C. Niambi Steele (Fatimah)
Coming from a rich legacy of Black theater starting in the 1970’s, Niambi performed throughout the Midwest in plays such as, Tambourines to Glory, Five on The Black Hand Side, Who’s Got His Own, and even You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. After being nominated by the Encore Awards for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ (Musical) for her portrayal of ‘Zarita’ in Simply Heavenly, and then winning the Encore Award for Best Actress (Musical) for ‘Lutiebelle’ in Purlie!, Niambi came to New York after recording and touring as a lead and back-up vocalist with 24 Carat Black and soul-music greats at Stax Records (1973-1975).
Niambi was steered into her first New York theatrical appearance by Ed Bullins (in residence at that time with Joe Papp’s Public Theater) via The Hotel Play, written by Wallace Shawn, at La Mama Etc., (1981). Niambi has continued to perform steadily in New York theaters— from The Heckscher Theater, where she was a “Choir Member” in the first run of Mama I Want To Sing, starring Desiree Coleman, (1983), to the Nuyorican Poets Cafe’s production of “Billy, Lena, And The Duke“, (2011). She was nominated for 2014 Best Actress Musical for her portrayal of “Brenda” in That ‘L’ Word at the John Chatterton 2014 Winter Play Festival in New York.
Niambi appeared in two plays by poet, Mari Evans, River Of My Song (1977) and Eyes, the latter directed by Woodie King, Jr., (1995); Niambi consequently appeared in his New Federal Theater production of Satchel: A Requiem For Racism (2008).
Niambi has worked in numerous Harlem-based community outreach productions with playwright, J. E. Franklin, under the direction, guidance, and tutelage of the Audelco Award- Winning Director, Eric Coleman. Her arts-based community involvement also includes the New York Theater Workshop, Negro Ensemble Company Repertory, Harlem Arts Alliance, Kumble Theater and the Frank Silvera Writer’s Workshop where she is consistently relied upon as an excellent cold reader for new playwrights and was an integral part of its Reader’s Theater at the National Black Theater Festival (2007).
She has performed in Harlem with new playwrights at the Schomburg Center For Research In Black Culture, Abysinnian Baptist Church, and at the Salvation Army, with its annual Grandparent’s Around the World Production of Dinner At Grandma’s (2006-2011), reprising her portrayal of beloved Sista Lula for five years.
Herself a playwright, she has had her works read at the National Black Theatre Festival (2007) and the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival (2012).
Niambi was featured in the first video of Heavy D, Mr. Big Stuff, directed by The Hudlin Brothers (1987); she previously appeared in Krush Groove (1985). Her film credits also include It’s Hard To Be Joe Strummer, directed by Antonio Giosue’ (2012), Nu Moses directed by Cassady O’Neal (2013), Brother, directed by Frank Hooker & Piruz Alemi (2013), Trapped Girl, written by Katherine Fordham (2013, IMDb) Appassionato, written/directed by Bradley Evans, and Airport Run, written/directed by Eliana Ujueta, (both 2016).
Besides touring with Stax Records, Niambi recorded on various labels including Sugarhill, with jazz legend, Brother Jack Mcduff (‘Kisses’, ‘Having A Good Time’, 1982); performing with him at jazz clubs in New York, Chicago, Memphis, and Los Angeles, to name a few. She also composed original music and lyrics which she performed with rock band ‘Fierce Jones’ (aka THE HEAT) at now defunct 1980’s venues The Cat Club and CBGB’s, New York and The Pan Asian Music Festival at Lincoln Center Damrosch Bandshell (1984).
More recently, Niambi won a 2020 Audelco Award for being a member of the Outstanding Ensemble Performance of Sassy Mamas at Black Spectrum Theatre.
Niambi’s most enduring accomplishment is being a mother of two, grandmother of five, great grandmother of six, and only child to her dear mother, Mrs. Lucille Ford Taplin Smith of Indianapolis, Indiana, where her musical and theatrical journey began.