Join Into the Drum Circle at Potay in Brooklyn, NY

 

The hand drum class, circle and open mic at Potay.Haiti.Caribbean.Us.All was my point of interest this past Friday night. I did not really know what to expect but what I can say is that a blessing was lavished on me just by being present in that space.

With such superb skill and panache, the host, Okai, got the air of learning and personal enjoyment flowing. Not only did he give insight on how to play Conga drums or Djembe drums, but also how to get your voice across with uniqueness; by voice I mean, the sound that vibrates out of your hand hitting the drums. And by uniqueness, I mean that though all participants were taught the same hand gestures, every person still plays with their own incredible degree of diversity.

Potay located as 2720 Farragut Road in Brooklyn, NY definitely had something special going on. As time slipped away between our fingers, there were a n umber of lessons being learned between the hand drum class and the open mic that shortly followed it. One of them is like Paul Coelho said, “wherever your heart is there you will find your treasure.”

My heart has had an inextinguishable light for singing all my life and most recently in piano. I didn’t actually consider that I might be accompanying other participants via keyboard or that I would be learning new songs to play on the spot but being in synchrony with others at this event helped me to increase my knowledge of my musicianship a bit more.

Another thing that I learned was like Carlos Santana said, “people are flowers. Music is water. Musicians are the hose.” Considering how the curiosity of knowing more about hand drums and becoming more familiar with the cultural aspects of it was almost like broaching the idea that there is nothing wrong with being who you are individually. We all shared, and all voices were respected and heard which means more to me than I can express because at that point, it is a realization that there is no reason to derail your efforts and so it alleviated uncertainties as far as who you are and what you had to bring to the table because everybody banded together like family.  So, I felt comfortable introducing my music and the scope of my performing voice as a live exhibition to them.

 The drum circle event was beyond helpful. I felt elated to experience gather together on that Friday night and become a part of the community and to be filled with the wealth of information that I received. It helped to draw a smile on my face that has yet to leave ever since. If you want to see for yourself how it went, I invite you to check out this video for yourself and hopefully, it will bring you joy as it did for me. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/7LBROH-GfjM 

 Potay has a lot of great things going on at it’s establishment. Like for instance, on Thursdays, they have Capoeira classes where you can learn the art of this cultural dance. Every day after school, there is tutoring being offered for those who need it. And on Friday afternoons, I will be teaching singing and piano.

If you are even mildly interested, I will be starting group and private singing/piano lessons starting on November 5^th at Potay. 

Check out the flyer and let me know if you have interest or any probing questions that I might
be able to answer about it. And if you feel like being a part of the glorious moment of hand drumming, it is a recurring event happening every Friday at Potay. Maybe you feel like escaping to something different, all happening at Potay on Farragut Road and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, NY. So stop on through and you will not be disappointed.

Thank you so much for checking out my blog post.

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.

Click Here To Buy This Book

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? 

N is for Nature of My Culture

The nature of my culture exercises influence in me.

The nature of my culture gives me the security of knowing my own beauty.

The nature of my culture makes me know that I am a fine work of art.

The nature of my culture gives me enough confidence and strength to be myself.

I feel at ease in my own skin.

I am glowing in melanin.

The Haitian in me is woven in the script.

I have all this culture, music and creativity built within.

The nature of my culture makes me want to be bold in the face of a blank sheet.

The nature of my culture makes me want to share my identity brusque authority.

The nature of my culture takes you on a journey over land and sea.

The nature of my culture makes me want to share a piece of my beauty.

I want to make you see why I have romantic gestures about the land.

I want to ease out the stigmas of this culture if I can.

And psyched that Chokarella gave me the opportunity

To share a piece of my cultural identity.

Thank you Prrrl for helping me out with this interview/performance.

Thank you Tadia for the call

and for having me on this Chokarella New York Takeover.

Such a dope event.

Thank you for checking out my blogpost!

Poettues: World Day of Poetry

It is World Day of Poetry and also Poetry Tuesday and so today, I share with you a poem. Hope you enjoy what you read. This poem is entitled World Day of Poetry.

I am an able-bodied woman of Haitian descent

who has shaken off fear and now able to present

genuine affection for the world which I toil free;

I unfold for World Day of Poetry.

Here I am; the tiger burning bright.

I’ve lived under the thinnest of moonlight.

Stains of ragged footprints of time that changed the lamb.

