Amadou & Mariam – Senegal fast-food

Nelly | MySpace Video

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Teddy Pendergrass, (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010)

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Martin Luther King, Jr., “I Have a Dream”, delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C.
Text and Video

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Sign in Carl’s Corner, Texas at dusk. This is right before Willie Nelson’s joint, Willie’s Place – www.myspace.com/williesplacetexas

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Some info from the press release:

A decade has passed since the world has experienced a Sade video and on Monday, January 11th at 12 AM ET, “Soldier of Love,” the first single off Sade’s forthcoming album, makes its worldwide video debut.

The video, directed by Sophie Muller, utilizes powerful yet dreamlike imagery with militant style dancing that coincides with the martial drums pulsating throughout the song. Channeling a futuristic wild-wild-west battleground coupled with her smooth, seductive voice, the video creates an intriguing contrast that captures the ultimate struggle and purpose to find love.

Known for their one of a kind timeless sound, Sade has enjoyed phenomenal success both internationally and stateside throughout the span of their twenty-five year career. Since the release of their debut album, Diamond Life in 1984 the band has seen all five of their studio albums land in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart selling a total of more than 50 million albums worldwide to date. They’ve been nominated for American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and have won three Grammy Awards – first in 1986 for Best New Artist, then in 1994 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group for “No Ordinary Love,” and again in 2002 for Best Pop Vocal Album with Lovers Rock.

http://www.sade.com

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Lhasa de Sela died on New Year’s Day at the age of 37 after a battle with breast cancer. I found out about her death from Tanita Tikaram’s blog. I gasped and got chills when I saw the headline the post. I love, love, love Lhasa’s music. Her first album Llorona blew me away. After hearing it once, I was an instant fan of her work.

From her Web site:

The singer Lhasa de Sela passed away in her Montreal home on the night of January 1st 2010, just before midnight.

She succumbed to breast cancer after a twenty-one month long struggle, which she faced with courage and determination.

Throughout this difficult period, she continued to touch the lives of those around her with her characteristic grace, beauty and humor. The strength of her will carried her once again into the recording studio, where she completed her latest album, followed by successful record launches in Montreal at the Théatre Corona and in Paris at the Théatre des Bouffes du Nord. Two concerts in Iceland in May were to be her last.

She was forced to cancel a long international tour scheduled for autumn 2009. A projected album of the songs of Victor Jara and Violeta Parra would also remain unrealized.

Lhasa de Sela was born on September 27, 1972, in Big Indian, New York.

Lhasa’s unusual childhood was marked by long periods of nomadic wandering through Mexico and the U.S., with her parents and sisters in the school bus which was their home. During this period the children improvised, both theatrically and musically, performing for their parents on a nightly basis. Lhasa grew up in a world imbued with artistic discovery, far from conventional culture.

Later Lhasa became the exceptional artist that the entire world discovered in 1997 with La Llorona, followed by 2003’s The Living Road, and 2009’s self-titled LHASA. These three albums have sold over a million copies world-wide.

It is difficult to describe her unique voice and stage presence, which earned her iconic status in many countries throughout the world, but some Journalists have described it as passionate, sensual, untameable, tender, profound, troubling, enchanting, hypnotic, hushed, powerful, intense, a voice for all time.

Lhasa had a unique way of communicating with her public. She dared to open her heart on stage, allowing her audience to experience an intimate connection and communion with her. She profoundly affected and inspired many people throughout the cities and countries she visited.

An old friend of Lhasa’s, Jules Beckman, offered these words:

“We have always heard something ancestral coming through her. She has always spoken from the threshold between the worlds, outside of time. She has always sung of human tragedy and triumph, estrangement and seeking with a Witness’s wisdom. She has placed her life at the feet of the Unseen.”

Lhasa leaves behind her partner Ryan, her parents Alejandro and Alexandra, her step-mother Marybeth, her 9 brothers and sisters (Gabriela, Samantha, Ayin, Sky, Miriam, Alex, Ben, Mischa and Eden), her 16 nieces and nephews, her cat Isaan, and countless friends, musicians, and colleagues who have accompanied her throughout her career, not to mention her innumerable admirers throughout the world.

