What I Learned Sundays – Children and Adults

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Adele, Andy Allo, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Blue Lines Chapter 13: Beauty In Blue And White, Bon Iver, Chapter 13: Beauty In Blue And White, Coker Arboretum, Coldplay, Cuba, facebook, Foo Fighters, History, iTunes, Jill Scott, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Lineage, Linkin Park, Martina Topley-Bird, Myla, Myla Watson, Nintin Sawhney, Philips Arena, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sade, SBTRKT, Songify, Spain, What I Learned Sundays, YOU

Opening with a very brief excerpt from Blue Lines Chapter 13: Beauty In Blue And White. (currently page 135)

“Blue closed his eyes, and she understood that he knew the truth in her simple words. Exhaling, he looked toward the idyllic hues of the orange and red leaves that still hung on to the last life of the fleeting summer. He knew that on the eve of their passing, a virgin love was being born between to souls who were occupying the right space at the perfect time. With Keypsiia’s girlish grin still wide, she closed her eyes and looked skyward to accept the warmth of the sun that seemed to caress her. She smiled at the emancipation of her words, and with thoughts of the frightening, unknown love that separated them from the world now.”

Looking back at these moments between these two semi-fictional characters, an 18 year old young woman, and 20 year old young man, the innocence of this time is apparent. Both lacking in experience, and idealistic in what the future holds, and in this instance, what it holds, insofar as “love,” their “love.” A “love,” not yet spoiled by bad decisions, broken and devastated hearts, realizations that these concepts that we believe at this young age, have the opportunity to be proved wrong. “Love…” these are also the transcribed words of a young man, still in that age at that time, far different from thoughts, beliefs, and knowledge now. The problem is, when at this age you a) don’t know the difference of what you “knew” then, but learned along your travels; and b) fail to take heed of the now, versus the then.

When you look at life/events/etc., many things happen for a reason, finding that reason is a challenge in the process. What do I mean by that, well let me first preface, this post has had many directions, however working the weekend, opened a few directions, while challenging my focus in writing this post. To regain my focus, I notice repetition, I notice new experiences, and I notice the past, now repetition continues, as unhealthy as it is, new has reared its beautiful head again.

I will start with the most interesting tidbits that I learned this week. Through facebook, twitter, BlackBerry messenger, twitter, my dealings with YOU etc. my cousin and I have grown extremely close. I’ve never really thought to look into my Cuban and Latin heritage, because it is basically clearcut…or more clear-cut. I found out that my maternal great-grandparents were a Cuban and a Spaniard. A revelation that makes me look in the mirror very differently, as a Hispanic, a Caribbean Cuban Hispanic, Spaniards are looked in a certain light, and to discover that I have Spanish heritage not through rape, pillage, but an actual marriage, and that my family roots on one of the Hispanic sides cleanly reach back to Spain. I hope this statement is understood, cleanly meaning that I have something tangible that I can trace. As a Cuban, I luckily can trace my roots through Cuban and back to Africa in some respect, now this adds a layer to added family knowledge. Cuzzo, we should have the first Family Reunion in Spain, that would be a shocker!!!

This Should Be In Your Playlist:Music I Like – Artist Joi Gilliam & HotHeavy&Bad Download Link

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Aaliyah, Angie Stone, Atlanta, Big Gipp, Blue Hurt, Blue Lines, Blue Lines Blog, Bridgeport, Coko, Connecticut, Da 5 Foota, Dallas Austin, Dawn Robinson, Devon Lee, Dungeon Family, Earwax Records, En Vogue, Erykah Badu, F.Y.E., Freedom, Freedom (Theme From Panther), Freeworld Records, Georgia, Goodie Mob, HotHeavy&Bad, Jefferson Street Joe Gilliam, Jill Scott, Joi, Joi Gilliam, Key Yemaya Walker, Keypsiia, Keypsiia Walker, Kriss Kross, Lisa Lopes, Lucy Pearl, Mario Van Peebles, Mary J. Blige, MC Lyte, Me’Shell Ndegeocello, Monica, Music I Like, OutKast, Pal's Lounge, Panther, Pastor Troy, Patra, Pittsburgh Steelers, Queen Latifah, Raphael Sadiq, Rowdy Records, Salt-N-Pepa, Sam Goody's, Star Kitty’s Revenge, Sunshine & The Rain, SWV, Tennessee, Tennessee Slim Is The Bomb, The Amoeba Cleansing Syndrome, The Pendulum Vibe, This Should Be In Your Playlist, TLC, Trumball, xXx, Yin Yang Cafe, Yo Yo

