Women Make Moves and Movies...

Many people in the film industry or those who follow the film industry are quite aware of the lack of women behind the scenes--as writers, directors, and producers. As many amazing stories as there are to tell it's so unfortunate that so few women artists are given an outlet to speak their stories into cinematic existence. Without that terrible "chick flick" label as if all stories about women's lives--whether romantic or not--fall into one trite category. There are many independent women filmmakers out there--you may not know of them. But they exist. They have voices and they seek to make all types of movies about a variety of complex subject matter.

At this year's Tribeca Film Festival, the film "Entre Nos" premiered. The film stars the extraordinarily talented Paola Mendoza (pictured below) who also co-wrote and directed the film along with filmmaker Gloria LaMorte. From the articles I've read, the film is inspired by Paola Mendoza's mother's journey from Columbia to New York as a mother who wants a better life for her children. The film is about finding courage against enormous odds to create one's own place in the world.



I am tremendously excited about the presence of this film and will definitely be supporting it when it hits theaters. To have women--especially women of color--making independent films with such important voices is vital and celebratory.

I wish Paola Mendoza and Gloria LaMorte much success with this film and their future projects.

"A woman with a camera--now that's a political situation" - Unknown

The End of the World As We Know It

Yes, it's the end of the world (as we know it). This may sound like an extreme overstatement in regards to my hearing of the news that Virgin Records in Union Square was closing down--like the one in Times Square did a few months before. Like Tower Records did, a couple years before that--and so on. This pattern of loss in record stores is definitely signaling the end of an era (Sam Goody, anyone?). No one is buying music, they download. No one is buying DVDs, they Netflix. And while I feel the i-pod is probably the greatest musical invention since the...drum, I am still sadden by the disappearance of record stores.

There's nothing like browsing a good record store--seeing album covers, posters, running into music lovers and having philosophical discourses on the love or hate for a particular band or album. Even if I wasn't necessarily partaking in the conversation, just hearing those conversations being had always warmed my heart.

With every loss as we know, there is rebirth. There will be other avenues and channels that bring music lovers together. Most likely on the Internet, satellite radio, social networking sites, or some other new innovation. Record stores will soon be remembered as ancient artifacts, relics frozen in time. I'll always remember what it felt like, sounded like, smelled like to wander the aisles with excitement and glee on Tuesdays when all the newest music was released. Or browsing endlessly through CDs in search of a new discovery. And despite the slick, new advances in technology and all the wonders that accompany it--truth is, some moments just can't be downloaded.

A Visionary: Remembering "Left Eye"

It’s unbelievable that 7 years ago yesterday, April 25, 2002, TLC member Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes died in a tragic car crash while on a spiritual retreat in Honduras. I was devastated by the news of Left Eye’s death like so many fans around the world. TLC was one of the biggest, most successful R&B girl groups of all time. Their original look and sound inspired an entire generation of female empowerment. Ranked by Billboard as one of the greatest trios of all time and the most successful girl group of all time selling over 22 million albums world-wide. I will never forget when TLC burst on the scene in 1992 with their playful anthem “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg.” I was in middle school and all my friends wanted to be a member of TLC. We listened to their music, did all their choreographed moves at the school dances and knew the lyrics to their songs better than any of the answers to our math tests.

Members T-Boz, Chili, and Left-Eye each represented and symbolized the ultra-feminine personality. T-Boz was the Cool One, Chili was the Sexy One and Left Eye was the Crazy One. She was the rapper of the group and her raps were always poetic and energized with her spunky-edged flavor. There were many significant R&B girl groups of the 1990’s such as SWV, Xscape, and Brownstone. But TLC were trailblazers because of their uniqueness. Their songs weren’t just about love. They dealt with phony friends “What About Your Friends?,” social issues, “Waterfalls” which captivated all of radio and MTV for an entire year, and emotional insecurity “Unpretty.”

As the music industry continues to decline for a variety of reasons, one main reason is the lack of great music out there. So as I remember the beautiful and talented Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez and listen to TLC songs tonight, I will pray some young musician/s somewhere will carry on the tradition of making timeless music that’s not only fun and danceable but has some real heart.

