2013 Year End Review: Musicga

Year End Review 2013: Musicga

Often when I come to the end of the year I can’t believe that it has gone by so fast, but I actually feel like 2013 took its time. A lot of things happened in 2013 for sure. As you know, I graduated from Kripalu in 2012 so 2013 was all about getting my yoga teaching going. So without further ado here is my 2013 Year End Review:  Musicga (Music & Yoga)!

January
I kicked off the month writing my first Haiku of the year. I gave myself a Haiku a day challenge, which turned out to be lots of fun and insightful to say the least. I will post them all on my blog so you can see them ASAP!

I began the year teaching at Shambhala Yoga & Dance Center and Hip Dhamma. I also started taking aerial class with my girl Kiebpoli aka Black Acrobat, which was amazing! If you are thinking about trying it out I highly recommend her. That lasted through May, but I really hope to be able to get back! The rope and silks are no joke. The power involved in making that look effortless is not a game. I had so much fun!

This month I also played with Burnt Sugar at the Million Man Mosh. It was a great night to raise money for Donovan Drayton who was battling for his freedom. Donovan was in the house that night and I’m happy to report that he has been cleared of all charges! Give Thanks! That night we had the pleasure of sharing the bill with 24-7 Spyz, Nona Hendrix, Living Colour and Ronny Drayton. Also Big Mike from the Sugar Hill Gang and Melle Mel from the Furious Five were in the house and graced the stage as well.

At the close of the month I stared to feel a little under the weather, but I had no time to be sick because Burnt Sugar was heading to Paris on the 31st. So I boarded a plane to Paris with one of the worst head colds I’ve had in my life. Before we all got to the airport we found out that our original flight had been cancelled and our new flight was moved up! Not cool! Well, we all made it, but I was not looking forward to that flight with the head cold. My saving grace was that the flight was empty so at least I could spread out and really lay down. Next stop, Paris!

February
Although I spent most of the Paris trip in bed trying to get myself together to perform, it turned out to be really fun time. The only downside was the Gestapo at Heathrow that took my coconut oil when we had to change planes in London. So the only thing I did in Paris besides, eat, sleep, soak and sing was get some lotion! Anyway, for the show we did the Steely Dan Songbook conducted by Vernon Reid and a few Bowie tunes conducted by Mikel. Thank Goddess I was able to pull it together and give the best show I could give. [Blog: Next Stop Paris! ]. We didn’t get to stay in Paris this time as long as we did last so there was no sightseeing for me, but I’m still so thankful for the time spent there. I love traveling with the Sugars!

This month I began teaching yoga to the kids at Little Sun People a pre-school where a lot of my friend’s children attend. That went on through May and was a great experience.

I rounded out February by attuning my fourth student to Reiki! That is something that I’m going to do much more of in 2014. Congrats to my girl Po-Hong on becoming a Reiki I practitioner. It makes me feel go great to be able to teach people this healing tool. It’s such a blessing.

March
Looking back at this month, a whole lot happened. I went to Buffalo and Canada with Burnt Sugar. That was really an amazing trip and one of the best parts was finding Betty’s restaurant. That food was amazing! We are still talking about that food and how we can get Betty’s downstate.

Early in the month blaKbüshe played at Mamapalooza, which was my friend Rick’s 50th b’earthday party. We did the show as a 4-piece so Matsu, Jeff, Ganessa and I hit it. The place was packed and we had a blast. We made a few blaKbüshe converts that night and we also met another Jeff who would be instrumental down the line. Jeff James, a friend or Rick’s, works at Sony. That night he asked me if I had any holiday music and as you may or may not know, the answer to that is yes! If you recall I made a holiday album for my mom a few years ago, so I have music. He asked me to send him a couple of things because he was putting together Sony’s holiday compilation. I sent the tracks, but I have to admit that I didn’t think anything would come of it. Silly me.

We played Mamapalooza on the 11th and then played BAM Café on the 16th. It was another packed house at BAM and we had a lot of fun as usual. I tried out a new song that night and it seemed to go over well. Win or lose it’s great to have the audience feedback. [Blog: BAM Café Show Recap]. I really live for that!

April
I think the highlight of April, which has nothing to do with music, is that I got my stuff out of storage. That was nothing short of a spring miracle. I am so glad not all that stuff in my life anymore. I kept much of it, but I also did a huge book and magazine giveaway. It felt so good to lighten my load. Try it!

This month I also started recording the Rebellum project with Greg Tate at Luqman’s studio in Harlem. At the time I thought it was another Burnt Sugar project, but I later found out differently. I now it must sound strange that I didn’t know the project I was recording, but many of the same people in Burnt Sugar are in Rebellum and at that time I’m no sure the new band had a name yet. When you are rolling with this crew you just have to be open to the changes. LOL!

May
This was a pretty big month. I had my first blaKbüshe Wellness Day on the 19th. Thanks to Po-Hong, my partner in Scorpionic magic, it was a great success. My mom and aunt Helen also took the drive down from MA to support and my cousin Ashley and his girlfriend Emilie came though. It was a rainy day in Brooklyn. So rainy that they even cancelled one of the days of the Great GoogaMooga concert in Prospect Park. But a little rain didn’t stop our show. It was beautiful day.

Po-Hong & I! Scorpio Power!

Earlier in the year my girl Nucomme asked me if I wanted to play at the Williamsburg Music Center. When I agreed it was going to do a blaKbüshe show, but Ganessa couldn’t make the date. So instead of cancelling it I had another idea. I have so many wonderful men in my life that I thought it would be great to play with all of them, or as many as possible, in one night! So I called on Jeff Jeudy, Matsu, V. Jeffrey Smith, Akie Bermis, David Pilgrim, Sharief Hobley, Jerome Jordan and Shawn Banks who collectively became Phellatio Gonzalez. Then as a cherry on top was, Garrett Schider, Jr. who happened to be in town and in the house! He happily sat in with us! Whoa!

The night was a kind of round-robin type of evening and everyone was really amazing. All the fellas took a turn and then I chimed in with a couple of my tunes. Fun, fun! I was hoping to make that happen again in 2013, but clearly the year was packed. But stay tuned because Phellatio Gonzalez will ride again!

The men of Phellatio Gonzalez!

June
This month kicked off with me joining the Soulfolk Experience at Le Poisson Rouge for a Prince tribute on the 7th and since there is so rest for the wicked, the next night I hit with Burnt Sugar at Ginny’s uptown. We had lots of friends and fam in the house for that show. It was great to see Helga Davis, Daniel Carlton, Somi and Vernon who sat in with us that night.

Soon blaKbüshe was back in action as the musical guest for the African Voices 20th Anniversary at the Schomburg Center in Harlem. The event was also in honor of author/poet/professor Tony Medina. He was in the house along with Bonified Rojas, Willie Perdomo and Asha Bandele. I was also surprised to see Mike Ladd in the house, in from Paris. One of the highlights of this event was Willie mentioning The Tea Party. For those of you who know don’t know, before that name was taken over by the far right, it was an amazing arts organization in Brooklyn.

Post Schomburg show glow

The ladies and the gentleman of honor

I had to hurry home from that event to pack to hit the road with the Sugars the next day. We were heading to Cleveland to play for the Summer Solstice event at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Trevor, V. Jeff and I took the long journey with Ben and met the rest of the crew in Cleveland. I got to see my sands Shay while I was there and also my friend Katrice and her family, which was great. But the highlight for me was going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! [Blog: NYC to O-HI-O ]

Beam of vocal light in Cleveland at the Summer Solstice jam

Soon we were headed back to New York and I had to get ready for two more shows just a week later. The first was Burnt Sugar at Marcus Garvey Park for the Harlem Arts Festival. It was ok, but the person who went on before us went way over and there was no stage management so no one stopped her. It takes us a “minute” to set up so between the pervious set ending late and our set beginning late I think we only 20 minutes to play. For Burnt Sugar that’s about two songs. LOL! That show was on the 29th and then Pussypalooza was on the 30th. I have a lot to say about this show, but I’ll just let you read the blog. Well, I will say one thing. I was really excited about the show and then quickly disappointed. It was an amazing show. One of those nights where I was so angry before I went on that the show was EPIC! But it was also the show that made me take a break from doing any full band shows for the rest of the year. [Blog: Pride and Prejudice]

I love to make music. I love to play shows. I love it so much and I’m sure the artists out there can relate, but sometimes you have to pull back and take a look at how things are going. Regroup. Pause. That’s what I did after this gig and I’m glad I did.

This month I started my second to last fundraiser of the year. It was a silent auction, which brings us to July.

July
I kicked off the month with the Silent Auction fundraiser show, which featured Ganessa, Chaney Sims, Ashley Phillips and myself. We rocked out the Rockbar and helped me get that much closer to reaching my recording fundraising goal.

