afrobella » Afrobella Jams

Melanie Fiona – Caribbean, Represent!

bella — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:52:26 +0000

Bellas, I am so tardy to the Melanie Fiona party!

I’ve been watching this beautiful young singer on the rise, but I guess I wasn’t paying close enough attention. All of a sudden, my mind connected the dots. The chick I’d seen on VH1 Soul with Questlove, was the vocalist behind that version of Sam Cooke’s Cupid that I heard at Starbucks! And the same artist I’d been reading about on Soulbounce forever! OH! This is Melanie Fiona!

It took me a while, but now I’m head over heels for her sound and her style.

Melanie Fiona hails from Toronto, but — according to Wikipedia – has parents from Guyana. Which perhaps explains the Caribbean influence that comes through loud and clear in her Subway Series. In this awesome clip, she performs her songs “Sad Songs,” “Please Don’t Go” and “Bang Bang” on the streets and in the subway stations of New York City.

So. Amazing. The sounds of steelpan gave me chills – such an amazing and underused instrument.

Melanie’s album, The Bridge, is available for sale right now. Show a real singer some love, if you’re feeling this!

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A Special Giveaway From Lexus To You

bella — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:30:08 +0000

Two giveaways in one week? What am I thinking?

Bellas, if you live in Washington DC or nearby, I’ve got a special giveaway for you! But it’s only a one-day thing!

And it’s not a car. Lord knows, I wish it could be.

Lexux has been hosting some truly fabulous events around the country — check out the details at Strictly Fab and Gyant Unplugged for details on the last one, a special screening of Good Hair.

This is something different, and a bit more exclusive.

The Lexus Listening Lounge will take place the evening of October 6, in a beautiful venue, starring one of R&B’s hottest, flyest new artists. I can’t reveal who, I can’t reveal where. But I’ve got TWO TICKETS and special swag bags to give away. If you’re looking to add a little well-deserved luxury to your Tuesday night, leave me a comment below!

All you need to say is: I’m in DC! Pick ME!

This giveaway will officially be closed by 10 p.m. CST today, Friday October 2. So comment ASAP so I can make next week a little more fun for ya!!

Happy Friday, bellas!

**comments are officially closed on this giveaway and I’ll choose 2 winners ASAP!

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Fefe’s Back!

bella — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 22:28:20 +0000

When Fefe Dobson burst on the scene back in 2003, rock-loving black girls around the world sat up and took notice. Here was a chick who refused to play by the record label rules. Edgy, cute, funky, and totally unique at the time.

She was getting solid airplay on MTV for a minute there, but then she disappeared. What happened?

I wondered when I wrote a loving homage in 2007, but now thanks to a great interview with Honey Magazine, we know what Fefe is up to!

– planning her glorious comeback and releasing new music
– diplomatically defusing those “Rihanna bit your style” allegations
– looking fly as evah!!

I’m team Fefe all the way! And I love her new song, I Want You.

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Click here for her official site, and click here to get her new song!

Are you a fan of Fefe? Tell me!

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Dear, Sweet Aaliyah – 8 Years Gone

bella — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:02:46 +0000

I wrote the following words in 2007, for a post titled simply: I Miss You.

“…I never knew Aaliyah, so I can only imagine the heartbreak that her family and friends felt. Feel.

Aaliyah’s death hit me harder than Kurt Cobain’s did, and I was a huge grunge music head at that time. But all conspiracy theories aside, Kurt Cobain meant to kill himself. He was heading in that direction. He wanted to die. And Aaliyah, she had so much further to go. So much promise and hope.

I didn’t even believe it when my friend called me up, or when they were playing all of her songs on the radio that day. But when I saw those dates, 1979-2001, I cried and cried. We were the same age, and I hadn’t realized that before because she accomplished so much in such a short time. Just 22 years old. It’s just like Tupac — when you realize he was just 25 when he died, it makes his death seem all the more senseless and tragic. And Biggie was just 24. They were so, so young. They all had so much more to do, so many more places to go….