Excerpt from the song “WaterFalls”:

Left-Eye: “I seen a rainbow yesterday
But too many storms have come and gone
Leavin a trace of not one God given ray
You say because my life is ten shades of grey
I prey all ten fade away
Seldom praise him for the sunny day
And like his promise is true
Only my faith can undo
The many chances I blew
To bring my life to anew
Clear blue and unconditional skies
Have dried the tears from my eyes
No more lonely cries
My only bleedin hope
Is for the folk who cant cope
Wit such an endurin pain
That it keeps em in the pourin rain
Whos to blame
For tootin caine in your own vein
What a shame
You shoot and aim for someone elses brain
You claim the insane
And name this day and time
For fallin prey to crime
I say the system got you victim to your own mind
Dreams are hopeless aspirations
In hopes of comin true
Believe in yourself
The rest is up to me and you”

"Thank You For Being A Friend…”: Award-Winning Actress Bea Arthur Dead at 86

Emmy-winning and Tony-winning actress Bea Arthur died Saturday April 25, 2009 at her Los Angeles home after a battle with cancer. Bea Arthur will probably be most remembered for her role as Dorothy on the hit 80’s sitcom “Golden Girls” about retired friends living together. It was a wonderfully funny show and Arthur was the razor sharp wit always trying to hold her friends and mother together. I watched the show often with my mother while growing up. I remember it being one of her favorite shows and she loved singing the infectious theme song: “Thank you for being a friend…”

Bea Arthur had a major impact on TV sitcoms long before “Golden Girls.” She starred in the hit, controversial sitcom “Maude” in the 1970’s. It was a spin-off of “All in the Family” another brilliant, controversial hit show. Sitcoms and comedies today are a dying breed. With the overwhelming interest in the vapid world of reality television, sitcoms are becoming virtually non-existent. And unfortunately much of what does exist, is poorly written, empty, and droll (with few exceptions.) When I think of Bea Arthur on a show like “Maude,” it makes me remember a time when television not only entertained audiences but also challenged them. Maude was an upper-middle class liberal feminist married to her fourth husband when the show debuted in 1972. The show often conveyed dark humor and even drama, which was groundbreaking for the time period. In November 1972, audiences watched as Maude, age 47, had an abortion two months before the Roe vs. Wade decision was legalized nation-wide. The show will probably be most remembered for this episode. I remember seeing the show in reruns and this is the only episode that I remember clearly. To see a TV show, a sitcom, deal with such a timely, controversial issue was brilliant, moving, and brave. The show also dealt with alcoholism, mental illness and domestic violence. Much of the show’s brilliance is credited to the magnificent Bea Arthur who played Maude so fearlessly.

Unfortunately, these kinds of shows no longer exist. But we must remember a time when actors like Bea Arthur used art courageously to shed a truthful light on our funny and sometimes painful world.

R.I.P. Bea Arthur and many warm thoughts and prayers to your family and friends.

Boombox Vibrations: A Tribe Called Quest...Forever

It happened last night. I was in a Mexican restaurant with my very wonderful friend Stacey and out of nowhere we have this conversation about how A Tribe Called Quest is our favorite hip hop group of all time. (Untouchable, in my book...) Our adoration was deep, we rapped random lyrics, laughed hysterically, and reflected on how incredible rap artists like Tribe were and will always be--what they meant to us then and what they mean to us now. We both confessed we have to play A Tribe Called Quest songs about every other day.

A Tribe Called Quest burst onto the scene in the early 90's. Although they were not rap's biggest hitmakers, they have unquestionably become iconic pioneers of hip hop. When one thinks "hip hop purity" A Tribe Called Quest is usually within the next few sentences. They were trailblazers, capturing the hearts of hip hop fans and music lovers in general with their distinctive, playful, jazz-fused intelligent stylings. As lyricists they were poets of the ever-so-clever--the balancing act cat-and-mouse, call-and-response of emcees Q-Tip and Phife Dawg laced with the incredible production of Ali Shaheed Muhammad made them magnificent, exciting, and constantly refreshing. You hear a song like "Can I Kick It?" or "Check the Rhime" and you can't help but nod your head or move your body.