Her family and close friends were able to mourn peacefully during the last two days, and greatly appreciated this meaningful period of quiet intimacy. Funeral and services will be held privately.

It has snowed more than 40 hours in Montreal since Lhasa’s departure.

• LhasadeSela.com
• Montreal mourns the loss of the remarkable Lhasa de Sela

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I actually got this Havana Club stirrer in Montreal about four or five years ago. The bartender at a Cuban restaurant gave me a handful of them after he made me the best mojito I’ve ever had in my life. Even better than the one I had in Cuba.That’s because I went looking for limes in Havana after 5 p.m. Bad idea. Government grocery stores all closed. Finally found a shriveled, pathetic little lime. Anyway, we talked a little bit about Havana. I told him about riding a bus on the way to a beach and seeing a Havana Club rum factory in the distance. I remember the big signs. But today looking at the stirrer reminded me of vibrancy two years ago, namely this.

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The artists I listened to the most in 2009 according to my last.fm profile are listed in the chart below.¹ Many tracks were not counted because I listened to a lot of music while driving (especially Ledisi, N’Dambi and mixes), on imeem.com (RIP), kcrw.com and BBC Radio. Corinne Bailey Rae did not release a new album but I found myself listening to a lot of remixes of her songs as well as one-offs and guests appearances she made. I really liked her version of The Raconteurs “Steady As She Goes” that she did for BBC Radio 1’s Live lounge. I’m excited that she is releasing a new album, The Sea, this year.

I don’t know what it is about Keyshia Cole. I really like her verve and her Blige-esque voice. While I can’t fathom why in the world her family has a reality show, I don’t hold that against her. Plus, according to some media reports, it seems she was against them having the show anyway. With all the drama she has to deal with, I can only wish her well.

Amy Ray, is another all-time fave, sans her Indigo Girls persona. I’ve nothing against IG—love them, but I like Ray solo a lot more. Her albums are always edgy, passionate and compelling from beginning to end. Just like albums are supposed to be. So even though her last album Didn’t It Feel Kinder dropped in 2008, it was on heavy rotation in ‘09.

I was ecstatic that Lisa Shaw dropped a new album. Her voice is so smooth and relaxing even when you’re in the club at 3 a.m. surrounded by a bevy of hot, sweaty people. When her voice comes over the speakers, everyone is rejuvenated.

Saint Etienne’s cover of Neil Young’s “Only Love Can Break Your Heart” is an all-time fave of mine and this year I listened to it a lot along with several other tracks on their compilation released back in February, London Conversations: The Best of Saint Etienne.

¹This is the kinda ish that makes a last.fm subscription worth the cost.

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A song of the decade. I will always love this tune.

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Kelis in a recent interview with Honey magazine:
Q: In regards to you, that seems to be the consensus for a lot of today’s female artists as well. How do you feel about all these half-shaved heads on chicks like Cassie and Rihanna?
A: Well I was definitely the first to do it. The only other person I would give credit before me is Pepa. Other than that, I expect them to copy me. What else are they supposed to do? They’re young. God bless them.

Q: It gets interesting though because you’ve reached a point where you can actually see the artists of Generation Kelis, yet it’s not like you’ve retired.
A: Yeah. At the end of the day, everyone is just waiting for someone to do something new and if it’s generally me, then I’ll take that responsibility (laughs).

Q:Who do you think did your look the best?
A: Oh, I don’t know. They’re all duplicates (laughs).
Singer Kelis to Honey magazine

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Nona Hendryx, member of Labelle “taught David Bowie and Queen and everyone else a thing or two about showmanship.”
HuffPost

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Comment on NecoleBitchie: “Kelis herself looks like a chocolate doppelganger of David Bowie…”

P.S. To the Kelis stans trying to comment: Don’t let blind fandom cloud your intelligence and common sense. Think for yourself. Kelis does and so should you. I actually like Kelis. She’s doing her own thing but….she isn’t breaking any major fashion barriers. Black women have been shaving their heads since the dawn of mankind.

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