I’m happy to announce that I’m a featured poet during Nation Poetry Month 2023 on author Dee Lawrence’s blog Vocal Expressions. The feature includes an interview and two poems, “The Words We Used To Say” and “BLACK NATION.”
Much gratitude and appreciation to Dee Lawrence for providing this opportunity, along with a platform for highlighting poets during one of our favorite months of the year. To learn more about Dee Lawrence, go to Vocal Expressions or check her out on IG.
Elated to share that I was recently a featured poet on author Dee Lawrence’s blog Vocal Expressions. The feature includes an interview and two poems, “When Freedom Called (The Fallout)” and “The Music of Life.”
Much gratitude and appreciation to Dee Lawrence for providing this platform and highlighting poets during one of our favorite months of the year. To learn more about Dee Lawrence, go to her blog Vocal Expressions or check her out on IG.
~ Buddah Desmond
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be performing in the Listening Lounge at The Ask Rayceen Show. You’ll be able to catch me in my element – singing and reciting poetry. Hosted by the FABULOUS Rayceen Pendarvis, the event takes place Wednesday, August 6, 2014 | 7PM (Doors open at 6PM) | Liv Nightclub (2001 11th St NW, Washington, DC | Above Bohemian Caverns).
Esteemed authors LaToya Hankins, R. L. Norman, and Wyatt O’Brian Evans will be featured in the Authors’ Corner. If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of our books, you’ll be able to do so at the event. Poets, spoken word artists, and poetry lovers are also in for another treat as there will be a Poetry Slam. The winner will receive a $100 cash prize.
Best of all, the event is FREE and open to the public!
Check out the calendar for The Ask Rayceen Show for next few months.
So if you’re in the area on any of these dates, please check out The Ask Rayceen Show!
Until next time… Peace, love, and many blessings!
Image courtesy of The Urban Daily and Eric Roberson’s Official Website.
A live performance can be the ultimate experience to get inside of the soul, spirit, and passion of an artist and their music. The music comes to life. Your senses are titillated. Deeper meanings are unveiled. And by show’s end, your love, respect, and appreciation for the artist has grown immensely. That’s what happens when you see Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Eric “Erro” Roberson live.
What instantly connected with me was the realness, tenderness, vulnerability, and soul of Erro’s music. His music comes from a pure place–his heart. These distinguishing qualities are what continue to make Erro’s music and artistry so unique.
When Erro’s on the stage, you can’t help but be touched by his delivery and presentation. The happiness and joy that beams from his face as he performs is undeniable. It’s quite clear he loves what he does. And the energy from the audience further fuels his passion.
From original and re-imagined versions of his hits (“The Moon,” “Still,” “Dealing,” “Previous Cats,” “Couldn’t Hear Me,” and “Borrow You” to name a few), songs made on the fly with the help of the audience, and ingenious interpretations of songs he admires (like his jazzy take on the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Big Poppa”), Erro and his band will leave you spellbound.
To say that Erro will keep you entertained is an understatement. Erro in concert is a show you don’t want to miss!
It was 1987 when we found ourselves transfixed with Swing Out Sister’s first two singles “Breakout” and “Twilight World,” from their debut album It’s Better To Travel. I was 5 at the time. We became diehards overnight. We played It’s Better To Travel so much the CD started to skip incessantly (much to our chagrin). If it wasn’t for the CD cleaner, that album would not have made it into the 90s and beyond.
Swing Out Sister took us to a musical wonderland, somewhere deep in the night. And we didn’t want the night to end. Much like their song “Love Won’t Let You Down,” Swing Out Sister won’t let you down either.
Maysa’s most recent release, “Blue Velvet Soul” is her tenth solo album and is a perfect description of her music. Her music is smooth yet powerful, soulful, lush, hypnotic, ethereal, and eclectic. There’s a warmth and intensity to it that keeps you in sync, yearning for more. Maysa’s voice, a beautiful, distinctive instrument, is much the same. She’s a singer’s singer and one of the best in the industry today. She, like Nancy Wilson, Angela Bofill, and Phyllis Hyman, is a uniquely gifted song stylist and interpreter. She’s able to use music to connect with her audience on a much deeper level. There’s an endless love of her art that flows through her music. You cannot help but be touched by it, especially when you experience her live.
Maysa realizes the power of music and the role she plays as a singer-songwriter-producer. She says, “I am a storyteller, a counselor and a friend that helps others through the good times and bad through my music. It’s important for me to connect with the audience because it’s my God given job.” And she does it, effortlessly, with each album and every performance. Every ounce of her heart and soul goes into her music. There’s nothing phony or contrived about it. It’s honest, authentic music. And it’s a testament to her 20+ years in the industry and the love and loyalty of her fans and peers.