So what would Aaliyah be doing now? A little of everything, I think. She said it herself in this interview on the Rosie show, she took her acting very seriously. She was supposed to be in The Matrix, and her film career was about to take off. According to Wikipedia, she was supposed to star in Honey, was considered for a role in Charlie’s Angels, and was going to star in a Whitney Houston produced remake of Sparkle. (Wow.)

You know she’d have a hot clothing line too — all of these R&B chicks have one now, but I am sure that hers would have been much cooler…”

Eight years. I can’t believe it’s been eight years. How time has flown. But Aaliyah Haughton – forever thought of as Baby Girl to her legions of fans around the world — will never be forgotten. Her fans will never forget her legacy, her talent, her beauty. She blessed us with lasting musical gifts while she was here. And in a cruel twist of fate, she was taken from us far too soon.

Real talk – writing this post brought tears to my eyes. There are so many more things in this world to cry about, but just hearing Aaliyah’s honeyed voice sing my favorite of her ballads made my eyes burn and water up, contemplating what could have been. If only.

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Aaliyah, you will never be forgotten. You will always live on in the hearts of your fans.

Click here to support the Aaliyah Memorial Fund. And please, feel free to share your favorite Aaliyah songs and memories with me.

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A Little Afrobella Inspiration

bella — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:58:06 +0000

Bellas, my love for Nina Simone is no secret — but every so often I’m reminded of her genius. That just happened with this video, and I had to share it with you.

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So many things about this 1968 performance clip are striking. Her powerful performance, yes. Her energy, yes. But especially – the regal strength of her beauty. I love a big, wide headband and Nina wore hers like a queen. Set off with a little makeup – smokey eye and a berry lip — paired with a beautiful ivory strapless fishnet number that’s so vintage chic, there’s no wonder that what’s old is new again. I know many bellas who’d wear that outfit right now if they could!

Enjoy, bellas – Nina forever!

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Some Helpful Suggestions for Rock The Bells

bella — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:26:29 +0000

Last year I hosted a great Rock The Bells giveaway. And after hosting the giveaway, I went to the Miami show, wrote a big review, and had a ball. I even randomly wound up meeting the ticket winner, who was so overjoyed to win that we took photos together on the lawn. It was a LOT of fun and I loved every second of it… but I noticed a few odd things. Event organization was kinda quirky, especially regarding backstage passes and meeting the artists. (What do you mean we’re not allowed back there? Isn’t that what my media pass says?) And attendance was surprisingly low. Truly great concerts in Miami are at a premium, and this one should have been sold out to capacity. A Tribe Called Quest? The Pharcyde? Meth and Red? Fuhgeddaboutit! But nonetheless, the crowd remained comfortably sparse throughout the evening.

Let’s put it this way – I was super psyched for next year’s Rock The Bells, but it didn’t exactly surprise me that the Miami show got canceled. Sorry, Miami friends. Here’s hoping there’s enough impetus to bring it back next year.

But to be perfectly honest, I doubt it.

Look, I love Rock The Bells. I love the concept of picking the creme de la creme of what’s now old school hip hop, and making an ultimate nostalgia tour for Eighties and Nineties babies. It’s a guaranteed good time, and a way to remind us all what hip hop used to be before it became entirely about flashy labels and hollowness.

But this year’s experience gave me, and a few others quite a bit to chew over. And so, with great respect, I’ve got some helpful suggestions for Chang Weisberg and the organizers of Rock The Bells.

#1 – Work with the media. The new media.

Last year, I helped to promote RTB and wrote about it for both my blog, and for the Miami New Times where I worked at the time.

This year, I got straight up dissed on a media pass. And I had planned to do even better coverage than I did last year.

Oh wait, I could get a media pass but even if I did, I couldn’t actually watch the show, and I’d still be expected to buy tickets if I wanted to see the concert itself. What??? That makes no kind of sense. And it certainly wasn’t because the event was sold out or packed to capacity. I saw that with my own two eyes.

