Welcome to “The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden," where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show: an anthology where Black women writers share their thoughts on rest, grief and intimacy. Then, Sheila E. talks about her early days as an artist and her upcoming show in East Palo Alto.
Today’s show is about rest and rhythm.
Alie Jones, Nia Pearl, Adrienne Danyelle Oliver
Between politics, work and probably your personal life — there’s a lot going on. So have you taken a nice deep breath today? Host Jeneé Darden invites you to pause and take a deep breath if you need to relax a bit.
Next Thursday night in Downtown San Francisco, Jeneé will be hosting a celebration of the book “When We Exhale: An Anthology of Black Women Rooted in Ancestral Medicine.” In “When We Exhale,” Black women write about rest, grief and intimacy. It’s a beautiful book that reminds us of the load the world puts on Black women’s shoulders, and how Black women heal. Jeneé was honored to write the book’s forward. Joining Jeneé is Alie Jones, the book’s co-editor and co-founder of Black Freighter Press. Poets Adrienne Danyell Oliver and Nia Pearl are two writers who contributed to the book. They’ll be performing at our event next week along with other powerful, moving Black women writers in the Bay Area.
*Correction: Jenee said Megan Thee Stallion was performing in a Broadway production of "Chicago," but the show was "Moulin Rouge! The Musical."
RSVP to our live event celebrating "When We Exhale."
Sheila E.
The song you hear in the beginning of the interview is “Bemba Colora” by Oakland’s own Sheila E., featuring Gloria Estefan and Mimy Succar. The song earned Ms. E her first Grammy in 2025. The original version a Celia Cruz classic.
Sheila E. will be performing in East Palo Alto next Saturday, May 30. The show is called “EPACENTER Illuminated: The After Glow.” It’s part of a benefit for the East Palo Alto Center, which provides free arts education to youth. Host Jeneé Darden spoke with Sheila E. about her early days as a performer in the Bay Area, and what people can expect at her upcoming show.