This month I also found that that I had been selected to be on the Sony Christmas compilation. I was so shocked! Although I had been contacted about possibly being on it I never had an attachment to it. So when I saw Jeff from Sony at the fundraiser and he told me he was going to make it happen, I don’t think really heard him. Soon there after I got the email! It was great news, but I needed to re-record the song. Jeff gave me two weeks to do it, but my Jeff (Jeudy) was going to be out of town for one of those two weeks! So I really had a week to do it, but we got it done. Matsu, Jeff and I recorded “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” with Lionel at his place one evening and the rest is on the CD!

Another highlight of the month was shooting the “Medusa/Asudem” video with Kelly Horrigan and Lee Free. That was so much fun! Kelly is an amazing designer and stylist and Lee is an awesome musician. Together they make a great team and I was honored to be the first artist to do a video for their Seen & Herd blog. Artsy videos! Yeah!

In my Medusa gear ready to shoot!

Finally I closed the month teaching yoga at Socrates Park in Long Island City. I was subbing for my friend Monique who was doing an art fellowship out of state for a few weeks. It was so wonderful to teach yoga in the park by the water. It was hot as hell those weeks, but since class was early and in the shade it wasn’t so bad. It’s kind of tricky to get to that park so I decided to bike from Brooklyn to Queens. In the morning, which was great, but by the afternoon it was literally hell on wheels! I think I damn near melted on the way home.

August
What was supposed to be one of the big highlights of the month was swiftly postponed and then cancelled. That was D’Angelo and Williamsburg Park. Something told me I should have went to go see him in Philly in July during the Roots Picnic weekend. I had seen him in March at Brooklyn Bowl with Questlove and it was off the chain! They did it again in July in Philly and I really wanted to go, but I didn’t. Then the show came up in NY. I was excited, but honestly something was nagging me. Then it happened, the show was postponed. It was supposed to happen on August 1st, but when it was postponed I wondered if I would be around for the rescheduled day. The original plan was to go to the show on the 1st, then home to MA for a couple of days, come back to BK and head to Festival for a week and then to my friend Shirley’s for a week. Well, it turned out that they cancelled the show and a bunch of others due to D being “ill.” Honestly when I heard that reason it scared me. Notice we haven’t heard a word from him since. There was all sorts of talk and speculation about what really happened to D, but let me tell you that I am still convinced that a brotha needs a hug…from me! Look out for Shelley’s Celebrity Hug Healing Program. Coming to a town where celebs live near you. I also need Kanye's number immediately! [SoundCloud: Quest & D'Angelo at BK Bowl]

At the Brooklyn bowl show Quest said something about D that has really stuck with me. When we were all clapping for an encore Quest said that we better keep clapping because he “gets love every day, but D needs to know that ya’ll really love him or you may not see him again till 2042.” We all laughed, but I totally got what he was saying. Although we were clapping and cheering for him to come back, the real deal is that D’Angelo needs to know deep within himself that he is loved. It makes me sad because the brotha is a genius and I don’t throw that word around at all, but he is truly gifted beyond measure. Sending much love to my brotha. Love and peace within.

August is always about Michfest and this year was no exception. This time I went to the festival as part of the ladies version of Hanifah Walidah’s band St. Lô, which included Hanifah, Julie Wolf and I. Of course you know there is a blog all about it. So if you missed the Michfest update, give it a read [Blog: Michfest 2013].

When I finally got home from Michigan I had to jump right into gear and get ready for Afropunk After Dark. I just did a broken down show with Jeff and Matsu at Putnam’s Pub in Brooklyn. We had shared the bill that night with Shae Rose and Adam Falcon. Thanks again to Trevor Gale at SESAC for inviting us out that night. If you haven’t read the Afropunk blog [Blog: Afropunk: Put Down the Hate] now is your chance.

Somewhere in the middle of all this I took a break and went to see Pete Rock vs. DJ Premier in one of the last Summerstage shows of the season. They were battling at East River Park by the FDR Drive. It was a serious trek to get over there, but worth all the trains, buses and footsteps that it took me. The place was packed and it was just an all out good time. They were spinning the music of my youth and clearly that of many others, but it wasn’t just a bunch of grown folks reminiscing, there were people of all ages there. People who really love hip-hop and respect the pioneers. We sang and danced together into to the night. It was probably one of the best days I had of the summer. There was so much love was in the air.

Closing out the month, the newly formed band Rebellum had our first photo shoot at the Village @ Gureje in BK. Thanks to photographer Nisha Sondhe, we took some great photos and set the group on its way. I know it might be a bit confusing because many of the members of Rebellum are also in Burnt Sugar, but trust me it’s a different band and a different sound.

Rebellum

September
This month saw the official release of the “Medusa/Asudem” video and the opening of the exhibit at Pratt Institute. Yeah! I can officially say I’ve been part of an art show! I know that doesn’t seem so huge, but stand by and see what happens next.

I also hosted my final blaKbüshe Wellness Day/Album Fundraiser. I’m sure I will do another wellness day because people really liked them, but that was my last fundraiser of the year. I want to thank Freebrook Spaces for allowing me to host my event there. I also want to thank Julie Brown and Dayanra Marte for coming to speak to us on the Fall Equinox. It was an amazing way to jump into the new season. I’m very thankful.

Rebellum closed the month for me. We had an album release show for our debut album The Darknuss at Joe’s Pub on the late night tip. Ronny Drayton sat in with us and Vernon Reid stopped by with his axe, fresh off the road. We a rockin’ good time that night. The fall kicked off lovely.

October
I took a big leap of faith in October and kicked off my yoga workshop/show in Philadelphia. The workshop and show were happening on a Saturday, but I arrived in Philly on Friday to do an interview on WRTI radio with M’Balia whom I was sharing the bill with.

M'Balia and I ready to Chill & Burn

When I got to the radio station I ran into artist Sherman Fleming who I had been on a Full Spectrum panel with in New York about a year or so ago. It was great to see him and hear about what he’s doing on Philly. We had a wonderful and fun interview that night with J. Michael Harrison host of The Bridge and I’m sure we’ll be back to WRTI in 2014.

Live at WRTI, Philadelphia, PA

The workshop on Saturday happened at Soft Illusions Fine Art Gallery and included a yoga class and an artist talk with Diane E. Vaughn, whose art was hanging in the gallery. We had a small turnout, but big energy so for me it was a huge success. It took a short break in between and then had to get ready for the show in the evening.

After my yoga workshop in Philly

MB’s (our nickname for M’baila) husband went to get Jeff from the train while we finished getting ready. My friend Damon had arrived earlier with the sound so that was good to go. Soon MB and I arrived at the gallery and the gang was all there. We set up the evening in a round robin style with MB and I going song for song, or maybe it was two songs and then two songs. We also sang our old Women of Bogolan anthem “What Can You Do For Me” by Labelle, which was appropriate being in Philly and all. All of the weekend’s events went so well that I, as well as MB and I, have been asked to do it again. Also MB and I were reminded of how much we love singing together so this year that will be happening again. I’ll keep you posted for sure!

The end of October was a busy one. Burnt Sugar played for three nights at the Apollo as part of the James Brown Dance Tribute by Philadanco (Philadelphia Dance Company) and right smack in the middle American Candy did our Silly Song Show at BAM. So I did the Tuesday and Saturday show at the Apollo and Friday night played BAM. That is really the way life should be all the time. All of those shows were really fun. We had a packed house in BAM on Friday night, which was amazing. It was the first time American Candy did those songs with a band, which was special. Nice way to close the month.

Note: I just found out at the end the year that Homecoming, an independent film directed by Eugene Ashe, came out in October. Why is this key? My song “blaK Girls” is featured in the film! So if you would like to check it out click the link here [Purchase Homecoming or Watch on Demand] to see how you can purchase or view the film. This is the first release from Seven Letter Word Films and is distributed on digital platforms and Video On Demand through RLJ Entertainment. Check it out!

November
November started off so great. I had two b’earthday hangs on the 6th with Po-Hong and on the 7th, and had the nerve to get a whole lotta tipsy at the former. I had dinner with my good friend Rha who I hadn’t seen in a LONG time on the 8th and then played at BRIC with Rebellum on the 9th, which was also a mini Wonder-ful (Stevie Wonder) party with DJ Spinna.

On the 14th the Sugars became the Sun Ra Arkestra for a staged reading of a play that’s in development about his trip through space and then on the 20th Rebellum shot our first video at Paris Blues in Harlem. Things were going really well and then I got the call.

