\u201cIt made me realize how many women weren\u2019t being fully seen,\u201d Jean said. \u201cAnd how much we need spaces that reflect that experience back to us.\u201d<\/p>\n
That realization fueled what would become \u201cBlack Divas,\u201d the 2024 showcase of opera, gospel and R&B music filmed in Austin and syndicated to public television stations across the nation. Built around the emotional and spiritual dimensions of Black motherhood, the second installment \u2014 \u201cBlack Divas: Her Life on Cloud 9\u201d \u2014 will be taped live Saturday at Austin PBS\u2019 studios.<\/p>\n
Watch last year’s performance below: <\/p>\n
Jean, who leads the rap group Riders Against the Storm with husband Jonathan \u201cChaka\u201d Mahone, said the deeper she looked into Texas\u2019 maternal health numbers, the more urgent the project felt. State reviews show that a significant share of deaths during pregnancy, childbirth or postpartum are preventable, with delayed recognition of complications frequently cited. Black women continue to face the highest risks, both nationally and in Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jean also points out the importance of the work of groups such as Black Mamas ATX<\/a> and Black Mamas Village<\/a>, which advocate for improved care and support in hospitals and clinics.<\/p>\n Another gap Jean hopes to address in the performance is the way Black female artists \u2014 even those as revered as Aretha Franklin and Leontyne Price \u2014 were rarely encouraged to speak to the nuance and challenges of Black women\u2019s inner lives.<\/p>\n She describes “Black Divas” as a space dedicated to sharing and revealing, where Black women\u2019s voices don\u2019t project outward for affirmation, but can instead turn inward for self recognition. The concert\u2019s structure reflects that intention, shifting between classical arias, gospel-driven arrangements and contemporary R&B to emphasize connection rather than genre boundaries.<\/p>\n Shunya Carroll<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n KUT News<\/p>\n Icy Monroe, Andrea Bridgeman, Kraven Rowry and Anitra Coulter Blunt rehearse for the taping of “Black Divas.”<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a musical space that lets Black women hear themselves more clearly, without having to explain anything,\u201d Jean said. \u201cIt’s about giving Black women permission to create an echo chamber that points inward, and using that vocal strength, clarity and precision to create a vortex for themselves and invite people in, as opposed to feeling like it needs to constantly be exported to be valid.\u201d<\/p>\n Jean has assembled a quartet of returning vocalists, including two classical sopranos and two gospel altos whose repertoires she\u2019s curating to shape the emotional center of the show. Also on board is guest performer Keke Wyatt, a platinum-selling R&B singer known for her collaborations with Avant and her appearances on R&B Divas: Atlanta. Jean said Wyatt\u2019s presence made sense because of her vocal power, her experience as a mother of 11, and her familiarity with television production, all of which aligned with the show\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen her team said she was interested, everything fell into place,\u201d Jean said. \u201cThe timing, the support, the resources all clicked.\u201d<\/p>\n A live band composed entirely of Black musicians will again anchor the performance, providing continuity from last year\u2019s showcase while expanding the arrangements and the overall production design. Jean said she sees the ensemble as a support system that mirrors the network of birth workers, advocates and community leaders who first inspired the project. <\/p>\n Shunya Carroll<\/p>\n \/<\/p>\n KUT News<\/p>\n Jean built the performance around the emotional and spiritual dimensions of Black motherhood. <\/p>\n The program aims to balance the difficulties of maternal health with moments of joy, humor, connection and catharsis.<\/p>\n \u201cJoy is nourishment,\u201d Jean said. \u201cIt\u2019s something we need, especially in times that feel heavy.\u201d<\/p>\n She hopes audiences come away with a fuller picture of what Black mothers carry and contribute.<\/p>\n \u201cI want people to feel the depth of these women. Their strength, their vulnerability, their humor, all of it,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty I want people to walk away with.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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