Fabulous………….
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
Monday, 21 March 2011
Knockout by Lil Wayne featuring Nicki Minaj……….
Fabulous, its good to see something outside-of-da-box from these two…I love it……Remember once you go black you never go backkkkkkkk xx
Saturday, 12 February 2011
Another something, something for you to enjoy this Happy Red Heart Day… it has to be Fleetwood Mac! Why you ask? Because they make loving fun……………
Stevie Nicks -Rooms On Fire
Fleetwood Mac - Don't Stop
Fleetwood Mac - Rhiannon
Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere
Fleetwood Mac - You make loving fun
***I’ve always had a thing for Stevie Nicks (she’s a big fashion inspiration, up there with the likes of other musical greats like: Blondie, Patti Smith, Sheena Easton, Grace Jones et al) and Fleetwood Mac -and the other day BBC4 done a piece on them and I fell in love with their music all over again. They’re sooooOOO fabulous and whenever I hear one of their songs -it just gets to me…enjoy the music and have a fabulous errrrrr ‘Love day’ xxx
P.s check out their ‘Songbird’ track -its beautiful…and holds too much memory for me to put it up on here..x
Sunday, 16 January 2011
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
Music: Sam & Ruby……….
Sam & Ruby Live- "Heaven's My Home" from sammy b on Vimeo.
If Ruby Amanfu and Sam Brooker aka Sam & Ruby’s sweet, folksy music was a colour - it would most definitely be yellow! Honey-sweet, sunshine music [that would melt –the hardest heart] –this duo is rocking a melodious sexy mix of: country, soul and a certain something -that’s all-their-own. Ruby’s pretty, post Dolly Parton, -nouveau-Nashville voice –is beautifully redolent on ‘The Suitcase Song’ and ‘The Here And Now’ –and their ‘Heaven’s My Home’ featured in the film, ‘The Secret Life of Bees’. For more information about Sam & Ruby, their upcoming tour or to download their latest album please visit: http://www.myspace.com/samandruby
Friday, 9 April 2010
Fashion et al Hearts Michelle Williams…..
I know that some of my mates will see lovely Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child fame here and think I've lost my ‘high-fashion’ mind …….believing sista Michelle -belongs to the, ‘shiny-polyester-acrylic-over-the-top-weave-on-drag-queen-I-wear-stage-make-up-on-the-streets’ club! Well folks -look again! Take another look at the above photos-s-s-s of the newly scrubbed-up, pared-down uber fashionable Ms Williams’ doing her style thing... You’ll find the make-up light, light, light and natural; the hair –weave less [or shorter and more fashion forward] –and the shiny ‘black gal’ dresses –made from silks, jerseys etc .... …Bravo Ms Williams you have evolved and Fashion et al loves yaaa-ya-ya for it! And for those of you still needing further proof -that a fashion evolution is taking place in our Michelle’s life …–she was spotted at both the Ashish and the Bora Aksu Spring/Summer 2010 Collections looking fabulous [during London Fashion Week]….go Michelle….….xx
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Fashion et al Hearts Jade Ewen............
I love Jade Ewen [Sugababes ] -she has evolved! I also love her story [she is one of life’s modest over comers –google her when you have time]. She is beautiful, somewhat of a glamour girl –and like a lot of black ‘popstars’, -has a propensity towards the ‘shiny-stretchy-look-I’m-a-black-gal-on-the-stage-with-my-own-shop-bought-weave-on’ thing…–but when she is good -she’s very good! If you chart her rise in photos –you’ll notice that our Jade has evolved from North-West London beauty pageant gal to on-trend fashionista….and Fashion et al loves her for it.......go Jade…x
Saturday, 20 March 2010
Fashion et al is talking about: Kae Sun
Kae Sun - Black Candles, from the album ‘Lion On A Leash’
I’m loving ‘ every tune, every word and every strumming note on Kae Sun’s album ‘Lion On A Leash’ …His music’s all about the ‘conscious’ word –and sounds sort of like k'naan. And with the world full to bursting with jagger-jagger, aggressive, slack lyrics, –his folksy soulfulness music [with elements of Hip-Hop, indie and reggae] is a ‘breath-of-fresh-air’. He is my ‘Next Big Thing’. Check out Toronto based singer/songwriter/poet, - Kwaku Darko-Mensah aka Kae Sun at: http://www.kaesunmusic.com/ –and download his album at: http://www.itunes.com/kaesun -and http://www.urbnet.com/kaesun
I’m loving ‘ every tune, every word and every strumming note on Kae Sun’s album ‘Lion On A Leash’ …His music’s all about the ‘conscious’ word –and sounds sort of like k'naan. And with the world full to bursting with jagger-jagger, aggressive, slack lyrics, –his folksy soulfulness music [with elements of Hip-Hop, indie and reggae] is a ‘breath-of-fresh-air’. He is my ‘Next Big Thing’. Check out Toronto based singer/songwriter/poet, - Kwaku Darko-Mensah aka Kae Sun at: http://www.kaesunmusic.com/ –and download his album at: http://www.itunes.com/kaesun -and http://www.urbnet.com/kaesun
