Wow…is it really already Labor Day weekend?

August has been an absolute whirlwind! Started out the month with a trip to Panama (Central America, not Florida), just got back home from a work trip to Orlando and Miami (yeah, I know it sounds sexy, but believe me, there was nothing but work going on the whole time), and now i’m just getting settled in McRae for a weekend at the Songwriter’s Soul Kitchen hosted by Vinx. Only been here a couple of hours, and my head is spinning from the amount of talent that’s converged on brother Vinx’s house for the weekend. Everyone is so humble but so powerfully gifted in his / her own way, and open to learning from each other and sharing that love that is absolutely essential for creation… this is master-level education for artists of any kind. I feel very blessed to be here.

On the flip side, though, it was hard as hell leaving ATL this weekend. There’s so much good goodness going on that I’m gonna miss out on, so I’m relying on y’all to go and represent in my stead. Deal? Here’s your mission if you choose to accept it:
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When I was a kid, I used to spend a good portion of the summer at my grandparents’ house in east Macon. In the cul-de-sac where they lived, was one of the neighborhood’s many ‘candy ladies’, except with a couple of distinct differences. My grandparents’ neighbor (let’s call him, Mr. P) was not a lady, and – in addition to candy – he also sold home-cooked hamburgers.

Unlike stuck-up little Eddie Murphy who shunned the ‘houseburger’, my playmates and I knew that Mickey D’s didn’t have nothing on Mr. P. Most times we’d already squandered our little-kid per diem on all kinds of junk, so we’d often have to just sit on the porch and fill ourselves with the smell of pan-fried beef emanating from the kitchen across the street. But occasionally, if a couple of us were able to scrape up a dollar around the time Mr. P started cooking - we felt like we’d won the lottery. Mr. P’s burgers were the best of the basic: you could get cheese or no-cheese, and he served each one wrapped in wax paper and stuffed in a small paper bag with plain white napkins. Simple, satisfying, and cheap.

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I went to get a pedicure yesterday and when the nail tech asked me if I wanted a manicure too, I politely declined (all that fancy stuff slows down mah blawging, man). But then she informed me that the manicure was free. To which I responded, “Oh, well in that case, let me get two.”

There’s few things that can add a little brightness to your day more than an unexpected freebie, so in that spirit I thought I’d share some sites I tripped on that highlight free offers from some very well-known and relatively unknown brands and companies. Check them out below.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering where I came up with the cost of freedom… I didn’t.

Free Stuff Times - http://www.freestufftimes.com/
The Free Site - http://www.thefreesite.com/
Totally Free Stuff - http://www.totallyfreestuff.com/

cheers,

k

Yes. You read it right. There’s a new off-Broadway show chronicling the life and music of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and it runs through September 21 at the 37 ARTS theater in NYC.

For those of you that don’t know, Fela was to Nigeria what Bob Marley was to Jamaica. He was a larger-than-life persona that embodied the unlikely combo of music, sex, and spirituality; the contrast of new styles and old traditions; the syncretization of African and American sounds; and above all, he was a truly revolutionary rockstar.

Directed by notable choreographer Bill T. Jones and with music provided by the NY-based afro-beat group, Antibalas, Fela! is sure to be a hit. I honestly can’t imagine that the audience will be able to stay in their seats for the entire performance – Fela’s music and those bad-ass dancers are likely to inspire some holy-ghost conniptions.

Check out the video below for a first glance at the musical with commentary by Bill T. Jones. Watching the actor who portrays Fela, I literally got chills. This guy looks and moves and sounds just like the man himself – a great choice.

(sigh) it’s times like this I wished in lived in ‘the city’. Ah well, hopefully Fela! will go on tour and come to Atlanta before long. Or maybe somebody can hook me up with a cheap flight.Until then…

cheers,

k

The little lost girl that sangs them blues will perform at this month’s Harmony in Life at Sugarhill.

Previously a background singer for Erykah Badu, N’dambi has made her own mark on the soul scene with her raw, earthy vocals and the lush instrumentation on her two solo albums: Little Lost Girls Blues and Tunin’ Up & Cosignin’.

If you’ve never heard of N’dambi, get your free online education below the flyer.

Final exam starts at 9pm on Saturday. $10 pre-sale; $15 at the door.

cheers,
k

They are telling you that you are growing older. Becoming less and less useful by the day. They – as they always have – are lying. My (now former) pastor spoke often of the rise of the so-called Davidic generation - the next flock of youth that would take up the reins from the older ones. Some would say that this new flock, this Davidic generation would render the older ones impotent, irrelevant. But where do you think the young ones get their vision? If the older ones are not there to guide the youth, where do you think they will go?

What did old Jesse say to little David that imbued him with the courage to slay a giant and become king?

What words did the elderly Jacob say to Joseph that allowed him to survive slavery and become the Pharoah’s most trusted advisor?

What family lessons, personal histories, successes, hopes, failures were passed down from generation to generation, on and on until the time when a frightened young girl named Mary became pregnant and gave birth? And those same dreams that had been whispered since David was a child came forth from her lips and settled on the ears and in the mind of this unexpected, unexplained gift – this child of hers, this bearer of light whose message would last for thousands and thousands of years.

What might you say to your own little lightbearers?

Whisper your own histories to your little ones. Turn them into bedtime stories that you tell them every night until they know them by heart:

“Once upon a time there was a little girl who wanted to be a ballerina…”
“In a faraway place a long, long time ago, a little one just like you wanted to speak to the animals…”
“There was once a boy who dreamed of being President…”

For every child is the incarnation of the dreams of his father, the realization of the hopes of her mother. Your hopes, dreams, and wishes are your children’s legacy. Do not deprive them of this.

Dream big, hope huge, wish infinite. When your children grow they will become the giants you once imagined yourself to be.

cheers,

 k

Almost forgot to mention:

Check me out in the August issue of Atlanta Intown Paper! This is the last of the summer food panel series that I was fortunate enough to participate in. This month’s food panel topic is salads. Visit Atlanta Intown’s website or click the image below…ain’t I cute!

And while we’re on the topic, I thought I’d share one of my all time favorite go-to salad recipes - the asian noodle salad. This one’s extremely simple, affordable, and very portable for summertime picnics, bbqs, etc. You’re going to want to keep this one on hand for Labor Day and beyond.
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Don’t know about you, but I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the coverage of the Beijing Olympic games (at least the bits and pieces I’ve been able to catch ) over the last week.

So far my absolute favorite performance to date has come from Bela Karolyi. Take a look at some of his behind-the-scenes moments below. Or watch the video clip of Bela’s reaction to Nastia Liukin’s gold-medal performance on floor….PRICELESS!

oh - and by the way…NBC sucks for not allowing posting / emedding of clips - damned communists!

cheers,

k