writer's block

...so...

...hmm...

...err...

source 1
source 2
source 3

writer's block

soul food: afropolitana: nneka & j.period's 'the madness (onye-ala)'

j. period is currently rocking my world. here's his latest mixtape effort featuring the beautiful, powerful afropolitan vocalist and lyricist, nneka egbuna (nigeria/germany). we've been asking where the formidable female emcees are at.... here's one to be reckoned with. she's been on the scene for years, but her music is just being introduced to US audiences.

download the full mixtape here.

soul food: afropolitana: nneka & j.period's 'the madness (onye-ala)'

soul food: afropolitana: blitz the ambassador

today brings us new music from afropolitan emcee, ghana's blitz the ambassador. check out his poignant track with the beautifully talented john forté.

soul food: afropolitana: blitz the ambassador

soul food: afropolitana: shad k and zaki ibrahim

on his latest album the great escape, louwop collaborates with two of our favorite canadian afropolitans (tm phiona of afripopmag), shad k (rwandan/kenyan/canadian) and zaki ibrahim (south african/canadian) on the songs 'one2check' and 'get up', respectively. in anticipation of his album release, louwop posted an live video that blends both tracks. awesome talent.

soul food: afropolitana: shad k and zaki ibrahim

soul food: sade's 'soldier of love'

sade's first single from her forthcoming album, soldier of love, has made its debut. i loved it at first listen. once again, sade adu is working with stuart matthewman, andrew hale, and paul spencer denman--her longtime band (who also make up the band, sweetback)--and, once again, they have produced soulful perfection. she consistently gets better with time. i am amazed that both she and maxwell have been out of circulation for this long, and can effortlessly bring the awesome upon their return. truly, she need not make a lot of noise to make a grand entrance. i cannot wait for the rest of this album.

...listen...

soul food: sade's 'soldier of love'

lady in my life (redux)

this song, in its original incarnation, is truly one of my favorites.
this tribute is simply beautiful. that is all.

'lady in my life' as performed by maxwell at the nomination concert of the 52nd grammy awards.

lady in my life (redux)

t.i.a in umricka: wale's attention deficit

wale's album attention deficit drops today, after much anticipation (hyped by a tour that has spanned much of this year). it's hard to believe it's his first album, since his mixtapes have had so much impact. saturated with rather awesome and clever collaborations, i am rather loving it, so far.


the jewels so far: 'shades' with chrisette michele; 'diary' with marsha ambrosius; 'world tour' with jazmine sullivan; and the crazy ridiculous show-em-how-it's-done 'tv in the radio' with fellow afropolitan, k'naan.

t.i.a in umricka, killing it.

tv in the radio--wale feat. k'naan

well played, mr. folarin, well played.

t.i.a in umricka: wale's attention deficit

wavin' flag: the world cup 2010 anthem

k'naan has adapted his powerfully inspirational song 'waving flag' for the FIFA world cup, which will be held in south africa in 2010.

give me freedom;
give me fire;
give me reason;
take me higher.

wavin' flag: the world cup 2010 anthem

assata shakur

thirty years ago, today, Assata Shakur--an American political prisoner--escaped from detention in the US and was granted political asylum in Cuba.

"Like most poor people in the United States, I have no voice. The Black press and the progressive media, as well as Black civil rights organizations, have historically played an essential role in the struggle for social justice. We should continue and expand that tradition. We should create media outlets that help to educate our people and our children, and not annihilate their minds. I am only one woman. I own no TV stations or radio stations or newspapers. But I believe that people need to be educated as to what is going on and to understand the connection between the news media and the instruments of repression in America. All I have are my voice, my spirit and the will to tell the truth. But I sincerely ask those of you in the Black media, those of you in the progressive media and those of you who believe in truth and freedom to publish my story.' -Assata Shakur



hear Assata in her own words, here.

image courtesy of the martyr index

assata shakur

fela! on broadway

you know what looks awesome?

the Fela! musical is now on Broadway.


directed by Bill T. Jones,
starring afropolitans Kevin Mambo and Sahr Ngaujah, and
featuring the impossibly amazing Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra.

photo source: playbill

fela! on broadway

the image: iyaDedE

iyaDede by barron clairborne

the image: iyaDedE

soul food: afropolitana: somi's if the rains come first

somi's if the rains come first in stores all over north america, today.

listen to and download the album, here.

download 'prayer to the saint of the brokenhearted' (right-click to download)

music source: giant step

soul food: afropolitana: somi's if the rains come first

and, now...we dance.

the 'african air horn dance' by jusa dementor of zimbabwe.

