There is this guy who stubbornly refuses to get out of my thoughts. It is very distracting. I try to hear my boss talk but all I hear is the guy’s words. This guy is everywhere all at once….Miami, Long Beach, Manila, DC, New York, Seoul, Paris. He grins at me and whispers of his love at 2AM. He won me with persistance but I love him the way I love Honey Nut Cheerios. I never get tired of it. It is worth the price. It’s sweet. It has been my favorite for most of my life.
Ndegeocello – An Unlikely Favorite
I am a conservative, Christian woman so it would seem unlikely that Meshell Ndegeocello would be one of my favorite musicians but she is. I first heard Meshell back around 1995. A previous boyfriend was playing one of the songs from Plantation Lullabies, Meshell’s first album. I didn’t care for the style… “Boyfriend, boyfriend, yes, I had your boyfriend”. Just the type of woman I don’t care for…immoral, arrogant, mean-spirited. About a year later, I was returning home from DC after midnight and this smooth bass guitar was flowing from the speakers. A sort of talk-sing poetry was coming from a confident spoken word type of voice… “Free my heart so my soul may fly. Free my mind of my worldly wants and desires. I look towards heaven with my arms open wide. Take my hand, come and take my hand”. Whoa! Who is that? “I want you. I can’t get you off my mind. Ooh you turn me on. Stay. ”. Who IS that? I became a fan. Peace Beyond Passion, Meshell’s second album, was hard wired into my disk player only to be replaced by Plantation Lullabies. I waited for Bitter, Meshell’s third album, like a crack head. Before Cookie, the fourth album, I went to see Meshell at the 9:30 Club. I was glad that I went with my boyfriend because I was one of about 5 straight couples in the place. Very bizzare for me.
I am nothing like Meshell. She misquotes scripture, gives references to Hindu gods. She’s gay, she’s politically outspoken. She’s bald, tattooed, she smokes. I am the opposite of all those. But I like her because she is comfortable in what she does. I don’t see her as all that arrogant. She is humble and funny. I’ve seen her feelings hurt on stage and I see her struggle in her personal life. I admire a lady that has practiced her craft, especially a male dominated instrument like the bass guitar. I have every album she has put out. I am still trying to figure out The World Has Made Me the Man of My Dreams. I don’t need to be like her to appreciate her work. Do ya thang, Meshell!
All Time Favorite Movies
My all time favorite movie is The Last of the Mohicans (Daniel Day Lewis). In no particular order, I also love these: The Color Purple, Sugar Hill, Original Sin (Antonio Banderas & Angelina), Desperado, Heaven & Earth (Tommy Lee Jones), Joy Luck Club, Lady Sings The Blues, Sparkle, Whale Rider, The Gospel of John, The Nativity Story, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Terminator, Terminator 2, Predator, Glory (Denzel), Sling Blade (Billy Bob Thornton).
Music 101
Words cannot express the way music touches me. Since childhood, I have always loved good music. My earliest memories are of me singing Aww Suki Suki Now by Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings as a toddler. I cannot sing myself but that has never stopped me from belting out lyrics. I grew up on soul, gospel and spirituals (gospel music that is usually sung acapella and starts out humming). I grew up in the suburbs with all nationalities. I liked rock music before I knew it was rock. The harsh bass and guitar lyrics from groups like AC/DC and Joan Jett always sounded good to me. Now, I like something from almost every music type. Soul, R&B, gospel, christian, blue grass, country, metal, opera, salsa, merengue, mariachi, folk, dance hall, reggae, jazz, and blues are all in my collection.
Hello, Hola, Bonjour!
Welcome to my journal that I share with the world. I welcome you to visit often and read my perspective on the world.