It took quite some time to gather the right thoughts to make this post. Joi Gilliam, Joi…Joi is virtually the best artist that for some reason the masses has not heard of. Now what do I mean by that? You’ve heard her music often, but you may have not known it. Not to compare her, or to say that she created a music movement, but before you (music listening public) had Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, etc., there was Joi.
In 1994, before I left Atlanta and Georgia I first heard the Tennessee born daughter of Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback “Jefferson Street” Joe Gilliam, Joi’s, classic, “Sunshine& The Rain,” on community radio in Atlanta (“urban” radio stations here would not play Hip-Hop, nor anything thing that was not a national R&B standard, therefore Atlanta natives Outkast, and non-MTV songs by TLC, or Kriss Kross (given for effect) would not make it to local radio). As I often discovered with independent radio, I would find a new song, but it was highly unlikely I would find out who the artists was. Armed with this tape recorded song, I pumped this unknown artist all the way from Atlanta to New York and Connecticut.

Luckily, Joi’s work was released and I remember walking into the Sam Goody’s F.Y.E. concept store in Trumbull mall and seeing the new release wall, and Joi had her entire placement of her debut, The Pendulum Vibe, there. Not knowing that this was the artist I had been bumping, I was always inclined to try out new music, even without having heard it (I returned home after my 2 years in Bridgeport with over 1K CD’s of music, all catalogued in a notebook). Well I picked the CD up, and saw the title “Sunshine & The Rain,” I felt like I had won the lottery, first I had a full length album of an incredible artist that I only had previously had a partial taped song, and a real artist was given the opportunity to put her work out. I walked around that store, until our group left clutching the $18.99 compact disc until it was time to check out. I dropped the disc into my Sony Discman on the way back to campus, and had my first true magical experience with her music. My life was changed. I own, 3 copies of the album, and have purchased copies for friends before it went out of print.

Blue Lines Blog – 2010 Music Year In Review

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...Featuring, Alice Smith, Andy Allo, Ansomnia, Big Boi, Black, Blue Lines, Bon Iver, Broken Bells, Cat Power, Citizen Cope, Corinne Bailey Rae, Decoded, Diddy, Diddy-Dirty Money, Drake, Feist, Foo Fighters, Gorillaz, Grizzly Bear, Herbie Hancock, Herbie Hancock feat. Norah Jones, Holly Conlon, Holly Miranda, House, How To Make It In America, iPhone, iPod, iTunes, Janelle Monae, Jay-Z, Jill Scott, Kanye West, La Roux, Last Train To Paris, Major Lazer, Massive Attack, N.E.R.D., Nora Jones, ONE MusicFest, OutKast, Pearl Jam, Peter Silberman, Sia, Swizz, The Antlers, The Black Keys, The Sea, The-Dream, Zaki Ibrahim

Album of The Year – Gorillaz – “Plastic Beach”

Best Live Album Of Year (full length) – (Tie) Feist – “Look At What The Light Did Now” / Kanye West – “VH1 Storytellers”

Sophomore Album Of The Year – Corinne Bailey Rae – “The Sea”

Best Mixtape Of Year – Major Lazer & La Roux – “Lazerproof”

Best Compilation Album – Nora Jones “…Featuring”

Single of The Year (Tie) – Massive Attack – “Paradise Circus” / Sia “My Love”

Artist Of the Year – Kanye West – G.O.O.D. Fridays / “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”

Put On Artist Of The Year – Andy Allo (although released in 2009, I have introduced here music to quite a few friends)