*wanders off in search of an airhorn*

and, now...we dance.

soul food: an evening with Somi

a couple of weeks ago, jazz enthusiasts in kigali flocked to the beautiful shokola for an intimate performance by somi, a rwandan/ugandan new york-based soul-afrobeat-jazz vocalist. from the day i discovered somi, five years ago, she has been an integral part of my afropolitan soundtrack. her homage to home is a constant thread that runs through all her works, and she consistently embraces her roots while acknowledging all of the other influences that have shaped her into the artist she is today.



shokola--a cafe/restaurant that effortlessly blends african tradition with contemporary design--provided not only a venue, but a setting an ambience that was a crucial ingredient to the intimacy of the show. surrounded by small bonfires and rustic lamps hanging from age-old trees, the crowd gathered under the venue's signature Bedouin tents on sofas, around tables, on cushions, and sat on whatever space was available in eager anticipation; thirsty for truly good music.




the show was a blend of songs from jazz classics, to somi's own older material, to a preview of her new album. she began with 'ingele', an afro-jazz hit from her first album red soil in my eyes, which was followed by nat king cole's 'nature boy' and later by her bluesy interpretation of a reggae classic, bob marley's 'waiting in vain'.



the set was all-too-brief, and concluded with a track from her latest album if the rain comes first in which she sang of returning home: 'home is where you know you can always touch your feet to the floor.'








it was a powerfully moving performance and the a capella rendition of nina simone's 'feeling good' left the crowd hungry for more. it is still rare to have such an enormous talent in such a perfect setting, and it was a refreshing preview of what is on the horizon of the arts scene in kigali.

soul food: an evening with Somi

how [not] to write about africa

a satire piece written by binyavanga wainaina for granta magazine
as narrated by djimon hounsou



"Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed."

Wainaina is a kenyan author and award-winning journalist and is currently a Bard Fellow and Director at the Chinua Achebe Centre for African Literature and Languages in Bard College.

read the entire piece, here

[thanks, kweli.]

how [not] to write about africa

new music: k'naan and q-tip

we've heard the african roots and the roots rock reggae. and now, the folk/poetry inspiration.
the brilliance continues

j.period and k'naan present the messengers: episode 3: bob dylan

download here.

also, after eight long-ass years of being foolishly overlooked and underrated, q-tip's kamaal the abstract has finally been released.



i am, quite literally, jumping around in excitement.

dear 2009, re. music, you are rocking my world. love, me.

new music: k'naan and q-tip

milestones

you may be wondering why i am currently doing a dance of joy...it's because of this:

Rwanda was named today as the world's top business reformer, measured by the changes the country has made over the past year to make doing business there easier. And Mauritius retained its top ranking as the African country in which it is easiest to do business. The two countries are named as top performers in the annual report on the ease of doing business published by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank. "It now takes a Rwandan entrepreneur just two procedures and three days to start a business," said a statement issued by the IFC and the World Bank. "Imports and exports are more efficient, and transferring property takes less time thanks to a reorganized registry and statutory time limits. Investors have more protection, insolvency reorganization has been streamlined, and a wider range of assets can be used as collateral to access credit." Rwanda's ranking was based on the number and impact of reforms introduced in the year to May 2009.

woo hoo! brilliant news for a people that have worked so hard to rebuild and redefine.

source: allAfrica.com
image source

milestones

mixtapes of awesome: ian kamau and k'naan & j.period

it's a generally awesome music week for me: new mixtapes from both k'naan and ian kamau. i've been listening to little else but k'naan and j.period's the messengers: episode 1: fela kuti and kamau's september nine: vol 1 since they were first released, so i'm ridiculously geeked for volumes 2 of both.


ian kamau titled his mixtape september nine because the date marks his 30th birthday and his aim was to release his complete album on this date. the album has been pushed back, unfortunately, but in the meantime he has awesomely released two mixtapes to tide us over. the first volume featured clips from spike lee's do the right thing and is a smoothly effortless blend of hip hop, spoken word, and song. i was captured immediately by 'dear summer' and was captivated by his quiet yet steady and unwavering delivery throughout the EP. seriously, though, his voice--whether rhyming, singing, or speaking--is mesmerizing and is not unlike the feeling of floating on your back in the ocean. my favorite track remains 'majority report', but i'm also loving 'say it ain't so.'

september nine: volume two dropped yesterday, and i cannot wait to hear what's in store. download here.

k'naan and j.period's the messengers: episode 2: bob marley was released on 08/09/09 and is exactly how you would imagine their collaboration. it honours the original tracks beautifully and k'naan's remixes of his own tracks are pure fire. j.period is a genius. i will no doubt say that again, numerous times. stand out track: the combination of 'stir it up' and 'fatima'. i can and have listen[ed] to that all day long. another highlight is the 'small axe' remix in which k'naan addresses is Somali countrymen in a poignant plea for a collective search for peace in a country so torn apart by senseless and continuous violence.

