101 Days Project: Politics, Social Issues, Inspiration from Writers, & Other Passions

You know those times when you’re on a website and you see a category that appears to be a dumping ground for all the content that couldn’t fit into any of the other more descriptive categories?  It’s like the miscellaneous category (though they usually don’t call it that).  Well this last commemorative post for the 101 Days Project may appear to be that way.  Although, I’d like to call it the “Potpourri” category.  It also sounds better (and serves as an ode to Jeopardy).  “Potpourri” highlights a variety of posts on politics, social issues, writing advice, and some of my other passions (like cooking and tea).  Since I did not write as many posts within each highlighted area (as I did for poetry, music tributes and reviews, anecdotes, and inspirational writing), I thought it made the most sense to combine these into a hybrid category of sorts.  I probably delve into social and political issues more so when I’m not writing on my blog.  But I’ll hopefully be able to share more of this writing in the future.

Please check out the following:

Politics & Social Issues:

  1. (Day 99) 9/11–Day of Remembrance
  2. (Day 98) I’m Voting For Progress – Obama Biden 2012
  3. (Day 96) Michelle Obama at the DNC 2012
  4. (Day 80) Gabby Douglass Is Not Her Hair
  5. (Day 39) OUT (Written In Honor Of National Coming Out Day)

Inspiration From Writers:

  1. (Day 95) Inspiration from Chinua Achebe
  2. (Day 84) Inspiration from Toni Morrison
  3. (Day 81) Inspirational Quotes (from Writers)
  4. (Day 10) Julia Cameron’s “The Artist’s Way Every Day”

Other Passions:

  1. (Day 92) The Kitchen, My Other Home
  2. (Day 87) Earl Grey de la Creme (Pearl Fine Teas)

101 Days Project: Music Tributes & Reviews

As those who read my blog know, music has always played an immense role in my life.  I feel irregular when I don’t hear it, feel it, sing along to it, or speak about it.  The 101 Days Project has given me the opportunity to write about music on a more consistent basis.  I’ve written a series of tributes/homages and reviews of artists I feel are/were representations of artistry at its best… Artists whose contributions to music come from a place that’s so much deeper than what you hear and see on the surface… Artists who touch your heart and soul and can move you with a single line, a simple movement or gesture, or the slightest bend or shade of a note.  I truly believe music is the universal language of life (and love is the nourishment our lifeforce needs to survive).  I plan to share more about my love of music and those who I feel are using it not only to make us groove but to bring us together and tell our stories. 

Check out the following music tributes and reviews featured in the 101 Days Project:

  1. (Day 78) Donna Summer – Tribute to a Bad Girl
  2. (Day 71) Nothin’ But Love for Whitney Houston
  3. (Day 74) For Amy (My Tribute to Amy Winehouse)
  4. (Day 67) Remembering Luther Vandross
  5. (Day 93) RIP Chris Lighty
  6. (Day 100) Aaliyah – Tribute to a Princess
  7. (Day 66) Happy Birthday Phyllis Hyman!
  8. (Day 91) Happy Birthday Michael Joseph Jackson
  9. (Day 73) Happy Belated Birthday Millie Jackson
  10. (Day 69) Angela Bofill
  11. (Day 77) Lisa Stansfield – The Real Thing
  12. (Day 76) Chanté Moore Live – Love’s Taken Over (Again)
  13. (Day 101) Teedra Moses, The Lioness Live in DC
  14. (Day 40) Just Jill: Words & Sounds Live

Other 101 Days Project music posts:

  1. (Day 90) Kindred The Family Soul – Sticking With You
  2. (Day 88) Alicia Keys, A Girl On Fire
  3. (Day 38) Adriana Evans – Walking With The Night
  4. (Day 16) Round Midnight: A Tribute to My Great-Grandpa
  5. (Day 9) Rihanna – Rated R
  6. (Day 8) Melanie Fiona – The Bridge
  7. (Day 7) Sade – Soldier Of Love
  8. (Day 6) Chrisette Michele – One of This Generation’s Best Vocalists
  9. (Day 3) Lady GaGa’s Latest – Bad Romance
  10. (Day 2) Autumn Leaves – Everything Must Change
  11. (Day 1) MJ’s This Is It

101 Days Project: Black Music Month

Image courtesy of Cafe Mocha Radio.

