AWHOOAA

Yep, it's been a while since my last post. My former promise to myself that I'd post everyday was a little hard to keep this week, with travelling, settling into classes etc. I guess one could say that I've officially settled in at this point.

This semester, I'm excited about the opportunity to take more performance-related music classes. I hadn't been performing much last year, and that was just as much necessary as much as it was detrimental. Performing is fun, and incredibly beneficial to a musician, but it is also good to take an opportunity of self-discovery every now and then. For me, performing is the essence of music-making. I am used to performing for many people, but for a while my toughest challenge was performing for my most unrelenting critic---myself. I have been practicing more lately, and this next stretch of the musical journey already seems promising. I can't wait.

So that's what will be consuming most of my time in the near future. However, I do plan to continue contributing short, impromptu, and freelance writings of mine on subjects that I find interesting. I'll keep y'all posted. For now, here are some cool stories from this week:

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/01/la_democratic_party_to_gov_jin.html

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1957743,00.html

Peace and blessings

Continue to Give

Before I rest my eyes for the night, I would like to remind you all to give something to the people in Haiti. Every penny counts, and every dollar saves lives. Continue to pray, and give for the decades to come. This was a disaster, but let us demonstrate the beauty of humanity with our giving.

Saints

On another note, and speaking of entertainment, the Saints are apparently a couple of wins away from the Superbowl (forgive me, I do not watch sports at all), so I would just like to wish them luck and cheer them on!

Entertainment

Well, today I decided I'd change things up a little and do some entertainment writing. But it occurred to me that I already do a lot of correspondence with a good friend and fellow blogger, who has asked to be referred to as Rapunze'quella. Don't ask no questions. Just enjoy this series of RAW, unedited, quality Facebook wall-to-walls about life and entertainment, because our conversations are gold (or crack):

Rapunze'quella: okay, i'm gonna take it upon myself to migrate from the photooooo to da wallllllllll
til the sweat drip off mah ballzzzz
hahahaahhaha
I think you'll all have separation anxiety when I'm gone. Cause I realize, I just don't give people a little bit of Rapunze'quella. You get A LOT. Actually, you either get a little, or a lot. No in between. And I know the people that get a lot love that shit. Just wait til I start baking second semester, I'm gonna have all you bitches on lock.

I don't even wanna discuss that rap contest because it's hosted by Project Records. 'nuff said.
You know why you compare everything to crack? Because we talk about crack SO OFTEN. It's not even a serious matter because we talk about it so freely. I think anyone who's not friends with me who heard me talk about freebasing would be concerned and alert someone. hahaahaha.

Southernlunatic: Haha. Yes, we need to try that social experiment. I want to so bad. You know which one I'm talking about. Did I tell you that Joan gave me not-bad grades? There is a God. Actually counterpoint too. What WHAT?

I still need to get those other classes for this semester. Have you registered for anything yet? Maybe you could get a tutorial on Kant or something. Or not. Hahaha. I'm trying to do mostly performance this semester, but I'm going to get my lit requirement out of the way with archaeology of the bible. Haha, discussing the bible with Bard kids. This should be interesting.

Rapunze'quella: hell nah i'm not registered for anything but sproj, annie's class, and gnostic quest with bruce. I need 1 more class. fuck. i might drop bruce's. I dunno. I'm never happy with classes. This is why I always make bitches tell me what they're taking so its not really about the class, but who will be my company in class.

only cause this is hilarious/stupid, my uncle calls me today and i'm like "why the fuck is he calling me?" so i answer and immediately i hear from him, "ON MY MAMA, ON MY HOOD, I LOOK FLY, I LOOK GOOD, TOUCH MY SWAG, WISH YOU COULD, I LOOK FLY, I LOOK GOOD". I proceed to tell him that song is so stupid and he says he loves it cause if no one else is gonna rep for you, you gotta rep yourself. hahaahahah. I almost died laughing. So now he thinks its hilarious to call me and just sing the chorus through the phone, saying its his jam and shit.

Southernlunatic: Your uncle knows wassup, that's what that means. Hahaha. I love that song. Yeah, I mean, the way I see it, they need me for their quota. You know "we" can't miss classes. And you know why. Those classes are incomplete without me, or more specifically, the melanin I bring with me. Lolololol. That whole song and its music video is a hot mess. I just watched it again. Even I think that video and the people in it are country as hell. The two worst types of music videos: (1) the ones with more than 40 people and (2) the ones that are recorded in the studio (AKA no effort AT ALL).