download the messengers: episode 2 here.

canada's bringing it this year, for real. enjoy the free music, people!

mixtapes of awesome: ian kamau and k'naan & j.period

the criteria

not to get all carrie-on-her-laptop-pondering-love/sex-lives-and-whatnot, but...it's september and we're now at the end of wedding season around these parts. and all the festivities have naturally given rise to conversations about relationships, marriage and finding the ever-elusive 'one' people keep going on about. the other day, we had a pre-wedding gathering for my cousin, in which everyone was asked to give their list of the ideal mate.


it reminded me of the time that my girlfriends and i all sat around during happy hour a few years ago and made the same lists. we wrote them down, in detail, and they were hilariously long and incredibly specific. and a little ridiculous. (aside: idris elba was sitting at the next table, but none of us knew who he was. so busy making lists, we MISSED THE IDRIS!). after writing down our lists, and reviewing them, we tore them up. we decided that in all the list-making, we could easily miss someone standing right in front of us, and we could get so hung-up on criteria that we'll lose out on something real. i've tried to hang on this idea, since then. it's incredibly tempting to have criteria and--realistically--everyone has their own criteria even if they've never taken the time to compose a laundry list of expectations. it just doesn't make sense to have a detailed checklist because so few--if any--are going to manage to meet every single requirement on that list. today, however, i came across a quote that essentially sums up not what i want, but what i need.

“I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.”

Anais Nin

i think this encompasses whatever i would have on my [non-existent(kinda)] list. now...that's not too much to ask...is it?...er...IS IT?

the criteria

ted kennedy

"We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make."
Edward 'Ted' Moore Kennedy
1932-2009

rest in peace

ted kennedy

remembering aaliyah

1971-2001

remembering aaliyah

afropolitana fashion: kua designs

rashida

have just stumbled upon KUA designs.


setusi

bintu

based in the US (atlanta and new york) and inspired by ghana, this collection of elegant clutches composed of both wax fabric and woven straw is truly stunning.

asanteewa

check them out, here.

afropolitana fashion: kua designs

k'naan and j.period: the messengers

continuing to "create medication out of [his] own tribulations," k'naan's latest effort pays tribute to three legendary fellow troubadours that have undoubtedly influenced his own music: fela kuti, bob marley, and bob dylan. a three-track digital EP has been released as a sample of the much-anticipated j.period-produced, the messengers, that effortlessly fuses k'naan's brilliant lyricism with re-imagined classic sounds of the three musical pioneers.

'let's start (tribute to fela kuti)' begins with the rakim's 'i came in the door/i said it before...' from 'erik b is president'--a particularly significant line as k'naan has recounted numerous times how it was through paid in full and other hip hop albums that he learned the english language. this track's combination of afrobeat and classic hip hop is an awesome nod to his genesis as "africa's rap bruce lee." on the bob marley tribute, 'them belly full', toronto is fully represented in a collaboration with kardinal offishal, as well as with fellow afropolitans, sierra leone's bajah and the dry eye crew and brooklyn's steele on a refreshingly revolutionary track that showcases how powerful hip hop can be when the music has a message. and, finally, 'relationship lay' hits hard with k'naan ruminating on the complexity of relationships over bob dylan's hauntingly beautiful refrain from 'lay, lady, lay,' 'i long to see you in the morning light...'.

i think both k'naan and j.period have outdone themselves with this one, and i cannot wait to hear the rest. the EP was released on august 18th and j.period and k'naan will pay tribute to each individual 'messenger' with a new release every tuesday in september. the tribute to fela kuti will be released on september 1st; the tribute to bob marley on september 8th, and the tribute to bob dylan on september 15th. the messengers entire compliation will be released on September 22nd.

download the EP, here.

k'naan and j.period: the messengers

well, damn!: maxwell's 'bad habits'

i'm just sayin'.

well, damn!: maxwell's 'bad habits'

naomi sims

on August 3 2009, the lovely and elegant Naomi Sims passed away from complications due to Cancer. she was 61.

she broke barriers with her appearances on magazine covers long before any other black model and has left behind iconic images only made possible by her determination to overcome the numerous boundaries she faced in life, both personally and professionally.

rest in peace, Ms. Sims. thank you for breaking ground.

Naomi Sims 1948-2009

naomi sims

soul food: iyaDede

out of monumental pain and darkness can arise true, exquisite beauty and light.

i've been meaning to write about fellow nomadic afropolitan, iyaDede, since i first discovered her a few months ago...and her voice is currently the soundtrack to these chronicles. it is a voice that is at once both delicate and powerful, her style uncategorizable, her talent unrefutable.