I say this not to complain or get on some blogger’s entitlement high horse — I know how this must read to folks who paid money to attend the show. “Waaa waaa waaa, media pass denied! Buy a ticket like the rest of us!” And I did wind up paying like, $77 for my husband and I to go to the show. I couldn’t miss it, not after last year’s stellar experience.

But here’s just a thought — if the folks behind Rock The Bells knew how to work the media a bit better — the new media, we who aren’t laying people off like crazy, or taking those very same free tickets and not writing a review just because they can (and I know quite a few old media folks who do that) — they could guarantee greater grassroots knowledge, word of mouth, and consequently success for their concert.

Don’t ask me, the proof was in the empty stands. I’d never been to this particular venue, but my husband had. He was dumbfounded.

“I’ve never seen a show here that was this empty,” he declared.

I shouldn’t be able to attend Blogging While Brown — a conference comprised of some of the most influential black bloggers in the country, ask said influential black bloggers in the key demographic if they were planning to attend Rock The Bells, and get the response, “what’s Rock The Bells?” Or, “Oh yeah…when is that?”

That happened not just more than once, not just more than twice. Several times. From well known, well read bloggers of color.

With a lineup as impressive as Rock The Bells has been able to put together, this should be a concert experience as renowned as Lollapalooza, or Bonnaroo, or Pitchfork. Instead it was half (or in some cases, a quarter) of the size of any of those shows. And that’s a damn shame.

If I worked Rock The Bells PR, I’d be reaching out to media of all kinds, including and especially to blogosphere — placing ads, offering media passes, trying to host giveaways, sending video clips of performances, building relationships, doing everything to drum this concert into the public consciousness.

Instead, I’m hearing stories like that of excellent photographer Tafari Stevenson-Howard, who shared his RTB disappointment with me:

“From a media perspective, I have very little to offer on the Rock The Bells Detroit in terms of concert content. As a photographer & blogger covering the music, sharing my experience is going to be difficult because when you’re shooting, you cannot focus on anything other than getting the shot.

With that said; 1st off, I was able to photograph through the first 3 songs of each performance, which is pretty standard. However, after those first 3 songs I was escorted out of the venue with several other photographers. The only way we could go back in was if we were to put our gear in out cars between acts. This would have been a complete hassle
a) because of the distance
b) breaking down gear & having to put it back together is time consuming.

So basically, my whole purpose for going & driving 95 miles each way mostly a waste. I got great photos but cant report on any music.

Then there was the fact that Busta Rhymes canceled his performance. Thiswas a huge let down! The acts got shuffled around & I missed two performances because of BRs cancellation & subsequently tweaked artist line-up.

Annnnnd then, there was the fact that I was not able to photograph any of Damian Marley’s performance because he came on after Nas’ 3rd song. The media contact at DTE Music Center was not movable or willing to let any of us to capture Damian, so I just left at this point disappointed & wondering if I should have bothered to even attend.”

Point #2 – The on-the-ground staff needs to lose the attitude, and the ticket prices need to be affordable for one and all.

I’m not surprised Tafari had the experience he had which he blogged about here — there are some straight up music gestapo who work these concerts. There’s an infamous one in Miami who I butted heads with many, many times — the less I say about him, the better. It sounds to me like Tafari encountered something similar in Detroit. A self important keeper of the concert who struts around barking at people like they are subhuman, and wielding their power to revoke your good time at a moment’s notice. These people’s salaries are paid for quite comfortably by the powers-that-be of Live Nation and/or Ticketmaster. Well guess what? Times have changed. Now money’s short, times are hard and people aren’t as willing to shell out $40, $50 bucks for a concert ticket anymore. So we all need to check our attitudes at the door, and work together to make the experience worthwhile and fun for everyone.

There’s a reason Live Nation is now offering No Service Fee Wednesday, complete with parking, hot dog and a soda, and it ain’t because there’s a glut of hot dogs on the market. The music behemoth needs to feed the beast with your hard earned concert ticket money, and having exorbitant fees for shows is not the way forward. Lose the exorbitant fees, and work with the artists to bring the overall ticket costs down.