They also released classic albums: (their second release) The Low End Theory and (their third) Midnight Marauders are hailed as not only some of the finest albums of hip hop music, but music period. When I heard Midnight Marauders in the 8th grade, something in me changed. I remember being at my friend Amber's house listening to the song "Award Tour" and learning it lyric for lyric. Age 13 was such an awkward, transitional time for me as a kid but there was something very constant, very assuring about that album. I played it everyday in my Walkman (way before the i-pod, peeps) and it kept me as sane as possible during those emotionally turbulent times.

A Tribe Called Quest disbanding in 1998 had me heart broken--like so many other fans. It symbolized the end of an era (and just as well the beginning of the incessant gaudy commercialism hip hop seems all too obsessed with now--but that's another story for another time.) As Stacey and I rode the R train home from our Mexican restaurant outing, we shared my i-pod listening to "Oh My God", nodding our heads, rhyming lyric for lyric. And I started to wonder about the future of this hip hop, this music I hold so dear. Many claim Hip Hop is Dead. And my only response is a lyric from Q-Tip: "So play the resurrector and bring the dead to life..." WORD.


BONUS:

Q-Tip recently released The Renaissance, which is one of the most exciting hip hop albums in the past few years. The Renaissance is a collage of sonic grooves with Q-Tip's mind-bending lyricism. It is a wondrous collection for any one who loves the inner beauty of hip hop and just loves good music to lay back and nod your head to.

Chasing Ami: A Chat With Ami Brabson

Before I can say anything else, I must say when I asked my dear friend Ami Brabson if I could interview her for my blog, she didn’t exactly jump at the idea. But in her sweet, endearing way she agreed. You have to know Ami to know that she’s not driven by the notion of being in the spotlight, even if it’s just a moment on this lil’ blog. Ami doesn’t actively seek the attention she so richly deserves. She’s obviously not your typical working actor and that’s what I find so incredibly interesting/refreshing about her.

The first time I even saw Ami was when she was on the critically acclaimed, ground-breaking detective drama “Homicide: Life on the Street” where she “played” wife to her real-life husband, Emmy-winner Andre Braugher. Since then, Ami has had appearances on shows like “Law & Order,” “The Jury,” and “All my Children”. Now currently she has a recurring appearance on FX’s super-addictive hit “Damages” starring Glenn Close. Ami is an extraordinary talent and I felt it necessary to interview her although she was reluctant to be put on the spot.

When I asked her about why she shies from the spotlight, she said “When it comes to notoriety the negatives of it seem to outweigh the positives for me. Especially when it comes to protecting your children.” As a mother of three growing, beautiful boys she knows her priority above all is being a good mother.

Some may wonder how does a working actor, mother, and wife balance the three and Ami will tell you without hesitation that “you just have to step up. You just do it. As much as we wanna be superwomen--put it like this, I can’t devote myself to everything equally. Being a mom is a priority and it’s the choice I’ve made. And it’s not a sacrifice. I have no regrets.”

It’s that kind of confidence in one’s place in life that makes Ami so genuine and inspiring. She said she knew she wanted to be an actor for a living when she was in high school when she played the Chorus in “Antigone.” She says there was no real “magic moment” but doing that play she knew she wanted to act professionally.

When I first met Ami she was in a play directed by a good friend of mine (Jaye Austin-Williams). And she was absolutely amazing in it. Having an equally amazing actor for a husband might be difficult and competitive for others but not for Ami when I asked her about her relationship with Andre: “We’re each others’ cheerleaders. Plus it’s not like we’re competing for the same roles. How can we be competitive when we’re working towards the same thing?” Ami has often said her husband is her best friend and he’s a very loyal supporter of her work.

What I love is that Ami feels blessed by where she is in life. At this moment, being in the moment, she says it’s “extraordinary.” She spoke of how thankful she is to have the family she has, her adoring husband, her healthy, loving children, and a career. She feels that in itself is enough. She’s totally satisfied.

So of course that made me ask what would she do if tomorrow she woke up in a major role giving her thousands of fans and she said: “Well, is the work worth doing? I mean, you can have thousands of fans and not be happy with the work. Because that’s what matters at the end of the day. Being satisfied with what you’re doing.”