Wednesday, 17 March 2010
Fashion et al is talking about: Joanna Newsom
Uber fabulous Joanna Newsom is a harpist, pianist, and singer-songwriter from Nevada.....I love her kitten-y, ‘nails-scraping-blackboard’, -music and her laidback folksy style...she is the future...x
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
I’m loving Pharrell William’s Chanel Guitar
Keep up to date with Pharrell’s happenings at his ‘Honeyee’ Blog at: http://blog.honeyee.com/pharrell/
Monday, 1 February 2010
Music: Leila Adu
There is something about musician Leila Adu. Beautiful and talented, -Adu was born in London, -raised in New Zealand and is of European and Ghanaian decent. And her music [an eclectic mix of jazz; cryptic soul, sweet pain and contained yearnings] -is beautifully haunting [just check out 'Answerphone']. Adu's sounds how -I image a child of, PJ Harvey and Billie Holiday to sound, -pretty but dark. Her voice has such purpose and commands your ear in a way that –hasn’t happened to me in quiet some time......Listening to ‘For A Man’ I could be listening to some ‘Negro Spiritualist’ song –on some plantation somewhere; -quiet magically really, -the way her voice can transport you like that! Leila Adu is a soulful, cosmic butterfly who has appeared with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and produced two acclaimed albums (’Dig A Hole’ & ‘Cherry Pie’), which led to national tours in Australia, Indonesia, U.K. and Russia. She is now based in Rome… ....and begins touring this February [please see tour dates below].‘Dark Joan’, Adu’s third album as a solo artist is out now. For more information about Leila Adu, the tour or to download her latest album please visit her at: www.leilaadu.com and
www.myspace.com/leilaadu
Upcoming Shows
16 Feb 2010 20:00
Franco Ferguson - IMPROVISED MUSIC @ FANFULLA 101 Roma, Roma
21 Feb 2010 19:30
Scuola Populare di Musica Ivan Illich Bologna, Bologna
17 Mar 2010 20:00
Fanfulla 101 Roma, Roma
3 Apr 2010 12:00
the Hello Goodbye Show RESONANCE 104.4FM www.resonancefm.com, London and South East
3 Apr 2010 20:00
The Vortex London, London and South East
8 Apr 2010 20:00
The Christchurch Jazz & Blues Festival Christchurch, Canterbury
15 May 2010 20:00
Echo Curio Los Angeles, California
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Fashion et al Hearts Connie Mitchell
As I sit here at my laptop –eating my grilled chicken [I only do protein now] and type away, I’m sooo in awe of Australian rock'n'roller Connie Mitchell of the band -'Sneaky Sound Systems'. Its not easy being a big gal in a world where [it would appear] that only skinny gals win! I’m ashamed to put this out there but I have turned down a couple of offers –that would have seen my blog given huge exposure –but because it would involve me being shot, –I declined.
I wish to goodness that I had that 'thing' that Beth Ditto, Anita Blay [thecockandbullkid], actress -Gabourey Sidibe, Connie Mitchell et al -all have but I don’t [please note, I’m now doing something about it because I haven’t always being this size –no sirree]......And so, images of Goddess Connie enjoying her curves [unashamedly] -have to be applauded and celebrated [plus its only her, Anita Blay and Beth Ditto who can honestly claim to be ‘Goddess Stylistas’-representing for all the uber stylish plus size beauties out there].
Just feat your eyes on Connie in all her eclectic, flashy, bold accessories, one off dresses, crazy tights and colourful sunglasses in the winter –fabulousness. There are days when I can’t quite tear myself away from my latest black second-hand stretchy Ghost dress –and to see Connie in bold prints, horizontal stripes [across her ample bust], voluminous crazy dresses and skyscraper heels –just warms the cockles of my heart. I salute you Connie – ‘rock-on-with-your-bad-self’....xx
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Zoë Kravitz Rocks...
It’s only just dawned on me that the edgy gal in Vera Wang's Glam Princess Perfume ad -is the one and only, -Zoë Kravitz [she’s been fronting the brand since December 2009]. I love her! A true rock’n’roll princess [Zoë is the daughter of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonet] -Zoe is one of my favorite style icons, -and I was listening to her music on myspace –just the other day! It’s such a shame that her music is soo underrated –because Zoë and her band Elevator Fight are fabulous. Just check out their –‘Broken Glass’ and ‘Eye of the Pyramid’ tracks, –these tracks are sooo ‘rock-sexy’…....Kudos Zoë....xx www.myspace.com/elevatorfight
Saturday, 21 November 2009
Words of Wisdom: Nicki Minaj -the new face of Rap...
