a thousand [and one] hills

a few weeks ago, i was listening to zoe chace interview ms. lauryn hill on NPR. it appeared as though ms. hill was back: performing again, talking about recording again. i took to twitter and facebook and tentatively shouted it from the various virtual mountaintops. my prayers to the gods of music had been answered: ms. hill is back. i had no idea, at the time, that on her journey back, she would show up in my proverbial back yard. a little over a week ago, i was standing backstage at a concert that i had dreamed of attending since i was about 17. as the announcer began his introduction, i stood next to ms. hill as she climbed the steps to take the stage at the pan african dance festival in kigali, rwanda and i had myself a moment, y'all. i suddenly snapped out of professional organizational mode and fully realized what was happening. ms. hill was back. and she was here. in the land of a thousand hills. if you had told me 15 years ago that this was even possible, there is no way i would've been able to fathom it. but a few brilliant people with a vision and relentless determination made it happen! and i bore witness.

this is the exact time negrita's brain realized what she was witnessing.

...read more here...

a thousand [and one] hills

remembering the magic: michael jackson 1958-2009

one year ago, when we heard of michael jackson's passing, my sister said that since she was a child, she'd always wondered where she'd be when that news came. today, everyone is remembering where they were when they heard. i first heard the news on twitter. michael jackson rushed to the hospital. cardiac arrest. a little while later, news of his death hit and my immediate reaction was complete denial. part of me is still in denial, i think. how can someone whose music is so interwoven into the fabric of so many lives be gone, just like that? i kept waiting for someone to announce that it was, indeed, a hoax. that it was yet another rumour flying out of control. but as the hours passed, and i stayed up all night on twitter...more confirmation poured in. i still could not fathom it. it was too big and too shocking to comprehend, somehow. it's like the child in me was stubbornly refusing to acknowledge what was happening. plugging my ears, and shutting my eyes, and shaking my head vigorously until it all went away. it wasn't until the televised memorial service that it started to sink in. michael jackson was gone. michael jackson, who had always been bigger than life. michael jackson who--even in my adulthood--never lost his magic. he was more than a man, more than an artist. he was a beautiful spirit, whose influence cannot be ignored. his impact is felt every single day, all over the world. he transcended race and nationality. he was music. he was dance. he was style. he was artistry. he was a true entertainer.

he was the best. simply. and he always will be. he is my first memory of truly LOVING music. thriller was the first album i memorized all the lyrics to. 'thriller' is the first video that enchanted me and made me fall in love with dance. that red leather jacket is the first item of clothing i remember obsessing over. he's been gone for a year, and his absence is palpable. it's a void that i'll always feel and that will never be filled. we have lost a master, a legend, a true work of art, a powerful force. and that is something that cannot be denied, despite one's personal opinion of the man. it's just fact.

i still cannot accept the fact that he's gone. i wish i could thank him for all he meant. i pray he felt the love more than he felt the mockery and the fear and the misunderstanding. i hope he knew he was loved. i hope, in the end, his gift was more of a blessing than a burden.

rest in peace and power, michael jackson. i love you as much now as i did when i first laid eyes on the thriller cover and declared that you were my boyfriend for life. there will never be another.

...gone too soon...

remembering the magic: michael jackson 1958-2009

soul food: afropolitanic nomads: shadk + k'naan on tour

this just in: shadrach kabango and k'naan on tour together, this fall.

afropolitanic nomadic lyrically genius awesome, all in one show.

a little reminder of why i have nothing but love for my favorite african canadian lyricists
artists:

soul food: afropolitanic nomads: shadk + k'naan on tour

soul food: nas + damian marley's 'as we enter'

today's soundtrack has just been injected with some awesome in the form of this track from nas and damian marley from their forthcoming album distant relatives.

'as we enter'



(video directed, once again, by nabil elderkin)

love the fact that (inspired by k'naan) they sampled mulatu atske 'yegelle tezeta'



fiyah.

soul food: nas + damian marley's 'as we enter'

soul food: moments

uh, i know this blog is a little 'wavin' flag'ged out right now, but...um...i don't care! big ups to K'naan who took home two Juno Awards for Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. woot! this moment has been a long time coming:

listen to an in-depth interview with K'naan on Q with Jian Ghomeshi, here.

soul food: moments

negrita's soundtrack: the tour

and, now, ladies and gentlemen...the tweet negrita has been waiting for:

@john_forte: It's official - K'Naan, Wale, and John Forte coming to a town near you this Spring!

um...


woot!

negrita's soundtrack: the tour

teddy pendergrass

we have a lost an incredible talent and a true legend.
may his soul rest in eternal peace.

Teddy Pendergrass first gained notoriety as a member of the Philadelphia group, Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes.



in 1977 he begun his solo career, and went on to become the first African American to have five consecutive platinum albums. in 1982 Pendergrass was injured in a car accident, which left him paralyzed from mid-chest down but which did not stop his momentum. two years later, he returned with his next album, which featured this single (and which is when i first fell in love with his voice):



you will be missed, Teddy. truly.




Teddy Pendergrass
1950-2010

teddy pendergrass

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'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with.”

--michael joseph jackson

1958-2009

it's taken me ages to post this. i have been in denial since the news of michael jackson's illness came in last night. writing down the date of his death means accepting that he is gone. i keep expecting to wake up and realize this has not really happened. this morning, when i told my sister the news, she paused...was silent...and said 'it's funny, ever since i can remember knowing about death, i always wondered where and how old we'd be when michael jackson died.'

it was the unthinkable, then. he was invincible. he was so much an integral thread in the fabric of our young lives. he is the first music most of us remember hearing, loving, and learning.

he is my first memory of music videos. he was the definition of cool. he was music. he was dance. he was a consumate entertainer. he was genius. he was a force.



for many of my generation, we all have a memory associated with a michael jackson song or album. 'thriller' is the first album i remember my sisters and i owning (and by 'owning' i mean, 'jacked from my parents') and i have distinct memories of weekends spent at our friend's flat down the hall, listening to it on her parents' record player, trying to learn words (most of which we made up), and gazing dreamily at this poster:

i don't want to speculate about who he was as a man. i know he was flawed and troubled. i just want to take this moment to give thanks for everything he meant to me, everything he meant to my youth, everything he contributed to the world of music and dance. i want to thank him for the music we danced to, and the music with a message we will never forget. to thank him for fearlessly thinking and inventing beyond boundaries and borders and becoming truly international. there is no artist who has not felt his influence--whether musically, through choreography, or through showmanship. he has permeated our collective conscious and has left an indelible mark.

i have no choice but to always love and remember him. he was glorious. and i am saddened by the fact that he passed before his comeback tour. it was meant to be his final curtain call, and i know it would've been a true spectacle that would have silenced those who doubted his ability to do what has always come to him so naturally.

i hope you left this world knowing how much you loved, michael.

there will never be another king of pop.

rest in peace.

michael jackson

bust a move

it's the 20th anniversary of Young MC's hit 'Bust a Move'

this video is special. the hotpants. the layered high-top fades. dope.

*running man*

bust a move