Tag: Music

Two Things Thursday #24

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1. Small Hours by Amber Navran via YouTube
2. Jamaica Kincaid Quote

1. Small Hours is a short mix of nothing but goodness from Amber Navran, lead singer of the group Moonchild. Even though she isn’t a wailer or a singer with deep lungs like Jill Scott or Algebra Blessett, she can definitely hold her own against them.

She is a beast behind massive beats and stellar production with her variations of scatting and rhythmic tuning and vocal tones. I love how she can interchange jazz vocals with a bit of pop and bop, too. When I listen to her, I can hear so many vocalists chiming in through her voice from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

It’s odd to see/hear her performing alone. Apparently, she has dropped an entire solo album recently, and I am so far behind on this, but I shall be sitting down one day to give it the listen I’m sure it deserves.

I hope you enjoyed the above YouTube video share of Small Hours. I love everything about it! I just hate that it’s not long enough. A song like that should LEGIT be three minutes (at least), IMHO.

2. Jamaica Kincaid Quote is the second share for today. Jamaica is an author, gardener, and a Professor of African American and African studies. She is the author of the following books: Annie John (one of my favorites), A Small Place, and Lucy. And this list does not even begin to cover her achievements in the writing world. I own all three books and I thoroughly enjoyed them. I’ve read Lucy and Annie John twice.

The above quote hit home so hard that I had to share it. Many of us believe we know who we are. We believe we have gotten ourselves down to a TEE. But really, do we? As human beings, we are constantly evolving and growing, so it’s almost impossible to truly know who we are. Therefore, emerging as this mystery Ms. Kincaid refers to.

The question is really, how many of us are willing to admit this?

Two Things Thursday #19

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1. A Poem for Eustace R. Conway, IV created with Canva by Tremaine L. Loadholt

trapped trauma for the mountain man

a poem for Eustace R. Conway, IV

boy blue’d and black-hearted
made by a stubborn man
found himself peacekeeper
of the wild.

so sick of torture and
pinged for disobedience, he
trekked the world outside
his father’s home and made
love to the Carolina forests.

with nature as his mistress,
there was no place too
remote for this young man
trapped in his traumatic past
struggling to build a present.

he had loves who loved him
but he didn’t understand the
rules of falling in love, and
suffered heartbreaking consequences,
instead.

when fame found him
and plastered his noble features
on nationwide television, he
remained humble.
journalists, writers, and nosy
women wanted a piece of
Boone-infused pie.

his father’s namesake and his
mother’s favorite, he managed
to live up to his expectations
more than anyone else’s.

and even I, in my soon-to-be
mid-40s, can appreciate the
pain of childhood trauma when
it shapes and molds a
man into one who is
probably five times better
than his father.

or, that’s what I’d love
to believe to be true.

2. Lenny Kravitz. Photo courtesy of Essence.

1. I am enjoying the book I’m currently reading so much and the subject/character of interest, Eustace R. Conway, IV, that I was moved to write a poem about him.

My reading of the book led me to a few Google searches about him, and he’s really an incredible human being! I had no idea he was one of the most influential and liked characters of the no-longer-running show, Mountain Men on The History Channel.

Apparently, he’s uber sexy and intriguing to a lot of his fans and the envy of many men longing to learn more about mountain living and gaining sustainability in remote areas among nature.

2. Leonard Albert Kravitz, lovingly known as Lenny Kravitz, is a singer, songwriter, actor, father, and all-around beautiful human being.

He has had many musical hits and a signature, distinctive sound.

When you hear Lenny Kravitz, you know it’s him.

Here’s a YouTube video of my all-time favorite song by him: “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over”. Enjoy!

It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over

Two Things Thursday #13

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1. Marvin Gaye Quote
2. Fantastic Mr. Fox, “I Can Fight My Own Fights” scene via YouTube

1. Marvin Gaye was such an empowering, soulful, and talented human being. The above quote is one of my favorites from him. He left a legacy–this cannot be denied. He had a voice that could tap into your heart and make you release every emotion simultaneously. I don’t think there will ever be another entertainer/musician-magician quite like him.

With timeless classics such as “I Want You,” “Mercy, Mercy, Me,“ “After the Dance,“ “You Sure Love To Ball“ and so many more, his spirit and words will truly live on in our minds and in our hearts.

What is your favorite Marvin Gaye song?

2. Fantastic Mr. Fox is one of my ABSOLUTE favorite movies! I love the characters, plot, and overall theme of the story. Above is one of the scenes I can watch repeatedly and never tire of it. Ash, Mr. Fox’s (or Foxie) son faces his bully and gets a muddied face. His cousin, Kristofferson, is there to right the wrong of this bully and it is EVERYTHING to me.

I hope you enjoy this scene as much as I do.

Two Things Thursday #12

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1. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
2. Alanis Morissette: “Uninvited”, 7/24/1999 – Woodstock 99 East Stage (Official)

1. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a powerful book. So far, the author has pulled me in and captured me as his faithful guest–a part of his audience while he tells his tale and reveals his whole heart. It is full of pain and patience and resilience and stories from his past that I can relate to. In the book, the author has written . . . is writing a letter to his teenage son about the ways of our nation.

Based on the author’s background, his words tiptoe into my presence and slap me on my face. I love the language he uses, the imagery he creates, and his soulful way of getting his thoughts across.

Here is a summary of the book:

In a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history and current crisis. Americans have built an empire on the idea of “race,” a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black women and men—bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up, and murdered out of all proportion. What is it like to inhabit a black body and find a way to live within it? And how can we all honestly reckon with this fraught history and free ourselves from its burden?

Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’s attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. —

Between the World and Me is Ta-Nehisi Coates’s attempt to answer these questions in a letter to his adolescent son. Coates shares with his son—and readers—the story of his awakening to the truth about his place in the world through a series of revelatory experiences, from Howard University to Civil War battlefields, from the South Side of Chicago to Paris, from his childhood home to the living rooms of mothers whose children’s lives were taken as American plunder. ©Copyright 2023 Ta-Nehisi Coates

If you enjoy having your mind rattled and learning a thing or two about America’s history, I recommend this book.

2 “Univited” by Alanis Morissette is such an incredible song. The lyrics are captivating and her voice is even more so. She has a way of pulling her listeners in and shaking them gently, but releasing us into the wild as we bathe ourselves in those same lyrics for years to come. It is a timeless classic and is ten times better when she performs it live.

The above YouTube video is one of my favorite performances of the song by her. I hope you enjoy it.

As Long As I Have Music, I’m Gon’ Be All Right

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I am a lover of music. I’m certain I do not have to tell any of you this.

Jennifer Patino and her husband have an awesome website (The Jam Files) where they review artists, get nostalgic about their favorite songs, and share just flat out great writing on top of it all.

I’ve written a piece for this brilliant venture, and it was published yesterday.

You can follow The White Rabbit by clicking the link to read below. I hope you enjoy your time spent there.

I’ll be visiting the site regularly myself.

Thank you in advance. Peace and blessings.

https://www.thejamfiles.com/post/as-long-as-i-have-music-i-m-gon-be-all-right

Sweet Memories

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A collage of me and Jaidynn, my baby cousin. Photo Collage Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
A collage of me and Caison, my other baby cousin. Photo Collage Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt

I am aware of time in a way that I have not been over the years before these two were born. When they entered my world, everything changed. First, it was Jaidynn Rose Marie, then two years and a couple of months later, Caison Michael appeared on the scene. I love these two with a love that cannot be described or matched. They have my entire heart.

I woke up this morning and began reminiscing, so here I am . . . “back down memory lane.”

Memory Lane by Minnie Riperton via YouTube