Bad Bunny was a welcomed change to the Superbowl
Halftime Show this year.
Everybody deserves to be celebrated. Every
culture should be respected. Every person should be able to have dignity.
Bad Bunny’s musical performance was fantastically
good.
Don’t judge the moment by the lack of
understanding of his language or the cultural symbolisms that he shared. There
are millions of people living in the United States and so many different languages
that are spoken in this huge melting pot. Don’t let his lack of English
speaking be the reason you run into issues with what he had to give on one of
the world’s biggest stages. If understanding did not dawn on your face as he
represented the beauty of diversity, you are missing the bigger picture. If you
are focusing on the truth, every moment of the performance was great.
In my opinion, the cultural references
were on point. There were men working out in the fields. There was someone
selling Fresco on the side. Pure coconut drinks were being sold by the street
vendors. There were people playing dominoes. There were masons with their
bricks building. I love that Cardi B was there with him in support and that he
brought out Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.
Bad Bunny’s Superbowl Halftime Show was everything
you could want in peeling back the stigmas. What he had to give was beautifully
influential. There is a gorgeous aspect to being different. Everybody does not
have to be exactly the same to be effective. There was nothing mechanical about
his performance; he was himself and the message that cascaded from the entire
12 minutes was that cultural heritage matters.
He electrified the atmosphere despite the
odds that were thrown at him from a world not ready to totally accept him, and
he did it well. I was draped across the couch watching the game and had to get
up to dance when the musical halftime show started because the rhythms were fire.
He showed the world what he was made of and I enjoyed every moment of it; especially
when he gave a shoutout to all the Latinos and mentioned Ayiti. Yes, I am Latinx. I love it.
I think people will be reminiscing about
his halftime show for years to come. The entire performance was a symbol of
hope for all.
It
is a new year. A new set of 52 weeks. Don’t let the New Year’s Eve ball drop
into 2027 without dipping your toes in 2026.
Feel
it. Let the ubiquitous appeal of it take
over. Lean into it like it is your favorite song. Groove to its rhythm. Experience
it. Embrace every miniscule bit of it.
Enjoy
it. Let your spirit guide you to the smile to keep that joy vibrantly pulsating through your body.
Feel
the rhythm of the unique fusion of this new year. Find your smorgasbord of
influence and stick to it. Let it splash over you like the waterfalls of Saut D’eau,
Haiti. Submerge yourself into each day with fresh authenticity.
Feel
the vibe of every single moment of these next 365 days like the morning alarm. And
make sure you stay prayed up in the stretch of your every day as God carries
you through each minute that comes embedded in it.
As
I continue to share parts of my identity and grow into the new year, here is an
aspect of a musical atmosphere I was blessed to be in with the wonderful
guitarist John Smith, drummer Camille Gainor, and Keyboardist James Preston at
the Red Rooster Restaurant and lounge in Harlem, NY. They are consummate professionals and the music
they shared swelled in the air like a bird in the sky. They made it easy and fun to join in and sing with them. So thankful for that.
I hope that you feel the
strophe of each line as I did. Here is the link:
One of the reasons I get up
early in the morning with a genuine smile on my face is because of you.
I feel the
most at peace when I am dabbling into my purpose because it feels good doing
the things that I do that make me come alive. Today I want to stop to focus on
the positive aspects of my artistic grind.
Your support is worth all the love in
the world and I am grateful for you being kind and lovely. You taking the time
to veer your attention my way feels magical; almost as if I am a queen and that's more than royal in my opinion.
Thank you for being my peaceful
idyll. I appreciate you. I feed off your light. You keep my belief in my works
and talent in motion. You are a treasure to me and I appreciate you 100-fold.
Thank you.
New projects coming soon and I can't wait to share them with you in the near future. But for now, I am constantly updating my YouTube channel and adding more and more videos. I will admit, I have been digging the shorts and reels thing and been adding more and more of them lately. I also update my IG and FB pages regularly where I post flyers for upcoming shows, video footage from live performances and etc. If you feel led in any way, you can check them out, like, follow. Here are the links:
Artists who get on stage to vocalize their hearts out need a wardrobe.
