Philly’s Fawziyya Heart is a soul singer as much as she’s a community-builder. Her first splash on the scene happened in the 20-teens, both as member of the ever-present Worldtown collective, as the organizer of the Heart Beat music showcase, and as a burgeoning solo artist who last joined us in the studio in February of 2020. All those efforts took a pause that spring when the world stopped, but Heart is back in action this winter with new music, a new band, and the return of the Heart Beat.
This week on The Key Studio Sessions, Heart pays a visit to WXPN to perform live and chat with our Abdur Rahman. They talk about her emergence on the scene at spaces like The Boom Room and Time, her love of love songs — her own, as well as classics by artists like Donny Hathaway — and about the collaboration that helps her musical circles continually grow. And they talk about the next chapter of The Heart Beat, which centers music and creativity as much as mindfulness and meditation; they’ll be at american grammar at 2046 North Front Street this Sunday morning and afternoon, December 1st, with performances by Emily Drinker and Lyndä, as well as Heart.
We also hear a live set of cuts from her forthcoming project Love Notes, which drops on Valentine’s Day, performed live with guitarist Derek Gertz, bassist Jack Zaferes, drummer Kevin Paschall, and vocalist / flautist Rae.Dianz contributing bars and melodies to the standout “All You Need.”
Watch the session and interview with Adbur Rahman above, check out photos below, and for more information on The Heart Beat, click here.