Woman Warrior: Singer/Activist Maya Azucena

Singer Maya Azucena, photo by Shannon Finney, February 2013, Miami, Florida

The first thing I noticed about singer/songwriter Maya Azucena was the flower in her hair,

and then I heard her sing. Azucena is a blend of hip-hop, soul, r&b, and swagger. Her

high-energy performances can bring a crowd to their feet, but the raw truth of her lyrics

can bring you to tears. Whether she's detailing the painful abuse she suffered at the

hands of a boyfriend in the song, "The Half", or imploring listeners to channel their

inner fighter in "Warriors," Azucena blends vulnerability with power. She has traveled the

world as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department's American Music

Abroad program, producing and performing in cross-cultural events. Her focus has

been on women's health, including a series of concerts and workshops in Africa

in support of abuse and rape victims. Azucena and Emmy Award-winning director,

Lisa Russell, founded MDGFive.com, a multi-media website that uses performance

and visual arts to raise awareness for better maternal health.

 

 

 

 

 



The Fire Eater at Sunset

The Fire Eater, from The Key West Chronicles, photograph by Shannon Finney, Key West, Florida, March 2013

One week in Key West, Florida is hardly enough time to take in all of the
wonderful places and people this small island has to offer. On our first
full day in Key West, though, after a generous serving of key lime pie, we
made way for Mallory Square, the center of Key West's historic waterfront, for
the sunset celebration. Hundreds of tourists and locals pile into the square,
awaiting the sunset, while being entertained by the street performers who
stalk the square, in a ritual that is part carnival midway and Cirque du Soleil.  
I had never seen so many fire eaters in one spot, with their raspy barking
calling out to passersby to come and see their show.

For Your Entertainment, from The Key West Chronicles, photograph by Shannon Finney, Key West, Florida, March 2013


 

A St. Patrick's Day Walk in Old Town Alexandria

The St. Patrick's Day Princess, photo by Shannon Finney, Alexandria, VA, March 2013

 

Well, it's that time of year, again, when the beer is green and bars are packed. On

this St. Patrick's Day weekend, I took my camera and went out onto the streets

of Old Town Alexandria, VA for a look at the scene. I found princesses,

green bling, a Congressman, and even a pair of newlyweds, and a friendly

crowd at O'Connell's Restaurant and Pub.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Women Making a Difference: T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison, Founders of GirlTrek

GirlTrek co-founders T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison with a team of
enthusiastic walkers in the We Are Harriet walk on The National Mall
Photograph by Shannon Finney, March 10, 2012, Washington, DC

 

Take a walk. Join a movement. With just these two sentences, a revolution

has begun. In just two short years, Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison have

inspired thousands of African American women and girls to grab a friend and go for

a walk. As diabetes, heart disease, and a host of other diseases associated with

obesity strike the African American community disproportionately, Morgan and

Vanessa found a solution that is as easy as putting on a pair of tennis shoes

and heading outside. GirlTrek, through its active network of volunteers,

creates neighborhood walking campaigns. Invoking the rich history of

walking during the Civil Rights Movement, GirlTrek invites a new

generation to take a walk and join a movement.

The Mother-of-the-bride

The Mother-of-the-bride, photographed by Shannon Finney, Alexandria, VA, January 2013

 

The pathway from newly engaged to walking down the aisle can be fraught -

packed with binders over-stuffed with details, and hours of planning. And

while good friends are there to assist, there is one member of the

wedding party who often takes on the Herculean task of project manager and

that's the mother-of-the-bride. She is catering manager, transportation

coordinator, and dresser. I snapped this photograph during a wedding

shoot and I love it because within it is the essence of the bond between mother

and daughter - the constancy of care no matter when and no matter what. 



An Inauguration Memory

Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, Washington, DC /Photograph by Shannon Finney

Now that the holidays are over, denizens of the Beltway have turned their attention to the

upcoming second Inaugural celebrations for President Obama (or POTUS, as we

affectionately call him). And as Washington, DC gives itself a good polish, I have been

thinking about the first Inauguration of President Obama, back on January 20, 2009. It was

freezing that day, and as my husband and I stepped out of the warm Metro station and

onto the cold streets of Capitol Hill, I realized that those hand warmers were going to be

insufficient. Security was tight that day, with concrete barriers and chain link fencing everywhere you

turned. And while the throngs of people were impressive, the most visually jarring

thing to me were instances where there was an absence of people and cars. When I took

the above photo, I was having one of those "Vanilla Sky" moments where it was

eerily quiet and still. 

In Celebration of Small Wonders

Photograph by Shannon Finney, December 2009, Alexandria, Virginia

One of my favorite childhood memories was Grandma hauling out the big box from the back of the closet with our family Nativity scene. The figurines were small and chipped from decades of wear and tear and Christmastime appearances. Grandma would let my sister and I set up the figurines on the coffee table in the living room, though I would wander in and out of the room throughout the holidays adjusting the figures, and treating them like Biblical action figures. My love of miniatures continues, but it reaches its zenith at Christmas. I photographed the above Nativity scene several years ago at a church in Old Town Alexandria, and it's one of my favorites. It feels like a three-dimensional, pastoral painting, set in rural Europe, rather than in the Middle East. The humans and the barnyard animals all have that calm, bemused expression on their faces, which makes this small wonder a visual treat.