Rapunze'quella: even when i'm in class, if i don't talk that day, i was basically "absent" and the teacher is pissed. you know why I get Bs? Not because my work is "not A worthy" cause I don't contribute my black opinion to class enough. Even though the teacher will 7 times out of 10 not like my opinion. Me and my melanin understand this so I'm intentionally silent in class just so I don't cuss out stupid fucking people. Cause you know I'm always ready to throw a chair. hahaahha.
//end hype moment

I think the video concept of that song should have been enough for you to know the song was a hot mess. If that shit was on mute and you just saw the video, i'm 99% sure you could figure out what kind of song it was. Hell, you probs could have come up with the same beat and lyrics. haahaha.

I've been home for 2 days, babysitting, and cause the babies both have colds, I have become stricken with their nasty little germs. If there's any sickness I hate the most, it's colds. It makes me so vulnerable. hahahaa. Plus, blowing your nose every 30 seconds is probs one of the most disgusting actions. I want a man-servant. Can we get me one of those in Feitler?

Southernlunatic: Hahahahha. I think we could afford it. Umm, by the way, that first paragraph was so on point, ironically, I've been told the exact same thing, more or less verbatim by one of my professors in a class that I hated for those same reasons. Haha. But it's all in our heads, right?

I just gave myself an excuse to have sushi for lunch. Oh, did I tell you I've started on a blog? I'm going to be consulting you for your html expertise in the coming months. I'm not advertising it yet because I don't have enough posts. I'm going to work on it until we get back to school, something to do between practice sessions. And talking to you, of course.

2009 was kind of a shitty year for me, in terms of progress, but 2010 needs to be better! I need to make a rap song. We should work on that and one day just randomly start performing in the campus center. I live for culture shock, and you know this....maaannnn.

Oh yeah, you know what I came across on the big wide internets the other day?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1bHlWkwyqM

Rapunze'quella: this is gonna be short and sweet cause my fever makes it so i cant lift my head for too long w/out my headache coming back.
1. i love me some maluca
2. i have been stricken with the plague for days and its NOT CUTE
3. i havent gotten any work done cause i'm incapacitated
4. you know i love to get my blog and html on, so i'm dizzy-down to help you outttt
5. I'm gonna be positive and say 2010 will be great. Speak that positivity into existence!
6. I'm so down for a rap song, you know i wanna play that synth, also, i wanna choreograph the dance we do in the campus center. there will be much booty poppin and hair flicking. hahaha.
7. this came on tv today and it was kind of my jam last summer and i dunno why: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79aWhQsStr0

Southernlunatic: Ooh I liked that song too, but never downloaded it. Thanks for bringing it back into my consciousness. Oohhhhhh yeh! (just sing it, haha)

The Bahati Bill

I've been inspired recently by the courage of a fellow blogger, GayUganda (GUG), who has made quite a name for himself (anonymously), showing the world with his words what it means to be gay in Uganda, a country whose government, most recently, proposed a bill which threatened to give the government the right to execute, jail, and deny HIV/AIDS treatment to homosexuals. This bill and its support didn't appear overnight; the homophobia which has resulted in this hysteria has been brewing since colonial times. Ironically, though many of the sodomy laws have been on the books since those times, the “Homosexual Agenda” has been sold to the Ugandan people as a Western import. Homosexuality is seen as unAfrican, unnatural, and the worst of abominations, punishable by death. The Ugandan Minister of Ethics summed it all up when he said “Homosexuals can forget about human rights.”

Thankfully, pressure from leaders around the world has somewhat calmed the fires and forced the Ugandan president (Yoweri Museveni) to urge the Parliament to temporarily halt the bill, for fear that it would yield foreign affairs problems. But that is temporary, and it is imperative that our Secretary of State and her peers continue their work in making sure that such a human rights disaster does not happen. As Martin Luther King penned, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

This bill has deep religious undertones. Most Ugandans are Christian, about 85%. Unfortunately, these sentiments have been traced to a group of American preachers, of them the notable Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose-Driven Life" and pastor of the Saddleback Church. Americans remember him for the controversy around his selection for the invocation at President Obama's inauguration, most of which had to do with his views on homosexuality. Through the years, he has flip-flopped many times on gay issues, tailoring his message for his audience. In one breath, he says (to Beliefnet) that allowing gay marriage is the equivalent to allowing “a brother and a sister to marry and calling that marriage.” In another, he says to Larry King, “I am not an anti-gay or anti-gay marriage activist.” Back in November, concerning the Bahati Bill (named for the Ugandan MP that suggested it; I will devote a post to him later), Warren claimed indifference on "Meet the Press", saying “I don't choose sides.” (Warren had the same stance on Prop-8, but of course later released a video showing his support for the proposition.) Weeks later, amidst suspicion that he and other American ministers and missionaries had a role in inspiring this bill, Warren released a video to the ministers of Uganda (pointing out that it is his responsibility to respond because his name has been associated with this bill), urging them to reconsider their views about this bill and calling their behavior toward Ugandan homosexuals “un-Christian”.

