Mem Nahadr was born of African-American parents, with the genetic condition known as Albinism. Her parents discovered her love and natural understanding of music during a parent/teacher meeting at the age of 5. She was discovered creating coherent improvised passages from her own imagination, on the class piano as the meeting was held at the opposite end of the classroom.
Career
In 2008, she presented her first off-Broadwaytheatrical production, . co-produced by Grammy winner James P. Nichols, and Harvard LOEB Theater director, Claude E. Sloan, Jr. Nahadr, being an albinistic African-American, was requested in 2004 by National Geographic Magazine to have a portrait made of her by renowned photojournalist Robert Clark, to be included in an article on genetic inheritance, ideas of diversity and acceptance of difference. Later that year, the portrait and some of Nahadr's artistic work were included in the magazine's "Best of the Year" collection of images. Another portrait of Nahadr travels internationally in the Positive Exposure exhibition by notable fashion photographer and human rights activistRick Guidotti. The collection was launched at the Smithsonian Institution during the Mapping of the Human Genome Celebration in 2000. In 2009, Ms. Nahadr released her fifth studio album entitled: "EclecticIsM" internationally, to critical acclaim. AMG/Billboard gave it 4 stars, while the Legendary Award Winning BBC Music Presenter, Kevin Le Gendre, called it "The soul album of the year for its challenge to the genre itself". In 2010 Ms. Nahadr was requested by legendary poet and playwright Ntozake Shange, to compose a musical work for the soundtrack to the feature film adaptation of her iconic Broadway classic For Colored Girls Who Have Considered SuicideWhen The Rainbow Is Enuf. This film was released by Lions Gate Entertainment, Hollywood, California. Again in 2012, award-winning BBC Music journalist Kevin Le Gendre included Ms. Nahadr extensively throughout his 2012 literary release: Soul Unsung - Reflections on the Band in Black Popular Music . Also, in 2012 Ms. Nahadr embarked on a worldwide pilgrimage in order to study sound and healing techniques worldwide, from the U.S. through Europe to Asia. The project was entitled, LoM. In March 2013, Ms. Nahadr began the creation of a new Opera entitled: "FEMME FRACTALE - An Opera of Reflection", for the Theater. James P. Nichols and Claude E. Sloan, Jr supported this presentation with co-production and state of the art technical and creative design. In April 2015 the second opus of her operatic work “FEMME FRACTALE” was released in audio form and began to be performed in theatres internationally. Once again, to critical acclaim. James Nadal from All About Jazz proclaims “This record pushes the boundaries of where vocalization can go. This aptly named 'Opera of Reflection' is a determined and energetic project, depicting how positive energy can be channeled into music that is palatable yet vanguard, and realized with a cosmic message of confidence. Mem Nahadr is very much the modern woman who is savoring her role as a visionary artist, creating futuristic music for a contemporary audience that appreciates the effort it takes to accomplish something so imaginative.“ In 2017 the third opus entitled: “FEMME FRACTALE 432 - An Opera of Reflection - The Celestial Resonance Opus 3” was submitted to The Recording Academy for Grammy consideration, and made the voting ballot in 13 categories over 5 musical genres. Also in 2017, the aforementioned project on healing techniques through sound, entitled - LoM was inevitably released. In 2019, Ms. Nahadr began work on her third opera to be released in 2021. This new work is entitled: "M.E.M. - "Mon Electro-Magnetisme: An Opera on Resonance".
Discography
Albums
1999: Madwoman: A Contemporary Opera
2012: Eclecticism 432
2015: Femme Fractale - An Opera of Reflection
2017: FF 432 - An Opera of Reflection... The Celestial Resonance OPUS 3'