 On June 7, 1979, President Jimmy Carter officially designated June as Black Music Month.  Black Music Month is a time to acknowledge the vast contributions and achievements of black singers, songwriters, producers, musicians, and executives in the music industry.  Music would have a completely different feel if it were not for the ingenious artistry, undeniable talent, fiery passion, and stone cold soul of many of the most influential and inspirational black figures to ever grace the airwaves, TV, silver screen, or stage.

For the first time on BuddahDesmond’s Place, I celebrated Black Music Month by honoring artists ranging from newcomers to legends.  Some of the artists featured, like Adriana Evans, Conya Doss, Teedra Moses, and Eric Roberson, are stellar underground acts with devoted, growing followings that make music that often rivals those of their mainstream counterparts.  At the end of the day, it’s about good, real music.  Music that you can feel.  Music that brightens your day.  Music that inspires you.  Music that makes you dance.  Music that motivates, uplifts, and means something.  That’s what it’s been throughout the history of Black Music.  Let the legacy continue on!

Check out the following artists featured in my Black Music Month series:

  1. (Day 63) BuddahDesmond
  2. (Day 62) Syleena Johnson
  3. (Day 60) Adriana Evans (Redux)
  4. (Day 59) Cassandra Wilson
  5. (Day 58) In Remembrance – MJJ (Repost)
  6. (Day 57) Robert Glasper
  7. (Day 56) Phyllis Hyman
  8. (Day 55) Mint Condition
  9. (Day 54) Conya Doss
  10. (Day 53) Vikter Duplaix
  11. (Day 52) Eric Roberson
  12. (Day 51) Teedra Moses
  13. (Day 50) Meshell Ndegeocello
  14. (Day 49) Lenny Kravitz
  15. (Day 48) Janet Jackson
  16. (Day 47) Chaka Khan

101 Days Project: Prevail

 
One of my biggest accomplishments this year has been the release of my first book Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and PoliticsPrevail was self-published through iUniverse and released the summer of 2012.  Prevail is an eye-opening collection of poetry inspired by personal experiences, history, culture, and social issues of the last 10 or 12 years.  Varying in subject matter, voice, and tone, this work touches on the ups and downs, highs and lows, trials and tribulations, and the many facets of life, love, and politics during this time period. With a style that is, at times, proselike, unconventional, raw, and in-your-face, Prevail seeks to offer an underlying message of strength, persistence, and triumph.

The feedback on Prevail has been quite positive, thus far.  There’s nothing like sharing your work and seeing it have an impact and connect with others.  Nothing can describe the feeling.  

I’ve shared a number of poems from Prevail on my blog and some other posts related to promotional opportunities for the book.  If you haven’t had the chance to check them out, please do.  

Remember, no matter happens in this life–we must PREVAIL! 

  1. Announcing the Release of My First Book – Prevail
  2. Day 86: Gone Too Soon (from Prevail)
  3. Day 75: Flash In The Pan 
  4. Day 72: Prevail (Title Poem)
  5. I’ll Be Appearing at OutWrite 2012 in DC
  6. Day 79: OutWrite 2012 Was a Success
  7. 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… BuddahDesmond on JoeyPinkney.com

Other Prevail Poems:

  1. I’ll Never Understand
  2. Past, Present, and Future
  3. Normal?
  4. When Hate Kills
  5. Luther Is Love (A Tribute to Luther Vandross)
  6. The P/H Factor – Phyllis Hyman: Tribute to a Sophisticated Lady
  7. Politricking

Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics is available at iUniverse, Amazon (Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle), Barnes & Noble, Book-A-Million (Paperback | Hardcover), and other retailers. 