Affordable tickets to quality concerts will ensure a greater turnout across the country. Of this, I am certain.

#3 – Organization and artist cooperation is key.

I can’t begin to imagine how difficult it is to put on a concert of the magnitude of RTB. Cannot. Freakin’. Imagine. Dealing with a bunch of rappers who maybe haven’t had a radio hit in a while but still have the entourages and inflated egos they earned in their hitmaking days would be nightmarish. I don’t know how they can improve things at these big music festivals behind the scenes, but I can tell you as an audience member the disorganization is palpable. A GREAT start would be hiring some incredible DJ’s to bless the 1’s and 2’s between sets and keep the momentum going. As it was, the lull between sets proved to be a big energy buzzkill.

Another suggestion, let the headliners play for the longest sets. That should be obvious, but still at RTB Chicago, Tech N9ne performed for way longer than The Roots. By the time I got out of the insanely long funnel cake line, The Roots played 2 songs and that was it. From what I understand, they played like 5 songs tops. That SUCKS if you came hoping to see The Roots away from the set of Jimmy Fallon.

So there’s the issue of disorganization apparent to the crowd… apparently it can be even worse when you get backstage. K’naan had himself a little Twitter meltdown about the Chicago crowd’s apathy towards him. Then my amiga FungkeBlakChik and Shabooty waited outside Talib Kweli’s dressing room for almost 2 hours while reportedly he could be heard yelling and berating his manager, all in the hopes of landing a promised interview. So. Unprofessional. Not a good look for your favorite MC’s.

Having said ALL of that, I will go to Rock The Bells next year, wherever I am. There’s something awesome about vibing with hip hop heads on your wavelength, and watching the crowd go crazy for a killer performance.

The few tracks I saw of The Roots proved that filming a TV show every night hasn’t sapped their energy. 30 minutes was NOT enough. KRS-One is an MC extraordinare, and did a great job as host. I thoroughly enjoyed Big Boi’s set.

Busta Rhymes absolutely KILLED it in Chicago, and I’d never seen him perform before. Busssa Buss is a monster on the mic. OMG, if they have Busta, Meth and Red on the lineup next year it would be insane!

It was utterly amazing to see Nas and Damian Marley rip it up on stage together. I’ve seen Damian Marley quite a few times, but never before can I recall him singing so many of his father’s songs. It gave me chills, as a lifelong Bob Marley fan. And then watching him and Nas come together, man. It was incredible. I can’t wait for their album.

Next year, I plan to spend more time at the second tent — I missed Raekwon and GZA and all kinds of amazing performances out there.

I say what I have to say about RTB with love and respect. I want to see the show survive and thrive, and in this bleak economic climate, I seriously believe a change has to come to avoid cancelling even more tour dates. Otherwise, the future of RTB will be like Lollapalooza — going from an experience that brings your favorite artists to a city near you, to a static experience that you’re unlikely to attend if you live far away and can’t afford a show ticket, much less a plane ticket.

If you think I’m the only one with Rock The Bells issues, check out the reviews from Alarm Press, Lords of Apathy, Ebony, and The Smoking Section.
We can’t all be wrong.

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Michael Jackson. Last Goodbye.

bella — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:20:19 +0000

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I know there’s been overwhelming coverage here, there, and everywhere else. But today, a legend will be put to rest. And from the comments I keep getting every day, I know I’m not the only one who’ll be feeling the loss. So here — leave your comments, express your sadness, share with me.

And if you’d like to read my previous Michael Jackson posts — here are links.

Oh, Michael.

Still Missing Michael.

RIP, Michael Jackson.

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I’ve tried explaining to those who weren’t fans and who don’t understand why it makes me so sad. It’s difficult to put into words, but the song above helps a little. We had Got To Be There on 8-track when I was a young’un. Hearing those soaring vocals takes me back to a much more innocent time, and Michael’s music does that for so many of us. It’s hard to accept that he’s gone.

I’m hoping these tears will dry on their own, and soon. But it probably won’t be today.