On Friday the 22nd I was working in Harlem with Greg on his book. My plan was to go to his place, work for a while and then go to see my vocal coach Jeremiah, for a lesson, and then go to see Danni Gee at the Blue Note late night. Greg said he would come with me to the Blue Note so after my voice lesson I went to back to his place.

Shortly after I arrived back, my phone rang. It was my girl Saba telling me that she was planning to go home to see our friend and my cousin Kim who was batting cancer. It sounded urgent. She had a feeling she needed to go now. I asked her if she needed me to go with her. I really needed to see Kim myself anyway and she said if I could come she would want me to be there. So that’s what I did. Greg and I still went to see Danni and strangely enough before going into the Blue Note we ran into Ian Friday in the Village. We all chatted for a while and then Greg and I went into the club.

Danni gave a great show, but I couldn’t stay till the end. I knew I had to get up early to get on a train to Connecticut and I had to take the subway home that night.

The next day I took the Metro North to CT and then Saba, Michael, the twins and I drove to MA. No big announcements. I didn’t even tell my mother I was coming. We drove straight to Kim’s place. We called shortly before we arrived just to let someone know we were coming and to give Kim time to get ready if she needed, and that was it.

When we arrived my cousin May was with Kim and they were both surprised to see us. May stayed for a little while longer and then it was just Kim, Saba and I for a while. We had a great time! We laughed and joked. I gave Kim Reiki and let her hold my crystals. When I went upstairs to use my phone she joked with Saba about dying, which was crazy and hilarious! She also told Saba that when I was giving her Reiki she didn’t feel anything, which I also thought was hilarious. I can see Kim thinking, “This ain’t doing a damn thing!” LOL!

I talked to Julie, Kim’s sister for a while, then her other sister Priscilla showed up and we all laughed some more. JT, Kim’s brother in law, came by to visit somewhere during the day and then soon it was time for Saba and I to head back home. We couldn’t spend the night, but it was one of the best days. I could see Kim was in pain while we were there, but she was in good spirits. It was a blessing.

I ended up spending the night in CT with Saba since I was taking the train back to New York Sunday the morning. As Saba drove me to the train that morning we were just talking about the day we spent with Kim when I got a call from my cousin Donna who told me that Kim was found on the floor that morning and rushed to the hospital. As far as we knew she was still with us, but then about 20 minutes later Donna called back crying. Kim was gone.

By this time I was on the train and it was all I could do to contain my tears. I cried. I cried long and hard and I thought I wasn’t being loud, heard or seen, but the woman across the row from me sweetly checked in with me to make sure I was all right. Give thanks.

All of this happened the weekend before Thanksgiving. So I went back to NY for two days and then headed back to MA for the Thanksgiving holiday. Besides being Thanksgiving weekend, it was also the weekend of my high school reunion and now it was also the weekend of Kim’s funeral. It was a lot to take in and take on for sure, but I did it.

I have to say that Kim’s going home service was one of the best I have ever been to. Kim had cancer and knew that she was leaving us for a while. So she wrote out her funeral program and asked certain people to speak when she was still with us, which was a blessing for her sisters. I read Romans 8: 1-8, and I wasn’t sure why at first, but the first verse reads, "There is no condemnation to them who walk in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." One of the first songs that the Fifth Sunday Singers (a group that Kim and I sang in together) learned was called “Walk Not After the Flesh.” Uh huh.  Oh Kim, even in death you are hilarious!

I miss her all the time. Sometimes something funny she said will pop into my mind and I’ll laugh. I can still hear her beautiful voice singing the house down. When she got sick I was honestly angry, but that’s another story. No matter what I always had hope. After her diagnosis she was here 10 short months, but she was beautiful and brave. I know she was scared, she told me so, but in the end I know she’s all right and as cliché as it sounds, she’s not in pain anymore. Give thanks.

Thanksgiving weekend, in honor of Kim, I went to my high school reunion. Kim asked me to take her in October, but she left before the event. It was a good time and I’m glad I went in her honor. Soon the weekend was over and it was back to Brooklyn and back to life.

Kim Nicholas (1970-2013)

December
Once again, in spite of everything, the top of the month was good. Sony released their R&B Christmas Hits compilation that I’m featured on, my Kirtan group Soul Sangha also released our album Sacred Geometry. Well actually it came out in November, but so much was going on that I didn’t get a chance to let folks know. Sadly you can’t get the holiday album anymore, but it will be back next season. In fact Sony is putting it out for the next 5 years! Holla! As for Sacred Geometry, you can pick up a hard or digital copy on CD Baby and of course on iTunes, Amazon, etc. [Purchase Spiritual Geometry].

I was barely back in New York after the holiday weekend, when I had to jump on a bus to DC to go to a Sacred Business Woman’s Retreat. Although it was called a retreat, it was far from relaxing. We had to do a lot of personal work, which is never easy and I was totally full of emotion from the previous week so it was hard. I had a great time though and I got to spend a little time with my cousin Kwabena and some great Ethiopian food when the retreat ended.

I was only home for three days when I got a call from my girl Yolanda in Atlanta. She sounded serious and told me that she heard that our friend Zook died. I immediately told her that was not true. Not because I knew it wasn’t true, but because she was calling me from Atlanta and I was in New York where he lived and I hadn’t heard from anyone here anything of the sort. So I told Yo that until I heard something from someone in the area then it wasn’t true. She laughed at me and said, OK! So I hung up the phone with her and called Zook. His phone went to voicemail, which didn’t immediately alarm me. Then I called Mechelle who lived with Zook and I got her voicemail too. So I waited.

Let me also tell you why I was not quick to rush to judgment. Besides being in total denial, my friend Greg been falsely reported dead just a week or two prior. How you ask? Well someone else named Greg Tate was killed in his neighborhood. How crazy is that?! When the word got out that Greg Tate had been killed the media, of which Greg has been a part of for about 30 years, started calling colleagues and asking for comments. Of course folks were confused and that’s when they started calling Greg who quickly informed them that, Goddess Bless, he was alive! So, with that so close I was not going to believe anything too quick.

I sat in my living room waiting for Mechelle to call back and praying for it not to be true when the phone rang. When I answered Mechelle was in tears and then I knew it was true. I wanted all the answers right then and there, but the particulars would have to wait. Zook had a heart attack and died the morning of the 12th. Craig Davis aka Zook was gone. I was nothing short of devastated. How could this be happening? Two people that I loved so much gone in a matter of weeks. With Kim the possibility of her passing was much easier to understand, yet still tragic, but Zook? I just don’t get it. There are things that I know about life and death. Things that I understand fundamentally, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it. So here it is that I was still mourning Kim and I had to start all over again. The pictures, the phone calls, the confusion, the shock and the sadness.

I called Yo back to tell her it was true; then the next person I called was Ian. He was devastated. Then Mechelle called me back and I knew I needed to call Larry, so I did. Soon my doorbell buzzed and it was Ian coming to check on me and also share in our shock and sadness. Then I called Fahiym and Brad and Hakhi and then I couldn’t make another call. My heart was broken. So Ian too up the mantle and called Dawn and Brian and Wil and Mert and Mia and Micah and Derrin and the fam was getting the word.

That week between Zook’s passing and his funeral was a long one, but it just reaffirmed something that I have been saying for a while now. All of this time we spend on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram is nice, but we need real face time with people. Real time to touch them and look at them in the face to see what is really going on. You can never know what’s really happening with someone in 140 characters or even in the novellas that some write on Facebook. We need to feel each other’s breath and look into eyes. That’s the only way to really know. I know that these mediums are great for keeping in touch with people far away, but how about trying to budget in a trip to see these folks? That’s what I’m doing this year. No more excuses. I need to see my people.

Losing Kim and Zook has reignited something in me. I wish they were still physically here, but I am clear that their essence is still here. Their spirits are still here. I feel them all the time. Sometimes I’ll start laughing for no reason and I know it’s one of them. They both had great laughs.

So we laid Zook to rest in the traditional way, but a couple days later, before I headed home for the holidays, I attuned one more student, my friend Peta-Gaye, to Reiki level I, which was wonderful. That same evening I also went to my voice teacher’s holiday party and then had one more intimate service for Zook and Pep (another friend who passed in 2006) on the Brooklyn Bridge with friends.

Craig Davis aka Zook (1968-2013)

I spent 5 days at home with the fam, which was right on time and then headed back to NY to get ready to go to Cleveland for New Years Eve with Burnt Sugar. This would be our second time in Cleveland at the Art Museum that year. I guess they like us.

I had one of the best New Years of my life. I never work on NYE and I can’t remember the last time I really went out and did the party thing, but this year it felt really good to be doing both.