101 Days Project: Poetry & Prose

I think we’re truly blessed to have so many creative ways to express ourselves.  The catharsis that each creative method provides us is invaluable.  Writing has always been a reliable method (one of several) for me to address various situations in my life and the lives of others.  While the subject matter isn’t always pleasant, I try to find something positive about it.  And if I can laugh or joke about a situation or event long after it’s happened–I call that progress.  During my 101 Days Project, topics for my poetry and prose hav run the gamut–love, sex, heartbreak, freedom, and family (to name a few).  Check out some of my favorites:

  1. Day 94: The Ultimate
  2. Day 85: You’ve Got It Now (No Excuses)
  3. Day 83: Can’t Make You Try
  4. Day 82: Get Over It
  5. Day 68: The Comeback
  6. Day 65: Get Free
  7. Day 64: The Good Ole Days
  8. Day 61: We Need You
  9. Day 46: Without You
  10. Day 45: Whenever The Feeling Comes Along
  11. Day 44: Once Upon A Groove
  12. Day 43: Closure
  13. Day 39: OUT (Written in Honor of National Coming Out Day)
  14. Day 12: Poetry Spotlight – Not Anymore
  15. Day 11: Poetry Spotlight – Ain’t Worth It

101 Days Project: Anecdotes & Inspirational Writing

When working on the 101 Days Project, there were several periods where I was not churning out poetry and prose the way I normally would.  If remembering correctly, there were times when I wasn’t writing creatively at all.  But that soon changed one day while on my way home from work on the train.  The muse returned and the words started coming to me in the form of anecdotes.  These writings, many of them brief, were about everything from communication and relationships to self-esteem/self-love and spirituality.  Check out some of my favorites:

  1. Day 33: Loving Yourself
  2. Day 28: Getting Beyond Blame
  3. Day 89: Many Ways to Get to the Ultimate Destination
  4. Day 97: Making Dreams Happen
  5. Day 25: Fear
  6. Day 23: Faith & Determination
  7. Day 41: Apologies
  8. Day 30: Obligation & Convenience in Relationships
  9. Day 34: Communication
  10. Day 37: Love & Bills

101 Days Project Is Complete!

After several days, weeks, months, years (so sad about the years part), my 101 Days Project is complete!  The inspiration for this project came from a post on a websitefor the life of me I cannot remember which site it wasthat described someone doing various creative activities/tasks/projects for 101 days.  I thought it would be a great idea to do it on my blog.  My mission with the 101 Days Project was to get out of the “Let Me Tell You About My Day,” “Whoa Is Me,” “I Hate My Job,” “Life Sucks,” and “This Is What I Did This Weekend” posts you so often find while reading blogs.  No offense to anyone if these are the kinds of blog posts you fancy.  I know I’ve done my fair share.  But I wanted to push myself and get beyond this.  I wanted to push myself to write about the things that touched my soul, intrigued me, excited me, moved or inspired me, and made me look at life a different way.  I was also hoping that this project would encourage me to blog more consistently.  Well, the consistency came in spurts.  (The project should probably be called 101 Things in 1037 Days.  Ha!)

Like me, this blog is a work-in-progress.  I am glad however, to have DRAMATICALLY improved with the overall variety, versatility, and frequency of blog posts.  In the seven years that I’ve been blogging, I knew I didn’t want my blog to be solely used to vent or share poetry.  I wanted it to be more than that.  The 101 Days Project, I believe, has made it more than that.  The project may be over, but the intent and drive continues on.  It is my mission to continue pushing myself creatively and improving upon the content of BuddahDesmond’s Place.  

To commemorate this milestone, I’ll be breaking the posts down into categories and highlighting some of my favorites over the next several days.  Be sure to check them out!  Feel free to share them with others and comment.

As always, I thank you for your support.  Stay tuned for more!

Peace, Love, and Many Blessings,

BuddahDesmond

Day 101: Teedra Moses, The Lioness Live in DC

Image by Everyday LaVan Photography c/o The Howard Theatre.

On September 7, 2012, after seven years of waiting, I was finally blessed to The Lioness, singer-songwriter Teedra Moses live.  Moses opened her “Lamb 2 Lion” tour in DC at The Howard Theatre.  She dazzled on the stage.  Her show included a well-paced set of favorites from her debut album and her mixtapes, along with several inspired, well-received cuts from her soon-to-be-released sophomore album The Lioness.  The show was further proof that she is one of the most underrated R&B/Soul singers in the game.

It’s actually been eight years since the release of Moses’ debut album Complex Simplicity.  The album was released to great critical acclaim but to little commercial fanfare.  However since that time, she’s developed quite a devoted following.  Her beloved live shows are well-attended and her mixtapes tend to be better than some of your favorite contemporary artists’ albums.  Moses has released 5 mixtapes, her most recent was 2011’s Luxurious Undergrind (released a few months after being signed to Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group).

