agree that we should appreciate these things all the time, but there’s something special about putting aside that day/month to amplify attention on efforts made, express appreciation, and discuss the changes that are still needed.
On that note, I want to wish all the mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day!
This Sunday Snapshot is dedicated to all the women out there!
Sonic sanctuary (music):
My three songs for you this week are from three amazing female artists who are unique, brave, and pioneering in their own right.
M.I.A - Borders
I've been a fan of M.I.A since I was a youngen. I find her inspiring because she has always chosen to speak out against injustice and inequality. Another aspect I love about M.I.A is that her music embodies multiculturalism.
Her second album, 'Kala,' was made in several countries, including the UK, India, Trinidad, Liberia, Jamaica, and Japan – a remarkable roster of locations that came about largely because she was unable to get a visa to the U.S due to the politicised nature of her first album.
Maya moved to the UK as a refugee due to the civil war in Sri Lanka but rose against adversity to create art – beautiful and raw.
Her discography boasts popular songs like 'Paper Planes,' which received critical acclaim and was featured in the movie 'Slumdog Millionaire.' However, if you pay attention to the lyrics, you'll uncover messages about the struggles of immigrants in third-world countries.
'Borders' is no different – if you focus on the lyrics, well, you can see for yourself here.
Erykah Badu - Didn’t Cha Know
Erykah Badu—what a woman. I love that she is unapologetically herself. You just have to watch her interview with Vogue to see that this woman is living in her own utopia, and all negativity is kept out by her impenetrable spiritual force field.
Badu's first album, 'Baduizm' (1997), earned her two Grammy awards for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album. She is known as the Queen of Neo Soul. Her voice is soothing and rich, like freshly baked sourdough with freshly churned butter.
Artists like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Drake, and Amy Winehouse have collaborated with her or referenced her music. She's known as the Godmother of Soul. She's also had her fair share of controversy, as artists do, and her response to this is that "great artists don’t necessarily have some positive message or a moral message. I just think they’re very honest. If they’re very honest, you can see it come through no matter what they’re talking about."
Listen to this soulful number here.
Jorja Smith - Bussdown (feat Shaybo)
Ladies and gentlemen, Jorja Smith! 👏🏾 What a voice— the Gen Z Sade.
Her debut single, 'Blue Lights,' samples Dizzie Rascal's song 'Sirens.' It's a poignant tale of a young boy influenced by the 'poison' in his ears, given a weapon that has been used to commit a crime. The fear he now carries, constantly looking over his shoulder when he hears sirens, even though he didn't do the dirty work, is tangible.
How do you describe the force that is Jorja Smith's voice?
Imagine the top 10 emotional movies ever made. Capture the tears shed for them, and then envision the surge of the waterfall that would be created if it was let loose. That surge is how powerful her voice is—best my brain could do 😂.
In all honesty, she has a truly special voice that complements any song she's on. I particularly enjoyed her collaborations with artists like Burna Boy, Popcaan, and J Hus. When she ventured into amapiano, she entered '🐐' territory in my opinion.
The song 'Buss Down' features British Nigerian artist Shaybo—listen here
The Socratic segment (thoughts/ideas):
This week, I've learned and been inspired by numerous events and conversations. While the Sunday Snapshot tradition involves picking three, I'm going rogue this week and focusing on just one of them.
Design Matters with Suleika Jaouad
Let me paint a picture for you.
Thursday was a positive day for me—I made strides in several initiatives and enjoyed a social evening with my running club. Despite being out of my routine, I decided to stay up late, responding to messages and watching Mad Men to decompress.
However, my habitual late-night activities caught up with me when I had to wake up early the next morning. The guilt was palpable, and my mood resembled that of a sleep-deprived toddler.
To kickstart my day, I decided to listen to Debbie Millman's interview with Suleika Jaouad on my way to the first appointment. I first encountered Suleika in her Architectural Digest home tour on YouTube and knew she and her husband Jon were special. The ecstasy I felt seeing her as the latest guest on Design Matters was unmatched.
For someone not prone to tears, this episode almost burst the floodgates.
Suleika's life story is powerful, unwavering, and inspirational.
Born in New York to a Tunisian father and Swiss mother, she initially pursued the double bass at Juilliard but later shifted her focus to literature, hoping to become a war correspondent, driven by a passion for women's rights and storytelling.
At 22, Suleika was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia, given a 35% chance of survival. Her response was inspiring—instead of succumbing to self-pity, she channeled her creativity. She initiated the 'Life, Interrupted' column in The New York Times, which won an Emmy. Her memoir, 'Between Two Kingdoms,' became a New York Times bestseller.
Inspired by Frida Kahlo's use of art to cope with pain, Suleika transformed adversity into positive output.
A decade later, facing a recurrence of cancer, she underwent another bone marrow transplant, spending a year in the hospital. Her mindset remained one of ownership and resilience.
The documentary 'American Symphony,' created by Matthew Heineman, follows Suleika and Jon during one of the most defining periods of their lives—Jon's nomination for 11 Grammys and creation of a symphony at Carnegie Hall while Suleika battled cancer for the second time. If you haven't seen it, it's worth a watch on Netflix.
Listen to the podcast episode here
Seeing (images I’ve taken/from the archives/photographs I’ve found):
I feel genuinely blessed and grateful to have so many special women in my life.
I want to use this opportunity to express my gratitude to Rassu, Laura, Jane, Reema, Mudi, Gertruda, Voke, Anna, Ana, Lauren, Tomi, Amanda, Gemma, Nat, and Annie.
Life is precious, and I believe that it's important to tell people how you feel about them in the moment so there is no regret.
Have a great week!
Thanks for sharing, you'll need to tell me how you took such a gorgeous photo tho, no idea how you got that angle.