When Performing My Own Song

One thing I never get tired of as an artist who writes songs and sings, is getting into the groove of my own song.



I have been singing ever since I was just a tiny itty bitty person and there's a great feeling when I get to sing and I am sharing the lyrics and melody of a song that I wrote. But then to see folks singing back with me is always a great experience as it was recently at Essence Bar & Lounge where I got a chance to share my song and like every other time singing my song, it was a moment that I enjoyed a lot. You can check out the performance here: https://youtu.be/b25wTmICfNw 

There is no doubt that I love to sing. It is a passion of mine and one of my favorite things to do in this world. I want to share my passion with you all and so, if you are free and have time to come and celebrate my life and birthday with me, I would so love it if you would join me on Sunday, December 8, 2019 from 3PM to 7PM 

It will be held at the Russian Samovar located at 256 West 52nd Street between 8th and 7th Avenue in Manhattan. It is an open jazz jam and will feature myself on vocals, Danny Dalelio on keys and Donald Nicks on bass. I also invite all singers and musicians to come and join into the musical fun. Bring your instrument and heart to do what is in your heart. Hopefully I'll see you there.

It's sagg season and I'm excited to have been kept another year and I am looking forward to celebrating. God is so awesome!

On The Art of an Artist

Just thinking about the artists and their artistry as a whole. We spend our lives trying to find ourselves and our voices. We spend our lives trying to perfect trying to sing other people's songs, even though we have our art. We know the lyrics and music to a million songs but our own, we tend to not even practice singing them to remember the nuances to share it in a live setting.

We take our art personal. We give birth to the sounds that come from us and sharing is not always the easiest thing because people would be more inclined to enjoy hearing someone sing someone else's intellectual property as opposed to the ones that we take our time and effort to create. Or people will complain because you sound nothing like the artist that sang the song you covered. Or you feel hurt inside because you never feel like you did good enough just being who you are and you always feel this insecurity just to do what you love to do the most.

But then, when you actually do come up with your own melodies and sing them, you are not searching for your voice at all because it is right there in the song you created. You didn't try to be the sound someone else created. You were there being exactly who God fearfully and wonderfully created, even if you did draw inspiration from someone you admire.

So weird that we tend to search for things that are right there in front of us. And then you take a pause to think about it.

Nobody knows that you have art if you don't share it, even if after you do share it people

accuse you of being narcissistic or thinking that you are all that because you are saying "look at me". But then, nobody knows that you have your own voice if you don't let your own voice be heard.

The movie Us even shows the image of people trying to kill themselves to find themselves and doing all these experiments on our own selves just to be the image of what we think we should be, when we were right there all along, peering at who we are.

I am a singer/songwriter and I love music more than I like to eat; and I'm no skinny chick as you can tell. I write songs and I want to share one of them with you. Hopefully you will take the time to listen to my tune, "Gotta Go" here: https://youtu.be/vnsqyqGqpJU.  It's all about getting away from all the drama and the mysteries and the confusions that life holds so you can get back to being whole again. 

Thank you for checking out my blogpost! 

Songs For the Valentine Hearts

Valentine’s Day is a great day to celebrate the triumphant powers of love.

It is a good day to give in to a refreshing change of pace from the stanzas of life that sometimes spill forth into the mix of your peaceful times and instead focus on being united in affection and concentrate on your loved one. And so, why not embrace the night with open arms and let your hearts be lifted by the strength of the messages of love?

Some go out to the movies or to a nice restaurant to enjoy a night out on the time. Some stay in and do romantic things together in the comfort of the home. My focus from this point on will be for the latter.

If you decide to stay home and enjoy an evening together with the love of your life, I have got a music playlist apropos for that special night of romance. Here is the link: https://open.spotify.com/user/22hsqdduuzk6igxvrtw5l6iiq/playlist/3MvhWFSkCtZUVL8sqhX3iO?si=NaDDzHA_QByjptBXgBy_8g

The playlist features a panoply of songs that have the power to add a little extra warmth for the soul.