"They're trying..........Could you give us a freaking break? I support all of the girls. Anybody doing something, I support you girls. And I think sometimes the girls think I don't support them or I don't want to see them succeed. Even when they say slick sh*t about Nicki Minaj, I'm still thinking, I wish you well. Because this is a movement, it's bigger than Nicki Minaj. It's just a movement and I want to be a part of something big. Pause." Nicki Minaj [The latest Queen of Rap, -putting sisterhood first,-about bloody time, me thinks!!!]
"I just have a lot of younger fans now and I didn't anticipate that when I came out. When the younger people started really following me I just wanted to be more responsible with what I said and did because I don't want young girls out here thinking that it's cool to be stupid or to be a hoe," she said. "That's not what I promote. I promote being a business savvy girly girl that likes to be witty and have fun and at the same time just balance a career. I want them to take that from Nicki Minaj and nothing else. So, I definitely did change it up on purpose. I've never been a raunchy overtly sexual person so I think that was just one facet of my personality that I showed early on but that's never been the entire person that I am." Nicki Minaj
Music: Fally Ipupa featuring Olivia of G-Unit -Wow what a co-la-bo!!!
I love this ......and Olivia looks hot Fire!!! The future is A.F.R.I.C.A –CA -CA....... African languages are very beautiful, -and at the top of my list are the; Akan, Ewe, Hausa, Ga and off cause -Lingala [as heard above] languages ...................................xx
Friday, 20 November 2009
The Spirit: DIVINE ROMANCE by Phil Wickham
The fullness of Your grace is here with me
The richness of Your beauty is all I see
The brightness of Your glory has arrived
In Your presence God, I’m completely satisfied
For You I sing I dance
Rejoice in this divine romance
Lift my heart and my hands
To show my love, to show my love
A deep, deep flood, an Ocean flows from You
Of deep, deep love, yeah its filling up the room
Your innocent blood, has washed my guilty life
In Your presence God I’m completely satisfied
*I cannot imagine a life full of stuff, –a life where I have it all, -a life where I’m ferried around town [where my feet don’t touch the ground]. A life where I am celebrated like a mini God [surrounded by ‘yes people’] –but have no God. My goodness, -that would be a life full of desperate nothingness......a life of void. I love you Father God. Thank You xx
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
An exclusive interview with Anna Reynolds.....
* Anna Reynolds is fabulous. Her music is hot and she is already big in Europe -and about to Blow-up here. I managed to get an interview with her for my Ghana Rising Blog and she did not disappoint. Enjoy.....................xx
Regular readers of Ghana Rising will be under no illusions about my love for the, 'Life Less Ordinary' [what is the point of anything less than fabulous?]. I truly feel that if you have God in your life then the 'ordinary is not an option' and thus, -gravitate towards the extraordinary, the creative, the beautiful, the talented etc, -and Anna Reynolds is not an ordinary gal or musician. This ubertastic chanteuse is 'blowing -up' big stylee and I am excited for her. Beautiful, talented, down to earth -and a style icon in the making, -Anna Reynolds is going Stellar. Her music is 'hot potatoes', 'relevant' and 'now'. And her, 'Who can I trust' is sizzling hot and 'real'. This catchy, chick flick of a tune is an anthem of our times [because every young lady [and man] has asked themselves this question] -and I love it. In fact its kind of hard to stop playing it. Anna's music is sexy -and even though the majority of her songs are not in English -they all have an electrifying verve about them, -especially, 'Electronic' and 'Cool'. I was lucky enough to catch-up with Anna [via email -during her tour, bless her] and the following is an insight into her world. Enjoy....................xx
GR: Hi Anna, thanks for the interview?
AR: Thank you.
GR: You are touring right now [Hamburg, Berlin, Stockholm etc] how's it going?
AR: It's been a refreshing experience so far. After working on the EP's in the studio and not -having been on the road for quit some time now, it feels really good to finally be playing the songs live in front of an audience. It's also great -finally getting live feedback on the new material.
GR: I can't stop playing, 'Who can I trust' - what's the story behind it?
AR: The story behind "Who can I trust" is about the paranoia and fear of being exploited as an artist. It comes with the territory I guess -once a small buzz starts to exist. In the early stages, you feel kinda woundable around people, sometimes called for, -and sometimes not, but [I] guess it comes with the territory for most upcoming independent artist.
GR: Are your songs - autobiographical?
AR: I draw inspiration from everything around me that evokes an emotion inside. People, movies, music, books - you name it. A big part of my songs are autobiographical. Still, sometimes it's based on situations from the past or future, -the topics are not always about present situations though.
