Meet Me On The Moon

Welcome to Meet Me on the Moon, the podcast that celebrates the influence, legacy and sound of the iconic singer-songwriter Phyllis Hyman through the lived experiences of some of Philadelphia’s finest Black women vocalists. My hope is that you’ll learn a bit about the Black women singers who make your daily world go round. Not the mega celebrity you worship but will probably never get a chance to meet. Nope. I’m talking about the singers right in front of you, you know, the one who sang your favorite jams at your cousin’s wedding that kept you on the dance floor all night, or the one who sang your beloved grandparent’s favorite hymn at their memorial service,, or the one you run into on a busy street corner, strumming and humming, reminding you that there is such beauty in every day.That’s us, Black singing women sharing our gifts with the world. In these episodes you’ll hear about everything from the butterflies of a first gig to the excitement of tour life, from balancing your bank account to bouncing a baby on your hip while continuing to make a life in music. We can imagine those same joys and challenges being faced by Phyllis Hyman during her too-brief career. And so these conversations invoke her spirit with deep gratitude and love for the path she cleared for Black women to find not just our musical voices, but also our power to shape our destinies beyond the stage.Meet Me On The Moon, the podcast, was recorded, produced and edited M’Balia Singley. Original music by M’Balia Singley. Meet Me On The Moon was generously funded by a grant from The Black Music City Project, a collaboration between public radio stations WXPN, WRTI, and creative agency, REC Philly and sponsored by The Wyncote Foundation and Tito’s handmade Vodka. The beautiful artwork was created by Angela Faranda. Special thanks to Shekhinah B, Rhenda Fearrington, Tiffany Jones, and Denise King.mbalia.com

All Episodes

Meet Me On The Moon

Shekhinah B.

June 02, 2021 • M'Balia • Episode 1

I first saw Shekhinah performing with her group, Sistas Attuned at the Barnes Foundation and was blown away by their infectious energy and vibrant sisterhood. I gotta tell you, the B in her name has to stand for business, because Shekhinah is forthright in her belief that no one should be a starving artist. Shekhinah is a tireless advocate for artists through The Women's Coalition for Empowerment, an organization she founded to improve the financial support and access to employment opportunities for emerging artists, musicians, and performers. We talked about her New York roots, what it takes to make it in the party band scene, and her inspiring solution to depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. And of course, her thoughts on the legacy of the legendary Phyllis Hyman. Here we go!

To stay in touch with Shekhinah and to learn more about the Women’s Coalition for Empowerment, check out shekhinahb.org and thewce.org.

Meet Me On The Moon, the podcast, was recorded, produced and edited by me, M’Balia Singley, with original music by, you guessed it, me, M’Balia Singley. Meet Me On The Moon was generously funded by a grant from The Black Music City Project, a collaboration between public radio stations WXPN, WRTI, and creative agency, REC Philly and sponsored by The Wyncote Foundation and Tito’s Homemade Vodka. The beautiful artwork was created by Angela Faranda. Special thanks to Shekhina B, Rhenda Fearrington, Tiffany Jones and Denise King.