12-Year Old Halima Bleu (aka Nickayla Tucker) Inspires Crowd at Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Wilmington, DE 2009

Wilmington, DE, July 08, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Congratulations to Tina Betz from the Mayor’s Office for pulling together a wonderful Jazz Festival. Even with the rain, the performers did not disappoint. Fans wished for more coverage on the event because it was absolutely an occasion not to miss. The youngest performer of the week, 12 year old Halima Bleu (aka NicKayla Tucker), part of the Inspiration for Excellence organization, was an inspiration to everyone.

To see such a young performer sing and belt out the Jazz Standards was a sight to behold. It rained all week and the concert was outside in Rodney Square. Miss Halima Bleu made her way to the Square in the rain and trampled through the mud to get to the holding tent. She soon found out that it was the wrong tent and the real hospitality tent was on the other side of the stage, minus the mud, with food, water and other talent. She mingled around the hospitality tent as performers performed and the rain continued. The MC introduced 12-year old Halima Bleu. As the crowd applauded, the clouds disappeared, the sun came out and Miss Blue was in her element, opening her segment by saying "music brings out the sun, thank you for having me." She began with "A Tisket A Tasket", singing her heart out about her "little yellow basket." The crowd loved her. Her next song, so appropriate, was "I Believe That Children Are Our Future." Dressed in her beautiful long green not-too-tight, body fitting gown (appropriate for a 12-year old), Miss Bleu told the adoring audience "It Don't Mean A Thang if It Ain't Got That Swang." She said, "give it up for the band" as they continued to play the melody and folks continued to swing with the rhythm. The crowd was so into it, that they did not notice Miss Bleu leaving the stage. Before she was missed, Miss Bleu was back on stage with a pink tunic type dress, sparkling with sequins, silver shimmer stocking and ballet shoes. The crowd applauded and wondered how that change happened so quickly. Without missing a beat, Halima got right back into the swing, finishing out "It Don't Mean A Thang." As her band began to softly play "God Bless The Child," Halima began to flutter like a smooth sailing butterfly, arms extended and swaying in the breeze, with a short ballet routine which guided her right back to the mic to start in a whisper, "Them thats got shall get, them thats not shall lose....." The crowd settled back, relaxed and was comforted at the 12-year old songstress, giving Billie Holiday a run for her money. To bring the crowd mentally back to the Square and get their hearts pumping again, Miss Bleu broke into a scat, to the delight and surprise of the audience, a 12-year old doing a scat, which pre-dated her by what seems a millennium ago. And not to be outdone by the Nicholas Brothers, Miss Bleu incorporated tap, with slides and shuffles, into her own rendition of "T'aint Nobody's Biz-ness If I Do." As she made her bow and attempted to make her way off stage, the crowd broke out into such thunderous applause, chanting "Halima," she had to come back. Her last song was "I Will Always Love You." How appropriate. As Miss Bleu left the stage, signed a few autographs, the clouds opened up and showered the crowd one more time. Miss Bleu waved to her fans and made her way through the crowd.

Halima Bleu is not new to entertainment. She has been on Broadway (Young Nala of The Lion King), performed on Law and Order SVU, played July on the National Tour of Annie, and much more…….

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