k. Melanie Unfurled.

My Education, My Future.

2009-09-08T17:26:00.008-04:00

Our President delivered a "controversial", as deemed by some right-wing Americans, back-to-school speech this morning. As usual, he hit the nail on the head. Finally, a true leader! Take a look:

BTW, it wasn't so "controversial" in 1991 when President George H.W. Bush encouraged students to 'say no' to drugs and to work hard in school and in 1988 when Reagan delivered a nationally televised, politically charged back-to-school address... Come on conservatives, try again!

Here's CNN's coverage of the speech.

Gwaan work fi yuh likkle, til yuh likkle tun nuff...

2009-09-29T16:18:00.004-04:00

NEW MUSIC.

G-Whizz - Life
Intro
Umm, ah life, ah life
Tj ah jus life,
Ghetto youths neva give up di fight
G whizz dat ahh!

Chorus
Mi life soon sort out
So mi nuh worry
Umm, my life soon happy
Nuh matta wah dem talk bout
Nuh move crabby
Umm, nuh watch nuh badmind nuh body
Mama tell mi seh Son, guh hol ah medz
Nuh mek nuh body trick yuh n come fool up yuh head
Cah life soon sort out so mi nuh worry
Umm, my life soon happy

Verse 1
Ghetto youths juss gwaan brave di wedda
Jah guh mek it betta
Do yuh ting
Yuh hustlin be wise an get yuh act together
Nuh do nuthin weh nuh cleva
Fi dem get di betta
Fi come lock yuh inna jail an mek yuh suffa
Nuh greedy
Gwaan work fi yuh likkle til yuh likkle tun nuff
Nuh badda be nuh cruff
Believe me ghetto youths full ah talent
Suh yuh know we muss buss
Jah guide over us

Chorus
Mi life soon sort out
So mi nuh worry
Umm, my life soon happy
Nuh matta wah dem talk bout
Nuh move crabby
Umm, nuh watch nuh badmind nuh body
Mama tell mi seh fi guh hol ah medz
Nuh mek nuh bwoy trick yuh n come fool up yuh head
Cah life soon sort out so mi nuh worry
Umm, my life soon happy

Verse 2
Yuh might nah drive ah car now but yuh soon can drive one
Yea yuh soon can buy one
Yuh might neva fly inna plane before but yuh soon mek ah flight man
Juss gwaan trust di most high one
Mama teach me fi neva give up
All when di road get rocky an di dutty get rough
An mi tell her seh
Mama mi nah be nuh cruff
Mi ah guh out deh guh wuk it an mek yuh live up

Chorus
Mi life soon sort out
So mi nuh worry
Umm, my life soon happy
Nuh matta wah dem talk bout
Nuh move crabby
Umm, nuh watch nuh badmind nuh body
Mama tell mi seh fi guh hol ah medz
Nuh mek nuh body trick yuh n come fool up yuh head
Cah life soon sort out so mi nuh worry
Umm, my life soon happy

Bridge
Tj
Umm ah life ah life
Umm ah juss life
G-Whizz neva give up di fight
I go on an on an on
Umm ah life, umm ah juss life
Ghetto youths neva give up di fight
Me dat!

Chorus
Mi life soon sort out
So mi nuh worry
Umm, my life soon happy
Nuh matta wah dem talk bout
Nuh move crabby
Umm, mi nah badmind nuh body
Mama tell mi seh fi guh hol ah medz
Nuh mek nuh body trick yuh n come fool up yuh head
Cah life soon sort out so mi nuh worry
Umm, yea my life soon happy
Mi life soon sort out
So mi nuh worry
Umm, my life soon happy
Nuh matta wah dem chat bout
Nuh move crabby
Umm, mi nah badmind nuh body
Mama teach mi seh fi guh hol ah medz
Nuh mek nuh bwoy trick yuh n come fool up yuh head
Cah life soon sort out
Umm, yea my life soon happy, soon happy soon happy

Official White House Family Photo

2009-10-24T17:31:00.007-04:00

I'm still in awe. What a beautiful time to be alive...

Photo by Annie Leibovitz/Released by White House Photo Office

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, sit for a family portrait in the Green Room of the White House, Sept. 1, 2009.

[SOURCE]

The Divas Celebrate Anniversaire Deux in Grand Style!

2009-10-23T23:58:00.016-04:00

MIAMI - Downtown Divas Boutique quietly opened in the fall of 2007 with a simple fashion ethos – give the women of Miami beautiful, comfortable clothing with recession-proof prices.

Co-owners, Danielle Fraser and Serena Minott, or The Divas, as I so affectionately call them, designed a warm, sunlit space with neutral colors and vintage furnishings directly from the neighboring Wynwood Arts 'Design' District.

"The styles, each personally selected by the fashionable duo, are perfectly suited for warm weather and reflect the dynamic blend of cultures that is uniquely Miami."