Happy Birthday Maysa! May there be many more years of life, love, prosperity, and enchanting music! We thank you for blessing us for so many years with your amazing gifts. Here’s to you!
It’s no secret that I’ve been a long-time Jody Watley fan. But sadly I had yet to attend one of her concerts. So when I found out that she was coming to The Howard Theatre in DC on July 19, 2013, I knew I had to move quickly to get tickets. I’m so pleased that I did. It was an experience, a Friday Night Experience, that I will never forget. The show was also special in that it was Watley’s first in DC in 25 years and it was the last show as part of her summer tour.
While I’d never seen Jody Watley live before, I expected a high-energy show. And that it was—a 90-minute extravaganza with superb vocals, top-notch musicianship, ever-stylish garb, and tight, bodacious choreography. The show was a FAB chronicle of Watley’s career—where’s she been and where she’s going. Watley opened the show with the funky disco soul jam “Nightlife” and “The Dawn,” new songs from her forthcoming 10th studio album Paradise. The response from the audience was overwhelming. Watley turned the Howard Theatre out with just the first two songs, and she was just getting started.
Watley kept the momentum going by taking us back to her days as a member of the legendary group Shalamar, with a spirited medley of hits featuring “Second Time Around,” “A Night To Remember,” and “Take That To The Bank.” Watley effortlessly commanded the stage and continued to shut it down with spot-on performances of her enduring hits like “Friends,” “Some Kind of Lover,” “I Want You,” “Your Love Keeps Working On Me,” “Don’t You Want Me,” Still A Thrill,” and “Looking For A New Love.”
One of the most affecting moments of the show was the ballad section. Though the tempo slowed down slightly, the energy and emotion remained quite strong. Watley kicked off this section of the show with a beautiful, stirring performance of “Everything.” Soulful, jazzy, stripped down, reflective reinterpretations of “When A Man Loves A Woman” and “Most Of All” followed. Watley’s ability to reinvent and find new meaning in her music showcased the artistry, growth, and maturity that has sustained her nearly 40 year career.
After almost 40 years in this business…6 of them in Shalamar – I remain with all my success a virtual underdog. I appreciate those who really get it. My name may not grace the headlines or be a gossip and celebrity blog staple, however I continue to do ‘the work’ as a viable quality artist; while enjoying my journey with all of it’s twists, turns, highs, lows – hits, misses and triumphs. That’s life baby. ~ Jody Watley, 2013
From Disco, Pop, Funk, Hip-Hop, to R&B/Soul, what would a Jody Watley show be without Dance, House, and Electronic music? After all, Watley’s been one of the EDM genre’s innovators for many years. Her performances of “I’m The One You Need” and “Saturday Night Experience” were more than evident of this. Never a substitute, always authentic. Only the real thing. Watley closed out the show with one of her biggest hits “Real Love,” leaving us all wanting more.
Watley’s artistry, style, consistency, and forward-thinking continues to blaze trails. Without a doubt, she’s still got it. And we wait anxiously to see just what she’ll do next. Whatever it is, we know it will be FAB!
Listen to a preview of Jody Watley’s new single “Nightlife” from her forthcoming album Paradise below.
Like a moth to a flame/Burned by the fire/My love is blind/Can’t you see my desire?/That’s the way love goes. ~ Janet Jackson, “That’s The Way Love Goes,” janet. (1993)
May 18, 2013 marked 20 years since the release of Janet Jackson’s fifth studio album, janet. janet. was a departure in sound and style when compared to Control (1986) and Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989). The album unveiled a different side of Jackson—her sensual side. Songs from her aforementioned efforts like “Funny How Times Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” and “Someday Is Tonight” provided mere glimpses of what would later be uncovered with janet.
janet. stands as a declaration of Jackson taking even greater control of the direction of her music and career, composing and co-producing (with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) the majority of the music on the album. If it wasn’t clear before, janet. proved Jackson to be a distinctive, innovative, and monumental force that had come out quite far from the shadow of her family’s fame. With the removal of her last name, she (continued) to command respect on her own merits. At the time of the album’s release, Jackson was well on her way to carving her own niche—one that continues to inspire and influence fans and artists alike to this very day.
Jackson’s albums are musical snapshots of specific periods in her life. janet. represents Jackson’s exploration of her softer, sensual side and the confidence which comes from embracing all facets of ourselves and honoring who we truly are (inside and out). It’s genuine. It’s real. It doesn’t comes off as contrived or pretentious. You feel Ms. Jackson opening up in ways never heard before (“Anytime, Anyplace,” “The Body That Loves You,” “If,” “You Want This,” and “Throb”). Aside from sensuality and intimacy, janet. delved deeply into relationships, the ups and downs of love (“Because Of Love,” “Where Are You Now,” “Again,” and “This Time” featuring Kathleen Battle), and the impact of racism and sexism (“New Agenda” featuring Chuck D of Public Enemy).