Lyric Of The Year – “Hard to be humble/When you stuntin’ on the Jumbotron” – “Devil In A New Dress”

Verse Of The Year – N-E-R-D – “Hypnotize U”

Soundtrack Appearance Of The Year – Zaki Ibrahim – “Ansomnia”
Zaki – Ansomnia by Ophiona

Discovery Artist Of The Year – Bon Iver

Karaoke Song Of Year – Pearl Jam – “Black”

Music Related Book Of Year – Jay-Z – “Decoded”

Discovery Album Of The Year – Broken Bells (Danger Mouse of Grey Album and Gnarls Barkley fame and James Mercer of the Shins) – “Broken Bells”

Favorite Artist I Slept On This Year (Twice) – Massive Attack “Heligoland” / “Heligoland Remix EP”

Starbucks / iTunes Free Download Of The Year – (Tie) Holly Miranda – “Waves” / Holly Conlon “ You Are Goodbye” (2008)

Artist Most Worthy Of Purchasing Physical Album – Andy Allo – “ Unfresh” (2009)

Top Played Songs of Year (2010 Releases) – Sia – “My Love” (307 iTunes/iPod plays),
Diddy-Dirty Money – “Yesterday” (205 iTunes/iPod plays),
Massive Attack – “Paradise Circus” (200 iTunes/iPod plays),
Feist/Grizzly Bear – “Service Bell” (119 iTunes/iPod plays),
Sia – “I’m In Here” (86 iTunes/iPod plays)
Kanye West feat Jay-Z/Swizz Beats – “Power remix” (85 iTunes/iPod plays),
Kanye West feat Bon Iver – Lost InThe World” (83 iTunes/iPod plays)
Kanye West feat Jay-Z/Bon Iver/etc. – “Monster” (82 iTunes/iPod plays)
Alicia Keys feat Drake – “Un-Thinkable remix” (73 iTunes/iPod plays)
Kanye West – “All Of The Lights” (60 iTunes/iPod plays)
Drake feat The-Dream – “Shut It Down (unreleased version)” (54 iTunes/iPod plays)
Major Lazer x La Roux – “Cover My Eyes (Costra Nostra Edit)” (45 iTunes/iPod plays)
Big Boi feat Janelle Monae – “Be Still” (44 iTunes/iPod plays)
Peter Silberman of the Antlers – “Waves (Holly Miranda cover” (42 iTunes/iPod plays)

Best Live Show Of The Year (Arena) – Jill Scott opening for Maxwell’s 2010 Tour. Maxwell was outshined by his performance in the 2009 version of the show.

Best Live Show Of The Year (Club/Bar/etc.) – Joi Gilliam (various times at Pal’s Lounge)

Best Festival Of Year – ONE Musicfest (De La Soul / Common / Joi Gilliam / Goapele / etc.)

Best Cover of Year (Studio) – Civil Twilight – “Teardrop (Massive Attack cover)”

Best Live Cover Of Year – Joi Gilliam covering Sade Adu’s “Cherish The Day”

Best Instrumental Of Year – Feist – “Intuition”

Best Artist I Was Put On To By Friend Of Year (MW) – Black Keys (I had heard of them, but never spent effort to listen to them other than their 2009 Blakroc project.) Now I have their entire catalogue less one album.

Missing Artist(s) Of Year – Esthero, Citizen Cope protégé Alice Smith,

Best TV Show Artist/Song Discovery – Phoenix – “Rome (Neighbours with Devendra Banhart remix)

Best “Commercial Ad Campaign” Artist/Song Discovery – Lincoln’s car campaign, Cat Power – “Space Oddity (cover),” Sia – “Under the Milky Way (cover),” Massive Attack – “Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto remix)”

Best Television Program(s) For New Music – House, How To Make It In America

The manuscript Blue Lines is the fictional coming of age narrative of a young California woman Key Yemaya Walker, and her 2 year growing journey through school, love, and life period piece, written by Kenneth Suffern, Jr., taking place at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill between the years of 1997 – 1998. Loosely based on true events, and experiences during that time, told through the eyes and voice of the main female protagonist, a freshman first attending the school.