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!

Dedicated to the Sweet Essence of a Father's Love! Happy Fathers Day!

Some things never leave you. 

Like, if you shoot me a wide smile, I might remember your face forever because you were my shelter from the wind when I needed refuge from the storm. It is like a flower in the rain that stands tall after all the others have lost its petals due to the heavy droplets from the sky; unforgettable! That simply is a gift of the moment. 

Dedicated to the Sweet Essence of a Father's Love!
Happy Fathers Day! 

But can you imagine how much of a froth of inspiration you could actually be to someone else? And then we have our fathers. 

Fathers Day Weekend

This weekend, fathers are being celebrated worldwide. We celebrate those that many of us call dad, who showcase their true strengths by being an active and caring poppa bear to us. 

Through the years, unmatchable friendships may have even blossomed between you two. You may have lived a troubled teenage life that was a bit distracting from the truth. But once you broke up with your childhood, you became even more aware of his importance when you were lured into the direction of adulting.

In truth, we face many responsibilities in life that are demanding yet, it feels good to take time out to celebrate even just one day when we can shower our fathers with accolades. Scatter seeds of kindness into his life so that while he is still here and able to smell the flowers, you can show him how much he is truly loved.

Pops Story

Me and my dad

There is a saying that goes father knows best. (Mon pere connais tou le chose.) My father probably embodies that when he is always giving me some kind of advice to showcase himself as a large influence in my life. He provides emotional strength to carry on and propel to the next level.  Honesty surges through his words when he shows concern for me and my actions that sometimes I would not even bother thinking about myself. He always seems to make an overwhelming effort to show that he cares. Even a thousand miles from home, his words sting and makes me think through things.

Like for instance; my father is always concerned with my physical being. I hardly sleep because I am always out doing something. And when I am home, my focus is entangled in something that keeps me from getting a good nights sleep. I admit that it is important to take some time to decompress but, I rather be whipping around in the sky, doing something beyond exciting.

So when I was in Arkhangelsk, I said to myself, tonight I am going to get some sleep finally. It had been my 7^th day in Russia and I felt that I really needed some of that heavenly relief. My father’s words stayed firmly planted in my heart and so I said I would soak in moments of REM when it got dark.

10PM during the white nights season in Arkhangelsk, Russia

As I completed a performance at an Arkhangelsk Pomorya region museum with the musical group, the Art Ensemble, my eyes bulged in astonishment when we walked outside into the 7 degrees Celsius weather at 10PM and the sun was still shining bright. Sure day fused into night but moments of darkness never came. The sun sets at about 11PM during the summer season, but there is a lasting gleam of light in the sky until the 2:30 AM sunrise.

A professor of mine told me about white nights but I had never considered that I would be someone who would experience it. Seeing it with my own eyes made me take on a new perspective of the world. How regal are the works of God when you delve a little deeper into his works and discover more and more, how amazing he is!

Luckily, the impact of the cold temperatures and the heat that the hotel I stayed in provided, helped me to cozy up and do just what my father told me I should. Believe me though, I had to muster the courage to not run outside and let the sun sparkle through my hair in the still of the night, because all I saw was daylight during the day and the fascinating midnight sun during the night. Who wants to sleep when there is sun to enjoy? 

White nights of Russia

Song for My Father

Who would have thought that seeing something like this could forge a measure of confidence in me? To think that while I pondered on the unlimited nature of time, while I dreamt the night away, the sun was pointing my dreams into the direction of possibility. And it made me figure out a few things about life. 

I guess it is always scary to let go of the hand of your father and to forge your own path. Panic wells inside of both you and your father. But there is also joy that sparks when you can say you are confident because he instilled a sense of faith in you. You are staying on the course because of the impact he made. You can move along paths with drive and intelligence because he helped you to develop tough skin. In truth, while he was nurturing and loving you, his eyes were always fixed on the long journey of future ahead.

Check out my live performance with the Tim Dorofeev Art Ensemble in Arkhangelsk, Russia as in the midst of the night, we did a cover of Horace Silver's "Song For My Father." The blending of American jazz and Russian folk made me consider my upbringing, my culture and all the wisdom my father shared with me. He told me that there is more to the world than just what we know. To see and be part of the sharing of art within another culture, as I blended a part of what I knew with what I came to know just a bit of, made what he said ring even more true in me. Thankful to have been able to duet in such a way with Russian folk singer Nadezda Mironova. 

https://youtu.be/bCzbHfslmZg

Thank you, dad, for using your pillars to protect me from every blow that might have stymied me from resetting in a new set of 24. And thank you for being the cushion on this bumpy ride through all the phases of this life that I have lived and am living. And thank you for going to the extremes of standing by me even when I have my character flaws that are not very agreeable to yours. It is because of you that I maintain a certain degree of optimism. You deserve moments of celebration. You are the epitome of love and I love you very much! 

Dedicated to the Fathers

Check out the father's day special for my radio show Jazz on the JNote which will air this Sunday evening 6/18/2017 at 7PM EST and can be accessed by logging onto theenglishconnectionmedia.com or by going to MixLR using the following link: http://mixlr.com/the-english-connection-media/

Happy Fathers Day to all the loving and caring fathers out there. We love you!