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Throwback Thursday – Still Missing Michael

bella — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:11:50 +0000

Like many of my peers in the blogosphere, I’ve been trying my best to move on. But it’s hard.

I still can’t quite believe — a week ago, Michael Jackson passed away.

Even typing that phrase feels wrong.

I wrote a tribute from the depths of my heart and then tried to look away from the onslaught of rumors and almost-news that took over the internet and television. I got into Facebook fights and Twitter spats with people who just were itching to disparage his name as soon as the tragic news came. I tried not to read the nasty online comments and poorly timed jokes. I tried to just remember the music. The dancing. The talent.

Michael had talent to spare. When he was at his peak, nobody could come close. To this day, I can’t think of anyone who compares — sorry, Beyonce fans, that includes Bey. Michael Jackson revolutionized entertainment and held it down from the age of 7, well into his 30’s. There will never be another like him.

Having said all of that, I’ve been disappointed with the so-called tributes I’ve seen people trying to pass off. I didn’t torture myself with the BET Awards in its completion, but I watched enough YouTube clips to think they could have done better.

Soulbounce has been doing a phenomenal job of putting the best tributes together, for example from Erykah and the Roots (courtesy of Erykah’s Twitter, click here for a free download of that BTW), to Stevie Wonder, to Raphael Saadiq. All artists I would have loved to see together, on stage, paying fitting tribute to the King of Pop. Another artist I wish could have contributed — Marsha Ambrosius.

The former lead singer of Floetry has an incredible vocal instrument. AND she wrote one of my absolute favorite latter period Michael Jackson songs, Butterflies.

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Marsha’s version gives me goosebumps, I swear. Her voice is absolutely angelic.

And just for good measure, here’s Michael’s version, from the Invincible album.

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Sorry for those who are sick of hearing about Michael Jackson — these wounds are going to take a while to heal. The tributes aren’t about to die down anytime soon. The King of Pop left too enormous of a shadow. Saying he’ll be missed is an understatement. Like Quincy Jones said in this awesome, candid interview — it still feels surreal.

Who would you like to see pay tribute to Michael? Who do you think could do justice?

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There’s Nothing We Women Can’t Be!

bella — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 23:47:07 +0000

Consider this your daily reminder, courtesy of an old school Sesame Street clip!

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I grew up a Sesame Street junkie, and this song was always one of my favorites. The empowering message resonated with me at an early age — “just look around you, it’s easy to see. There’s NOTHING we women can’t be!”

This year, Sesame Street celebrates 40 years of excellence, and according to that Newsweek article in the previous link, it’s ranked #15 in popularity of the children’s shows on air. That’s terrible news and I blame Elmo. Just kidding (I’m a Grover stan, for the record)!

It’s true, the Sesame Street nowadays isn’t quite the show I grew up on. But it’s still awesome and the messages of inclusion, equality, and respect remain. And for classic Sesame Street fans of my generation, all isn’t lost. You can get
Sesame Street – Old School, Vol. 1 (1969-1974) and Sesame Street: Vol. 2 – Old School (1974-1979). Your kids will LOVE it. And so will you!

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RIP, Koko Taylor

bella — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:44:52 +0000

I know I just moved to Chicago, but I’ve already witnessed the power of the blues. One of the first things I did as I hit the city was head to Buddy Guy’s, and you can feel the spirit of legends in the air. Tragically, one of those Chicago blues legends passed away yesterday. Koko Taylor, the Queen of the Blues, died following complications from gastrointestinal surgery.

Koko Taylor was the recipient of more blues awards than just about any other artist, and for more than forty years she served up traditional blues music — hot, strong, lusty, from the gut. Wang Dang Doodle was her biggest hit, but there’s something about Ernestine I just love.

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If you’re new to the sounds of Koko Taylor and Chicago Blues, check out her latest album, Old School. Koko didn’t release albums often, but when she did she poured her heart and soul into them.

RIP, Koko Taylor. There must be an incredible jam session going on, past those pearly gates.

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