Last night's "Downtown Divas Present... DEUX" event featured complimentary cocktails, specially prepared selections from the Rakkasan Chef, a 'Fall Trends Fashion Show' and 15% off all purchases with 5% of event sales going to Komen for the Cure for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

A Who's Who of south Florida Fashionistas and savvy Frugalistas graced the event. If by some twist of fate you missed DEUX, no worries, just stop by the boutique to get your fab fashion fix. Tell 'em McDiva sent you.

DOWNTOWN DIVAS BOUTIQUE
1800 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132
305.808.9588
www.downtowndivasmiami.com

Fan the Divas on FACEBOOK

See pics from DEUX Anniversary Party, October 22

The Continuing Saga that is Ri-Ri vs. Breezy

2009-11-11T21:54:00.030-05:00

[photo credit: ABC/ Ida Mae Astute]

My thoughts on the Diane Sawyer/ Rihanna interview as stated on Corve DaCosta's Blog:

Rihanna's in the business to make money and to sell records. She probably has just gotten over her emotional scars from the humiliating incident and decided to capitalize on the “opportunity” by speaking on the issue while promoting her album, Rated R and single Russian Roulette. I commend her honesty and bravery. Tina Turner didn't speak about Ike's abuse until TEN years after she left him. Rihanna has proven herself to be an upstanding role model. To handle such a debacle in the public eye with such grace and strength is to be commended.

As she says in the interview, she couldn't let the decision to stay with Brown destroy the empire that she had built for herself and realizing the impact she has as a role model to young girls, she could not see herself being held responsible for someones death at the hands of domestic violence. That would be "a selfish decision for love," as she calls it.

Here are the links to part 2 and part 3 of the Sawyer/ Rihanna interview. If the above vids get pulled from YouTube, try this search.

BTW, it makes so much sense now why Rihanna's father didn't come and make a huge scene and have Breezy persecuted to the full extent of the law. He was an abuser himself, SMH. I was confused, especially because I know that if that was my father, Breezy would have to go into the Witness Protection Program to get away from my Daddy (and brother). I guess "duppy know who fi frighten."

STATS on DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
• About 33% of female murder victims were killed by an intimate.
• About 3% of male murder victims were killed by an intimate.
• 81% of men who batter had fathers who abused their mothers.
• Children who grow up in violent homes have a 74% higher likelihood of committing criminal assaults.
• The number one killer of African-American women ages 15 to 34 is homicide at the hands of a current or former intimate.

Read more on domestic violence here.

Invictus.

2009-09-08T16:22:00.008-04:00

This morning, I found this piece of great inspiration and will take its message with me throughout the week. I invite you to do the same. "I am the master of my fate: the captain of my soul."

Stay blessed.

OUT of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Ernest Henley. 1849–1903

AVOID the Blindside of Precious...

2009-11-17T20:56:00.035-05:00

"Awoke from my slumber to let you all know that I will be blogging about the two most disgraceful films in theaters right now, The Blindside and Precious. I'm sorry, "based on a true story" or not, I am tired of seeing unrealistic depictions of African-Americans in cinema and in the news. We have a black family in the White House - THAT is our norm. Stop with this antiquated method of taking what a few us of go through and projecting it onto the entire race of people. I relate to neither story. Come up with a more inventive storyline PLEASE and STOP socially exploiting people."

The Black man in a constant state of infancy.

It's been said that the two roles given to Black actors in mainstream cinema have been reduced to the matronly, asexual female and the unevolved, "yet-to-realize-his-full-potential" male role. To these I add the role of the “bumbling buffoon” as projected in the recently released film The Blindside and the helpless, lonely woman, “woh is me” role as portrayed in Precious.

This is an unprecedented time in Black history, in American history really, and for the BIG players in cinema to be rehashing the same ol' sob stories of the past is tedious.

It is true that certain melodramatic storylines strike a common cord and resonate within people, but the job of an entertainer, one in a creative industry such as cinema, is to... dare I say it? Be creative.

There needs to be a variety of stories told that are relevant to the current atmosphere of the society.

Hear ye, hear ye! I do declare now and hence forth that all images of African-American people in the media shall be positive, uplifting and nothing less. So help me, God! -- Yeah. #Unrealistic.

But I do expect for there to be variety.

“It's one thing to present a VARIETY of true-to-life films, but for the MAINSTREAM to continually force-feed disparaging (no matter the "happy-ending") images of one group of people is tiresome.”

It’s almost as if the story doesn’t ring true unless it is legitimized by the use of the lowest societal denominator. It’s become a regurgitated and now antiquated process:

We need to sell movie tickets… how do we do that? --> Let’s make a sob story... who makes the best sob stories? --> Helpless people… and who are the most helpless of them all? --> Black people!

It’s exploitation. (Yes, even if Tyler produces it/ Oprah endorses it.)

Think about this. A great number of people in this country don’t interact with black people on the regular. Outside of the Obama’s, imagine if the only image you saw of a Black woman was Precious and of a Black man was Blindside dude?

How tragic.

“People think the Obama's are an anomaly, and they are not. We are brilliant.”

“Take the time to learn the ins and outs of the culture before you present them on the big screen to millions. We all don't need saviors. That is an image of the past. Let's move into the present and future. Let's move into the light.”