I rang in 2013 on stage with a glass of champagne in my hand. I took a selfie with my girl Karma, toasted up with the museum muckity-mucks and it was all good in the hood. Snow was falling outside, but we were warm and some of us toasted on the inside. My friend Hank has his artwork up in the museum and I snuck another selfie before being busted by museum security. Oops! LOL! It was really a perfect evening.

Getting down in Cleveland town. 

The next day we took the long drive back to New York. I closed the year officially by writing my last Haiku of the year. In the end I wrote over 365 Haikus! I loved it so much that I kept going. By next year I’ll have over 700. It’s officially 2014 and it already feels good.

2014
Since the year jumped off I have had two interviews published. Sorry I didn’t shout them out right away, but a girl needed to take a real break. So here they are. One is with Kim Kirkley for her Good Energy Entrepreneur Show  and the other is with Abhita Austin for her Monday Motivation. Big love and thanks to both of these women for showing me so much love.

Thank you all for the continued love and support. Although blaKbüshe was very quiet toward the end of the year I promise you will see us soon. Here’s to an amazing 2014! May this New Year fulfill your Champagne wishes and caviar dreams!

Jai!
One Love!

Year of the Horse!

Next stop: Paris!

Wednesday
 The night before I left for Paris with Burnt Sugar I had a fever 101.4.  I can't remember the last time I've had a fever.  It's just not something I usually get.  When I get sick it usually starts in my throat and this little sickness did just that. But while it was running it's course through my head, this time it decided to bring the heat. 

So on Wednesday night before I head to leave, I woke up in the middle of the night with chills. I couldn't believe it.  I'm not a pill popper so I didn't even know if I had anything in the house to break the fever. I needed something and fast. Luckily I had one last dose of sinus meds left so I promptly took that and tried to go back to sleep.  My saving grace was that my flight on Thursday was at 9pm so at least I didn't have to rush to get up and be at the airport.

Thursday
When I woke the next morning my fever was gone, but my head cold was not.  I was snotty to say the least and my head was killing me. I knew that would not make for a fun flight, but at least the fever was down.  I went out to run my last few errands, mainly to get more sinus meds to keep my fever and headache at bay, and when I returned home I leaned that our flight had been canceled and the new flight was almost two hours earlier!  OK, now I had to put the gas because I had to be at the airport two hours earlier than expected. 

I got myself together, was able to grab a list minute something from T-Kali to give to LaRonda to take to Paris and I was off.  T's husband Scott took me to the subway. I took the A train  to the AirTrain to JFK.  I made it in good time and saw some of the Sugar crew as I arrived at the terminal.  I checked in easily, I was carrying on my luggage so I went through security with Micah, and soon we were at the gate where we found Greg, Flip and LaFrae waiting.  Slowly the rest of the crew trickled in and we were off.

We never found out why they cancelled our first flight, but the plane was empty on the rescheduled flight.  We all had room to spread out and even lay down if we wanted to.  I was so glad because I was a walking commercial for Airborne. Anyone who would have had to sit next to me would have been mad about it because I was blowing my nose the whole way there and my head was killing me. I must have been up and down to the bathroom 5 or 6 times for all the tea and water I was drinking on the flight, but I was doing my best to push this cold out of me. 

One downside of the flight change was that was had to switch planes in London at Heathrow, which meant going through security all over again. Well if you know Heathrow then you know it can be a bitch to get through.  That day was no exception for me.  They were concerned that I had to many liquids so even though they were the right size they went through everything.  They ended up taking my saline solution for my contacts and my coconut oil. It's not in liquid form, but they said the container was too big. OK so now I'm sick and I'm going to have to be ashy??!! I was done.  I watched TSA do some other things that were just ridiculous and inconsistent, but I won't go into my TSA rant right now.  No time for that. Let's just jump ahead to us getting the hell out of there.  Can you tell I wasn't feeling good. LOL.

Friday
When we got to Paris, a couple of vans were there to greet us at the airport and then we were off to the hotel.  I was so done. I just felt like crawling under a rock. The cabin pressure made my head hurt so bad. So when I got to the hotel, I checked in, dropped my bags in my room, found pharmacy to get some lotion (no ash here), got a sandwich for lunch and then headed back to my hotel room to chill out.  While some of my other band mates headed to see the sites, I headed to the tub and to bed. I was needed to shake off this sickness before the show the next day.

I can't remember what time I went to sleep, but I didn't get up until about 7 or 7:30pm.  I knew I needed to get up to get some dinner or I would be hungry at some crazy hour of the night.  I had contemplated going to see Vernon Reid play with his other group the Free Form Funky Freqs, but I just didn't have it in me. Luckily I saw Vernon in the lobby before I went to get some food for the evening. I wished him well and he jumped in a van with the crew and headed to the show.  I got another sandwich for dinner and was going to head right back to bed when I spotted Vinia and Ben in the hotel restaurant.  I joined them and they told me about their day site seeing. We were soon joined by V. Jeff and it was a nice dinner vibe.  My head still hurt and I was still not all the way back so I headed back to my room, ate my sandwich, watched the Hunger Games in French (very cool) and went to bed. 

Saturday
I got up the next day in time to have breakfast. We had to meet the van that day to go to the venue around Noon. I was feeling much better. I wasn't 100%, but I could sing so I knew I would make it though the show.  Burnt Sugar was doing two sets that night and my set wasn't until about 8pm so I had a lot of time to chill and get myself together. 

The Stage at Theatre Jean-Vilar

View from the Stage and Jason D. reading the paper.

We were doing the Steely Dan show conducted by Vernon and a part of the David Bowie show conducted by Mikel.  Before that, another faction of the Sugar crew were performing a live soundtrack to Oscar Micheaux's Body & Soul starring Paul Robeson. That was off the hook! Really amazing. There was a brief break for a Q&A with Greg and then the rest of us were on for the Steely/Bowie hit.

It looks like pain, but it's really love.  Lafrea Sci, Micah Gaugh and a little Olu on the side.

Me and the ever funky V. Jeffery Smith.

Me and the beautiful songbird Vinia Mojica

The obligatory percussion set up shot!

Lewis "Flip" Barnes, V. Jeff, & Ben Tyree getting ready.

Abby Dobson, Vinia & Mikel Banks getting the Steely Dan lyrics together.

The show was really amazing and as one french review stated, we all looked fabulous! This was one of those shows were I felt very present. There was a moment while we were on stage where I felt a little choked up at the thought of my life.  It's surely not an easy road, but there I was in Paris, with my people, making music and having a magical time.  I mean really and honestly magical.  When these things are happening you have to be present because it goes by so quickly. Before you know it you are at the end of the set. I'm not saying I will never play Paris again, but it will never be like that again.  Every time will look and feel different, but hopefully every time will be just as grand. 

Ben warming things up and looking good doing it!

Latasha making sure Vernon is looking proper for the evening.

Abby tucking the braids under the wig for Micah.  Sista love!

I kept my cold at bay and felt better with every song. I sang "Monkey in Your Soul" in Karma's absence, my usual "Haitian Divorce" and "Show Biz Kids" with Vinia.  I also sang "Rebel Rebel" with Mikel and "Breaking Glass" with Abby & Vinia. There were so many highlights. I hope that Greg secretly taped the show. I would love to hear it all again. 

After the show we hung out at the venue for a bit and then headed back to the hotel.  Of course there is always the post-show high to contend with. So what do you do? You eat!  Thankfully there was one restaurant open across the street.  Greg, Vernon, Paula, Flip, Ben and Vinia headed over first. Soon I joined them along with Bruce, LaRonda, Latasha and Marc (for a brief moment).  We toasted the show, ate and talked until the restaurant gave us the "you ain't got to go home, but you got to get the hell out of here" signal. 

A little post-show chat with Ben, Paula Henderson & Dave "Smoota" Smith. A little Mike Ladd back there too.

My super post show Caesar salad!

Hanging with the cool kids!

There was a little after party happening at the hotel. I stopped through, but soon I headed back to my room to do some last minute packing and to head to bed. We had to be up early to catch our flight in the morning.

Sunday
I got up, checked out and caught the breakfast buffet. I had my last meal in Paris for this trip and soon we were all piling on the vans to head to the airport.  Thankfully we were flying direct this time. No more Heathrow, at least on this trip.  They did stop to look in my bag at Charles de Gaulle, but this time it was my instrument bag with my percussion.  They didn't know what my vibraslap was.  I assured them it would only make them happy. 

It was a packed flight this time, but we were on our way home.  I wish we could have stayed a little bit longer, but as I said, I know I will be back that way again and hopefully my stay will be a bit longer.

We're on our way home...

Au revior Paris.

When we arrived back in New York, thankfully Ben was able to give me and V. Jeff a ride home. I was so delirious between my sickness and the jet lag.  I came home and crashed out. 