'love robot'

loVE RobOT (iyaDedE/Blessoill/Charlemagne graphix) from Iya Dede on Vimeo.

a survivor of Rwanda's 1994 Genocide, iyaDede has overcome pain, trauma and incredible loss and has emerged with an inspirational strength and spirit. after leaving Rwanda, she lived in Belgium [where she awesomely sang back-up for the incredible Zap Mama], and then ultimately in the US where she currently resides in Brooklyn. her passion and love for her home country and continent is evident in her words and i am so proud she is representing with such soul, beauty, grace, funk, and fire.

her forthcoming album is entitled 'talking to god' and is an eclectic mix of electronic pop funkadelic hotness. this woman's star is rising and i cannot wait to see what happens in the coming months. in the coming years.

here she performs her powerful 'in my darkest hour' at the Brooklyn Museum (spontenously accompanied by Rwandan dancers).

soul food: iyaDede

the black issue: vogue italia does it again

Vogue Italia is, once again, back with its Black Issue.

this time, it has produced a collector's supplement dedicated to the iconic Barbie doll.

"Barbie has been an icon for whole generations which is why I really wanted to give a strong sign in step with the times, and dedicate the anniversary issue to Black Barbie,"
Franca Sozzani, Editor

love the concept, love the execution.

the black issue: vogue italia does it again

StyleFREE

seven years to the date of his arrest, John Forté has released his new EP.

download it here.

tracks that have embedded themselves onto my soul: 'best that love could be' (ft. ben taylor), 'nervous' and 'more beautiful now'.

StyleFREE

john forte: play my cards for me

john forte's 'style free' EP will be out next week.

from the sounds of his latest single 'play my cards for me', it seems like he's picking up right where he left off seven years ago with 'i, john', a seriously slept-on album. loving the new direction.
new track available for download at http://www.johnforte.com/.

edit: the whole EP is now available for preview on www.myspace.com/johnforte.

john forte: play my cards for me

we had him

We Had Him--Maya Angelou

Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing, now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind.

Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace. Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon.

In the instant that Michael is gone, we know nothing. No clocks can tell time. No oceans can rush our tides with the abrupt absence of our treasure.

Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone.

Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him.

He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance.

Despite the anguish, his life was sheathed in mother love, family love, and survived and did more than that.

He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.

We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes.

His hat, aslant over his brow, and took a pose on his toes for all of us.

And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.

We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing. He gave us all he had been given.

Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana's Black Star Square.

In Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Birmingham, England

We are missing Michael.

But we do know we had him, and we are the world.

we had him

BLACKsummers'night

um...guess what finally drops today?

*dance of joy*

'fistful of tears' is the track (other than 'pretty wings') that i have instantly fallen in love with.

the rest of the album is classic maxwell. no departure from what he does best. and as usual, he manages to stay classic and current, at the same time.

BLACKsummers'night is definitely worth the seven-year wait.

BLACKsummers'night

michael jackson: in memoriam

over the past week, we have been inundated with images of and words about michael jackson. it's expected that the shocking passing of such a loved/loathed/fascinating icon illicits such massive and widespread response. i've chosen to focus on the tributes to the man, the artist, the visionary. here are a few of the heartfelt tributes that touched me the most, over the past week:

jody watley's touching ode to a man and artist she truly loved and admired, in which she shares precious memories of michael, from her childhood years to the moment she'll never forget: "I remember thinking a piece of my own childhood went with you. I will always remember the time I had with you.May your deepest sadness be healed. May your soul now rest peace."

nelson george's piece (via affrodite.net) in which he acknowledges the man's genius and warns against people's attempts to simplify such a complex life:

"To simply brand him a smooth criminal, as some have, or to overlook his tragic nature, as have others, is to deny his humanity."

ian kamau's personal tribute to the little black boy that profoundly influenced his young life:

"Rest in Peace big brother.. you were far from perfect but you were a force to be reckoned with and you influenced my life personally so much when I was growing up that I can't deny your power and your magic..."

in terms of musical tributes, the awesome High Heels and Hi Tops did all the work for me and has compiled the best musical remixes, covers, and tributes to MJ, here. i'm currently playing JPeriod's 'The Man or The Music' mixtape, constantly, as well as DJ Lioness' tribute mix.

loved.admired.idolized.immortalized.
brother.son.father.friend.
genius.icon.
unforgettable.
he wanted to heal the world, but was in a constant struggle with self.
i hope his soul is finally at peace.

michael jackson: in memoriam