GR: Tell us about your band/ band mates -and how you all met?
AR: Well with my producer, Fabian Schmitt, I've been working for many years now, my drummer, Mathias Uredat, and the other lovely young lady, J.-Ann Wilson, in the band -I met thru fellow musicians.
GR: What inspires you?
AR: Everything around me is inspiring for me. I naturally absorb everything that catches my attention, but mostly music and the vibe of urban scene in cities, especially the cities I live and work in; Berlin, Rotterdam and London.
GR: Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
AR: My mother has always been a great influence in my life. She always let me know as a child that I can achieve anything I want to. And then growing up, -basically everything that provoked my interest. Artists that just do their thing, especially those who write, compose and produce their own material.
GR: Your music has a 'Brit-trippy-hoppy-indie' feel. Are you a fan of British music?
AR: Yeah I guess in a way I am. I do have quit a few British artists on my i-Pod playlist, but basically it's that sound, -that mixture of sounds I love regardless where a band is from.
GR: Do you have any London dates planed?
AR: Sadly not yet, but me and my team are gonna keep at it till we get some real soon. I'm sooo looking forward to finally playing in England.
GR: Are you a Ghanaian born in Germany or a German of Ghanaian origin?
AR: I am born in Ghana, raised in the Netherlands and am now currently living in Berlin and Rotterdam. Actually, I also shared an apartment in London at Haverstock Hill for a while, -where I also picked up some great music, -each time I stayed there.
GR: I love your style -it's fierce. How would you describe your look?
AR: OH I actually wouldn't describe it. I usually just throw on something. I love vintage stuff and I'm happy about the upcoming 80's 90's revival, but [I] guess in a way alot of the things I wear are ANNA-ALPHA-BETIC stuff from my clothing label designed and styled by myself. Also, I wear my sister designs PRICCI by Priscilla Reynolds available: www.fashion-fuse.com
GR: Do you have a stylist?
AR: For many years my mother and my sister designed and picked the coolest looks for me, but the last years I've strongly developed my own personal sense of style, which I love most, -so at the moment I am my own personal stylist. Which is very practical.
GR: Who is your style icon?
AR: Well I really love many different styles and have grown in and out of many looks growing up. Costumes from movies like Xanadu inspired me. I generally draw from trends that reflect urban and pop culture. I like eccentric individuals who've got there own swag/look like; Chaka Khan, Grace Jones, The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, Sheila E, Michael Jackson, David Bowie or Madonna and the list goes on & on to -Kate Moss, Karen O, Santigold, MIA, Lilli Allen, Kylie Minogue and sooo many more.
GR: Name your favorite designer(s)?
AR: My mother and sister Eliza & Priscilla Reynolds [also that's a bit bias]. They know my shape best and have designed stuff that fits me perfectly. Otherwise I look out for young upcoming designers, because they tend to represent stuff that reflect the present. At the moment Jeremy Scott, Christian Joy, Zakee Shariff, Stussy, FRUITION LV, PRICCI and of course ANNA-ALHA-BETIC are some of my favorites.
GR: You look good girl. Share your beauty secrets with us?
AR: For my face I use products from the local pharmacy like Effaclar and any kinda day cream, make up Black Opal or Mac. I'm not really a brand kinda girl, if I use a product and it works, -I stick with it for a while till I try something else. I do my own hair and I really don't have any other beauty secrets except that I smile and laugh alot -that's good I hear :-)
GR: Anna is it difficult to look after yourself -on the road?
AR: No not really, but I also have a great team including my band and we're all easygoing people so I'm chilled till it's show time.
GR: On to more serious stuff, -what are your hopes and dreams for Ghana?
GR: My hopes for Ghana, is to lead Africa towards becoming more focused on growing it's economy by trading more, -as the world globalizes. I want to see Ghana play a big active role in bringing more business to Africa.
GR: Thanks for the interview Anna, you are fabulous. ....... God Bless you -always............x
For more information about Anna Reynolds visit:
www.anna-reynolds.com and
www.myspace.com/annareynoldsspace
Music: VV Brown sings 'Use Somebody' by Kings of Leon
VV's rendition of, 'Use Somebody' by Kings of Leon is sooooooooo hot!!!
Saturday, 11 July 2009
MY kind of people: The late, great James Brown & Michael Jackson -R.I.P
My goodness. I am lost for words. I can't get enough of this film clip. Who said black people are %*&%$£%? R.I.P oO......God Bless these two cats. I wish I could have witnessed this -live!!! Anyway, as the late great James Brown said, 'God Bless the child thats got his own'!!! Folks, be inspired by greatness (just look at these two 'greats' above) Give respect to those -to whom respect is due -Kunta, but have your own. Sister, you have got to have your own..................x
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