MLK Day Musings

I am not American, nor did I grow up on US soil. For this reason, growing up Martin Luther King Day was not a national holiday where I grew up. My family usually followed an Oprah special or something of the like, to commemorate the day. This day has come to mean a lot to me now that I am living in the United States. In particular after my mother shared a viewpoint that I had not given much thought. Because I am not American, I do not always fully appreciate the extent to which I have benefitted from the civil rights movement. My Mum pointed out that Africans and coloured people all over the world have benefitted greatly from the struggles of those who fought in the US Civil Rights Movement. She used the exampe of Rosa Parks, which really stuck with me. I take the bus all the time, and have never given much thought to where I plant my toosh.

Since having this convo with my Mama, I can help but wonder: What would my life be like at my college campus today, if forty-fifty years the, Rosa Parks's and MLKs had not stepped up to the plate?

Afro Blue

"Dream of a land my soul is from

I hear a hand stroke on a drum
Shades of delight, cocoa hue
Rich as the night afro blue

Elegant boy, beautifil girl
Dancing for joy elegant whirl
Shades of delight, cocoa hue
Rich as the night afro blue

Two young lovers dance face to face
With undulating grace
They gently sway, then slip away
To some secluded place

Shades of delight, cocoa hue
Rich as the night afro blue

Whispering trees, echo their sighs
Passionate pleas, tender replies
Shades of delight, cocoa hue
Rich as the night afro blue

Lovers in flight upward they glide
Burst at the height slowly subside
Shades of delight, cocoa hue
Rich as the night afro blue

And my slumbering fantasy assumes reality
Until it seems it's not a dream for two for you and me

Shades of delight, cocoa hue
Rich as the night afro blue"

- Lyrics by Oscar Brown Jr. and melody by Mongo Santamaria

Dayum, dat song. 

Image: Africlectic Magazine

Artist on my mind: Lianne La Havas

This past summer, I found myself in a bit of music rut. The tracks in my music library were becoming rather repetitive. I needed something fresh, something that would excite my senses. While browsing the interwebz, looking for new tunes to groove to, I discovered British artist Lianne La Havas, and have since been involved in a torrid musical love affair with this folk/soul/jazz singer's sound.

I once heard someone say that a person's name can denote stardom, and Lianne La Havas is certainly one of those names.  A little bit of drama and a little a bit of alliteration, what more can you ask for? La Havas also stunningly beautiful, and has a unique clothing style that compliments her physicality. I quite like that  La Havas embraces her curves and dresses to exentuate  rather than hide them. She also dresses in manner that is tasteful, an unusual trait for a female musician these days.

Sometimes, when a singer labours to bring out notes, it subtracts from the beauty of their art. La Havas sings with an effortlessness that makes listening to her music an extra treat.  Her range is also rather impressive. In her song "Empty", she moves between a deep alto voice and a high soprano with an ease that is quite remarkable.

La Havas is a gifted songwriter and guitar-player, who composes her own music does her own arrangements, another increasingly rare quality in music these days. Her personal connection to her music is evident, as she deliver each note with great emotion.  In "No Room For Doubt", she collaborates with Willy Mason (he'll need a feature of his own soon!) to smoothly fuse folk guitar arrangements with soulful vocals to create quite the refreshing musical experience.

She has been quite popular in Britain and Europe for some time, and is increasingly gaining a following in the US. I have strong feeling that the coming year will be one of great commercial success for her. Let's keep our fingers crossed  that in the midst of all this, she maintains her unique artistic aesthetic and does not sell out.

Images: Google and the Lianne La Havas Facebook fanpage