In this episode, the Sistas talk about two shows that promote strong African women as lead characters. The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency and Queen Sono show crime fighting women can come from anywhere.
Episode Meet The Queens
It was 1 am. It was episode 5. Should push play or go to bed. I mean it was the pandemic so no real reason to early rise.
I didn’t even want to see the show originally because it sounded corny to me. I mean put together a diverse and inspirational gospel choir. How ridiculous. I mean gospel choirs can’t be done like American Idol or the Voice. Let’s keep somethings sacred.
Then the first auditionee opened her mouth and it gave me chills.
I was wrong.
Voices of Fire, produced by Pharrell Williams and his uncle Bishop Ezekiel Williams, documents their journey to produce this choir in Hampton Road, Virginia. Like many of those shows that audition people to sing, there are long lines and colorful people.
Bishop Williams shares his vision to build a choir that is black, white, Asian etc, creating a melting pot of people like Jesus talked about. He said when all of those people come together it would draw other like-minded people. It allowed them to give incredible testimony.
Bishop said people might not listen to him preach a gospel message but would sit down and listen to a song that carries the same message. He said music transcends racial divides and cultural boundaries.
Bishop and the judges started out looking for unicorns, people with extraordinary talent and stories.
They found them.
I was inspired. I was encouraged. I was blessed.
I watched people from different cultural backgrounds sing songs that caused me to lift my hands, rock from side to side and sing with them. I thought if the power of the spirit of God was this strong weeks after it actually happened, I can imagine what it felt like in those rooms.
One evening when you need a pick me up. Check this out on Netflix. It will bless you. And I can’t wait for them to come to town.
The women of Living Single and Designing Women gave us a new way to look at working women. In the 1980s and 1990s these women asserted an independence that inspired women around the world. Which of these ladies were a role model for you? The Sistas talk about how these shows changed their world.
Listen to Episode 5 Living or Designing?
One of our favorite subjects is Bond, James Bond. Listen as we talk about who was the best and who needed a little work.
In this episode of TV Talk with the Sistas, they discuss how a show like the Jeffersons not only entertained us but gave us a role model. They also talk about another great African American role model, from the Netflix limited series, Self Made about Madam CJ Walker.
You can listen here Episode 3 Movin On Up
I am intrigued by Old Hollywood, so when I heard Sophia Loren had made a new movie, I had to see it. I remember her in House Boat with Cary Grant and Arabesque with Gregory Peck. I wanted to know if the 80ish actor could still bring the magic of movie making. This time her leading man would be a12 year old boy and would sex appeal work at her age?
The story all by itself drew me in. An older Jewish woman took in a Muslim child.
A Life Ahead tells the story of Madame Rosa who takes in children from the streets of her Italian town who have lost their parents. It follows the life of a 12-year-old Senegalese boy called Momo as he manages his life on the streets. In the opening sequence, Momo robs her.
Normally, bad teens get on my nerves because many writers allow them to do terrible things and get away with it. Momo gets to reap a little of what he has sown. It makes him a better person. As he adapts to life in Madame Rosa’s house, he discovers that there is an alternate way of living.
My favorite scene is when Momo, played by Ibrahima Gueye keeps his promise. This spoke to me in that it exemplified how showing someone how to live different is a better teacher than just telling them. Gueye is very convincing. There are nice moments but also a few sad ones as we watch Madame Rosa age.
The Italian language film was directed by Loren’s son, Edoardo Ponti, A Life Ahead and ison Netflix. The movie is dubbed in English, but the beautiful scenes and fun characters make up for it. Before this movie, the last movie Loren made was Human Voice in 2014. This movie was much better than I thought it would be. Loren was very beautiful at 86. The mother son team created a product that I could watch again and again.
One was a show that showed African Americans in business in a 1970s landscape that made Redd Foxx a hero. The other show was across the pond, and endured actor changes while maintaining a legacy of almost two decades. In this episode of TV Talk with the Sistas, they examine the merits of Sanford and Son and Midsomer Murders. King of Comedy and the Crowns Constabulary
We are sisters. We watch television. We talk about it. TV Talk With the Sistas is a podcast that celebrates African American culture. In our second episode, we examine one of our favorite shows, In the Heat of the Night with its groundbreaking stories and lead African American actors. We compare it with another one of our shows from across the pond, The Crown.
the Show Episode 2 Queen and Country
In this episode we examine the the series, The Wire. This groundbreaking show about Baltimore introduced us to many actors who are stars today. It had an impact on television and us. Check it out. Episode 10
When I am scrolling through movies, sometimes I take a chance. The other night I took a chance and had no clue what I watching and went wow. I love history but remember that it is written by the ones who win. They tend to leave out the things that embarasses them.
The storyline is around the potato famine in Ireland. It spoke to me of an oppression I could not fathom. The images stuck with me. It gave me a new perspective.
It tells the story of an Irishman who comes home from fighting for the British to find his world decimated. He sets out to get revenge. The cinematography was beautiful. The characters did not disappoint. It told a story.
This movie re enforced the idea of people telling their own story. Our histories have to be told by people who care about them.
I dove into a history that I did not know, yet a small portion of my history is Irish, perhaps the ones who landed in Texas in 1850s. Now I have an idea of what they left behind.
UPP Creative Media 