Burnt Sugar does Paris 2013 is a wrap. Give Thanks!

2011 Year-End Review - The Year of the Voice

Hey Everyone!

I can’t believe we are back here already at the Year-End Review. This year of the Goddess 2011 was quite a year. Looking back in my mind’s eye January seems like a lifetime ago, but here it is coming around again. I also realized that 2010 was so action packed that I never even finished giving you all the highlights! Well you don’t have to worry about that for 2011.

I sent out an email early in the fall about what was happening to me, but it seems that some people didn’t get the memo. So I am going to wrap this year with the written word and with a short video so that everyone is clear. I know how much you all like visuals and I also know attention spans have gotten shorter. But some of you, like me, still like to read so I’ll do both.

So here is my 2011 Year-End Review. Enjoy!

January
I was so excited about 2011. In November 2010 I was asked to join Burnt Sugar in Paris to do the James Brown songbook and Sugary take on Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew. My friend Ian Friday convinced me to extend my trip and take blaKbüshe back to London. That was the best idea ever! London and Paris are so close it was be silly of me not to head back and see my UK folks. I have missed them so much as I hadn’t been back since 2007. That alone was crazy, but it is what it is.

The month kicked off with the American Candy: The History of Sex show and all the while I was also rehearsing with the Sugars to get ready for the Paris trip.

January seemed like it was just a run up to all that I had going on in February, but January was amazing as well. That month I stared writing liner notes for Big Break Records (BBR) out of Scotland. Thanks to my good friend and amazing writer Christian John Wikane, my first BBR assignment was Dennis Edwards’ album Don’t Look Any Further. Getting this assignment first was kind of crazy because of my personal history with that song. It’s a long story, but the short of it is that I met the song and album’s producer Dennis Lambert during my radio days. I convinced him to let me and my friends sing on the remake of the song at that time and the rest is history that not too many people know about. Lol! Anyway, during January I interviewed Dennis Edwards, Siedah Garrett and Phillip Ingram who were all a part of the making of that album. Dennis Lambert would follow up the rear in February. I got to meet Siedah in person while she was in town for the farewell gala for former Alvin Ailey artistic director Judith Jamison.

January also dubbed blaKbüshe one of the Best Emerging Artists by Deli Magazine. I didn’t even know I was in the running. That’s how to kick things off for real.

February
The first thing I did in February, to the shock of many, was that cut my hair (See: Making a Change blog). I had been thinking and talking about it for quite a while. I though it would be great to debut my new look on the upcoming tour. I’m so glad I cut my hair! I don’t know if hair will ever make a big comeback in my life, but you might see a girl rockin’ a wig every now and then. LOL!

I have to mention again how glad I am to be a part of the Burnt Sugar crew. If not for them asking me to Paris then I may not have been able to go to London again this year. I came into the band on the James Brown tip, but now I have been indoctrinated. I’m officially an eccentric jazz chick and I love it!

Although my trip to Europe was only the first 10 or so days of the month it was much more to me. It was one of the best trips I’ve taken in my life. I already wrote all about it so you can check out the other blogs (See: The Gift of Paris blogs and Loose in London blogs) to recap that whole trip. But for this review I will just express my gratitude again for such an awesome time in Paris with Burnt Sugar and the joy I felt to have my family in the house and to see New York friends who had relocated to the “City of Light.” Walking the city with my mother (See: Walking Paris with My Mom blog) and bringing Miles & James to Paris in the Sugar way are three of the highlights of the year.

Mom and I at the Louvre in Paris

I made the journey to London by train. It was a shaky start, but Jeff and I did four great shows with the help of some awesome musicians in London. I am so thankful and humbled by all that those folks held Jeff and I down while in London. What an amazing blessed time and those friendships just keep going strong.

Jeff and I at the Morpheus Soul Show in London

When I returned to New York I hit the ground running. As some of you know, I play bass in my friend Keith’s Kirtan, and that happened the weekend after I got back to town. I also did a modified American Candy show at a Sr. Center in Brownsville and then it was time to get ready for the next big Burnt Sugar show at Lincoln Center. Music, theater, music! Yes!

Finally February marked the beginning of my production collaboration with Toshi Reagon. She came by rehearsal to meet with and hear the band up close and personal. That was a really amazing evening. We were all looking forward.

March
March kicked off with Burnt Sugar rockin’ David Bowie at Lincoln Center! That night was marked by great food by Chef Stef, fine apparel by the band (folks were looking sharp!) and great music. Mikel led the Bowie charge and we all fell in line. Magic happened in that room for sure. It was a rainy New York night, but that didn’t stop the people from coming out because the place was packed. The Lincoln Center Atrium is kind of the same vibe as BAM Café in Brooklyn. Great music FREE! Although that show was off the chain from top to bottom, the evening highlights for me were Mazz giving the most killing rendition of “Heros,” Lisala and I doing that damn thing on “Breaking Glass,” Mikel and Karma hittin’ “Moonage Daydream,” Micah working out “Suffragette City” along with Vernon’s excitement to be singing on it with us and not just holding down his usual spot on guitar, and finally the pièce de résistance, Lisala shredding “Rock and Roll Suicide!” All I can say is go to the tape to see what I’m talking about. [Lisala & I Singing “Broken Glass" and Lisala singing "Rock n’ Roll Suicide"]

There were so many goodies on the Bowie menu and honestly some songs I had never heard before. That show was a great education and a whole lot of fun.

V. Jeffrey Smith and I at Lincoln Center for the Burnt Sugar/David Bowie Show

This month was also the start of my Indiegogo campaign to raise money to make my next album and I was not along. This was the year of crowd funding for sure. I know so many people who had fundraisers this year. The Kickstarter volume was on 10 for better for worse. So it was in this wave that I started my charge.

March also saw the taping of the American Candy pilot, which took place at Streb in Williamsburg. That was a fun and exciting night. The American Candy folks are my other lost tribe. They are hands down some of the best people I know. That taping was free so the place was packed. People had a great time and we learned so much. Onward and upward American Candy!

Next I was assigned another BBR album and this time it was Kool & the Gang’s Open Sesame. Sometimes doing liner notes is easy, but Kool & the Gang was a whole other story. I never talked to any of the guys in the band, but their manager did get some quotes for me (clearly a controlled environment). So I went to my friends and music heads Greg Tate, V. Jeffery Smith and Darrell McNiell to give me their insight on the band. It was great to talk to these guys who I have known for years and place them on the world stage as experts in their field. Not that any of them really needed my help, but I really loved doing it.

Finally in March I attuned my first student to Reiki level I! I am so excited to have Prita as a student. She was the first of three people I attuned this year; the other two being Ayana and Elton. More to come in 2012!

Prita Lal, my first Reiki student and circle sister

April
This month saw more great liner notes interviews. This month I had the pleasure to talk to Deniece Williams and George Duke for their mega album Let’s Hear it for the Boy. That was really amazing. I had the pleasure of interviewing George Duke in 1997 at the Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival, but this time was much more intimate. He’s an amazing storyteller and the story of that song is just incredible. I’m going to see if I can post my liner notes somewhere soon so that you can read them for yourself. It was such an honor to talk to them both.

Late in the month the band started rehearsing for our Banjo Jim’s shows. One would be a fundraiser for Japan, which had just been ravaged by a Tsunami. We were also shedding some of the potentially new arrangements for the new album.

I also headed out to Hidden Chapel Studios on Long Island with Patranila, Hollie, Jeff and Sam of the American Candy crew to record “Fashion God,” “Baby Your My Cougar” and the mega hit (yes I said mega hit), “Get Some Black Friends.” I was glad to bring some business to my girl Abihita Austin.

Another big coup in April was scoring wood for the Brooklyn Sweat Lodge. I know you are probably wondering what this has to do with music, but all my work is healing work. So the music and the healing go together. Also if you are reading this and thinking, “there is a sweat lodge in Brooklyn?” Yes there is!

May
I jumped off this month with the Brooklyn Sweat Lodge. It was another amazing year. I know this blog is more about the music so I won’t stay here for long. I just need to mention it because it is a huge part of my life and I am so thankful for my Brooklyn Lodge sisters.

My Brooklyn Lodge Sisters

With that, the Burnt Sugar crew is back. This time we were asked to play the Ghetto Metal show at SOBs. That event has a huge following and although I have to admit that I wasn’t sure how we would be received there, but in the end it didn’t matter because we never hit the stage! The show as running crazily behind schedule and before we know it our time slot had come and gone. At this point Jared (one of our fearless leaders) stating telling folks that if they had to go or wanted to, they were free to do so. The night was a bit of a bust, but we would return to the Ghetto Metal show later in the year.

