Thursday, December 22, 2011
Dandy Lion Exhibit is off to Baltimore @ the Reginald F. Lewis Museum.
Delphine Fawundu's Tiga Jean-Baptiste Series is currently on view at the Aljira Center for Contemporary Art in Newark, NJ as part of the Dandy Lion Exhibit.
After Aljira, Dandy Lion: Articulating a Re(de)fined Black Masculine Identity will be on view at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore January 29 - May 13, 2012, with a VIP opening reception on February 2nd (RSVPs required)
Curated by:
Shantrelle P. Lewis
Featuring Photography and Films by:
Hanif Abdur-Rahim
Kwesi Abbensetts
Laylah Amatullah Barrayn
Kia Chenelle
Bouba Dola
Russell K. Frederick
Delphine Fawundu-Buford
Cassi Amanda Gibson
Akintola Hanif
Jamala Johns
Phillis Kwentoh
Caroline Kaminju
Lafotographeuse
Ray Llanos
Jati Lindsay
Devin Mays
Terence Nance
Brandi Pettijohn
Nyugen Smith
Friday, October 21, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
ARISE Fashion Show with some cool Nigerians..Oshe!
On Thursday I covered the ARISE Fashion Show (New York Fashion Week) for www.societyhae.com.
Great event...all I could think while watching the show was, I want that outfit...and that one..oohh and that one too. The gift bags were pretty cool. Inside was a copy of ARISE Magazine along with a hot oil treatment from Mizani, a Radiance Revealing Peel-Off Mask by Decleor Paris for the the face (made with essential oils and fruit extracts :-) ), a cool tote bag (good for my shopping at the Park Slope Food Coop), and some gourmet candy treats (yummy).
After the show I hung out a bit with some cool Nigerians - Ngozi Odita (Society Hae), Ogugua (Promotions of all things African (Fela On Broadway etc etc), DBanj (Nigerian hip-hop artist just signed to Kanye West's Good Music), and Sound Sultan in town doing some work with Wyclef and others.
Sound Sultan (hip hop aritst) & Lilian (Major Nigerian Stylist)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Fake sleeping
I was soooooo tired upon engaging in the 14 hour drive. I slept for about 5 of the 7.5 hours that we've been on the road. We are still in Italy -- such a beautiful green landscape. Everyone on the bus is just doing their own thing, I'm downloading footage and listening to DBanj play in the background. Seun just gave a live performance of Boys II Men, "I'll Make Love to You" and "End of the Road." Who knows when the next 15 min rest stop will be. I haven't really eaten a good meal yet, just a little here and there. I'm so afraid that I won't be able to eat anything in Germany --hopefully I can find some good veggies... LOL!
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
On Tour with Seun Kuti
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
IMG00035-20110627-0839.jpg
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
I got a new nickname on the road
An Italian good good friend of Fela's said to Seun "Is this the new Femi Photo?" "We'll call her Femi Photress!" LOL! Hmmmm...so I'm thinking... when do we tour Africa? now that I have a new title and all. LOL!
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
IMG00031-20110627-0812.jpg
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
Dinner in Ravenna
So the Lasagna was just the starter and I'm quite full. However this plate of potatoes, fresh tomatoes and green leaves are to good to pass on. I had to tell the waitress "No steak please!"
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
Ravenna, Italy
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
next morning
It is 8:04 am and I'm not sure if I'm still in France or if we have reached Italy. My eyes have just witnessed the most beautiful mountain sides, the kinds that you only see in paintings. I am here laying on a top bunker on the second deck of a double decker tour bus. As I awoke to those amazingly gorgeous mountains, I reveled in thought: how much of a reality are these existences in my world if I never see them with my own eyes. Seeing the world through someone else's perspective is just that, one point of view. In my own being, I travel to experience new people, places and thing with all of my senses.
Yesterday, I arrived safely in Paris at approximately 10am. I landed with a spirit of gratefulness for a safe journey. My flight was delayed due to engine problems. Although, I love to travel, and I'm not really freaked out by flying, there is always that small window of vulnerability knowing that you are suspended thousands of feet in the air and you safety are in the hands of a pilot that you don't even know.
I was a little anxious upon my arrival. This is the first time that I have traveled to a foreign country alone. Usually, I am on vacation with family or working. This time I was meeting up with Seun Kuti + Egypt 80's European tour. The only thing is that I arrived before they did. Luckily I was able to link up with my Parisian friend Malika who gave me directions to meet her at a train stop near the Eiffel Tower. So there I was, with my heavy nap sack filled with camera equipment, and my suitcase taking the cost effective way into paris from the airport, RER, Paris by train. I must say that I was quite surprised at how filthy the train was from the airport to Chet____. It was quite adventurous navigating the train system as I had to take 3 trains and ask for directions with the very, very little french that I know. For some reason spanish words came to mind. Many say that the french will not be pleased if you don't at least attempt to speak it when you are foreign to their country. I didn't want to come from the pompous American attitude that everyone around the world is expected to speak English - so I tried to speak the little french that I know. I found that some people did understand and speak English and the kindly helped me with directions. I also sensed an appreciation at my attempts to speak their language.
After, traveling on trains empty and crowded with what appeared to be a very diverse group of city travelers I found my self astonished by the beauty of Paris. I walked out of the train station at--- and sighed graciously. To the left of me I saw small cars driving towards me with the buildings textured like a work of art in the back drop. To the right of me my eyes rested peacefully on the Eiffel Tower as it was surrounded by greenery from my point of view. Shortly after Malika met me and we traveled to the Hippodrome de Longchamp. Seun was scheduled to open on one of several stages set up for Paris' hugest festival, Solidays: Festival of Love. Seun's performance would take place on the main stage in about 4 hours after my arrival.
It was nice to reunite with the band. I first met them in Lagos last summer. I completely fell in love with them as I visited a rehearsal at Kalakuta. The music coming out of those instruments instantly reminded me that those rhythmic vibrations were indeed spiritual. The overwhelming feeling of those rhythms vibrating throughout my body along with the strong sense of passion resonated in the fingers as they stroke their instruments, was simply inspiring.
I was able to revisit that same feeling at sound check. The fact that this band is comprised musicians who take their craft very serious is without question.
Interestingly enough I asked some of the audience members if they were familiar with Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, many people were not. These people were there to see the headliner, a totally different kind of group. However, when Seun and his band performed there were seas of dancing bodies moving with the rhythms. The audience loved the performance. After the show I interviewed some of the same audience members and they were blown away.
It was quite amazing to see so many people moved by music that they've never heard in their life and possibly didn't really understand the words. Occasionally, Seun gave meaning to his chorus and invited the audience to sing along. This was a true testament to the notion that music is indeed a universal language. Even if you cannot understand the words - you can surely feel the vibrations...
My mind cannot even imagine what Italy will be like...
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The Roots Family Picnic.. June 4, 2011
Party people, another post to address any questions you may have regarding buying tickets for the 4th Annual Roots Picnic going down on June 4th at Festival Pier in Philly. Tickets are $65. You can still get it in on the fan club pre-sale and be the first to have your tickets by clicking here and getting them from Ticketmaster. You can do this until 10pm EST this eve.
Then tomorrow at 10am EST, tickets will be advertised to the general public at that same link AS WELL AS in person at either the TLA on South Street or in cash at the 111 Presidential Blvd box office in Bala Cnywd which will save you the finance charges.
Picnic artwork by John P Dessereau, www.johnpdessereau.com
Sunday, March 27, 2011
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