I was inspired to write this profile after a recent brunch hosted by Almeta at her Paris apartment on a Sunday afternoon. After over five hours of sitting around her table enjoying a delicious home-cooked meal (including a perfect cornbread), scintillating conversation, and laughter, I determined that I would write a profile on this woman who is a never-ending source of incredible stories about her life on two continents and her travels around the world.
Almeta Speaks is a singer, pianist, professor, and film producer.
Born in Reidsville, NC, she began singing and playing piano at an early age. She graduated from high school at the age of 15, then studied and worked as a hairdresser in her home town for three years before moving to New York, where she hoped to study cosmetology. However, because she felt insecure about the math and chemistry requirements for completing the program, she decided instead to work as a mother’s helper (nanny) for a Jewish family on Long Island while considering her career options.
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Almeta Speaks
© Hudson Taylor, Toronto
© Hudson Taylor, Toronto
Almeta Speaks is a singer, pianist, professor, and film producer.
Born in Reidsville, NC, she began singing and playing piano at an early age. She graduated from high school at the age of 15, then studied and worked as a hairdresser in her home town for three years before moving to New York, where she hoped to study cosmetology. However, because she felt insecure about the math and chemistry requirements for completing the program, she decided instead to work as a mother’s helper (nanny) for a Jewish family on Long Island while considering her career options.
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Black Paris Profiles™ is now available on Kindle. Only excerpts are available on this blog.
To get your copy of Black Paris Profiles™, click HERE.
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Entrée to Black Paris!™ is a Discover Paris! blog.
3 comments:
Thanks for sharing this. As a black Francophile living in Vancouver, I enjoyed reading about this amazing woman. And I really identify with her comment about home representing a place of refuge and wanting to live in beautiful spaces.
Hi Elsa,
Almeta is amazing! I am very pleased that you enjoyed the posting, and she'll be pleased as well.
I don't know if this message have any chance to come to you after 15 years but I feel just like something in me connecting with her music. I was in Marseille yesterday with a friend and I found on the street, directly on the floor, a scratch CD of Almeta. I just started listening to it this morning and I was amazed by the music. I live in France, I'm in Paris almost once a week and if by any chance Almeta lives there, I'd like to connect with her... I'm not sure if it's a good way to write it down here but if you get my message by any chance, please let me know
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