Photo by Erica Techo.
Sharrif Simmons and Omari Jazz Addae in their East Lake home.
When Sharrif Simmons — poet, musician, storyteller and New Castle, New York, native — moved to Birmingham in 2004, he had very specific reasons.
“I was a single parent … looking to leave New York City for a more affordable environment and a change of careers and a new perspective after my divorce,” he said.
And Sharrif, who appeared on HBO’s “Def Poetry Jam” and at iconic Manhattan venues such as CBGB and the Nuyorican Poets Café, was not alone in his Alabama journey. He was accompanied by his then 9-year-old son, Omari Jazz Addae, who would be his partner in making a brand-new life.
The move seems to have turned out well, as Iron City Ink discovered during a recent visit to the men’s East Lake home. Sharrif, 47, has continued to play, perform, teach and stage events. Omari, now 21 and performing as Omari Jazz, earned a degree from the Alabama School of Fine Arts in 2013 and is a busy visual artist and electronic music producer.
In addition, they have forged a strong bond, even friendship, despite the inevitable disagreements between fathers and sons.
Sharrif has left his mark on the city’s entertainment landscape. He plays music and has taught at UAB’s ArtPlay, staged spoken-word events at the Birmingham Museum of Art and co-hosted a vaudeville showcase at the reopening of the Lyric Theatre in January, among other projects.
Omari studied visual arts with an emphasis on multimedia and experimental work at ASFA and has performed his digital music — his father likes to call it “electronic soul” — at local venues such as Black Market Bar and The Syndicate Lounge.
Father and son have also had “a professional working relationship,” Sharrif said. They have worked together on numerous projects, including “Mandela,” a multimedia theater piece about South African human-rights icon Nelson Mandela that premiered at the Red Mountain Theatre Company in 2015.
But the two men have different artistic approaches.
“I’m a poet and musician,” Sharrif said. “Omari’s more of a musician, producer and artist, so his particular form is auditory and visual. Mine is auditory, as well, but the way they are delivered is different.”
Omari is interested in “new media” and follows “an experimental trajectory,” he said, noting that his father is “more of an orator, and I’m in the studio changing volume levels.”
The father and son have a good relationship overall, even as Omari has reached adulthood, according to both men.
“It’s frustrating at times, for sure, like any normal father-son relationship, but we have fun,” Omari said.
“It’s evolving,” Sharrif said, laughing. “Learning your role with an adult child is very different than a juvenile … but for the most part, it’s great, yeah.”
There is a “long list” of reasons that Sharrif is proud of his son, he said.
“What I’m proud of most is Omari’s … work ethic around his craft [and] his passion for his own art,” Sharrif said.
He said he also appreciates his son’s “confidence in who he is and who he’s become.”
“He’s a good storyteller,” Omari said of his father. “You have to have some charisma to be a good storyteller.”
Omari is also grateful that his father allowed him to pursue his artistic side as he grew up.
“I’m glad that he supports the arts, because it’s tough for kids with parents who have a sort of disconnect from creative personalities, so in my younger years, it was cool to have the space to not be judged or held back from my creative desires.”
The two will likely collaborate again in the future.
“As far as art, I’m sure something is bound to pop up,” Omari said.
Sharrif has a more specific project in mind.
“In a perfect world, we would put an album out together and speak to the collaboration of generations and bringing in both of our experiences to a new audience,” he said. “That would be an ideal situation. And, of course, go on tour. Being able to extend my personal life into my professional life with my son is a goal of mine.”
Sharrif has begun writing his memoirs, and Omari said to expect more “digital art and music” from him, most of it available at soundcloud.com/omarijazz or facebook.com/omarijazz.