So, while you are home together absorbing all the joys and fascinations that love holds, here is a warm blanket of songs to zen out together to. These sounds that will fill your home from this playlist will simply roar to the special rhythm of the two of you.

Whether you are a brand new couple enjoying Valentine’s day for the first time, or you have been in a relationship for a number of years or you have spent your whole life together through to your senescence and are chasing a sense of youthfulness to add something fresh to what you have, you can while away to the music featured and there is a song for you that will strike a responsive chord.

Whatever you decide to do for Valentine’s Day, I hope that the happiness and strength of the day will leave you both with a lasting jovial spirit.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On Reading Michelle Obama's "Becoming"

I am on a good start in trying to finish my 25 books by the end of the year.

That is only two books a month which is not so much of a demand, though it requires me to get the ball rolling on the reading thing. I mean, we are already in month two of the year. But I think I can do it.  

I finally finished reading Becoming by Michelle Obama and must say that it is an excellent book. 448 pages of words that are both engaging and inspiring as she talks about her life, her family, and being a part of the first black family to ever be situated in a presidential role. 

I laughed at times. Sometimes even found myself surprised at her remarks. Her words are edgy, provocative and motivating; especially for woman like me. Perhaps it would be a great book for young school aged girls to read as they journey into their purposes in this world. 

My favorite thought in the book was, “If we belong than so too can many others. I’m an ordinary person who found herself on an extraordinary journey. In sharing my story, I hope to help to create space for other stories and other voices to widen the pathway to who belongs and why” (Michelle Obama).

You can check out the book here if you are interested: "Becoming" by Michelle Obama.

"Becoming" by Michelle Obama

The audio book is even better because it’s read by the author who reads and projects different emotions and nuances with her voice, as the story unfolds. Love, Love, Love it!!! I listened as I drove, cooked in the kitchen or did cleaning around the house. The book never got boring and kept me interested in listening more and more. 

If you are interested in checking it out on Audible, join now and you can get this and 

another book for free for joining. Here is the link: Click Here To Join Audible

If you decide to read or listen to the book, I hope you  enjoy the read as much as I did. For me. it is an excellent book worth engaging in. What are your thoughts on this publication? 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. 

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Affiliate and may earn an fixed advertising fee if you are anyone should click on this link and become an audible member. 

Z is For Zwazo Ki Chante

So here we are at the end of the A to Z Challenge Cycle.

I think it pushes me to write more and to go from different angles trying to fulfill each letter and then learning new words because I definitely had not know many words that began with every single letter of the alphabet. I mean, who knew xu was a form of currency? But today because of the writing challenge, I like that it gives me the knowledge of new words. I look forward to soon starting from A again. 

MLK DAY

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day and his dream for freedom, I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes from the many zwazo de chante who inspire me as a chanteuse and songwriter to use my voice, the voice being the most powerful tool you own in your life. I mean, I am a songbird. Here are some quotes from some of the songbirds that I love a lot.  

“I could stand on the stage, facing the audience, 
knowing I was dancing down the barriers between us”

 (Sammy Davis Jr)

“Being a singer is a natural gift. 
It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me”

(Aretha Franklin)

“Breathing, of course, is very important for singing. 
And while singing is exhaling, 
the inhaling process can make a huge difference to the sound of your voice”

(James A Cohen)

“Soul is the ability to make people feel what you’re feeling”

(Aretha)

“I am history, I am the future. I was and still am, 
because I always was and still am the truth”

(Anthony “AZ” Cruz)

I was thinking of Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s dream and the latter quote. AZ said that "[he is] history." Our history is a part of us. He fought for us to be able to experience the freedoms that we have today. We are the future that Martin spoke about though we still have a long way to go when the denial of basic human rights is less of a human crisis than some of God’s other children seeking survival from hunger for themselves and their children that they are not getting beyond the invisible wall.

