I had the opportunity to interview Nasimiyu Murumba, a Minneapolis born, soul artist who has migrated down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Her EP, “It Ain’t Pretty, But it’s Beautiful” is a collection of songs inspired by the artist’s personal journies in the city of New orleans. The album’s dynamic brass-laden basslines and rhythms unfold influence from rich histories of the south’s deep musical roots.

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How would you describe your sound?

It’s comprised of organic instrumentation — upright bass, guitar, piano, baritone saxophone, and drums, layered with soulful, spunky vocals. The feel is a little vintage, drawing influence from jazz, blues, and motown classics. It is forward-thinking in its composition, which is innovative and occasionally experimental.

I call it mysticrunk sophistifunk sistapunk. Others mostly call it soul.

What are you influenced by?

Billie Holiday, Michael Jackson, Outkast, Stevie Wonder, Janelle Monae, Fiona Apple, James Brown, Regina Spektor, Amy Winehouse, Meschiya Lake, Bill Withers, Lauryn Hill, Louis Armstrong, Glen David Andrews, TV on the Radio, Freddie Mercury, Claude Debussy, New Orleans Secondlines, sweating, reverence, nature, astronomy, mushrooms, film noir, marching bands, flirtatiousness, voodoo, burlesque, Dia de los Muertos, birds, dance, Africa, heartache, metamorphosis, surrealism, anthropology, jasmine flowers and elephant ear plants.

If you had to compare your work to another artist or band who would it be?

As difficult as it is to make any comparisons, I would say that it shares some of the same soulful, classic qualities as Amy Winehouse or Janelle Monae. It shares a raw emotionality with Lauryn Hill. And that it is bold and colorful like the work of Stevie Wonder.

What are your words of wisdom for the creative class of New Orleans?

As preservers of culture, we sometimes get stuck in repetition mode. I would encourage the creative class of New Orleans to stay in touch with its very special heritage, but to also be brave and imaginative about ushering in our own generation’s leaps in artistic evolution.

Anything else we need to know about you?

My band and I will be performing at our CD release party this Saturday, the 26th, at the All-Ways Lounge!

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Visit her onlint at: http://www.nasimiyu.com/


R.J. Huneke

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R.J. Huneke was born in 1983 in a small town on the water called Port Jefferson, in New York. It was perhaps there that he began to have an affinity for living on an island and being surreally surrounded by water. Art in the form of drawing, reading and writing began at the age of four and has yet to abate. He is currently attending Stony Brook University, for English, and he plans to go on to publish many works vehemently. With his published pages, this web site was established in November of 2007 to display select writings and art as RUNE WORKS productions.

The author continues to master his rampant coffee habit and his craft in the fiction, photography, non-fiction and poetic art forms. A former columnist for Newsday, R.J. Huneke was first published for “Impulse Review” articles. He continues to write about books and popular culture in his own Impulsive Reviews and RJH Blog, and he is the Editor in Chief for World to Philosoph (W2P). R.J.’s publications to date, both online and in print, include fiction, poetry, photographs and non-fiction articles for Newsday, Gadizmo, App Battleground, the Apple Gazette, the Kartel.com, Examiner, Break Studios, The Statesman, The Stony Brook PRESS, the “East End Elements” and “Spoke the Thunder” literary magazines and more.

R.J. is shopping around his fourth novel titled The Subliminal Religion; it is the author’s most unique work of contemporary fiction to date. His first three novels lie in wait to be re-polished and published in their entirety in the future. R.J.’s pen is only put down to raise a cup of coffee, as life is measured by coffee spoons.