I also did a short hit at the Out Music Awards this year. My girl Deepa reached out to me to perform live on the show with her and the students that she works with. We recorded a song together for her album called “What it Takes.” This would be our first time performing it together live, and it went really well.

The Awards show was at Irving Plaza and it went well. I want to give Deepa a shout fall all the work she put into that event and also say that I was so blessed to share the stage with a host of other amazing artists including Militia, Tammy Peay, Baron the Artist and Terese Genecco.

A few days later I was on my way to see my boyfriend with a girlfriend. Who am I talking about? None other than Glen Hansard from the Swell Season! I have a little thing for the Irish boys. Maybe it’s the Bostonian in me. I don’t know, but I love me some Glen Hansard! I went to the MET with my girl Sara and all I can say is bless her for getting the tix and asking me to go. There was also a guitar exhibit going on at the same time. Perfect!

When we got to the museum we checked out the guitars on display and then got in line to head over to where the concert we being held. We followed the crowd to the Egyptian room. If you have never been to the MET there is a huge section of the museum that looks like an Egyptian temple. This is where Glen played! The museum were serving complimentary beer and wine and even though Sara and I got in the room a little late we damn near got a seat up front! Yes! So when Glen passed by to get to the stage he passed right by me. Yes I am a giddy 14 year-old right now! LOL!

It was just Glen, and his now famous guitar, singing his face off as usual. His writing is also amazing! He was joined by his friend and fellow musician Mark Geary for a song that I wish I could remember the title to. But what I do remember is that he ended with a classic Irish song called “Parting Glass.” He also sang this at Radio City with his band. Yes I’m a fan like that. Anyway, when the set was over he had to walk right by me and he shook my hand! AHHHH! Then I did my level best to get an autograph from him or just to chat to tell him he should be my husband, but right as I was about to get up there, his “people” whisked him away. Damn! Well maybe it’s for the best because who knows what I would have said to the man. LOL. All in all it was an amazing day. I have to thank my girl Sara once again. She is one of my partners if Hansard crime!

My not so secret boyfriend, Glen Hansard

As if May couldn’t get any better, it does. I was asked to do the liner notes for the reissue of Between the Sheets by the Isley Brothers! So you know what that means? It means I got to interview Chris Jasper of the Isley’s for the notes and my other boyfriend Ernie Isley wasn’t far behind. Yes, clearly I have a thing for guitar players, but don’t we all? I really learned a hell of a lot about the Isley’s in that interview and it was really just the beginning. Both these men are über talented and are truly the sound of the Isley’s from 1973-1983. Ronald maybe have been the voice, the Chris, Ernie and Marvin were the music and lyrics.

Somewhere in this month I managed to squeeze in a Songwriters Soul Kitchen run. Vinx, our fearless leader, left Georgia and has now landed in New Hampshire. So the Soul Kitchen was doing it northern style this year. It’s really beautiful up there and once again I met a lot of wonderful artists and got to see some of my old SK friends. It’s always a joy to be in that energy. Thank you Vinx and Jenn for continuing to create space for songwriters to expand their creativity.

I closed out the month with my second and last show at Banjo Jim’s (Clip from Banjo Jim's show). This was another great night. We were still trying out alternative arrangements for the songs and raising funds for the recording. On that night we didn’t have Matsu, but it was just as rockin’. Sometimes I really like blaKbüshe broken down. You will see more of that in the New Year.

June
June and I finally got to interview Ernie Isley. The crazy thing is that I first connected with him on Facebook! I didn’t know it really him, but when I mentioned the song “Between the Sheets”, he responded! I told him about the liner notes and how I was going to reach out to his people about that, but there he was. My conversation with Ernie was amazing!

This month marked the ending of my Indiegogo campaign. Although I didn’t raise my intended goal we still made a good dent in things. I am very proud of myself and YOU on that front. I am still raising funds, but I know that we are well on our way. If you wanted to donate, but weren’t able to at the time you can do it now at www.blakbushe.com.

American Candy returned in June with Hot Celebrity Mess, which was a lot of fun! I got to play Grace Jones, Oprah and God! Holla!

Burnt Sugar brought James Brown to the hood in June with the full show at Von King Park in Brooklyn. That’s what’s up! I was really excited about those shows because honestly, they were close to my house. Lol! Gotta love that. My girl Patricia McGreggor was at the helm once again and and Brandon brought James to life once again. It was an amazing two days. I also got to bust out my wigs for this show because last time we did the full show I had locks.

The first night at Von King was really amazing and special Charles Bradley a.k.a. Black Velvet, who is James Brown impersonator and an artist in his own right, was in the house. Now let me tell you. When I was standing on stage singing in the beginning of the show, I saw Black Velvet in the audience. This man looks so much like James Brown I was like, “Damn, this show is so good we brought James back from the dead!” Yo! It’s crazy how much he looks like him. It was a real treat when he came up at the end of the show and sang and danced “There Was a Time” with Brandon and Mikel.

Black Velvet doing his best James Brown

The second night was just a fun. The night before I wore my afro wig, but on day two I rocked the early Tina Turner/Beyoncé wig! Yes indeed! A good time was had by all.

"Hot Pants!" Indomitable James Brown @ Von King Park, Brooklyn

The following Monday the Sugar crew was back in action. The Summer Solstice also coincides with Make Music New York (MMNY). This year the organizers of MMNY decided to bring to music to the inmates on Rikers Island. So we went the Island and brought James Brown to the people. It was an amazing day, but hot as all get out! We go to perform for the women’s prison and there were also some young girls there as well from the juvenile facility. This wasn’t my first time performing in prison. I went to Arthur Kill on Staten Island back in my Black Lotus days. It’s never easy, but it’s always feels good afterward to have been able to bring a smile or a good time to folks for a short while.

The other show that was scheduled to happen in June was the Michael Jackson tribute at NJPAC. My friend George Littlejohn called me about performing on the set. He wanted me to sing “Dirty Diana” because of my rock background, but I threw him a bit of a curve ball when I asked if could sing “Forever Came Today” by the Jacksons along with or instead of “Dirty Diana.” George was a bit shocked that I brought up that song. He hadn’t thought of it in a while, but I think about it all the time. Why, because I’m a dancer. A club dancer that is and Ian used to play that song all the time. So it’s always on my radar. In the end he asked me to sing both songs for the tribute. Score!

When I went to rehearsal for the show, Les, the bandleader, told me in so many words that he didn’t like the song. His brother, who also happened to be the bassist in the band, had to disagree. He really loved it and why wouldn’t he because the bass line is crazy!

After rehearsing the two joints I think I had the band on board and suddenly they loved the song. Sadly the show was postponed due to rain and rescheduled for Sept. 1st. So until then…

The final June event that I am still amazed happened was my baby girl Ellehcem graduating from high school. I’m not amazed that she graduated; I just don’t know where the time went. Ellehcem is my niece, but I fell like she is my daughter. I am so proud of her! Congrats El! 

Ellehcem! Our high school grad!

July
Well July brought a bunch of things, but I’ll start with a small recording I did with V. Jeffry Smith called “Kelly Gets Off.” I gave the folks a sneak peak of the song during my fundraiser, but we finished the recording outright in July. Some folks have the joint, but if you are one of those who don’t, have no fear. It’s coming soon!

July also jumped off with the Sugar crew once again. We kicked off the month doing a jazz radio show at WRTI, Temple University, in Philly. That was my first road trip with the crew since Paris. I hadn’t been to Philly in such a long time, and that trip reminded me that blaKbüshe needs to go back. I’m sorry I’ve been away so long Philly. I’ll be back in 2012.

Back in New York, the Sugar crew went back to SOB’s to try our hand at the Ghetto Metal show once again. This time they put us on a decent hour and we were able to do our thing. All it all it was a good show. We had a lot of fun and the crowd was with us. Looks like the second time was the charm.

The final Burnt Sugar show of the month was at Lincoln Center once again. This time we were doing a Tribute to Black Women Songwriters. The ladies of the Sugar crew picked one of their original tunes to do and then a cover of a Black female songwriter. I chose to do one of my faves by Oleta Adams, “My Heart Won’t Lie.” People don’t really think about Oleta much these days, but she is a beast! I just love that lady. If you don’t know Oleta then go back and check her out. Her voice, songwriting, everything, will change your life.

This month I also did a few of my own shows a couple with friends. I was honored to play the Micia Mosley & Friends show with Micia Mosley of course. The show was at Dixon Place and Jeff came with me to play guitar. I did a couple of my own tunes and then I did “blaK Girls” with Aquanetta a.k.a. Micia, which was a whole lot of fun.