Vocally, Jackson delivered some of her most confident, sweet, sexy, and soulful vocals yet. The songs, expertly paced, run the gamut from R&B/Soul, Funk, Pop, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Opera, and Rock. janet. is an album that you can play straight through, uninterrupted. Even at 75+ minutes, it never gets tiring or boring. After 20 years, it’s safe to say janet. has aged quite well.
Jackson, Jam, and Lewis easily produced one of the best and most eclectic albums of the 90s (or ever in my book). janet. has sold over 7 millions copies in the States and over 20 million copies worldwide. It remains one of her best-selling albums and one of the best selling R&B albums of the SoundScan era. The album produced 6 Top Ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles charts, “That’s The Way Love Goes” (#1 Pop/#1 R&B), “If” (#4 Pop/#3 R&B), “Again” (#1 Pop/#7 R&B), “Because Of Love” (#10 Pop/#9 R&B), “Anytime, Anyplace” (#2 Pop/#1 R&B), and “You Want This” (#8 Pop/#9 R&B).
Musically, thematically, and visually, janet. took Jackson to even greater creative heights and laid the blueprint that many artists would follow soon after. (Jackson would blow critics, fans, and artists minds alike again in 1997 with the release of The Velvet Rope).
Happy 20th anniversary to janet. We thank you (again), Ms. Jackson, for this masterpiece.
Related Posts:
80’s Albums That Changed My Life
Day 48: Black Music Month – Janet Jackson
All 4 Janet.
~ BuddahDesmond
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Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall/For a chance to be with you/I’d gladly risk it all/Through the fire/Through whatever, come what may/For a chance at loving you/I’d take it all the way/Right down to the wire/Even through the fire ~ Chaka Khan, “Through The Fire,” I Feel For You (1984)
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I’ll never forget the first time I got to see Chaka Khan live. It was late November 2011 at The Birchmere in VA. I was with my partner, mother, and grandmother. And was it an experience! While I knew Chaka would bring it like no other, I had no idea the show would impact so deeply. Within the first few minutes, I was in tears. Entranced. Enraptured. Captivated. Spellbound. I was emotionally and spiritually overwhelmed. Here I was, sitting in the audience being serenaded by someone who I loved all my life. Her soulful wail pierced my core and I was rendered helpless. I surrendered to the Queen of Funk-Soul.Make my journey, make it short in space/Let me lose this hardness that I got now, Lord/Water, wash away all traces of hate/I will do what you say/If you just show me how, river/…Roll me through the rushes like Moses/Roll me through the rushes/Just like Moses on the Nile ~ Chaka Khan, “Roll Me Through The Rushes,” Chaka (1978)
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2013 marks two major milestones for Chaka Khan: her 60th birthday (March 23, 2013) and 40 years in the entertainment industry. Chaka will be unveiling a series of projects to commemorate these milestones. Following the release of the March 16th “Stars Tribute” issue of Billboard Magazine, Chaka launched the 100 Days of Chaka campaign. Introduced via an Augmented Reality app, the 100 Day of Chaka campaign “marks the 100 days from her birthday (March 23) to the anniversary of the release of her first recorded album with Rufus, Rufus (July 1, 1973) 40 years ago. This timeline will highlight daily, a series of historic moments in Chaka’s career, mixed with celebratory current events. The 100 Days of Chaka culminates with the release of The iKhan Project: Alive! The Commemorative Edition, in stores July 2″ (Soul Talkin’ With Chaka).
Later this year, Chaka will release The iKhan Project: Jazz, an album produced by renowned musician and composer Robert Glasper. Fans can also look out for the I’m Every Woman Tour; television specials; an updated version of Through The Fire, Chaka’s memoir; the relaunch of www.chakakhan.com; the relaunch of Chakalates, her signature gourmet chocolates; the launch of her Khana Sutra candles, and much, much more. I must say, 2013 is gearing up to be a celebration fit for a legend! Chaka deserves every moment of it (and then some).
A mama’s cryin’/’Cause another young man has gone and died/He’s not some statistic/He’s another awesome destiny denied/So I’ve got to stand tall/I’m gonna live a super life/For the rest of my life/I’m gonna live a super life/Super life, super life, yeah ~ Chaka Khan, “Super Life,” Funk This (2007)
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Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary, Chaka Khan! Thank you for sharing your spirit and your boundless gifts with us. We will forever be moved. Here’s to a fabulous 2013 and beyond!
Related Post:
Day 47: Black Music Month – Chaka Khan