You gotta admire Ami for that kind of acknowledgement of artistry. There are so many fame-chasers who could care less about real acting. Their concern is being famous, being in the limelight. And Ami, with her extraordinary gift, is all about the “work.”

I often make her laugh when I tell her she’s going to blow up when she least expects it. With her talent, it’s only a matter of time. The beautiful thing is that Ami won’t be chasing the limelight. She’ll being keeping up with the family, making sure they have what they need—basically, the limelight will just have to chase her.

Reunited and It Feels So Good: No Doubt Is Back!

I was thrilled to learn yesterday that my favorite band No Doubt had reunited and their delicious new single "Stand & Deliver" had been leaked. Ever since their release of Tragic Kingdom when I was in high school, I have been an obsessive fan of their music--how can anyone resist their brand of funky, ska rock, reggae-tinged, alternative grooves laced with hip hop edge and appeal? And how could anyone not love laser-hot front woman Gwen Stefani's spunky persona that's a mash-up of Madonna, Cyndy Lauper, and Blondie's Debby Harry. Definitely making her one of the coolest white chicks on the planet--even Chris Rock thinks so! I mean I was just transfixed the first time I saw Gwen in the "Just A Girl" video and apparently so were 15 million others because that's how many copies of Tragic Kingdom were sold.

Tragic Kingdom was brilliant and the fierce ballad "Don't Speak" had even the hardest thugs thinking they could sing. Face it, everyone thinks they can sing that song! I equally loved their following album, Return of Saturn which was criminally underrated in my opinion. It was just so freakin' hypnotic. After the solid Rock Steady album, Gwen released two blazing solo albums and explored all that potential we knew she had.

So I am very excited for what's in store with this new album. Wow. Is this me actually anticipating an album again? Damn. I almost forgot how good that feels.

Higher Sciences: TV On the Radio

Every now and then a band comes along and challenges everything you thought you knew about music. The Brooklyn-based post-punk alt-rock band TV On the Radio is an ultra-magnetic force to be reckoned with. I discovered the band through my best friend Maurice a couple years ago. I was not prepared for their sonically distorted brilliance when I first heard them on their debut Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes. But by the time their second album was released, Return of Cookie Mountain, I was a fan. Now on their latest album, Dear Science, I am in love.

Dear Science is an imaginative, noisy dreamscape of punk, funk, rock and dirty soul. The band that can fuse together the strange with the beautiful so effortlessly has created their most mind-blowing collection to date. Their style is always complex but hypnotic. There’s dark sentiment, violently sensual musical compositions and vocals that haunt, distort, and sometimes soothe--just the way I like it.

Black, Beautiful, & Bad-Ass: A Pam Grier Moment

A couple of weeks ago I was flipping through the channels and I landed on TV One because they were playing Pam Grier's "Friday Foster." As many times as I've seen this movie, I still had to stop and watch. Pam Grier will probably always be known as the Queen of the so-called Blaxploitation era. Hey, you can't escape the brash beauty with a gun who knows how to use it. In the 70's, she was symbolized as an image of female empowerment: A Black Female Action Hero. With all the social and civil movements during the time, I guess for many it was exciting to see a woman who could sucker punch a man while looking fly in high heels. Others felt that Pam and the Blaxploitation movies were stereotypical, empty, and objectified women--yes, there was definitely sense of that--but there were also usually strong narratives of black empowerment in these films, social consciousness, and fighting white oppression for the bettering of a people and community. Some films of course were better than others--but that's in any genre. (I'll definitely blog more about my love for these movies in a later post.)

Pam Grier movies (like Foxy Brown, Coffy, Sheba Baby) were always adventurous, even when the scripts were lacking, there was always enough intrigue and action to keep it exciting--plus it's just simply impossible not to want to see Pam kick ass--and, boy, did she ever.



For further reading on Blaxploitation movies, please check out Josiah Howard's Blaxploitation Cinema: The Essential Guide. It's the most comprehensive guide thus far.

