the awesome: 'buffer slow' by shad k

bonus track 'buffer slow' from shad k's awesome birthday EP, melancholy and the infinite shadness. this is totally my favorite. the neneh cherry sample! so awesome.

the awesome: 'buffer slow' by shad k

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

t.i.a: the adverts

awesome

[african]

adverts

t.i.a: the adverts

soul food: maxwell returns

the interwebs is all a-buzz and a-twitter with news of maxwell's return.


i'm a little late to the party, actually, seeing as i've been awaiting said return (and declaring it to the world) for two years, now. i don't want to get too excited before i actually have an album in my hands. it's been ten years since his last release, and the wait has been a bit disheartneing, with all the false starts and announcements that never came to fruition. or that offered only mere glimpses of what was to come. the tour he embarked upon last year was brilliant, i hear. but it was merely a series of youtube clips for me, so--really--it's all about the album, kids. i want to buy it. and listen to it. with awesome headphones. while reading the liner notes and absent mindedly doodling 'negrita hearts max 4eva/mrs negrita max' on my trapper keeper. so i'm going to hold off all excitement until then.

that being said, who am i not to herald the official return!!?? made official, i suppose, by his appearance tonight on BET's 106&Park. there have been sneak previews, though. earlier in the month, maxwell tweeted a link to the full song 'pretty wings'...the snippet of which fans have been listening loyally to for over a year on his myspace page. and last week, he tweeted a series of titles which, as Vivrant Thang pointed out, must be the track list for the first album in the trilogy. i had noticed the same series of titles, but much earlier in the year, and wondered if that was a preview of what was to come. for me, however, the real comeback was the BET Awards perfomance:

so...despite the long wait...i am beyond excited.

tonight, maxwell debuts his first single, 'pretty wings' from his black summer's night trilogy.

watch it stream live at 6pm EST on http://www.musze.com/

(yes, i'm staying up to watch it.)

(no, i feel no shame.)

listen to it here:


(via dembycratic)

i don't know...just as i felt with sade's comeback...it's like he never left.

Currently listening:

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
By Maxwell
Release date: 1996-04-02

soul food: maxwell returns

inspired: celebrating africa

one of the loveliest discoveries i've made in a while: Celebrate Africa!

the project was started by two sisters, Chioma and Oluchi Ogwuegbu:

having had enough of 'images of starving children, stories of corrupt politicians, famines, etc,' they decided to embark on a road trip around africa in an attempt to 'celebrate all that is beautiful on the continent from her peoples to her cultures, languages and religions.'

their mission is to: 'contribute to changing the negative image of Africa and encourage Africans and the world to begin to see the beauty in the continent [and to] promote a sense of identity and unity for Africa’s people.'




a noble mission indeed. rather than complain about the lack of positive images of africa in the media, these women are actually doing something about changing these images. about shedding light on the positive aspects of this struggling continent. in addition, they're giving back to the countries that host them throughout this journey.





they now intend to visit 22 countries in Africa, by road, over the period of 15 months. they intend to volunteer for non-profit organizations in each country, and will film their journey along the way.

you can follow their blog on their site and check out the photos, as well.

this is something i've always wanted to do, but never had the courage.
for those who have never been to the continent, this is a beautiful introduction. for those of us who live here, it is a brilliant reminder.

all images (c) Chioma Young 2008

Currently listening: The Dusty Foot Philosopher By: K'naan Release date: 2005-06-23

inspired: celebrating africa

soul food: afropolitana: k'naan--'waving flag' and 'somalia (live)'

a glimpse into the forthcoming album from K'naan: Troubador

'waving flag'

when i get older

i will be stronger

they'll call me freedom

just like a waving flag.

a melodious tapestry of tragedy and hope encapsulated in a such simple refrain.

'somalia--live'

so what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean

to a never know a simple day without a big commotion

it can't be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion

and when i try to sleep...i see coffins closing.

more on his journey here.

soul food: afropolitana: k'naan--'waving flag' and 'somalia (live)'

funked up friday

i was going to go for a flashback-friday-type-thang today, but then i was alerted about this particular slice of awesomeness:



*looks around silent office full of closed doors*
SIGH!
maybe i can get an internship at Atlantic...?

funked up friday

soul food: k'naan ABC's

i have yet to re-master the art of multitasking. this is evident in the fact that i've seriously been slackin' on my bloggin'. in attempt to grow re-accustomed to posting on the regular, i am going to try to put up a 'soul food' and/or 'food for thought' post at least once a day. and sometimes it's just going to be a random Song o' the Day (SOTD): whatever is stuck on heavy rotation in my dome.

today is a double feature: nourishment for both mind and soul:

artist: the genius K'naan
"ABCs"
album: Troubador (January 2009)

soul food: k'naan ABC's

negrita *hearts*...

i *heart* the concept and the fire behind this project. africa from a different perspective.

Pop'Africana is a bi-annual fashion.art.style magazine.

It is printed in a medium format and highly visually driven.

A new visually captivating project that has just been launched by a few creatives. Founded and visually directed by Oroma Elewa, Pop'Africana is a collaborative effort which aims to re-introduce and re-define all aspects of "Art Africano" . Not only will the magazine aim to re-educate the globe on African ideas of style and individualism it also aims to serve as a robust, visual guide for understanding the "Africano pshyce" from an all inclusive perspective. Pop'Africana sets the standard for iconic style and individualism.

Pop'Africana

negrita *hearts*...

capturing the madness

so, i haven't written at ALL about the rollercoaster craziness that has been the campaigns leading up to the american elections. the silence on this blog totally belies my complete and utter obsession with the whole thing, really.

but then, i came across this today.

dear New Yorker,

now this is satire:



lurve,
negrits.

source
thanks to The Snob for the inspiration.

capturing the madness

leve-leve

there's a sao tomean term 'leve-leve' which, as i understand it, means 'chill'. it's not so much a term, as a way of life. slowwww, and chill (see previous entry re. three hour lunch breaks). this can be incrediby excruciatingly frustrating when attempting to get anything done on time. there are times, though, when this outlook is, in fact, the most inviting, most charming aspect of life here.

i'm now at the cafe where i sometimes like to work, and i woke up this morning still hungover from the funk i've been in for the past week or so. so i'm in about seven different kinds of mad mood. then all of a sudden, someone turns the music up, and the owner of the cafe starts dancing with a member of the portuguese airforce (yup) and this old woman who sells vegetables on the street, hears the music, and dances into the cafe rockin' two bags of carrots and getting DOWN. using the carrots as dancing props. awesome. then another woman walks in...frowns...then also starts dancing by herself. it's turned into a spontaneous dance fest at 10:30 in the morning.

so...ok, infuriating logistical problems aside, maybe sometimes, i really do love the kooky randomness that is this island.

...is it too early for a cocktail? don't look at me like that! i'm just going with the flow.

Currently listening : Di Korpu Ku Alma

By Lura

leve-leve