The fuel that keeps me alive like that of William Blake’s hand.

Learning from every conundrum, abuse and stains left on my skin.

Reason bursts like a volcanic eruption and here we go overthinking.

Google maps can’t look inside my heart to see the lava.

The lively Shakespearean madness in me, some consider all drama.

But my past however does not encapsulate my individualizing.

Creativity and Poe-ish passion make this caged bird sing.

An early morning dream; lit torches that unearth a laugh.

Necessary maintenance help me grow on this writing path.

And the special circumstances that make me focus on my lot.

Each person’s song and dance; the work that makes their hearts stop.

I sing of the world I see around me like Emily Dickenson wrote her logs.

It’s world poetry day, so here is a poetic throb.

Some may have been hoping to see rants of politic trump.

Some may have wanted to read a movie thumb.

“Sing”, yes I loved it! “Get out” was a great view.

Some of Langston Hughes works still read to me as brand new.

Nikki Giovanni and Wheatley pieces bring peace to me too

like a long island iced tea over ice soothes.

But here I am with this song and dance echoing nothing but music

and then I see a firetruck in the ocean that brought on some amusement;

trying to put out the fire that was burning inside of me;

trying to extinguish the passions that make me breathe.
Trying to rescue me from the icy pond on which I walked
Trying to stop me in my path from lyrical talk. 

Now the spring is here and my journal is out
and I'm writing about the world, love and the boycotting of winter a lot.

I’m sizzling still and world poetry day just added to the furnace.

I’m a poetess and any form of writing gives me purpose.

About writing

When I write songs, I write it somewhat like a poem, counting syllables and trying to make words rhyme to make it fit. Shakespeare made me love to write. Hughes made me love to read. Music gives me wings to fly. I sing because I’m happy and free. I wrote songs because my poetry gained flight and became a butterfly. 

“You Loved Me” is one of those songs. Lyrics by Stephanie Jeannot and music by Mike LeShore. Check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/stephanay-jnotes-tracks-1

Istwa Dayiti Film Festival at Medgar Evers College

Tonight I had the pleasure of presenting the Haitian Film Festival at Medgar Evers College.

What a privilege to celebrate my culture and heritage in such an extraordinary way. And to think Medgar Ever's main concern was for people of color to have an identity. 

This film festival makes that identity for the Haitian community at this school even more relevant. Very cool event!!! 

Cross-Cultural Revolutions and Resolutions for Three Kings 2016

Today is the 12th day of Christmas or what many would call 

Three Kings Day or Spanish Christmas.  

Me, the lover of Christmas, have been counting the 12 days of Christmas since December 25th, 2015, and here we have arrived to January 6th, 2016; a brand new year, day and if you are like me, another resolution to try to keep.

I have decided that this year's resolution will be different from the others. Two years ago I decided to give up drinking alcohol and two years later, have not picked up a drink since. Last year, I gave up pork and shell fish which I am still struggling with but I'm a foodie. LOL! This year, I decided for my resolution to be to love myself more and to simply enjoy life. How do I do that?

Read more books instead of trying to read into people or situations. Enjoy more music and find a way to be more culturally balanced, taking part in more of my heritage. I also came to realize that it is so important to celebrate yourself. Be happy for the little accomplishments. Remember that you must skein an inch before you reach the mile.  

So I started by treating myself to the most luxurious spa weekend and am reaping the benefits of finding stress relievers. If you did not know, stress can kill you. Better to grasp keeping that killer of hearts and healthy minds out of our systems or to find a way to balance it so it will not steal joy which is God-given and which no one or nothing should be able to take away. Often times, we do let things stand in the way of our own happiness. 

I pray that your 2016 will be filled with joy and will be stress-free. 

In keeping up with my heritage and culture, I produced a "Haitian Jazz mix" for my show Jazz on the Jnote which will air on WNYE 91.5, this Sunday, January  10, 2016 at 7:30PM, in celebration of the 212 year of independence which Haiti celebrated on January 1st.  

On Sunday evening, January 10, 2016, tune into WNYE 91.5FM at 7:30PM, when Medgar Evers College Radio takes over their airwaves, with Jazz on the JNote hosted by Stephanie Jeannot and bringing to you, a jazz-music and talk radio show . This edition will feature music from Tabou Combo, Nu Look, Carimi, Kassav and more. Please join me Sunday, January 10, 2016 at 7:30pm and get your Compas on with me. Until then, peace!!!