Little Sister, Big Talent: Solange Knowles

What would you do if Beyonce was your sister? How would you create your presence in the music industry when your big sis reigns supreme as an unstoppable pop force, legend-in-the making? Sound intimidating? Ha! Not for Solange who has marked her own territory by going left of Beyonce's pop chart wrath. Solange is a little R&B, some Rock, some hot-buttered Funk, and all retro-groove and bad-ass attitude. Basically, she's an 'alternative' to the commercial mainstream. Her second album, Sol-Angel and the Hadley Street Dreams--written or co-written mostly by Solange herself--sizzles with flavor. It is a strong, solid effort proving her unique identity as an artist--not just a singer with some hot beats. This album is like a celebration of the soul from the 50's to the present--with some hip-hop edge and surrealist psychedelic soundscapes. It's just incredibly refreshing.

The reason I am even blogging about Solange--other than she totally deserves the recognition--is because her video for her single "T.O.N.Y." came on and I said to myself "Wow, she really is doing her thing!" There's no Beyonce shadow she's trying to be in or chase. She is totally in her own lane and it's beautiful. The song "T.O.N.Y." is one of my favorite songs on her album. The song is about denying oneself true love for the one night stand and realizing too late that you deserve more: T.O.N.Y. meaning The Other Night Y?? --as in, why do we keep making these same mistakes? Brilliant concept song. It's also a fantastic video highlighting the harsh realities and consequences of empty romances with an endearing twist ending.

So while Beyonce leaps toward world domination with her fiery Sasha Fierce persona, Solange plays the background with cool, casual ease--with her loyal cult following in tow--and for some reason, I think she likes it like that. And that is exactly why you gotta love her.

Pop Life: One Hit Wonder-Land

For the past week or so VH1 has been running “100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80’s.” I love VH1 for series like this. For me, a nostalgia-addict, it’s always a pleasure to remember and relive the music I grew up on. Oh the 1980’s! What a shameless time—the music, the movies, the clothes, the hair, the attitude—no other period in time stood out quite like the 80’s. But one thing the 80’s had perfect was the enduring pop song. Whether musical acts were one hit wonders or not, 80’s pop still endures and was a massive influence for pop acts to follow. Pop of the 80’s was so original, even as weird as it could be, it felt way more inspired. I can’t match the 100 Greatest, but here are my Top 15 80’s Songs by One-Hit Wonders:

1. Pretty Poison, “ Catch Me I’m Falling”: So catchy, so addictive, and brings back so many childhood memories with my friends, singing in front of our mirrors with hairbrushes

2. Shannon “Let the Music Play”: one of the revolutionary pop songs of the 80’s helping to usher in the electronica movement; you can’t escape the joy this song evokes—just one of the best songs—period.

3. Johnny Kemp “Just Got Paid”: oh, how a great pop song endures, every Friday radio stations still play this—because getting paid and partying is the anthem to begin every weekend

4. Nu Shooz “I Can’t Wait”: Nu Shooz!! Oh this was the jam! A house party or BBQ isn’t complete without this classic throwback—one of those songs that is impossible to get tired of

5. Soft Cell (pictured above), “Tainted Love”: haunting, dark pop masterpiece and remake of a R&B classic. Soft Cell breathed spooky new life into this song and it’s still as addictive and creepy as ever.

6. Club Nouveau, “Lean On Me”: for one lyric only: “We be jammin’! We be jammin’ oh!” Come on, how can you deny it?

7. Patrice Rushen (pictured below), “Forget Me Nots”: Hard to truly consider this super talented and still working musician/composer a one hit wonder but this song hit the airwaves like a hurricane and has been a staple at block parties ever since



8. E.U., “Da Butt”: Oh, the easiest dance you can do! And one of the funkiest pops ever. And truthful lyrics: "Ain't nothing wrong if you wanna do the butt all night long!" ha..

9. Tom Tom Club, “Genius of Love”: it’s that fantastic baseline that still drives me wild

10. The Waitresses, “I Know What Boys Like”: the definition of cool in the 80’s: this song is all hipster iciness and bad-ass attitude

11. Dead Or Alive, “You Spin Me Round”: Reminds of the total 80’s experience: weird, weird, and more weird!

12. Thomas Dolby, “She Blinded Me With Science”: Maybe 20 years ahead of its time with the advances that technology has made—being blinded by science sounds so right-now.