What happened to the days of old when everybody was dressing up like they were going to be on the red carpet just to go to the local jazz club?
Black dresses always work, or just a black outfit in general works, but what if you want to add some color and pizzazz to your appearance?
I tend to find some lovely pieces when I shop off and online but mostly, I have been finding myself doing Shein.com Hauls and I must say, I get some pretty amazing pieces there. The best part is that the fashion items I get often are unique, one-of-a-kind finds that did not cost much at all; and you didn't have to go to a crowded store to get it.
I am definitely a dress person, and I am short. Long dresses are my favorite thing because they make me look tall. I have found some of the most beautiful dresses on Shein.com and I never have to deal with much drama trying to get the items I want.
I did a haul recently and the beautiful black and white dress with the flowers was one of those many items. This dress was made for a curvy queen like me and I feel happy about the fact that they have clothing items and more for everyone.
If interested in checking out Shein for yourself, here is a link that might help you to entice your onstage artist look: Check out SHEINOFFICIAL.COM.
Thoughts may swirl through the air
sometimes that turn your usual upward smiley face into a frown. It doesn’t take
a monstrous blaze to notice the embers of doubt coming to fire it’s flames. The
truth about you creeps along even when doubt tries to prowl into your system. Don’t
get burned; water yourself.
You do not have to frantically search
outside for validation. Every exasperating experience does not mean that you
have to once again be etched with worry. Resilience usually screams out its
sweet words to you and its voice is noticeable because it will start to shower
you with good thoughts about who you are. Let that overwhelming sense of love
wash over you and soothe what feels lost.
You know who you are. Keeping your mind leveled
on the truth easily fixes, soothes and solves. Don’t let lies about your
character ruin your delightful heart. You don’t have to yell curses or get
angry. You don’t have to let your faith collapse. You do not have to walk around
feeling depressed or defeated. Don’t go let out your frustrations on your
social media page. There are better ways to handle your situations. Don’t stay
thinking that what you are going through is just another sad love song. This is
real life.
Instead, find an alternate route. Reach
for a pen and a notebook and let the lines be your shoulder to cry on while
sitting in a cradle of quietness. Sometimes it takes emptying out what is
bottled up inside so you could meet the quiet of your mind; like meditation but
only, using writing as the vehicle.
Use your own eyes and heart as your audience
and respond to your own situation. How could you have handled it differently? Feedback?
What is the next step? How do I move in a better way? What can I learn from all
of this?
But while writing, don’t simply stay hyper-focused
on the problems, the he say, she says, or the dilemmas. Don’t forget to
acknowledge the good things that happened in your life. Root yourself on for
standing in resilience. Let out a high-pitched giggle for the things that felt
good along the way. You persevered through it all. Remember that!
Keep creating your own dusts of joy and let it sink in. Keep
reaching for the sky and rise up to keep meeting the you that makes you smile.
Know yourself. Love yourself. Honor
yourself. Trust yourself. Respect yourself. Like yourself. Acknowledge
yourself. Celebrate yourself. Give yourself grace. Germinate.
Speaking of persevering, I write songs to help inspire, motivate and celebrate the champions that we are in this world. Don't ever let go of the warrior in you. You are powerful. You are more than enough. You got this. Here are a few songs that might help to inspire you along your journey:
Breakthrough by Stephanie Jeannot (featuring Jazz E Matt)
I hope that these songs might add some joyous light to your day. Thank you for reading and for clicking on the song titles to listen to my music. Let me know if you actually did listen and if you did, which song was your favorite. Thanks for the feedback.
I heart music and every day is a great day to immerse myself into the sounds of music. I love to listen, perform, sing, and write songs, a lot.
And so, it brings me great pleasure to invite you to check out my newest song. It is entitled "More Than Enough."
It is a song written to empower individuals who might need to be reminded about the greatness that God has placed in them. It is soulful and bop worthy. All lyrics and music by Stephanie Jeannot. Mixed by Shawn Keys for Just Awesome Music.