Moses wasted no time getting the crowd hype by opening her show with the lead single from Luxurious Undergrind, “Another Luvr,” with an interpolation of Soul II Soul’s “Back To Life.”  Moses turned in stellar performances, especially on songs like “Take Me,” which featured her talented background vocalist Jeret Black (or J. Black), “You’ll Never Find (A Better Woman),” “Complex Simplicity,” “You Better Tell Her,” which featured Carl Kelly, “Caught Up,” and her sultry classic “R U 4real (freestyle).”  Moses’ voice, pure, smooth, and soulful, glided effortlessly over the music.  She possesses one of the most beautiful voices in the industry.  She’s also one of the few contemporary artists who sound even better live than they do in the studio.

Moses developed a great rapport with the audience instantaneously.  She rapped to the audience like we were best friends or family throughout the show.  At the beginning of her encore for example, she talked about how crazy Hollywood is and how difficult it is trying to keep one’s composure when dealing with the insanity.  She said she’s a sweet, down-to-earth person who is so not Hollywood.  But she made it a point to say that while she may be sweetdon’t fuck with her (yet another reason why we love her).  Moses had planned to perform a song she wrote entitled “Hollywood,” in which see sings about the craziness of the industry, but opted instead to pay homage to Rufus & Chaka Khan by singing an impassioned version of their song of the same name.  Moses closed the show with the sexy, fan favorite “Backstroke.”

 Image by Everyday LaVan Photography c/o The Howard Theatre.

Another memorable element of the show was the live art.  During the show, DC artist Demont “Peekaso” Pinder painted a beautiful portrait of singer-songwriter extraordinaire Sade, Moses’ favorite singer.  I had the opportunity to meet the extremely talented Peekaso after the show.  He’s mad cool.  For more information about Peekaso and his work, go to: http://www.demontpeekaso.net/.

After the show, Moses greeted and took pictures with fans.  The fact that she takes the time to meet her fans after her shows is a testament to how much she loves and appreciates them.  Having met Moses, I have to say how refreshing it was to meet a celebrity who is so sweet and laid-back in-person.  Some celebrities turn the shade, pretense, and ego on when meeting their fans.  Not Moses.  She may be a natural rock star, but she’s approachable.  And this translates quite well into her music and her live shows.  Her artistry comes from a passionate, genuine, authentic place.  That’s what makes it so easy for fans to relate to her and her music.

I highly recommend catching Moses on her “Lamb 2 Lion” tour.  Aside from Luxurious Undergrind, I promise you it’s the perfect musical treat to tie you over until her sophomore album The Lioness is released later this year. 

Day 100: Aaliyah—Tribute to a Princess

Image courtesy of the African Limelight site.

Missing you so…
Haven’t been right since The Creator called you home.
The fact that your presence will never grace us again is still so unreal.

The exalted one—yes, you were.
One in a million—yes, you were.
Your spirit and the legacy you left behind—yes, it will go on and on.

You came on the scene at the age of 15 and immediately captured everyone’s hearts.
Something about your soul, your style, and your sound that struck a cord.
It also set you apart and made you seem so much older than what you actually were.
You went on to become one of the most sought after entertainers of the day.

You created musical magic with R. Kelly and again with Timbaland and Missy Elliott.  
You didn’t need to follow the trends—you set them.
You left us spellbound with your beautiful, angelic voice, intricate dance moves, and extraordinary, inspired music videos.
You had us in a trance while watching you on the big screen in your first major film role.
Undeniably, it was your talent and your magnetism that made you one of the brightest  
     stars and had industry insiders saying you were the one to watch.

And just as you were getting ready for what was being called the next big phase of
     your career, you were called home.
We were grief-stricken, in denial.
We couldn’t believe you were gone.

We thank God for you.
We thank God you were blessed to wake up each day to do what you loved.
And we were happy and blessed just the same.

How could we forget an entertainer who was so influential in such a short period of time,
And one who will forever be regarded as one of the best of her generation?

The exalted one—yes, Aaliyah was.
One in a million—yes, Aaliyah was.
Everything Aaliyah gave—yes, forever, it will go on and on.