Why is it that if we do not get our way sometimes, we feel so emasculated that we have to put up a tantrum?  I bet we will never see El Capitain looking through a lens of better

understanding of Mother earth that all of God’s children 

dwell on, on Twitter because toddlers with tantrums want what they want now; sometimes they even cry to have what they want. Why isn't humanity the eye candy?  

I wish time would have permitted 

us to see  a “Dr Martin Luther King Jr” reaction video to 

today’s modern world on YouTube. Would have been 

interesting to hear his thoughts.

I HAVE A DREAM

With his dream in mind, it started me thinking about my own dream of becoming better at video editing. What better day than today when it is like 2 degrees outside to stay inside and practice on building up my video editing skills.

 I created this video for my song "Love No Limit." Music by Paul Garrod. Lyrics by Stephanie Jeannot. Tell me what you think about my editing for this video I made in honor of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's dream of equality and fight for freedom for us. https://youtu.be/WcL9ZVr9nwU

Happy Martin Luther King Day everybody! God's blessings upon you!

Y is for Yonderward Into The World Of Speaking Kreyol

I am well yonderway into the world of speaking Haitian Creole and because it is one of my goals for 2019, I have this yird-hunger to conquer what I can of my family's language.

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I am done with the yesteryears of hearing people tell me speak English because my Kreyol speaking is not on point.  This year is the year I will yauchle as a Kreyol speaker. 

And so, crazy me coming up with new ideas like I always do, thought it would be easy to learn if I try singing in Kreyol and I attempted to translate a Michael Jackson classic, "Heal the World," into my translation of it from English to Kreyol. 

I am thinking I am getting a better grasp at the pronunciations of the words but that is to be determined. Hopefully I will be even better as the days of 2019 roll along. But it sure is fun yiddling my vocal cords to better my understanding of this language and I feel yagiment because of it!  

LOL! Tell me what you think? 

W is For Watching "BirdBox"

My sister came over the house and told me about Sandra Bullock’s new movie "Birdbox" and after she showed me the trailer off her phone, I decided I would sit and watch the new Netflix film because the previews of it looked pretty interesting.  

I think I had an instant emotional response to the fact that it was Sandra Bullock as the leading actress since I learned to love her from watching "Miss Congeniality." Since then I can't help but enjoy her acting. I appreciated the fact that the trailer showed that she was leading kids on a journey by water with a blindfold on which seemed pretty interesting. 

Hope usually springs eternal when I decide to watch any movie because motion pictures are not like short sitcoms. You can't simply breeze through a movie in a few minutes. They take a few hours of time to be propped in front of a television to watch. But I went full throttle with the idea and on Christmas Eve, we sat and watched "Birdbox" together.

The movie had its good moments and its bad moments, but overall, I enjoyed the flick.

It would probably be advised that this movie is suitable for people beyond the age bracket of 17 because of the suggested violence but for this film, I’d say, is not suitable for anyone with the dynamic disorder of taking what is meant to be a mere cinematic delight and trying to recreate the madness in real time. Or maybe it should be rated MM for the mentally mature.

I didn’t think that people would be brave enough to decide to try grocery shopping, walking or doing other things blindfold with their kids based on scenes in a movie. I never considered that it would become a thing where people were out there trying to see if they can drive blindfolded even with bicyclist, motorists and pedestrians who at the same time are not adhering to the rules of the road. Sometimes we need a moment to pause and reassess when we see things like “hashtag birdbox challenge” “hashtag tide pod challenge” “hashtag Drake In My Feelings Challenge” all over the different social media platforms you use.

Should I now be quaked with fear that the driver in front of me might be blindfolded? We already have all these sizeable issues all around us and now this silly one that is becoming quite dangerous if you ask me. Don’t jump on the band wagon just because you think it might be fun. The fact that the end of the movie concludes in a home for blind people might be something to consider. The things we see, we die to see. People are dying to see if they can accomplish things with a blindfold on because they saw it in a movie. Is this your suicide attempt? Each character who saw died to their vision.

But if you do not see something, you cannot be moved by the image. You are in the box of being controlled by what you hear, feel, taste or smell. A blind person can’t glorify the image of the sun or be ruled by it in the morning, but they might know it is time to wake up because of the crowing of the roosters and the smell of the morning dew. 