With a buying power of more than $900 billion, African-Americans have a say in what is produced or not. Action speaks louder than words, but dollars speak even louder. Don't waste your money on non-progressive flicks like The Blindside or Precious.

Bottomline, best movies out right now, Disney's The Princess and The Frog and Invictus.

Go see that with your $900 billion.

Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon in INVICTUS.

Disney's The Princess and The Frog

Dancehall United: GuZa Mi Seh!

2009-12-07T20:03:00.029-05:00

[SOURCE]

BIG breaking news from the JA music scene: Dancehall kings David "Mavado" Brooks and Adidja "Vybz Kartel" Palmer have called an end to the ongoing Gully/ Gaza feud that has been wreaking havoc on the Dancehall scene.

Last night in west Kingston at Jamboree, Mavado called up his rival Kartel for an onstage declaration of unity. As you may recall the feud was at its peak in 2008 when during the annual Sting concert, Vado and Kartel went head-to-head on stage for the Dancehall crown. There are conflicting reports as to who actually won the 2008 Clash.

Here's background on the Gully/Gaza saga:

A very public feud between Vybz Kartel and former collaborator Mavado arose towards the end of 2006, stemming from Vybz' much publicized departure from the Dancehall conglomerate group, The Alliance. The feud resulted in numerous diss-tracks released, in which each artist dissed the other and their associates over popular Dancehall rhythms. [SOURCE]

As a marketer, I fully understand the use of publicity as a means of selling albums. Conflict between artists create that publicity or buzz necessary to bolster album revenue. It is however a delicate situation considering peoples lives are in the balance.

The captive audience doesn't always understand that what they perceive as true conflict, with their pride on the line, is a completely fabricated sales tool. Violence ensues when the public takes matters into their own hands, as is the situation in the inner cities of Jamaica.

This is where the morality of a marketing campaign comes into play. Are the Gully/Gaza publicists, handlers, and managers responsible for violent occurrences the take place as a result of the on-going feud? How long is too long to let the feud continue before the beef is squashed? How many innocent live should be put a risk to sell an album or a few more concert tickets?

Whether or not you accept the responsibility, if you are in the public eye, you are a role model thus you should have some accountability for what happens as a result of your business decisions. Keep that in mind the next time you're thinking up some potentially destructive publicity stunt.

Here's to the Gully/Gaza truce lasting. GuZa mi seh!

December 2K9 Unity @ Jamboree Gaza & Gully Peace:

Kartel and Mavado interview after Sting 2008:

A New Year, A New Perspective.

2009-12-31T14:19:00.009-05:00

Prelude to a New Life by Daniel Rarela

We all can admit that 2009 was a trying time for us all. But out of the darkness that was 2009 we must take time to recognize the glimmers of light that kept us all afloat. The magnificent inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, is first and foremost in my mind. Take time to reflect on what it is in yours.

Even as I write this I get word that there has been another death in my family. Excluding the near fatal car accident that two of my younger cousins were involved in this year, this death marks the third in my family, in 2009.

Let’s say goodbye to the bittersweet memories of 2009 and welcome the even sweeter possibilities of 2010 with positivity, hope, and the continued expectation that if I sew bountifully, I will reap bountifully.

It is not enough to plant a seed; it must come with the expectation of belief, Faith. Divine prosperity is waiting for you, where you belong. Seek it.

When asked what my most important life lesson of 2009 was, I responded “patience and persistence in knowing one’s own self worth.” I share that lesson with you on this eve of a new year, as my new perspective on life in 2010.

FELA!

2009-12-31T12:10:00.008-05:00

After spending the summer and fall of 2009 venturing through the Burroughs of New York City, learning her ins, outs, and eccentricities, I headed back down to Miami with only one lament. I did not have the opportunity to see the provocative hybrid of concert, dance and musical theatre that is FELA!

"FELA!, the new musical produced by Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, is based on the life and music of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. It opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on November 23, and critics are raving about this ‘Riveting, Surreal, Hip, Outstandingly Sensuous’ show." – Associated Press

FELA! is Afro-beat, drums, soul, life, breath, movement. The undying spirit of Fela Kuti personified.

“FELA! explores Kuti's controversial life as an artist, political activist and revolutionary musician as well as his pioneering blend of jazz, funk and traditional African rhythms.”

Upon returning to the Magic City, I made it a priority to re-engage with the young patron's group of the Adrienne Arsht Center, known as The Green Room Society.

I am sure that the GRS has had a great influence on the decision to bring some of the more eclectic and youthful shows to the center - Riseup, Alvin Ailey , Saving the Planet with Style, Julian Marley to name a few of the more recent events.

The Arsht Center is the 3rd largest performing arts center in the country and one of the most progressive. I hope they consider responding to the requests of the public by bringing FELA! to captivate the south Florida audience.

Explore the Green Room Society:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10225871089

Explore the Arsht Center:
http://www.arshtcenter.org/

Explore FELA!:
http://twitter.com/FelaMusical
http://felaonbroadway.com/