Hopefully, you will want to bop to it and let the sounds ring through your speakers. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/3J7sUlrzyOM
Thank you for checking out my tune and my blog and for supporting my musical journey. God bless you all.
One week into 2023 and here we are eight days in deep.
The year just started and it seems like an entire year
already passed by. Why you may ask?
I experienced a week full of work, a wake, a funeral, and a
death all in a week’s time.
And as we enter into the second week, I just think about all
the good times that I have experienced before this moment that just seemed to
add a bit of weight that I did not expect to have to carry into this new year,
although no one knows the day nor the hour.
As I step into this brand-new week, I think about all the blessings
that seem minor which we often overlook. It is hard to not acknowledge the gift of
oxygen that God breathes into us when we watch a person in a hospital bed with
tubes down his/her throat because they cannot breathe on their own. The ability to breathe on your own is something to not take for granted.
I think about people who get sick from the effects of a stroke that might cause them to
be unable to walk, talk or to even use the bathroom on their own. How often do we thank God for the gift of having a
voice that we can use to sing, speak up for ourselves, to talk about things
that are important to us or to just simply be in our right minds?
The older I get, the more I realize how short life really
is and how blessed I am to see another day and to be surrounded by loved ones. This is the year to tell the people you care about that you love them. Do
not ever forsake those moments of care because you never know the day or the
hour that someone’s last breath may be. Love your family. Love yourself. Pray and
bless the people that you care about and share the joys of life the way that
you would want to receive love from others.
Life is short. Tomorrow is not promised or guaranteed. The
next moment might be your Last. Live in the moment and appreciate it. May you be blessed today and
always. I dedicate my song "Enjoy Life" to you as I make my mantra for each day of 2023: blessed to see another day; because I truthfully am. https://youtu.be/alV2ULnr9z8
Enjoy
life and experience it while you still have time.
We always did
our Christmas family reunion in high fashion. It is like walking into the Academy
Awards in your best dress. Some have the most beautiful of red dresses draped
over their bodies. The men all wearing suits or their cute ugly sweaters. Santa
Claus always finds his way here in his big red suit and bag filled with
promises and toys to place under the huge pine tree that greets you when you
walk in. The walkway is sometimes a carpet of fresh, white snow, and it is usually
the most extravagant of parade ways. The hype is so high, it is a celebration
from the moment of entry.
I haven’t seen some of the
faces of my family members since last year at
this time. We converge with a kiss
on the cheek and the request to remove your shoes and to walk with just your
socks on your feet over the wooden floors. I think it is fun because when you get
into the danceable moments sponsored by my curated Spotify playlists, you can
sing along to the Christmas carols, dip, and slide across the floors with a
smile bigger than Carlton’s on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
I mask my winter blues like I
always do when I see them. It is like a glow of stardust washes my troubles
away and brings me sparks of joy. Seeing my family member’s eyes bring a glow
over the verge of tears that I’d been facing. The year can sometimes push me to the brink of
despair but for this family gathering, I feel like a poem of bubbling brooks
and flowers blooming.
And as they walk in the door,
the aroma of something savory is wafting from the kitchen. Every burner and
rack in the oven is occupied with a food item on its way to being ready to eat.
The counters filled with spices, desserts being decorated, and foods still being
prepped for cooking.
We cook like this is the last
supper with more food than you would probably eat in the 525,600 minutes that measure
the year. There is so much deliciousness spread out over the table that your
stomach gets filled just by looking at it. My mother put her foot into each and
every bit of the meal that is about to be shared. The turkey timer has popped
and now I can add my corn souffle into the oven so that it can be ready for the
dinner we are about to serve.
I added my two senses into cooking
as well and turn my kitchen into a canvas and the ingredients that get added
are like my paint. Art is on my mind and the ideas I sketch with the charcoal
pencils of my fingertips. The food we eat, a picture-perfect masterpiece like
those in MOMA, and all who are exposed to it are getting a piece of my heart.
