The New York Times Style Magazine “Women’s Fall Issue 2011″ has a beautiful photograph spread on Esperanza Spalding, Les Nubians, and Corinne Bailey Rae. Esperanza graces the cover of the magazine. The article does not reveal anything new about her, but it does shed some light on the direction of the upcoming album and tour. I think all of their photos are absolutely beautiful. The black & white effect gives an elegant yet edgy feeling to all of the photos.
There are also some nice fashion trend tips in the magazine you might want to check out. I will probably incorporate some of them in my Autumn Collection.
The other day I was searching google for forums on how to get from one train station to another in a certain city. As you might know, if you start typing a phrase in google, it will try to make an educated guess as to what you were thinking. This sometimes causes the searcher to go off tangent and not realize 30 minutes have passed without achieving the initial goal.
So, Google guessed I was searching for “How to get a girl,” which showed multiple links to advice and tips to get a girl. I took a peek at a few of these sites and was quite amused by what I found. I then tried “How to get a guy” and was even more entertained. However, the differences in approach and selected goals are intriguing.
On the one side, guys are encouraged to try to be a friend to the girl they like. They should listen to what she has to say and become familiar with her interests and personality. If they are nervous around her, they should practice questions to ask and conversations to start before meeting her. On the first day they should focus on minimal physical contact and other manners that showcase the charm of a gentleman. While trying to make a good impression, the guy should be honest with her and himself. The main goal is to persuade this girl to want to spend time with the guy. Once these two people become more than friends, the guy should occasionally surprise her with gifts or random acts of kindness.
On the other side, girls are encouraged to observe – or stalk – the guy they like to figure out what type of girls he is attracted to and other interests. Once the girl has compiled a full analysis on this guy, she must re-evaluate herself to see if she fits the part. If he prefers girls with short hair, she should consider cutting her hair. If he prefers girls that giggle, she should try to incorporate that in her behavior. If he likes football, she should become an expert on his favorite team. The main goal is to convince this guy that she is the perfect fit in his life. Once these two people become more than friends, the girl must make a consistent effort to keep him. If he tends to spend more time with his friends, she should send flowers to herself with an anonymous card and/or say she is going out and will be late and not say where she is going. Apparently, this will make the guy curious and make him not spend more time with his friends.
I am not sure how many people follow these guidelines or who is creating them, but I do not think it produces a fair and equal transaction among the two people involved. There are too many strategic personas to keep up with. What happened to just being yourself and chill with what fits? I have not taken any courses with Dr. Phil or Madame Cleo, but I believe love should not be a game or a competition. The ups and downs of learning about each other and growing a special bond together are enough of a challenge. Maybe that is why so many young couples don’t last. Maybe that is why some youths get murdered by their ex significant other. Playing with a person’s emotions can be extremely damaging and the current trend of being involved with a different person every two weeks does not help. The two roles illustrated in these “find love” blogs run parallel with the gender roles we have had throughout history. Women are instructed to look and behave a certain way – from wearing corsets to push-up bras – to attract a good suitor. Men are instructed to treat women in a certain way in public and uphold certain rules in private. Not to say this method is oppressive or anything, but the concept of making a good impression should have a balanced field. Maybe I am looking too deep into this, but I found it intriguing to observe. What do you think?
Of the two offered, this was my favorite poster. The artistry and beauty are impeccable.
Cherish the Day by Sade
You’re ruling the way that I move
Not breath your air
You only can rescue me
This is my Prayer
If you were mine
If you were mine
I wouldn’t want to go
To heaven
I cherish the day
I won’t go astray
I won’t be afraid
Won’t catch me running
You’re ruling the way that I move
You take my air
You show me how deep love can be
Are you tired of predictable plots and lame jokes? Do you flip channels more than watch them? Does your belief of mainstream comedy resonate with, “it’s just not funny anymore?” If you answered yes to any of these or if you started thinking about the corny joke you just made, then you need to check out ABG.
The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl is a web series by Issa Rae about the life and awkward moments of an awkward black girl. Each character is designed to authenticate every moment without conforming to stereotypes. There is “J,” the protagonist who can’t seem to go through one day without a million and one awkward and embarrassing things happening to her. ”Cece” is her only real friend who is almost as awkward as her and does not give the greatest advice, but she is loyal to J. ”Fred” is J’s office crush that she stalks occasionally but doesn’t know how to share her feelings. ”Nina” is the recently promoted manager at the office who seems to make the extra effort to make J’s life miserable. ”White J” is the new possible romance in J’s life who is as awkward and sweet as her. J’s coworkers – “A,” “Darius,” and “Patti” – add even more flavor to the mix with their extreme behavior and humor.
Recently they posted their seventh episode announcing they needed to raise funds in order to continue the series. Their goal was $30,000 by August 11th…they ended up with over $40,000 ( I donated too). They now have a new website and t-shirt design available and a new episode in the works.
I am so happy they are continuing this series. I can relate to it in so many levels. Each episode has a scenario that I have experienced in some way. I can recall multiple people I have encountered that have personalities that fit any one of these characters. This is why the series is so fresh and entertaining, it gives you a chance to laugh with and at yourself.
Just wanted to share a performance by a group called Naturally 7. The BET Honors Awards for 2011 honored Herbie Hancock and the tribute segment was excellent. Unlike conventional award ceremonies, the BET Honors is an evening of elegance that pays homage to real talent. I did not know of this group before I saw this performance, but I think they give the term “a capella group” a whole new meaning.