Back in March, Rev. Warren took a trip to Uganda to launch his “Purpose Driven Nation” campaign there. An African priest who'd just visited Uganda, said of Warren's book, “it is like a second Bible” noting that there was one to be found at every church and office. Warren's influence on this bill is undeniable, considering his partnership with Uganda's leading evangelical, and biggest proponent of the bill, Martin Ssempa. An article appeared in the New York Times recently blasting three other US missionaries of lesser note (Scott Lively, Caleb Lee Brundidge, and Don Schmeirer of Exodus International; all of whom, like Warren, are trying to distance themselves from the bill) who went to Uganda in March to give a series of talks about “The Gay Agenda” and as Americans, were presented as experts on the subject. Citizens and politicians alike listened with open ears, taking those words to heart...the bill was proposed a month later.

This story speaks volumes about the homophobia being taught in America's churches (I do not mean to make a blanket statement about all Christians; I, myself, am a Christian.). The anti-gay message in Africa is no different from the anti-gay message being taught in America. The ministers preach to deaf ears in America; in Uganda, the ears listened, and the sentiments were internalized. In that moment, no one thought about GUG, who now lives one kiss away from the rope. Because gays are demonized nearly beyond redemption (only nearly, since people unfortunately still believe that sexual orientation is a choice), they are not considered human beings, and therefore can be discriminated against, incarcerated, and killed, without the slightest bit of guilt from the aggressor. It saddens me that such hate is taught in the name of Christ, in Uganda, and especially in the US, where we pride ourselves on principles of freedom, and where we have in our heritage a trajectory of equality. We have, in our history, martyrs who've died for the causes of freedom and equality, and yet we continue to sit in apathy as our queer brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, mothers, and fathers are denied those rights. I will cut things off here with a quote from the late Bayard Rustin (1912-1987), the black, gay civil rights activist, gay rights activist, student of Gandhi, and adviser to Martin Luther King, Jr.:

“Today, Blacks are no longer the litmus paper or the barometer of social change...The new 'niggers' are gays. No person who hopes to get politically elected, even in the deep South would dare...openly and publicly argue that blacks should not have the right to public accommodations...It is in this sense that gay people are the new barometer for social change...The barometer for social change is measured by selecting the group that is most mistreated...The question of social change should be framed with the most vulnerable group in mind: gay people.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04uganda.html?sudsredirect=true

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Here's the Link to that Leo Sacks Documentary

http://www.raymondmylesmovie.com/

Haiti...

Today, I would like to bring to everyone's attention the situation in Haiti. I cannot post much about it at the moment for lack of time, but I will include the links to the news stories below. Please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers, and please stay tuned. Do not forget about them, because this destruction will take decades to overcome. Please pay attention to your government's role in this, and if you see that they are not doing enough, write, write, and write.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/americas/14haiti.html?pagewanted=2&hp

New Orleans' Own

It was about 14 years ago that I had the privilege of meeting Raymond Myles. I was just a kid then, a young piano player obsessed with all things musical; Mr. Myles was the performer I aspired to be: not necessarily a gospel artist per sé, but a true entertainer with the ability to make the crowd not only respond, but feel his presence. My grandmother sang with his chorus, the Raymond Anthony Myles Singers (the RAMS), and she would let me hear all of the rehearsal tapes, the audible gold that was Raymond Myles in his natural state, having fun playing his music and even cracking jokes behind the keys. The performances were sublime, very flamboyant as was his general style, but nonetheless authentic, genuine, and real. There was no putting on, that was Raymond. He was a local superstar, and I was privileged to know someone so important. He sang at the JazzFest every year, and before his death, went on tour, on the brink of mainstream success. It all ended in 1998, when Raymond sadly became one of New Orleans' many murder victims. That was a very dark day for the world.

After Raymond Myles' death, questions began to be uttered about his lifestyle among the black Christian community of New Orleans. Undoubtedly, these same questions were simply whispered while he was alive. I caught a ride home from choir rehearsal with a fellow churchgoer one night, and Raymond's beautiful arrangement of “Elijah Rock” was on the radio. “Did you know he was a faggot?” he asked me. Bewildered, and scared at that age of expressing how I really felt, I simply offered a timid “Uh-uh”, hoping that the topic of conversation would change before I got home. It didn't. “They found him with his pants down in the Marigny. I can't stand those faggots, all in the church...”