The dinner call is sounded,
like a chapel bell of a 16th-century church and the whole family approaches the
table. We gather and we pray over the meal:
“Father God, thank you for the
day that you made and for the food that we eat and for the hands that prepared it
and for the family that gathered, for those who wanted to come but didn’t find
the opportunity, and for those who have become ancestors and rest in your
peaceful arms. That you might continue to bless us and to keep us and to protect
us with your grace and with your love. You are mighty and everlasting and we
love you and bless you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.”
It is cute to hear the little
ones who can barely talk say, “Bonne Appetit,” but we all do it in our little
celebration. Actually, I make sure to make them say it so that they can have
knowledge of some of the words from our Haitian culture. Those words are part
of it. Some of the foods and drinks found on the table are as well like the Kremas
which is like eggnog with rum in it or the Griot which is pork chunks that are
one of the many meat items on the table and diri a djondjon which is black rice
with dried mushrooms.
It is more than just the
eating that is involved. The stories we share of tradition and exoticism always
pique my interest. When you think about all the experiences you face in a year’s
time, it is no secret that there is so much to talk about if the right person
to talk to sits at your gate. We sip some of the best Apple Cider you can find
and chat. Maybe a sibling or cousin is the family that becomes your listening
board, or maybe it is a friend who is like family, who intently listens to the ranting
of it all without judgment or interruption. This is what makes the conversations
interesting. There is always something new being told, something different
being shared that you have yet to hear and that you are newly learning for the
first time. The laughter is like a weight being lifted off because it surely
makes you feel better.
We eat and chat and then we play
our annual Taboo game. It is always such a fun experience trying to get our
team to guess the words that we are attempting to animate so that we can win
the game. I think I laugh the most during these times because it is so much fun
just getting lost in these moments that never seem to get old. While we play, everyone is experimenting with all
the different desserts that are on the table; cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream,
jello, and candy. These are the yummy moments that are passed until we start to
distribute all the different gifts that are under the tree.
Everyone in the place is
unwrapping gifts in excitement over what someone thought was a good gift for
them. I’ll never forget the time when my next-door neighbor put a Michael
Jackson jacket in a box for me and gave it to me. I wonder if that was one of
the reasons that I became a performing artist. That was one of my favorites. The
other most memorable was an album of Miles Davis recordings, and I love Miles
Davis. What a beautiful gift to receive from a kid at that. Seems like Auntie’s
baby knows me better than I thought; made me so happy.
The night ends with everyone
packing a big foil tray filled with food to take home. Everyone scatters out
the door back onto the carpet full of snow and make their exit back to their
regularly scheduled programs. It is sad to see them all go and even sadder to
know of all the cleaning that needs to be done to bring the art of Christmas
back to a blank canvas.
I think sometimes I count five
hours of washing dishes, cleaning pots, and putting glasses and other things
back into the china for safe keeping until next year, same time, same
celebration. But to think of the reason for continuing on in this tradition for
as long as we have, a smile is ignited.
We continue on. The numbers
might decrease due to heaven calling some to its gates but it is always a
welcome celebration that will always make Christmas one of my favorite times of
the year.
And now that the year is
coming to a close, I am thankful for all these traditions and for all the good
times and bad times, and for being blessed to see this moment of time. I find
peace in it knowing that I made it through. God has been so good and it is not
a secret. May your 2023 be the most
lovely, prosperous, and powerful year that you have ever seen. I offer to you "Peace on Earth: https://youtu.be/ctlbmq9Rit8
Good tidings to
you and yours and hope to see you in the new year.
Sarah Vaughan was a world-renowned singer and pianist who was
regarded as one of the greatest of all jazz singers.
She was a contralto with a range of three octaves. She sang with
rhythmic flexibility and blessed any record that she sang on to make it to become
timeless, universal music.
Some called her Sassy; others, the Divine One. I call her my
favorite singer. And I am taking great pleasure in celebrating the life and
cherishable art of this Grammy Award winning artist. With that in mind, I would like to invite
you to listen in to this week’s episode of my radio show Jazz on the JNote.
What will you hear?