Then my friend, DJ and former roommate Selly had a housewarming party and asked if I would come warm the place. Of course I said yes. Her home is really beautiful and it was my honor to be there. Once again, Jeff and I went and rocked the house.

Finally, Jerome asked me to join him on his solo show at Bar on A. As it turned out it was more of a Jerome Jordan and friends show because I was just one of many folks to do a duet with Mr. Jordan. We did our old standby “Solid” by Ashford and Simpson. Sadly we did not know then the Nick Ashford would not be with us by the end of the year. That evening we were actually mourning the loss of Amy Winehouse. That was another loss that we were not expecting. Well there was always question about Amy’s overall health, but when someone passes it’s always a shock. All that said; we still had a great time at Jerome’s show. I hope he will be doing more in 2012. Hint, hint.

September 14, 1983-July 11, 2011

May 4, 1941-August 22, 2011

July also puts me a month away from Michfest! I can’t remember when I got the call that I was on festival, but I do remember getting it and not realizing right away that I was headlining. I was in a bit of shock to be honest because I learned I was headlining opening night. As many of you know I have been going to Michfest for the last few years. I won’t go through my whole festival history, but this year was my first year on night stage. So July began my festival rehearsals and from the first rehearsal I can say with much bias, I knew I was going to have the best band on the land. Yes!

Erine Isley and Chris Jasper were back in my life one more time. I had to interview them again for the liner notes for Go For Your Guns. Again I keep learning more and more about the Isley’s! Love it!

I closed out my month doing something that I never thought I would do again, auditioning for a reality show. The band did it in 2007 on the Next Great American Band show that was nothing short of a bust. Just to be clear, the show was a bust, but not the band. This time I decided to go audition for the Voice. I wasn’t sure if I was going to share this with you, but I will for a few reasons that will become clear.

A lot of things happened at that audition that I’m not going to talk about just because I have to save something for my book, but I will tell you this. Something was up with my voice that day. As I was preparing for that audition something really made me take stock in what I was feeling and hearing. After that day I knew then that I needed to get checked out, but I couldn’t do it right away. It had to wait until at least August.

August
We jumped off the month heading to Michfest! It was an exciting time. This year’s travelers included Achuziam, Toshi and I. You can check out the whole festival on my Michfest 2011 blogs.

If you read my blogs you will see that I lost my voice after my festival performance. I got it back enough to record with Burnt Sugar, but after that I went straight to the doctor to find out what was going on with me.

Burnt Sugar/David Bowie recording at the secret local in LES

Paula at Bunt Sugar/Bowie Recording. Hot!

I was advised to find an ENT who works with singers to look at my vocal chords. I was so thankful to find Dr. Le who also took my insurance. After she examined me, she told me that my vocal chords were really swollen and she put me on vocal rest for two weeks. That was going to take me right up to the rescheduled performance of the Michael Jackson tribute show at NJPAC. The way I was feeling at that time, even if she had cleared me I think I would have sadly passed on that show. Well it turns out I didn’t have to make that decision because two weeks later the doctor told me that my chords were not as swollen, but they were still not better. She also said that after looking at my chords I might have a polyp. She sent me to have a bunch of other strobes and tests to verify what was happening. At any rate, I was then put on vocal rest that would last until the end of October. That took me out of commission with the upcoming American Candy shows, Burnt Sugar shows and recording of my own project.

Since I wasn’t put on complete vocal rest I was able to continue doing my liner notes which required phone interviews. So in August I spoke to Ernie Isley and Chris Jasper once again for the album Harvest For the World. I wasn’t able to get Ron Isley for any of my notes so I supplemented the liner notes for both Go For Your Guns and Harvest For the World with interviews with DJ/producer Ian Friday and guitarist Vernon Reid.

I clearly wasn’t going to be doing any singing anytime soon so I went to see one of my favorite bands, Just a Band, who were in town from Kenya. Jeff was going to play the show with them, but couldn’t swing it. So he got David Pilgrim on board and also my girl LaFrae was playing drums. Great night! I couldn’t stay long because I wasn’t supposed to talk over loud noises, but I had a great time at the show.

September
There wasn’t a lot that happened musically during this month. As I stated above I couldn’t do the MJ NJPAC show. I was going to attend anyway to show my support, but I got a last minute call from Ganessa who said she had an extra ticket to see…wait for it…Stevie Nicks!!! What?? I immediately said yes and that was that! So thanks to my girl Sara, Ganessa, Chaney and I went to Jersey to see Stevie! It was a great night and a great show. It was just what I needed because I was feeling a little down about not being able to do the NJPAC show. I was really looking forward to singing “Dirty Diana” and “Forever Came Today,” but alas it was not meant to be that day. Ms. Nicks was a good consolation prize for sure.

This month I also couldn’t do the American Candy: Hot Chocolate show, which I was really bummed about, but I opted to bar tend so that I could hang with the crew.

Finally that month Burnt Sugar played at the Nova Bar. I couldn’t sing so I played a mean tambourine for the people, which still felt great.

October
For most of the month of October I was still on vocal rest. I also got my vocal strobe that month to get a clearer picture of what was going on with my chords.  So what did I do with my time?

I decided to start volunteering at my local yoga studio so that I can do to yoga for free. As some of you know I also started a blog called Downward Blog for all my yogis out there. I haven’t blogged there for a while, but that will also be making a comeback in the New Year. I have really enjoyed my adventures in yoga and they will continue.

I organized the fall lodge gathering. We didn’t have a sweat, but we did talk about next year’s lodge and sit outside by the fire. It was another magical night for us in Brooklyn.

This month my Reiki master was in town from New Mexico so I went to the practitioners gathering that she has every time she is in town. It was really great to see some of my Reiki sisters that I only see once or twice a year. I had sent an email to all of them asking to send me Reiki to help my vocal chords and to set up some personal healing time. At that gathering I got a few spiritual messages about my health, which I am so thankful for. I really needed that healing time with those ladies. I can’t wait to do it again.

At the end of the month I was taken off vocal rest and decided to sing with Burnt Sugar at the Jazz Foundation fundraiser. I knew I was going to come back slowly so I said I would sing one song. We were doing a James Brown/David Bowie mash-up at the show so I said I would sing “Breaking Glass” with Lisala and that was going to be it for me.

It was Halloween weekend and a strange one indeed because there was a snowstorm the night of the show. I couldn’t do the American Candy show this month because when they started rehearsing I was on vocal rest. So once again I opted to bar tend for the first day of the show and on the second night I did the Jazz Foundation show.

I won’t get into all the details of that show, but I will say that it started off with so much fire. Lisala and I killed “Breaking Glass” once again. We knew that we had to stop half way through the set so the foundation could honor a musician, but when the set came a halt, Lisala had left burn marks on the stage after singing “I Don’t Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing;” sort of a funny song to sing at a fundraiser. LOL!

Without getting into the long story of that night I’ll just say that we didn’t finish the set and ended up leaving the joint. I thought that would be the end of that, but then we were asked to come back and do our whole set at another Jazz Foundation event at Tammany Hall the following month. Sweet!

November
November and it’s another b’earthday for me. I did a little singing at the Burnt Sugar potluck back at Nova Bar. The music was great, but the real highlight for me was Bruce Mack’s grilled fish! It was amazing! Mr. Mack got a few propositions after folks ate that fish. I was so happy when he gave me a whole fish to take home! Yes!

This month was also the Burnt Sugar/Jazz Foundation redux at Tammany Hall. So the crew assembled and did the James Brown/David Bowie mash-up in full. It was a great show and I got to see Hamiet Bluiett for the first time. He is a bari sax player and he is amazing! That show as off the hook and afterward, Greg and I found a secret Thai spot in LES this was killin’! Sorry, I can’t tell you where it is because then it won’t be a secret anymore and as much as I love you, sometimes a girl needs a secret spot! Lol. After that show, the Sugars were asked to play at Tammany once a month. So you can see us there on a regular until further notice. I love a good residency.

Since I was still on the slow return to singing I did a few other cool things this month. I chopped wood for the first time in my life and I did Reiki at the November/Scorpio themed Zodiac Lounge. Then on the liner notes tip I interviewed Leon Sylvers III and Evelyn “Champagne” King for her album Face to Face. I was hoping to get André Cymone on the phone as he was the other producer of the album, but I had to settle for an email interview. Booo!!! *wink*

Finally this month I started speech therapy for the continued healing of my voice.  After getting the results of my strobe I found out that I have a polyp on my right vocal chord and a cyst on the tissue between my left vocal chord and my larynx.  So speech therapy will help the polyp, and I am doing to acupuncture to take care of the cyst.  I have a great speech therapist named Karen and although this information may alarm some of you as you read it, I actually feel really blessed about this whole healing journey. I am claiming my healing victory. When I go back to the doctor I expect to be free of all the things I just told you. It is done!