And it was not unfathomable that Raymond Myles was homosexual. Just take a look at his videos, listen to his recordings, and you will see a man that was hiding nothing. He was not afraid to sing in the high registers with the sopranos, and the low registers with the basses, all in the same song. He was not afraid to wear rhinestones to church. He did not put the extra bass in his voice, and never succumbed to that ubiquitous and shameful tendency of black Christian ministers and singers to gay-bash from the mic and pulpit. A new upcoming documentary about his life written, directed, and produced by Leo Sacks, entitled “A Taste Of Heaven”, explores this, and interviewees confirm these suspicions.

Because of that flamboyance, and Raymond's homosexuality, there were those like that church member who did not believe that his music was God-inspired, or that he followed in the tradition of Gospel greats. I believe otherwise. Although he only released two high-profile albums (that I know of), there is a clear connection that he makes through his music, using songs that our ancestors turned to for hope and freedom, like “Elijah Rock”, “Ride on King Jesus”, and “What a Fellowship”, and original songs tailor-made for Black folks in New Orleans, with the same broad appeal that those standards had, like “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”, “Learning to Love” (a song that I find incredibly revelatory, yet touching and universal), and “Heaven is the Place I Want to Be.” The old songs are about leaning on God, and trusting Him through the storm, and knowing that “no man can-a-hinder Him.” God is everything you need, when you have nothing, and that is what kept the slaves. The new songs have a new context...we are the great-grandchildren of slaves, and though we (Black folks) have not all achieved the American dream, we now have many rights that our forefathers did not have. We can now sit at the Table of Human Beings. We are still a community plagued by infrastructural problems, which are caused by poverty, and which result in ineffective education systems that allow less opportunity, more poverty, and more ignorance. This leads to violence, depression, and drug abuse, all of which are inevitably big problems in our community. This ignorance led to the homophobia that plagued Raymond. He couldn't change the circumstances, so he aimed to change attitudes with his music. His message was to love those around you, love yourself, and to love your God no matter the circumstance, and that would get you through. These were the spirituals of our times, in our city.

And those were Raymond's values, and those very words brought tears to people's eyes at his concerts. Yet, those very words evaded their hearts. People loved Raymond, but they prayed that God would deliver him from his “sickness”, never for once considering that this very sickness had a profound impact upon the music that they loved, that his songs were songs of reconciliation and peace with and through God. Raymond blessed those that persecuted him, forgave those that trespassed against him, and when he was slapped, he gave the church and community his other cheek. He was resilient, and until his unfortunate end, made music that taught people the power of love. He lived a gay and Christian life, and Christ's message of love and acceptance are everywhere in his music. His music was revolutionary, using themes that Black folks were familiar with, summoning up the songs of our forefathers to teach us lessons that we have stubbornly chosen to ignore. It is unfortunate that such a talent and visionary was taken away so soon, but it is our responsibility to keep his legacy alive. Raymond was a martyr for the most important of causes. Love.

Introducing...

The time has come for me to finally begin a blog. I'm unsure at this point of what this blog will become, but I believe it is worth the investment of my time and energy. I have been inspired in recent weeks by the blogs of other black and gay writers (and black-and-gay writers) to explore what those two identities mean, or rather, what that single identity means. I hope to document my thoughts about this life, to bring awareness about unsung issues that I think are rather important, and to perhaps do a little entertainment, culture, and leisure writing while I'm at it.

But before getting into all of that, it is necessary that I greet you, my dear readers! I will remain anonymous for the time being, and as I become comfortable with my writing (the first thing you learn about me is how self-conscious I can be!), I will reveal. This will actually happen naturally, indeed I cannot go on forever referring to things indirectly. For the time being, anonymity will help me to write freely, and without those damned “vampires” ([Title of Show], anyone?) of fear and self-consciousness.

Anyone that knows me well knows that I am constantly thinking, and that this is always given away by the fact that when no one is looking, I talk to myself. Yes, I will admit it! Sometimes I catch myself muttering the various things going on in my head without knowing it. I am also a storyteller, and those that know me will tell you that I tell stories all day, whether or not I have a keen audience. All these are the telltale signs of a deranged lunatic, but I try to convince myself everyday that I am not. On the contrary, I am constantly making sure that I am in tune with the world around me. It may not always seem so; I am quiet, I only open up to the ears that I know will listen and at the very least, consider. But I listen. I listen to those around me, and when I disagree, I try to figure out why. That is not to say that my logic is infallible, but it tries. I grow everyday, some days much faster than others, but nonetheless I grow and learn.

So here I am, in my room, on a Tuesday afternoon in a small town outside of New Orleans (it is so small that in the interest of anonymity for the time being, I will not refer to it by name), writing these thoughts in order to solidify my connections with the outside world, and in turn, keep from becoming that deranged lunatic. So there it is, I hope you all are inspired by my blog, as other bloggers have inspired me. Good day, God bless, and peace be with you all.