You will hear the capricious voice of Ms. Sarah Vaughan gushing
out of her mouth and coming alive in your ear like an explosion of color burgeoning
to blossom. You will hear some of the relics of her heroinism; those that made her
brief time on the planet meaningful. You will hear sounds that come from the
ecstatic world of jazz music and you will hear the voice of the host and
producer of Jazz on the JNote Radio Show, Stephanie Jeannot, using the duration
of the show to celebrate the charm, vibrato and life of the Divine One.
The show airs this Sunday, March 27, 2022 at 7:30 PM EST, as
part of the Medgar Evers College Community Radio stream over the air waves of WNYE 91.5 FM. To find out more info on Jazz on the JNote, you can click on the link below to check out some of the flyers and previous episodes of this show, for your viewing and listening pleasure: JNOTEMUSIC.COM
My hope is that you will join us for the newest radio stream this Sunday evening and that
the songs will not only get you listening to Sarah Vaughan’s amazing vibrato
hit you full in the face so effectively that it makes you want to sing along
and dance throughout the show’s entirety, but that this week’s episode of Jazz
on the JNote will bring a positive and joyous end to your weekend.
Catch it
live on Sunday March 27, 2022 at 7:30PM EST on WNYE 91.5 FM.
What songwriter doesn’t have
ribbons of desire for unique songs to burst into bloom? And what artist or
musician doesn’t enjoy the aesthetic appeal of opportunities to have synergy
with other creative beings?
I don’t know about you, but I
love to hear a bass growling in a live setting. Don’t get me wrong; I guess it
has become the thing to be plugged into the digital realm and to fulfill your
genuine passion through a Zoom meeting every now and again, especially in these
times but, there is nothing like when the melody flows and my gilded wings can
unfold right there in the intimate setting of a live, innovative environment.
There is something special
about putting your effort, originality and skill into the harmonious menu of a
repertoire meant to be performed live. Is that just the way I think or is it a
thought that other musicians and those who have a true cultural enjoyment of
music thinks?
If perhaps we have the same
way of thinking, after you experience the pulchritude of the stunning sunset
this evening and you start to drown in the evening’s moonlight, I invite you to
engage with NYC musician/songwriter, Stephanie Jeannot and cohost Chicago
bassist/songwriter, John Mueller for the newest episode of THE INDIE MUSIC SHOW
airing this evening at 9PM EST/ 8PM CST on http://mixlr.com/jnotemusic
What will you hear? A shared thirst for all things music. We
launch conversations about the practice of music, the study of music, the
performance and recording of our music and some of the many artists that do
music with some beautiful indie sounds sprinkled into the mix.
We dive headlong into it every
Tuesday evening at 9PM EST/ 8PM CST and I hope that this blogpost might fan a
flame of interest in you to take time out of your schedule this evening and log
on to http://mixlr.com.jnotemusic to
listen.
It is an exuberant feeling to know
that after all that has taken place in 2020 and up to this point, we are still
here.
And here we are on a path to restoration. I am hoping to be above it all
at some point soon.
When I consider everything
that has led up to this moment, it is amazing that I am not filled with
bitterness. I have experienced heartache from losing a few people in my life to COVID19, including my drummer and one of my favorite promoters. Sometimes I felt like pouring out
rain while in my solitude with ample time to think about all that happened and all the important things and people in my life.
Many musicians lost a great deal of musical jobs in 2020 while weathering the pandemic and yet
still had to take the necessary steps that are needed to take while adulting. But thank God that things are slowly getting back to normal and that gigging is a happening thing again.
I look forward to the day that
I can once again be astounded by the smiles on your faces, unmasked and in person. But until
then, I pray that you are safe, and that grace will continue to be showered
over your life.
I hope that we soon will be
levitating and connecting on the other side of this pandemic. I also hope that
you might persevere through it all.
Looking forward to sharing new music and event invitations with you soon and hope that you will be open-minded in accepting some of them and being in the midst of the audience whether it is live streamed or in person.
May God continue to bless and
to keep you and your family and loved ones.
Did the Governor say that today is day 96 of the quarantine? That is so crazy to me. We started off 2020 and my thoughts were that this was going to be a great year and somewhere in the midst of it, I was wishing it would be 2021.
But nonetheless, we are here and the fact that we are still here is a blessing, though we have lost so many along this journey.