13. Mary Jane Girls, “In My House”: Super sexy, seductive R&B groove by chicks with actual pipes makes for perfect pop precision which equals one smokin’ hot single

14. Rockwell, “Somebody’s Watching Me”: All of our paranoia put to sound with Michael Jackson only doing the chorus--not bad for a one hit wonder

15. Katrina and the Waves, "Walking on Sunshine": this song is Prozac--super optimistic chorus and contagious rhythms can cure anyone's blues--which is really what 80's pop essentially was all about

Hitchcock and the Cinematic Nightmare

After viewing the ultra-tired trailers of “Last House on the Left” and “The Haunting In Connecticut,” I simply have to yawn. Ok, yeah, maybe these movies—which I have yet to see—are frightening and up to their necks with special effects, blood, and guts. But for me, great suspense, thrills and horror start with one word: Hitchcock.

Alfred Hitchcock is truly the Master of Suspense. Because he believed to really scare people, you have to understand their twisted psychology. What he knew—which has become completely lost on contemporary thrillers and horrors—is that the impending terror is always more frightful than what is shown. We are most terrified when we’re not sure what is happening. Yes, hacking up bodies and blood splattering can cause us to shiver, squeal or turn away. But what’s most horrifying are all those moments leading up to it and what we don’t see—that seems to stay in our minds longer, crawling into our imaginations and forcing us to wonder about the gruesome possibilities.

I recently purchased the Collector’s Edition of “Psycho.” This movie is so brilliantly crafted. Hitchcock revolutionized the cinematic experience with this one. Maybe it’s that key moment—that epic Shower Scene—that changed the course of movies. Finally we were confronted with not only unreliable protagonists (played with depth by Janet Leigh), but protagonists that may not even make it until the end of the movie! We found ourselves anxiety-stricken by the likes of Norman Bates—oh Norman Bates—one of the great movie villains of all time. Anthony Perkins was so utterly creepy as Bates—talk about Oedipal complex.



“Psycho” was so groundbreaking because it wasn’t just a chiller. It was an engrossing and often shocking character study. Like many of Hithcock’s films—there is tremendous interest in human psychology. Hitchcock plays on our terrifying delusions, our paranoia, our distrust of others, and of course, our---sometimes---murderous instincts.

My Favorite Hitchock Films: Psycho, The Birds (pictured below), Rear Window, Vertigo, North By North West, Strangers On A Train




“Give them pleasure - the same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare.” – Alfred Hitchcock

Queen of Tears: Why I Love Billie Holiday

April 7th is Billie Holiday's birthday. So I felt it appropriate to post about one of my favorite vocalists of all time, the Divine Lady Day. I must admit the first time I heard Billie's voice I was scared. I know it sounds crazy. But I was about 12 and I heard the song "God Bless the Child" and was just haunted by it. I'd never heard a voice like that before. Now as I look back I know exactly what I was so scared of... it was how deeply her music touched me. She invaded a place in me that was painful and unknown--her voice forced me to travel my internal anguish, my countless heartaches and rejections, humiliations, emotional wounds and spiritual bruising--you know, the typical baggage a young woman picks up along the way. By the time I was 18, I was playing her music just about everyday. And to this day that hasn't changed: I must hear at least one Billie song a day just to function.

I've often said no one knows me like Billie. How could they? Billie speaks to a part of me I've never fully shared with anyone, a world that is unnamable, unshaped, and scarred with life. She knows all my secrets like she's read my journal or vacationed in my mind. And I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Lots of die-hard Billie fans know exactly what I mean--as crazy as it may sound. It has to be that aching vocal she possesses, that sorrowful tone, "those rocks in her heart"--Billie so brutally and nakedly exposes her soul in her songs--it's more than blues, more than jazz, it's like a constellation of tears put to melody.





