Vending: SF African Drum & Dance Festival

We will be in the house at the SAN FRANCISCO AFRICAN DANCE & DRUM FESTIVAL, with all the live drumming and high energy dancing, sharing the space with community artisans and vendors. This is one of the more exciting vending events we've done. If you are in the Bay Area stop by to get some freshly made goodness, will be kicking it with some friends who make all types of accessories and natural body products. Fun times!!

Veterans Day Weekend
Nov 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 2010
5 wonderful evenings of Dance, Drum, and Celebration
~Exquisite Music From Africa~

Four Colored Women who Love Colored Women

Four Women by Nina Simone is one of my all time favorites songs and sources of performance inspiration.

See my Woe-Man piece from Last March, inspired by my life, Nina Simone's Four Women & the Music of  Lhasa De Sela (My Name) who passed away from breast cancer while I was writing and choreographing this piece.


Now I just saw this youtube clip. Kelly Price, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott & Ledisi -- Four Women - Black Girls Rock! 2010 I got goose bumps, hairs standing on end. I love black women, I love WOMEN of all colors from everywhere forever and ever.


Another goose bump inducing piece from one of my Favorite Choreographers Adia Whitaker, who has a show AMPEY! premiering this week that everyone should go and see if you're in the Bay Area for the next three weekends.


“Ampey!” is a multidisciplinary theater, music and dance piece that explores the spiritual, emotional and physical disconnect between African-Americans and Continental Africans. Choreographed and written by performance artist Adia Tamar Whitaker, “Ampey!” breaks open the paradigms that each culture grasps onto in regards to identity and social construct.

iPhone vs. Android vs. BlackBerry

This is so hilarious to me. As a non-smart phone user I'm glad someone is in the same wavelength of thinking. *snicker*

This is how smartphone users see each other:

And this is how smartphone users see 2G users...

TRENDS "The Retro Fitted Episode" Saturday, November 13

ERA Art Bar & Lounge Presents TRENDS
Saturday, November 13
Era Art Bar.

19, W.Grand Ave (Uptown)

Oakland, CA

Trends is designed to celebrated Bay Area Fashion innovators in a beautiful atmosphere with dynamic and inspired people, as you partake in a night of fashion, art, and good music.

This episode is titled "The Retro Fitted Episode"
... 
Featuring the fashion of Nneka Clothing. Music by  DJ Hector (Voted best DJ in the East Bay)... Spinning your favorite R&B, Soul, Hiphop, Dancehall Reggae, World music, Soulful House.

We invite all party people, fashionistas, designers, photographer, models, makeup artists, hair stylist, art lovers... Come enjoy art, fashion, cocktails, and fantastic music as we celebrate Bay area fashion TRENDS!!!

Dress Code: Choose your decade/era, be creative, mix and match the old with the new.

$10 at the door Free before 10pm.
For half off, admission, follow this link, use promo code "kola" http://oaklandera.com/era/membernew.php and follow the simple instructions

This is a 21 & over event and is security enforced.

Visual Inspiration: Earrings

I used to only wear hoop earrings but now I pay attention to unusual earrings and accessories.
Maybe it's because Nkei makes really gorgeous earrings. Each time I wear any of mine, I always get compliments. Because they are unusual and beautiful!

Source: Free People Rebellion

Why Should I Vote? What Should I Vote for?!!!

Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote Vote?

http://prop23.dirtyenergymoney.com/

How many flyers and door knocks have you received regarding who you should vote for? Wouldn't it be cool if only all the million and billions that were spent on campaigns materials and candidate promotion would be spent on the actual funding of the issues at hand? Like you know actually spent on healthcare and education rather than talking about it?

Californians, what are all these propositions about? I don't understand them because all the flyers I see just use scare tactics and dramatic quotes while yet not telling me exactly what I'm supposed to be deciding on.

Just a few

Prop 23 the BIG ONE: huge and historic battle brewing in California. If passed would suspend the California Global Warming Act of 2006 (AB 32) which requires that greenhouse gas emissions in the state be cut to 1990 levels by 2020.

WTF?


Why are all the dirty gas, oil & companies companies heavily funding this proposition to pass?

Prop 25/26

Proposition 25 would reduce the votes required to pass a budget from a supermajority of two-thirds to a simple majority like most other states.

Proposition 26 would increase the legislative vote requirement from a majority to a two-thirds for new and increased state and local fees and charges. Many of California’s environmental protection programs are funded with such fees.  Opponents of Prop 26 say that it would make it even more difficult to hold polluters accountable, and to raise revenue for basic services.

Why are all the dirty gas, oil & companies companies heavily funding saying no to 25 and yes to 26?




Wtf?


If dirty energy companies are putting so much money into these things, will this make me think twice about how to vote on them? Especially since such companies are infamous for doing things that typically screw over people of color and erase lands and livelihoods...