Quarantine is interesting. I guess I never have had a problem with quietude. I think that is a musician thing maybe.
I have spent so much time lately practicing my piano and working on music and a new forthcoming project that if God is willing, I will be able to share with you at some point in the upcoming month. But for now, here is one of the first cuts from "The Stephanie Jeannot & John Mueller Project."
The song is entitled "Love is the Matter." All lyrics and music by Stephanie Jeannot and John Mueller. It is a song to promote the idea of world love and unity.
“We are tied in a single
garment of destiny, caught in an inescapable network of mutuality” (Dr Martin
Luther King Jr)
It is not a bad thing to have
an emotional response to others when you see the things that they are going through.
Sometimes you might feel a sense of urgency to pray for others because of what
the media shows. That’s the right thing to do because we are all one body of
people on this one earth. Right?
Not everyone’s life feels like
a sweet joyride. Some people are unable to commit themselves to a grind and
straggle behind because they are physically incapable of it. Some people live crying
in agony on a daily basis because there is no hope to build on or to be
maintained and instead, they sit and suffer every day. Some people die for a
meal a day while others have the opportunity to eat six small meals a day. Some
people sleep in a warm bed every night while others sleep in cardboard boxes.
Some people have the ability to walk to wherever they want to go while others cannot
because they are in wheel chairs. Some people cannot dedicate themselves to
reading because they were not taught to read nor did they have educational
opportunities available to them.
Some folks carry on traditions
that are different than the ones we live. Some go to church every day. Others
may go only on Christmas and Easter or not at all. Some folks celebrate their
birthdays with laudatory festivals. Others fast to celebrate their new year.
We all are the same because we
all are different. We all have baggage, songs and dances. We all lived romances
and have taken chances from the moment we started on our life journeys.
We all make memories that resonate
through the years. We all feel things in our hearts in different ways. We all
have a diversity of ideas and are packed with emotions and we all perspire beads
of sweat making an effort to be the best version of ourselves.
Even though we are different,
we can still praise each other’s effort. Some make an effort to feed their five
kids. Some make an effort to survive the mean streets that they live on. Some
make an effort to simply have a voice in society. Some make an effort to overcome
the ravages of cancer. But we all as a people make efforts to fight the battles
of life and to overcome our own obstacles, regardless of what they are.
It is important to consider
others and to not generalize or make assumptions. Don’t topple someone else’s
confidence just because they live in a different bed of roses than you. Don’t
make judgments because someone’s educational background was different than
yours. And don’t tumble in the waves of measuring someone else’s work, monetary
or life situation on yours. Sometimes it is good to strike up the conversation with hopes of building a new perspective,
so we can root out bigotry, confront discrimination, fight for inclusivity, and
stop the unsavory stereotypes of people who are different from us. Please check
out my original song and video entitled, “People United.” Lyrics by me, Stephanie
Jeannot. Music by Paul Garrod. Video edited and produced by Stephanie Jeannot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKL0kS92s10&t=59s
At the end of the day, we
should hold high esteem for each other because we are all people alike. Let us
no longer look at people based on their age, class, color, gender, sexual
orientation but as human beings as we challenge old ideologies and instead make
provocative moves towards accepting responsibility for the progress of humanity.
In my opinion it seems more pleasing to the ear to hear stories of shared
humanity than struggling and fighting each other over the same nonsense because
at the end of the day, we are all equal. We are the change that is needed in
this world and we have the power to be in a position of influence to get everyone
to see the world from a broader perspective.
After all, Ujima is all about building
and maintaining the world together and to make our Brother's and sister's
problems, our problems and to solve them together. Happy Kwanzaa!
From Umoja to Imani, may all
the blessings of Kwanzaa be yours.
It’s the end of the year and there is no denying that in just a couple of days, 2019 will officially launch. As the days wind down and before we come to the collective conclusion of the year at hand, I thought it would be cool to reflect on 2018 as a way to celebrate the small little wins.
Is it me or have the days run
out of patience as they seem to go by faster and faster the older I get?