December
So here we are in December. I am hopefully, Goddess willing, on my last bus trip from Boston to New York. Of course I will do what I have to do in the future to see my family, but I really hope I’m doing it in a car, by train or even by plane in 2012. But before I get into all of that let’s take a look at the month that will shortly be leaving us.

I started off the month with the Sugars at Tammany Hall once again. It was our final Brown/Bowie mash-up, at least for a little while. We are going back to our Sugary ways. I’ll give you all that info so you can see us at the top of the year. It was another fun night of music and on this night I spent the evening eating at the secret Thai restaurant with Paula, Lafrae, Greg and Vernon. Fun!

I was asked to sing at a friend’s housewarming this month. I was a little nervous at first and wasn’t sure if I would accept the invite, but I did. I know that seems strange since I have been singing with Burnt Sugar, but as many of you singers out there know, it’s one thing to add some backgrounds or sing a duet and another thing to sing lead out right.

Jeff played for me that night and I decided to sing “In Your View,” which was new to most folks in the room, but the lyrics seems to be right on time. It’s always cool when you can touch people in that way.

I was not the only artist in the room by far. We had poets, dancers and vocalists of all kinds. There were many things that stood out for me, but the person who stood out most was my girl Beatrice who proceeded to get up and sing an aria! Now maybe it wouldn’t have been such a shocker if I had known the woman was a classically trained vocalist. Shows how much you really know about people. I actually learned a lot about people who are in my immediate circle who I see all the time, but had not taken the time to dig a little deeper with. That really made me take pause and think about how I interact with people or better yet how I DON’T interact with people. It’s making me think about how much time I really spend on Facebook and not in people’s faces. I am going to do more of that in the years to come. I’m going back to basics on the friend front. I’m gonna be in your face. Lol!

Anyway, Beatrice proceeded to bring down the house and when the performances were said and done we talked for a while. We talked about the voice and exchanged our stories and then she said she wanted to work with me. There was something in her story and something in her voice that told me this was the person I had been praying for to work with. Goddess is good! All the time! So I have a new vocal coach and I’m thrilled! I plan to be better than before. I really believe that next year is going to be amazing!

Back to the healing world, I decided to start volunteering as a Reiki practitioner at an organization called You Can Thrive that offers alternative healing treatments for women with cancer. They started out just working with women who had breast cancer, but has opened up to women with all kinds of cancers. So they offer acupuncture, reflexology, massage, essential oils, aromatherapy and Reiki to name a few things. So I will be lending my healing hands to these women and I’m really excited about that! I have been looking for more ways to give back and I think this is perfect. Treatments for the women are free or by donation so there is no stress to them on the cost. That is ideally what people need to heal. No Stress! Goddess bless.

Right before I headed home to see the family, I headed to the studio with Norman Conners. I wasn’t recording with him, but I have a feeling that will happen in the coming year. The story of how I came to meet Mr. Conners is a long and twisted one, but I’m glad I made it there. He was recording an amazing singer named Jennifer Freeman from Atlanta at Hammerstein Studios in the Manhattan Center. I have been to the Manhattan Center on many occasions and as you know I played there in the Grand Ballroom with Tamar-kali and Joi a few years ago, but I had never been up to the studios. Let me tell you that that place is amazing and the room sounds incredible. It would be a dream to record there, but I’m all about making dreams come true so we’ll see what happens.

The world is so funny. Right after I met Mr. Conners I was asked to write the liner notes for an album that he did with Pharoah Sanders that featured Phyllis Hyman. I really wish Phyllis were here to talk to. Sigh… Either way it’s still so amazing how the universe works.

After all that I headed home for the holidays. As I write this I am on the bus back to New York. I have been up and down this road so many times. I probably know it better than the bus drivers do. I always say that if I wasn’t a musician I could have been a truck driver or a city planner. LOL. I know it’s a far cry from what I’m doing, but there is something about a well-planned driving route and a well laid-out city plan that makes me happy. Maybe it is one of those past life things coming up.

As I head into 2012 I can feel the cosmic shift. It actually started early in 2011 with the uprising in Egypt and kept going until it hit our shores in earnest in the fall with the Occupy Movement. People in general and Americans in particular don’t like change, but people, the times they are a changing. As I look back on 2011 there are things that I didn’t get done that I thought I would, but clearly the Universe had other plans for me. There were clearly other things that I had to do. So I did not fight I just moved the way I was told to go. I followed my heart even when it hurt and there were many moments where I was totally unsure of what I was doing or how things would turn out, but I just jumped. Some of us get to certain points in our lives when we think we’re too old to jump, take a risk or take a giant leap to change or even save your life. But as long as you have breath you have a chance to start over again. Time is not running out. Time is on your side. You are always on time. You are always in time. What a beautiful thing.

I have no idea what next year is going to bring, but I plan to dust off this old girl that I know so well and let her shine once again. I plan to give her a chance to do what she was sent here to do for real. I charge her to be fearless and to run wild and free and do things that some people won’t like, understand or agree with. I am going to take her hand to live fully, and outside of every box and anyone tries to put her in. I am going to look her in the face and tell her I love her and wrap my arms around her. I am going to feed her well and take care of her body and be kind to her. I will speak highly of her all the time and forgive her daily.

2011 is over and the calendar will turn. If that’s what you need in order to make a change then use it as fuel. If you don’t start on January 1st or 2nd, then start on March 1st or 2nd. Every day that you have breath is a day you can make a change.

Thank you for sticking with me in 2011. I know I have been very quiet this last half of the year. I know. I needed the time to go in so I can come out again. Thank you to all of my friends and family who have supported and encouraged me during this time. I love you all so much. It came in so many ways. Ways that I didn’t even know were available to me. Wow!

Have a blessed New Year everyone! Hold yourself up to a higher standard. In the words of Junior, “Live Your Life!”

2011 Thank Yous!
I have to first thank my family, especially my Mom and Dad and my aunt Helen and Uncle Richard. Not only for being the best family, but for making the trip to Paris and London this year to see me perform. That really meant more to me than they know. I also have to publicly thank my Mom and Achuziam for helping me to start to transform my home life. I love you mom. My while family is the best! I know you don’t hear folks say that much about family, but I love mine so much. It was tough year and family helps in times like this.

Who else?
Abby Dobson, Abhita Austin, Achuziam Maha-Sanchez, Adam Rock, Alam Nathoo, Alex Nolan, Alixa, Andre Lasalle, Ayana Byrd, Beatrice Anderson, Ben Tyree, Brandon Victor Dixon, Bruce Mack, Bunny Bread, Candace Meredith, Carol Ann-Miles, Chippy Dubin, Chris Eddleton, Christian John Wikane, Desiree Mwalimu, Donna Sue Johnson, Elton Leonard, Ganessa James, Gina Breedlove, Greg Tate, Hanifah Walidah, Hannabiell Sanders, Heather Corbett Etchevers, Hollie Harper (& the whole American Candy Crew!), Ian Friday, Imani Uzuri, IndieGoGo Campaign funders and beyond, Jared Nickerson, Jason Dimatteo, Jeff Jeudy, Jenn Lambert, Jerome Jordan, Jim Russell, John Calvert, Julie Brown, Julie Wolf, Justin “Top Rock” McKenzie, Karma Mayet Johnson, Kat Francois, Keith Borden, Ki Ki Hawkins, LaFrae Sci, Latasha Diggs, Laura Vogel, Lisa Vogel, Lisala Beatty, LyricL, Matsu, Max Grunhard, Mazz Swift-Camlet, Micah Gaugh, Micah Lee, Michelle Escoffery, Michelle McKenzie, Micia Mosley, Mikel Banks, Myles Riley, Native Tongue, Nivea Castro, Nucomme Walker-Davis, Nye Taylor, Patranila Jefferson, Patricia McGreggor, Paula Henderson, Peggy Regis Robinson, Prita Lal, Pyeng Threadgil, Rachel Esquilin, Regina Brooks, Rob Covell, Robin Elon Dixon, Ryan Ansah, Samara Gaev, Sara Zuiderveen, Scott Baylis, Shalonda Ingram, Shawn Banks, Stefanie Kelly, Stephanie Maceiras, Temporary Residents (Ten Mill, DJ Johnny Rebel, Soulful Solly Brown, Lyrical), Terri Lynn Delk, Tim Rickard, Toshi Reagon, Ty Shaw, Ursula Tuca Milan, V. Jeffery Smith, Vernon Reid, Vicki Randle, Vinx, Will Martina, Yilis Suriel, Yvonne Sanders and ANYONE that I may have missed on this list. You are not forgotten. Thank you for your love, support, patience and understanding.