AN INTRODUCTION TO QUEEN AISHAH
Few people are born with that special gift that supersedes their presence. When we see it in an individual, we are amazed that they have what we call, "That Magic." They are different and they don't know why. They try to blend in with the crowd, but they began to realize that they belong to the universe and the picture is much broader then one is able to paint. There are few people who fall in this category and the one that I speak of is the beautiful and amazingly gifted and talented comedienne, Queen Aishah. All of her life she has known that she was born to make a positive difference in this world and to impact on the lives of others through the entertainment medium. So for Queen, a natural healer and nurturer, she used comedy as an effective vehicle to spread joy and encourage the release of gut-wrenching laughter that would elevate people to share in good times and good space.
Aishah loved being around her grandfathers, both maternal and paternal. They were comedic and made her aware of the significance of laughter and cognizant of the fact that it represents the medicine that one uses to minimize daily pain and elevate the positive aspects of everyday life.
At a very early age, Queen Aishah, named Aishah Hogans by her parents, Donald and Geraldine Hogans, the first girl of six siblings, became an entrepreneur along with her brothers and sisters. They organized and gave talent shows; sold candy, ice cream and pocketbooks during the Easter holiday. Aishah loved creating and being the "boss." When she was 8 years old her older brother noticed that she had "cracked jokes" on one of his friends and with laughter he proudly told her that she should become a comedienne. This suggestion generated food for thought. They expanded the talent shows and she sharpened her skills, as she was made aware of her gift for entertaining people. The very special times for displaying their talents were at their grandmother's house at Thanksgiving when they performed for family and friends. Later, in high school she performed with the Dr. Martin Luther King Community Players – touring throughout New Jersey, speaking and singing. This marked a turning point for Aishah.
In 1994, Aishah realized that her true talent was in comedy. This was such a natural career/entertainment path for her. She had found her niche. She became a "Stand Up Comedian." Her respect and admiration for the presence and style of Queen Latifah, who also had her beginnings in Newark, New Jersey, enabled her to take up the moniker of "Queen" and theatrically crown herself "Queen Aishah."
She was using her voice and her words to uplift others. Her Star Power resulted in her doing a TV commercial for Verizon that brought her wide acclaim. After 19 years as a comedienne and producing many shows, Queen Aishah became Executive Producer for "Funny-n-Stilettos"- A Diverse All Female Comedy Tour, which features female comediennes of all cultures and backgrounds coming together to make people laugh and to highlight women in comedy.
accolades. In March 2014 Funny-n -Stilettos had two "Sold Out" performances at the Historic Howard Theatre in Washington, DC. The media/reviewers couldn't get enough of Queen Aishah's talent or the show. She received a continuation of rave reviews from the media, comediennes on tour, celebrities and the influential who eagerly expressed their appreciation for her genius, her overwhelming artistic talent. To share a few:
Dick Gregory: (world-renown Comedian and Author) "You are outstanding!"
Zane Strebor: "Funny-n-Stilettos is a hilarious, enlightening and sophisticated good time. Queen Aishah has the gift of discovering amazing female comedians like herself, and giving the audience the diversity and entertainment that they desire."
Sara Contreras: (Comedienne) "I believe in Aishah's vision of bringing funny women who have something to say, that have different perspectives." Sara told S2S "There's a little bit of everybody. There was politics, there was family, there was ethnicity, without being insulting. That's what I like about it, the balance."
Ayanna Dookie: (Comedienne) "I felt like a superstar. Queen Aishah and her team are amazing."
Cocoa Brown: (Comedienne) "Working with Queen Aishah on the Funny-n-Stilettos show was amazing! Being on a stage with so many incredibly funny women was absolutely empowering! I will definitely do it again & again."
Marc Powers: (The Booker of Talent for the Howard Theatre) "Funny-n-Stilettos is a hilarious & sexy revue of rising women comics, rocking the house with riotous laughter."
Sister2Sister magazine: "Comedian Queen Aishah picked the perfect name for her comedy tour, "Funny-n-Stilettos." The show features female comics telling gut-busting jokes and proves that girls can throw punch lines just as hard as the guys.
(Sabrina M. Parker of Sister2Sister Magazine)
Queen Aishah is an exceptional talent!!!