It feels like yesterday when
we were all singing the Prince Anthem, “1999” and coming into the year 2000 and
now it is about to be 2019. Am I the only one who feels moment by moment crying
out for my attention only for the experience to speed on by at breakneck speeds?
I will say that I have been wearing my seatbelt, but I can’t help but to feel the
whiplash of time that keeps ticking. But thank God I can feel it because there
are many who have not made it to this point and to be here in the land of the
living, still, is a blessing that I can own up to.
2018
In 2018, New York had one of
the chilliest and longest winters I can ever remember. As the cold slipped out of
the year’s clutches, the warm weather harnessed feelings of jumping into the
ocean’s waters more than I’d ever been motivated to feel the sand under my feet
on hot summer nights in my whole life.
Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School Small Band
Once the latest school year
was set in motion, it’s been working hard toward constant building and guiding
the next generation of musically creative, young singers beyond the gates of
their high school days and into their lushly orchestrated futures. Hopefully in
their tomorrow, they will make a mark on the world with their aural charisma when
you will bop your heads to their music echoing through your ears someday. They definitely
have enormous potential.
With my mentor, Wayne Holmes
There were days where I
harnessed melancholy moments where I delved deep into the heartfelt blues that
made me want to cry me a river and I felt stripped bare emotionally. I lost a few
people that were close to me including my mentor, Wayne Holmes, who was willing
to share his mark of genius with me while he was alive. He pushed me into singing and helped to break me out of my shell. Losing him and the others that affected my life that went on to be with the Lord, felt like needle
sharp thorns piercing at my heart.
I used my gift of singing far
into the night on many of the days I was graced to see; some days even the
point of exhaustion. But I carried on with this level of ambition and spunk
that has not left me yet. If you ever listened to me sing or were witness to a
live performance, then you heard the sound of striving. Even when I felt
intimidated by the roaring stadium sized collections of critics and naysayers,
I still had faith in my own story because I know who I am and I have passion as
deep as a river that makes me sparkle with a burst of energy and enthusiasm
whenever a mic is in my hand.
2018 Dr Mary Umolu Jazzy Jazz Festival
How blessed I am that God opened
doors to opportunities to sing on stages this year that I never thought I would
see like with the New Rochelle Jazz Orchestra or at Citifield where I got to
dance with and sing to John Starks or having the opportunity to remake the old
Whitney Houston classic, “Love Will Save the Day,” and seeing my name on a
vinyl record for the first time. You can check out the tune here:
These were some of the many pieces de
resistance of my 2018.
Some days I experienced dramatic
bursts of aggravation because of all the pressures I felt from my own impatience
with petty little things and acknowledged stubbornness that often seemed to go
on autopilot. Back in the days, I would get liquored up to soothe my troubles,
but I can crackle with excitement that on January 1, 2019, I will be five years
alcohol-free because of a resolution I made back when 2014 kicked into high gear.
Hopefully I can do the same in the coming year as
I attempt once again to rekindle a healthier lifestyle habit, on purpose.
First Sunset of 2018
And then there were times throughout
2018 where earnest expressions of joy, enthusiasm and love bloomed like a wildflower.
But there was always hope peering from behind the door that gave me a blast of
energy to link to the reality of it all and I am most thankful for the
improvisational spirits of all those who were willing to dream right alongside
me.
As I recount my experiences,
there were more good than bad, and I am thankful for it all. And as we go onto
greater things in the coming 2019, all I can say is that I hope it is colorful,
lively and luminous. I have an optimistic outlook and look forward to seizing the
days of the new year as they come. I also hope to work towards improving myself
consistently so I can build more quality into my own being which will require round the clock care which I hope I can maintain so I can experience the distant
rewards before me.
I can’t believe that the year
has come and gone so quickly, but before the sun of 2018 descends, I wish to
you, immeasurable joy in the new year. I hope it greets you with its charming
personality and keeps you feeling spiritually uplifted until the morning light
of 2020. Savor every blessing as the year rolls along. I hope you accomplish
many things and are so busy climbing up the ladder that you are able to not
dwell too much on the daily frustrations or the temper of the times. Enjoy the
confines of 2019.
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