Jazz, soul and blues singer Angela Fabian has a voice and stage persona that captivates any audience. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Angela began singing at the age of 12 in her church and school choirs before touring extensively throughout the USA and Canada. Ahead of Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves in February, Angela divulges her gospel roots and pays tribute to a very special sister. 

 

Tell us about your earliest memory of the Sister Act films:

My earliest memory of Sister Act was back in the ’90s and my little sister was having a slumber party with all of her friends at my place. My sister asked if I would rent the movie (VCR days!) and I rented it for them.

 

2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the original Sister Act film. In your opinion, what makes the franchise so timeless?

Honestly, some of today’s music is all about the beat or the drop. Yesterday’s music is so much more that that. This is why I feel that the music from Sister Act is so timeless; the songs all tell such beautiful stories. It should be heard and for today’s society, it’s important. I love that my daughter’s song list is music that I grew up on.

 

Sister Act is widely credited with helping usher in a new era of gospel music, with strong hip-hop and R&B influences. How has this genre influenced your own musical journey?

Because of being raised in a strong gospel family and singing gospel myself, as I got older, I found myself tuning out of gospel and rebelling against it. But when Kirk Franklin came out with this new church music mixed with R&B and that I could dance to, it was so exciting! That’s exactly what Sister Act did and I loved it! I’ve learned that you can write uplifting spiritual tunes without it having to be all ‘Jesus-y’ 😂

 

What is your favourite song from the franchise and why? 

My favourite song is the choir’s rendition of “My Guy” and I also love the opening medley that Whoopi did in Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit. 

 

What does ‘Sisterhood’ mean to you? 

Sisterhood is a special thing to me because it’s a beautiful bond that you get to  share with other women, whether they are blood or not. We share our experiences with things that have happened in our lives and we support each other when one of us falls. We lift each other up.

 

Who’s a ‘Sister’ within your own life who’s had a profound impact? 

Well I have four of them so I consider myself pretty lucky, but at this moment I think it would be my sister Kaylynn. Unfortunately my eldest daughter is a victim of heroin abuse and doesn’t have custody of my two grandchildren. My sister has been taking care of my two-year-old granddaughter since birth and is now going to adopt her and raise her as her own. Since my granddaughter is a ward of the state, I wasn’t allowed to bring her back Australia and she could’ve been in and out of foster care but my sister didn’t even hesitate.

 

In ‘The Gospel According to Angela’, what would be your message?

The Gospel According to Angela would be to live your best life as we only get one. Be kind to one another and stop complaining because there is always someone out there that’s worse off than you.

 

What can audiences expect from Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves? 

From what I witnessed from what the four of us did at the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols, it’s going to be an amazing show and there’s no other way but up! Audiences can expect tight harmonies, dynamic vocals and great storytelling through music!

 

Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves premieres at Brisbane Powerhouse on 17 February. See here for information and tickets. 

 

[Image description: a woman dressed in long-sleeved black gown is captured inside a modern church. She appears mid-dance, with one hand on her hip and the other raised above her head. She appears lost in her own thoughts, smiling, as a cross-shaped stone necklace hangs at her waist.]