SHAZAH is a dynamic performance duo comprised of two visionary artists, Shanta Nurullah and Zahra Glenda Baker, whose collective artistry bridges music, storytelling, and cultural empowerment.
Shanta Nurullah is a seasoned musician, storyteller, and educator with a rich background rooted in a musical family. A graduate of Carleton College and Western Governors University, Shanta’s journey has taken her from studying Indian Classical music and the sitar in India to performing professionally since 1972. Active in the Black Arts Movement, she co-founded groundbreaking ensembles like Sojourner and Samana, the first all-women’s band in the AACM, and continues to explore African-American improvisational music through projects like Sitarsys and Classic Black. Shanta’s numerous honors include a Lifetime Achievement Award from Mutual Mentorship for Musicians and the Zora Neale Hurston Award from the National Association of Black Storytellers. She passionately mentors the next generation of storytellers and musicians at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music and Goodman Theatre.
Zahra Glenda Baker is an interdisciplinary artist whose roots in Louisiana and Chicago have shaped her into a vibrant vocalist, storyteller, ritualist, textile artist, and teaching artist. Over her 40-year career, Zahra has engaged communities through her mastery of vocal improvisation, spirituals, throat singing, and communal song styles. Her work spans collaborations with diverse musicians, dancers, poets, and visual artists, always emphasizing personal and collective healing. As a collaborator in Freedom Song Leaders, the performance duo In the Spirit with Emily Lansana, and a member of the AACM, Zahra channels her passion for spiritual and emotional liberation through music, storytelling, and wellness facilitation.
Together, ShaZah creates immersive performances that celebrate Black culture, explore spiritual depths, and inspire collective healing. Whether through powerful storytelling, soulful improvisations, or community-centered artistry, ShaZah invites audiences into a space of reflection, connection, and transformation.
Bio as of 7/2026