#518 - Nadirah Shakoor

The Nadirah Shakoor Interview is featured on The Paul Leslie Hour.

This interview with Ms. Nadirah Shakoor was originally broadcast on the radio and since then has remained in the archives. Nadirah Shakoor is someone who has used her voice to entertain and inspire music fans for her entire life. From being in the group Arrested Development, to writing and recording her own songs and albums, and then her fame as a vocalist in Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band for 26 years now.

Whatever project she sings on or whomever she performs with—her voice stands out and is unforgettable. In her life she has recorded with a diverse list of the greats— from Ralph MacDonald, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau and many others, as well as every Jimmy Buffett studio and live record since 1996.

In this interview, I attempted to get a foundation. In I asked about the musical history and background of Nadirah Shakoor and wanted to gain more insight into her personal philosophies. She discusses how her songwriting has changed over the years and how she has changed as an artist.

Then she dropped some very big news... the only people who knew were her and Jimmy Buffett. It was as a scoop. She announced she would be recording an album on Mailboat Records, Nod to the Storyteller, which was unprecedented. It was to be a re-interpretations of Jimmy Buffett songs. I've corresponded with Nadirah Shakoor since I was in high school. I wanted to get this interview out there to increase people's awareness of the many facets of her storied and interesting career as an artist. There is only one Nadirah Shakoor. Here she is.

The Paul Leslie Hour is a talk show dedicated to “Helping People Tell Their Stories.” Some of the most iconic people of all time drop in to chat. Frequent topics include Arts, Entertainment and Culture.