Today’s episode is with Estelle; a Grammy-award winning singer, song writer, and record producer.  A woman clearly comfortable with who she is, how she loves, and the boundaries she erects to express said love, Estelle has opened the sun-lit window of her lyrical world for the Institute of Black Imagination… on today.  And the church said amen.
Through storytelling and poignant advice-laden gems, Estelle shares the value of being prepared, why you must  stay in your craft, and how the industry has changed since she first started over 20 years ago. This conversation is not all business though- Estelle shares her definition of love with me and who to go to for advice when your friends and family can’t help you anymore
A playlist Inspired by Estelle’s journey and this conversation 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1plv6UAjGE (Mi Deyah Again- Beres Hammond)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeY3bQTHH2o (Better-Estelle)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic5vxw3eijY (American Boy-Estelle featuring Kanye West )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CiqqyoX7gA (Stomp-Kirk Franklin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHwXoY0LiQk (Right Here (Human Nature Radio Mix)-SWV)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBUz2nkOKsc (Don’t Leave Me- Blackstreet)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Revmkhxu7dk (Roc Boys- Jay-Z)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ5SaXj30Kw (You Bring Me Joy-Anita Baker )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrVu9WKs498 (It Don’t Mean a Thing if You Aint Got That Swing- Ella Fitzgerald )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkemox0461U (A Night in Tunisia (live)- Dizzy Gillespie )


Books that Estelle gifts the most


https://willthebook.com/ (Will Smith’s Memoir “Will” )
https://www.matthewkelly.com/post/the-seven-levels-of-intimacy (The Seven Levels of Intimacy: The art of loving and being loved) by Matthew Kelly


This conversation was recorded on March 3, 2022


Host https://www.instagram.com/dario.studio/ (Dario Calmese) 
Producer https://www.instagram.com/carmendharris/ (Carmen D. Harris)  
Visual Art Direction and Designs: 
http://riverwildmen.com/ (River Wildmen), https://www.instagram.com/afrovisualism/ (AfroVisualism)
Original Music composed by http://www.dariocalmese.com/ (Dario Calmese) 
Visit us at https://www.blackimagination.com/oral-history (blackimagination.com )