Musik+ology 101: The Time Has Come!

It's here, guys! My blogtalkradio show has officially manifested and I am so excited! I am inviting you all to listen to my first show tomorrow, October 1, 2011. I will be playing Thundercat's new album, "The Golden Age of Apocalypse", and will also be discussing different things about him and the album.

Follow the link at the end of this post to get to the show, and there will also be a live callback number if you would like to call in and ask questions or comment.

Yeah, this is going to be epic...So tell all of your music lover friends that this is a show that you BOTH will not want to miss.

Spread the word, and be there!

Musik+ology 101 Blogtalkradio show

Alexyss K. Tylor Documentary

Hello, everyone!

I hope you all are enjoying your week. I personally took a lil' break from the internet and had a technology purge for about two days just to clear my mind as the new season has arrived and as I am beginning to start new business and life projects within the next couple months (there is never a dull moment in this girl's life).

As I returned back to Youtube, to my surprise, Ms. Alexyss K. Tylor, life and spiritual coach and motivational speaker, uploaded a new video. She has not been uploading videos recently and her viewers have been quite thirsty for her presence on the internet.

This new video that she has uploaded is actually a excerpt from a documentary that is in the works that is about her life. Alexyys has been through the fire and back as far as things that she has had to dealt with in life. From living in a broken home, to witnessing the death of a sibling at such a young age and more; she has been through it all. But Alexyss has not let this keep her down. She has managed to overcome all of these obstacles and be who she is today, a beautiful Black woman that aims to continually inspire and help people all over the world with her story and spirit.

I wanted to share this with you all because I quite frankly felt that I needed to. And I will warn you, she gets quite ill when it comes to her language at times but, she is who she is. Watch the video, be inspired, and let me know what you think.

Peace and blessings, fam! ♥

Happy Birthday, John Coltrane!

An intellectual, musical saint and one of the illest to ever touch a Tenor Sax! We will continue to celebrate Trane's legacy! A true Jazz legend!

Magical Tuesdays @ Toko Baru

Today I went to Ludlow Ave. here in Cincinnati, which is a legendary street for its many one-of-a-kind jewelry stores, clothing stores and restaurants. Toko Baru happens to be one of the many unique shops on this strip, and it is one that I absolutely adore.

My sister needed to go to Toko to get a decorative notebook for writing, and I went with her not really expecting to buy anything. Needless to say, I haven't been there in a while and my little feet would not stop running from this and that thing that I liked and wanted to buy.

I initially ran across this mood ring that was obviously a must buy for me. Say what you want, but I love them and they are a childhood favorite of mine. As soon as I put it on it turned Blue then to Violet, two of my favorite colors... I WAS SOLD, or should I say it was sold. Then my eyes feasted onto a basket of what I like to call "magic wands"; these pens were gorgeous. They had Black ones, hot pink ones...I was sold again. This pen makes me want to write and really inspires me to get back into my notebook and I definitely will.

When I tell you guys I felt like a kid in a candy store; I could not stop touching all of the things that I liked. I really should've taken pictures of the store to show you everything that they had. From their jewelry, to home decorations to natural body products...It is a beautiful store. I will definitely be going back VERY SOON to buy some of the things that I wanted, I may even see if I can do a little video on them.

Today really proved to me why I love Tuesdays so much; they are truly magical.

New York Fashion Week: Raye 6

As one of the most exciting weeks in NYC is coming to an end, it is only right that I post about it. I have seen so many photos of the many fashion designers, models, celebrities and other people that have been strutting their stuff throughout New York City this week on the internet. And when I came across Ms. 6's photos on her facebook page, I fell in love with her whole look.

First and foremost, her dress designed by Farai Simoyi is to die for. I love how it starts off as a pinkish-nude, modest dress and turns into a tropical array of colors. And her accessories, made by Devora of Dig Deep Inc. (y'all know I love accessories), are what I love the most. The beautiful crystal-stone necklace is so beautiful and her bracelets add a tangy twist to the whole outfit.

see more photos @ Essence.com

And last, but not least. Her hair gives complete LIFE to everything. This has been her signature hairstyle ever since I have come across her and I dare anyone to say that they have ever seen anyone with this exact hairstyle, that could even attempt to rock it the way she does. And believe it or not, but I think that her bun is naturally all of her hair. STYLE.

Raye 6, as a musical artist and performer, definitely knows the art of showstopping and she manages to do it with her sense of style and fashion, as well. Much love to you sista, keep doing ya thing!

Raye 6: website
Farai Simoyi: website
Dig Deep Inc.: facebook page

I don't speak French...

But I love this song & video. Just sending positive vibes your way as we enter into the weekend! Do your thing and listen closely to the end of the song, and you will then understand the meaning behind the song. Peace ♥

Lorna Simpson: Momentum

I came across this incredibly intriguing photo by the way of twitter some weeks back, and it really grabbed my attention. I immediately tried to understand what was exactly going on in this photo; why are these people all gold? It seems as if they are in motion, why the ballet shoes?

After further research, I learned that the figures in this photo are indeed suppose to be in motion and that this is a photo from an exhibit entitled, Momentum. Momentum is a collection of artwork by the New York based artist, Lorna Simpson, and this exhibit is centered around a particular occurrence in her life that has stayed in her mind and conscious into her adulthood. At the age of eleven, Lorna performed a ballet routine at New York's Lincoln Center.

"I was very surprised by a powerful sense of reversal while performing," she recalls. "I had this intense urge to occupy the role of observer, as opposed to being immersed in my well-rehearsed effort. I [wanted] to satisfy my need to be the spectator of this performance." -quote from nowness.com

And this explains the continuous spins performed by the dancers and silent pauses that are shown within the video that is also a part of this exhibit. It shows that as she performed, there were moments of her putting herself into the audience, mentally, to see herself performing as she is indeed performing the actual act. Truly mind-blowing and very interesting to say the least. Within this exhibit there are also photos of Avery Fisher Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House printed in gold ink, as they compliment her memory of a performance that initially lasted for only a couple minutes that have left an impression on her memory for a lifetime. I truly enjoy this exhibit and its abstractness, yet relatively to the human memory and intellect... LOVELY!

Lorna Simpson, Momentum (2011) from Salon 94 on Vimeo.

Momentuen: more on the exhibit
Lorna Simpson: her website

Afro Sheen: What happened to this?

Aren't these ads just beautiful? I look at these pictures and really become very confused on how we have changed from this. Now don't get me wrong, I completely understand that things change with time; beliefs, styles, trends etc... But when did it ever go out of style to be your natural self in all aspects?

To me, this goes deeper than wearing natural hair or even the ads. What happened to Black owned hair stores, what happened to commercials with Black people in them that actually put us in a positive light...What about self-acceptance? It would make a hell of a difference if we saw ads like these in our neighborhoods and duct-taped on modern day hair stores. Think of how children of today would respond to this compared to seeing people of other ethnic groups always representing a product that a business wants us to buy. What happened to our OWN?

I could go on and on, but I'd just like to post those questions and concerns to say that this was a truly beautiful time for our people. I wasn't even born during the 70s, but from a cultural standpoint, it ain't hard to tell that there was much more love and respect for thyself and the community during this decade and it showed in everything we did. The way we wore our hair, the kind of music we listened to and the major moves that we were making as a people when it came to education and business. A true sign of heightening the intellect and pushing forward through turbulent times.

And I highly suggest that you all watch the commercials posted below, which is what I came across initially. They are entertaining, message-driven and even funny at times to say the least. This is deeper than the shine of the sheen yall, this is about our community...What happened?







Ad photos courtesy of: afroglitz.com
Videos courtesy of: Randymay21