For more info and graphics on energy companies & prop 23, 25 & 26...check out http://prop23.dirtyenergymoney.com/
       


 more questions to come, after you vote!
-n

Ghostown Motown Halloween Party!!

From the crew that brought you the May Fly Ball

DJ CASANOVA & DJ LASER (Domino Effect DJs) & DJ Playcookie Will be spinning at our Haunted House for Ghostown Motown Halloween Party. They will be playing a diverse range of music from Hip hop-Latin Beats, Dancehall, African & World music.... Also a Motown set =-o. Check Domino Effect out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Domino-Effect-DJs/108599042421 This party is to benefit TIGRA, so we'll have a donation-based bar (wine, beer, some hard A) Learn More about TIGRA: http://www.transnationalaction.org/ and a Costume Contest!! You are not required to stay all night, but it is suggested

Damn Black Men WTF!!

Okay first. I can't believe it's been 18 days since my last blog post. Whoa! What does this mean? Yes you got it right, summer is over and I've been sucked into the abyss of too many responsibilities and over-committing myself (more on this in a future post). Okay so the last post I had, I ranted in a crazy manner over an article that I felt was poorly written and bashing black men for reasons that were so stereotypical it didn't make any sense. Original Mgbeke asked me to write a rebuttal. I'm coming ...lol soon. But on this topic tho... STILL I'ma need y'all to leave Black Men alone. Check this video out (which is funny and hilarious to me) smh.

I'm saying it's not just black men....haha. That's MY rebuttal most of the people I know that are perpetuating this behavior currently are white men, that's all I'm saying. And that's why that video is funny to me!

Exhibition: Zombie/Fela Thursday October 7th 2010- Jan 2, 2011

Zombie: The Resurrection of Fela Kuti
October 7, 2010 through January 2, 2011
Opening Reception: October 7, 2010, 6-9 PM


...This exhibition will resurrect and celebrate the spirit of a composer, activist, pioneer, revolutionary... Fela Kuti. Born Olu-Fela Anikulapo Kuti on October 15, 1938 in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Fela was one of Africa's most controversial musicians and throughout his life he continued to fight for the rights of the common man (and woman) despite vilification, harassment, and even imprisonment by the government of Nigeria. He formed his first group Koola Lobitos in 1963. The large jazz, funk, and afrobeat collective underwent many changes in the following decades but the style remained the same thanks to Fela's vision and other key members such as drummer Tony Allen. 

EVENT LINK

Response: 8 Reasons to Date a White Man

Source

So for a while now, I've been having a back and forth with myself with a topic that keeps coming to me: A commentary on how many more wedding pictures I've peeped of Nigerian/African women marrying White men.
So far I have stayed away from it because:

• one: sometimes it's hard for me to write about controversial issues publicly
• two: i couldn't figure out how to write about it without it coming off all gossipy and possibly distasteful
• three: I wasn't sure what my opinion on it per se was and if it was worth writing about
• four: how to say enough but not be more personal than I feel comfortable being

Some things are better off discussed with people who get your idiosyncrasies, understand your sarcasm, and or get your intent without you trying to explain or defend yourself.

But THEN I messed around and happened on this article and I'm like WHOA WHOA WHOA. *pause for 10 secs*

I'll start off with saying What the Fucckkk??!!!

So let's just pretend you're one of my close friends, and you know me and how I get down. So you would understand my intent and blah blah blah. How would I respond to this if you were in a room with me?

Source

I would say something like "I know this BITCH did not go and write some stupid ass thing like that!!"
And you would be like "N that's not professional, that not classy!"
And I would respond "Fuck that, if i see that ho walking down the street, I'll bitch slap her ass!"

8 REASONS to date a White Man!!! Are you kidding me?? This is the most poorly written, derogatory, attention-seeking-for-no-reason piece of shit I've ever read! Sure I'm not doing such a good job myself of proving her wrong by writing an intellectually sound response, but at this point I'm just not capable of doing so!

The thing that trips me out is not even the fact that I don't agree with her on the general issue: Black Women in this day have the short and splintery end of the dating stick, and probably can 'expand' our dating pool by not exclusively dating black men (not as though that matters, just 'cos you decide that you're gonna date other races, doesn't necessarily mean that you'll get 'dated by other races'). But when she writes things like "My question is what are you waiting for—a baby and no ring?" LMFAO... She's crazy!!! Black,white,orange,red,green... A man, whatever color he is, can baby you and NOT wife you. First off all "who says THAT I WANT A RING  from the particular person who has babied me.

I need to stop 'cos I might just say some more stupid things..

This fool wants to make me type in all caps (FOR THE WHOLE  POST)!

fk outta here,
n

p.s. (on a side note, i do dig the styling and concept of the 1st photo above though... lol)