Unfortunately I am having difficulty posting the video here…probably for copyright reasons. So you can see the Herbie Hancock tribute here.
Sade World Tour 2011 started its US portion in June of 2011. With special guest John Legend and fantastic stage effects, all critiques have given a phenomenal rating. I attended the concert in Houston, Texas at Toyota Center on the 23rd of July.
My sister & I waiting for Sade
Waiting outside for the doors to open, I was able to indulge in a short period of people-watching. Some of the fashion statements were not easy. Since we were in Texas and outside at 6:30pm, it was very warm and still sunny. Some guests had to arrive with a chauffeur to help them out of their vehicles. Two ladies stepped out of one car with bold blue, platform heel, booties with 70s frills reaching the floor. They wore leather skirts to match and I think their hair was a unique shade of orange. Another couple wore matching shades of light blue, her blue and grey dress and his pin stripe suit. They were cute. Compared to other major cities, such as Atlanta, GA or New York City, the styles were not very impressive, but they did try.
Once we got in, everyone headed straight to the concession stand for a drink due to how hot it was outside. I got water…of course. Next stop was the merchandise table. I was glad to see a large assortment of t-shirts, posters, and key chains. However, none of the stuff had Sade and John Legend together. There were only two t-shirts with John Legend and about ten shirts with different shots of Sade. Each t-shirt had a list of the tour cities on the back. There were two posters of Sade and one name tag chain. I bought a t-shirt and a program, a great addition to my concert memorabilia collection. I then bought a Papa John’s cheese pizza.
We found our seats and settled down. My pizza was delicious, not sure if it was the pizza or my hunger. The music playing while we waited ranged from The Brother’s Johnson to Notorious B.I.G. The crowd belonged to a slightly older demographic – I think my sister and I were the youngest ones there. It was also very diverse. I think every ethnicity was represented, with mixed couples included.
As the lights in the arena dimmed and a slight hush went over the audience, the stage lit up and the band began to play. Walking to the front of the stage wearing a white suit and a charming grin was John Legend. With a grand piano to his left and three back up singers swaying to his right, he began singing “Rolling in the Deep” – made famous by Adele. For the next hour, John Legend had the audience rocking to “Let’s Get Lifted,” “Green Light,” and his other popular hits. We sang along with every song and harmonized quite well in “Ordinary People.” He flawlessly played the piano and reached every note vocally. There were three men sitting behind us that I would vote as the loudest singers…they knew every John Legend song.
An intermission of about 30 minutes occurred while the crew dismantled John Legend’s stage set and installed Sade’s stage set. There was some impressive equipment being rolled on the stage and each member of the crew seemed to work with such precision. During the intermission, the majority of the audience decided to purchase some more snacks and/or merchandise.
Then it was time for Sade. The stage production was phenomenal. Their entrance was to the tune of “Soldier of Love,” where they rose from the ground as if a storm of flames brought them there. The entire back wall of the stage was a huge screen, which showed footage from the music video and other clips made for the show. The acoustics were perfect and the group did not miss a note. For the next two and a half hours, the ultimate collection of Sade records were showcased in a wonderful blend of talent, special effects, and friendship.
Sade’s voice is timeless with its unique sound and pitch. Each song she performed resonates with so much emotion that each lyric sounded brand new. She also dances so gracefully. There was no heavy panting or choreography, but it went so smoothly with the music. The band is awesome. I liked how each member had the opportunity to showcase their talent and personality within each song. You could also tell that they were all having a good time. My top favorite is the saxophone player – who also plays the guitar. He just looks so cool and really knows how to make that saxophone sing, which is one of my favorite instruments to listen to. When they performed “Jezebel,” the back screen depicted a larger-than-life video of Stuart Matthewman playing along with the real Stuart on stage. His solo always gives me chills…the good kind.
I thoroughly enjoyed this show. One thing I thought would happen was a collaboration or duet with Sade and John Legend, but it turned out to be two shows in one. The audience seemed to be more of a Sade audience then a John Legend audience because the arena was not packed during John Legend’s segment. The main difference I saw between the two is the connection between the band and the vocalist. In John Legend’s case, he is an exceptional musician and singer, but his band and backup singers do not convey the same vibe. It seems they are just performing for the show and then will go their separate ways afterwards. Thus, John Legend’s segment did not come across as the complete package, but he was still great. On the other hand, Sade was more of a group production, where everyone was showcased individually and collectively. This was reinforced when they performed “All About Our Love,” where clips of the group ranging from the 80s to now showed them performing and hanging out together.
It truly is amazing how long this group has remained together. Sade is an English R&B band that formed in 1983. It is named after their British-Nigerian lead vocalist, Sade Adu. The idea for the band began in 1982, when members of a Latin Soul band called Pride – Sade Adu, Stuart Matthewman, and Paul Denman – along with Paul Anthony Cook formed a break-away group and started writing their own material. Their debut album, Diamond Life, with the single “Your Love is King” was released in 1984 in the United Kingdom and peaked at #2 on the UK Charts. That same year, their first US single was “Hang On To Your Love.” Now with six studio albums, four compilation albums, and six world tours, Sade is definitely a victorious soldier of love.