If I didn’t see the news report of the guy driving with a blindfold that got into a terrible accident because of this crazy challenge, I would have been less likely to have gotten distracted by it. And to think, I’m clumsy with vision. I can’t see how someone would expect that driving with a blindfold on, would have been a good idea.

Let’s not all jump to living without one of the working senses we were blessed to have, all at once. Why are we so eager to pretend to be blind? There needs to be a sense of balance. 

I guess failing is often the best way to learn but I don’t think causing vehicular death because of a “hashtag challenge” is the best way to learn. So let’s stop doing these ridiculous things.

Even still, “BirdBox” is a good movie. Sandra Bullock did some incredible acting in this film as she is known to  and I give it to her. If you are interested in taking a glance at a good Netflix original movie, I’d say check it out.

It is action-packed. It is suspenseful. It is one of those movies that if you miss one moment, you miss a lot. It has intense moments and you will find yourself getting lost in the magic of this movie that might make you smile at moments and at other points of it, sad, scared and it might even make you cry. 

All I can say is, it is packed with flavor. See it for yourself and if you are someone who steps to your own beat of the drum, makes your own plans, and doesn’t get pressured by all these social media challenges to not keep up with your own ambition to accomplish your own goals, and have about two hours to watch a good old energetic horror picture, then “Birdbox” is for you.

V is For Vitality

“Life is to be embraced while it still hugs back. 

Not everything has to be absolutely perfect.” 

– Karl Vick

I tend to find inspiration to continue on this journey with vitality and it comes from a variety of places like for instance, I have this radio show which I originally started to help me write my 30-paged college thesis on jazz, identity and racism and you will not believe the encouragement I gained through it recently.

Having the show helped me to research and discover more about the history of this musical genre which is also a culture that began on American soil by people of color. I could go on for life about the many different shows I have produced in the past three and a half years since it started with hopes to keep jazz from becoming a dying art, as vivacious to me as this art form is, but I am eager to talk about one of my most recent shows.

We all have a wealth of life experiences. We all wear coats of many colors and we all have had at least one shattering experience; but I have never heard a story quite similar to that of my last interviewee on the show. The interview inspired me in so many ways. 

You cannot imagine the sense of completeness I felt listening to my friend Bill Rivers who is the host and producer of his own television show, “Showcased Talent” talk about his amazing story. The fact that even with his experiences and the circumstances he had to face and yet he still reaches for the next rungs of life and success with renewed confidence brings new meaning for me to what building your hopes on the fact that you are still here proceeding in life with vitality really means.   

I am very excited because beyond just the audio file, I was blessed with a video feed of it. You can check out the visual component of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0srPrwuQIQ&feature=youtu.be

If you have a breakthrough story and are interested in sharing it on the air to let listeners know about who you are, what you do and your experiences that added passion and purpose to your life, please feel free to reach out to me via email at jazzonthejnote@yahoo.com

Here are other ways you can reach out and find out more about the show if you are interested:

Jazz on the JNote airs each and every Sunday evening at 7PM on http://theenglishconnectionmedia.com

Website http://www.jnotemusic.com

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/jazzonthejnote

T is For Twitter

Happy new year! The new year is a good time to make renovations to our lives which is why I think we start these resolutions with a sense of urgency, hoping that we will make possible the changes we want.

It is January 2019 everybody. Part of my plan for this year is to let people know the constructs of my existence. I mean why not. I labor over my life and trying to be fully present in the moment, I was hoping not to let the entirety of the first day of this 2019 year go by without letting you know that I am on Twitter. I thought it was quite a pleasing concept to share this fact with you.

I habitually update my page regularly, retweet, like, visit and check my page almost as frequently as the sun rises. Hopefully we can connect on Twitter. My username is musiqal1. Let’s follow each other and became twamily, keep in touch and rally the support of one another. 

I'd love that and look forward to vibing with you more and more this year.