Take a look around at this city. This is supposedly one of the great ’crossroads of the world’ ... but yet look at it. There is blight EVERYWHERE. No, not just on 125th Street uptown in Harlem or further up on Old Gunhill Road in the Bronx or in Fort Greene (where all these gigantic construction projects are supposedly "great for the community") BUT EVEN ON FIFTH AVENUE their money can’t stop cranes from falling down on people and killing them. AND EVEN IN THE VILLAGE many of these condominium tower monstrosities, with their ceiling-to-floor glass windows, remain VACANT - yet many of us want to act like we can’t feel its soul slipping away.
Yes, it’s the brunt of capitalism, the chickens coming home to roost - all that. Yes, it is. BUT WHAT ABOUT US?
Look at dance music now. Um, wasn’t house music supposed to be about a feeling? Wasn’t house music supposed to uplift our spirits? Wasn’t house music supposed to be FOR EVERYBODY - whether or not we could afford (or even want) drinks and/or drugs behind the velvet rope of someone’s circuit party? WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO US? Yes, this is New York City and we’ll ALWAYS be surrounded by corporate greed, but what happened to US? Didn’t we learn ANYTHING from 9/11?
I’ll tell you part of what it is: we haven’t dealt with our OWN shit. Gay people - can you honestly tell me that we’ve dealt with racism? Take a look at any of the party rags on ANY given day - WE HAVEN’T. Black people, wherever you come from - can you honestly tell me that we’ve dealt with our homophobia? Just listen to the radio - WE HAVEN’T. Take a walk through ANY of our neighborhoods - WE STILL HAVEN’T. And all of y’all - every time you allow someone to say "Oh, that’s so gay." in your presence when you KNOW it means something fucked up and every time you allow someone to refer to ANYONE as ’nigger’ and let that energy go unabated and unquestioned and unchallenged - YOU STILL HAVEN’T. Right here, in this city of dreams, we STILL haven’t dealt with OUR OWN SHIT - not to mention HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER and the SAVAGERY that we wield against one another. In 2008, it’s HEARTBREAKING and TRAGIC, in THIS city - OUR city.
Yes, there ARE some of us who got their ’piece of the pie’ - whatever that means. I sure hope you savor the flavor while it lasts and that it was worth every crumb you got.
Meanwhile, here we are - the rest of us. Those of us who haven’t died are still here. As long as we can breathe and can survive, there is still hope for our city. What are WE going to do now? I don’t know what you’re going to do, but I know I’m tired of being depressed about it. I know I’m tired of walking around shellshocked, wondering what the fuck happened. And I know that I’m going to do more than just rant about it.
Right now, I'm spending a lot of my energy protesting Buju Banton's upcoming performance at Madison Square Garden. I'm assuming you've already seen the recent videos of the gay bashings going on in Jamaica. I'm not going to get into the details here and I'm definitely not ready to blog about it yet. Suffice it to say that engaging in this confrontation is more than a notion.
But you know what? Here one of those songs that reminds me of what we could be - "Happy Feelings" by MAZE featuring Frankie Beverly. Singing it for us, may I present my good friend, the legendary singer/songwriter Sandra St. Victor ...
Hearing her sing it always make me want to cry. That song is so beautiful; it's so much about US, about everybody just being together and happy and living in peace. I'm sad because I look around and we seem so far from what this song describes, but hearing Sandra sing it makes me feel like, even in the midst of the violence, the devastation and the utter lack of love that is rampant in our world, it still might be possible ...
When You Don't Know
Current mood: accomplished
Category: Music
I did and still do enjoy Madonna's latest effort "Confessions on a Dancefloor", but it's cleansing to be really into someone more independent - Kudu and their "Death of the Party" ...
It's a different kind of dance record for me. I'm not even sure if I can call it that. I'm not sure of anything when it comes to Kudu, and I love it. For some innate reason, I gravitate to strong female voices (and roles), and Sylvia Gordon delivers. (I've also been really feeling her solo "Betty Black" stuff - watch out!) However, I've heard them live: Deantoni Parks amazes on the drums. I want to say Talking Heads, Missing Persons, Prince, something acidy and of course the goth aspect and Siouxsie Siouxsie Siouxsie, but a quick glimpse of their previous work tells me there's so more than meets the eye with these two ... or is it three? See, not sure of anything.
Currently
listening
:
Death of the Party
By
Kudu
Release date: 14 March, 2006
Philippe, Artis and I saw "Drum" Saturday night at the Walter Reade Theatre as part of the New York African Film Festival. Drum is South African director Zola Maseko's film chronicling the last days of Sophiatown and celebrated Drum magazine journalist Henry Nxamulo. An amazing film. Do check other some of the festival's other films, too.
Currently
listening
:
Death of the Party
By
Kudu
Release date: 14 March, 2006
I saw Kudu for the first time last night. It was also the first time I'd been to nublu. Cut to the chase: I got to see Sylvia EAT! *LOL!* Great sound - tight drumming (and Powerbook!) from D. and Nick with his sexy b-boy pose, trying look unaffected and not to give in to the sexy sounds of that bass synth - and *sigh* Sylvia! I see it, honey; I can see it coming. Just stay sweet. Fuck, I should have bought that record while I was there.
Three House Tracks
Nick says "Witch Doktor" by Armand Van Helden and "Good Life" by Inner City - but not really a househead. Said D. would be the person to ask that.
Three Biggest Influences
Nick: too huge of a question. Sylvia: Missing Persons and New York City nightlife
Three Bands You Will Not Confuse With Kudu
1) Norah Jones, 2) Dave Matthews Band, 3) Soulive and 4) Black-Eyed Peas (This was apparently an easier question.)
After my fake interview with Nick and Sylvia (highlights: the gender of breath and MTA thievery), D. and Sylvia sat down for a real one, complete with Oprah-esque big-haired personality. Hey guys, what's the scoop?
sad
accomplished
awake
artistic
anxious
tired
excited
contemplative