My Official Billie Holiday Playlist

1. That Ole Devil Called Love
2. Lover Man
3. Crazy He Calls Me
4. Moonglow
5. All of Me
6. God Bless the Child
7. Strange Fruit
8. My Man
9. I Wished On the Moon
10. Nice Work If You Can Get It
11. They Can't Take That Away From Me
12. Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
13. Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You
14. Lady Sings the Blues
15. I'll Be Seeing You
16. It Had to Be You
17. Come Rain or Come Shine
18. Good Morning Heartache
19. Them There Eyes
20. I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
21. Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me
22. I'm A Fool to Want You
23. You Don't Know What Love Is
24. Travelin' Light
25. But Beautiful

Makes Me Wanna Holler: Marvin Gaye, Soulful Prophet

Marvin Gaye is known as one of the greatest musicians to ever live. He was born April 2, 1939 and died tragically on April 1, 1984. Marvin's extraordinary gifts can be heard on several early Motown songs such as "Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "How Sweet It Is." He could sing passionately and erotically about love (i.e. "Let's Get It On") but it was always drenched in stylish sophistication. The Let's Get It On album just may be the greatest love letter put to sound. It's a haunting celebration of the sacred ritual of real, passionate love--tender and urgent. Like Prince did after him, Marvin could make sex a spiritual experience.

Yet it was when Marvin released his epic, prophetic, and socially conscious masterwork "What's Going On?" he revolutionized the airwaves. Never has an album so radically merged song and message without overt preachiness. He sung about the dreadful conditions of society but he never sounded like a politician or preacher but simply a tormented observer of humanity. He possessed a remarkable gift for exposing his soul in a way that was both beautiful and painful. There was always an achingly sensual and glorious tone in his voice. To this day, Marvin’s music haunts me like no one else.

So this morning when I put my iPod on random shuffle and the song "Inner City Blues" came on, it nearly stopped me in my tracks. Never had this song been so intimate, so truthful for me. The lyrics reflected every worry and sorrow I'd been repressing for the past few months since this economic disaster hit--with all the personal challenges and uncertainties that come with that. Can you believe that sort of genius? A song Marvin wrote over thirty years ago could resonate so strongly today that it could nearly bring me to trembles and tears.

Excerpt- "Inner City Blues (Makes Me Wanna Holler)"

"...Rockets, moon shots
Spend it on the have nots
Money, we make it
Fore we see it you take it
Oh, make you wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
This ain't livin', This ain't livin'
No, no baby, this ain't livin'
No, no, no
Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life
Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life.."

Yeah, twenty-something years after his death, Marvin still knows what's going on.

Consuming Fire: Remembering James Baldwin

Last night I was casually wandering through Barnes & Noble in Union Square waiting for a friend and I happened upon James Baldwin's "No Name In the Street"-- one of three essay collections of his I did not own. So I immediately purchased it. That night I opened it up and began reading and couldn't stop. Baldwin, in my opinion, is one of the most profound American writers to ever pick up a pen and draw blood from the page. His writing is always crisp, penetrating, deeply insightful, boiling with passionate articulation and furious intellect. No one writes about race, politics, and religion with his sort of razor sharp wit and masterful precision.

Baldwin's enormous genius spreads through many noteworthy essays like "Notes on A Native Son," "Nobody Knows My Name," a personal favorite "The Devil Finds Work," plus many fiction works such as "Just Above My Head," "Go Tell It On the Mountain," "Giovanni's Room" and a host of others. This command of language and his desire to be truthful at all costs--no matter how complex or painful, is what makes him so provocative.

For me, reading "No Name in the Street" proves Baldwin is always unflinching and brutally honest when exposing the often painful paradoxes of America, specifically being Black in America. The first Baldwin book I discovered was "The Fire Next Time." It was sitting on my father's book shelf, a small tattered copy. That scorching, explosive commentary on race changed something in me. Even, then, at the age of 15, I knew the magnificent power of that sort of writing and I was shaken to the core. I didn't even read it again until I was a sophomore in college--and I was shook even harder after that. It means even more to me as I age. That kind of mesmerizing hold a work can have on someone is not to be taken lightly. Baldwin writes with such uncompromising lucidity that he can access what at times feels unutterable and magnify these disturbing truths with tremendous vision and conviction--which is the mission of any serious writer.



"It is very nearly impossible... to become an educated person in a country so distrustful of the independent mind. " - James Baldwin