F_ck love! Introducing Kameron Corvet.

Contemporary RnB/soul fused in eclectic soft rock, best describes songs in Kameron Corvet’s new mixtape titled ‘F_ck Love’, released in February 2012. With a falsetto comparable to The Dream’s and some of that raw Frank Ocean lyricism and inexplicable genius, Kameron shows love the finger while sitting on its proverbial fence. The EP is a confession of rollercoaster love; from gooey heartbreak songs to egotistic flirtations and sexual show offs, it really is a hot whirlwind–begging the question, what’s love?

Must you fall to be in love? Must you lose yourself in love? Wait, must you love? That warm fuzzy feeling … is it love? ‘Fuck it, fuck love!’ You’ve probably said that once, twice or maybe never, but it’s highly likely that you’ve once had the secret dream to love or be loved, silently and peacefully.

2. Legends of the fall 03.32

Replay material. Great neosoul track. I loved how the guitars are laden by the hauntingly funky drums from The Gap Band’s, ‘Outstanding’ or if you remember better, Soul For Real’s ‘Every Little Thing I Do.’ He’s spotted a hot girl whose spotted a hot man, him. But she won’t fall into his arms because she’s heard of his bad reputation. And now she won’t pick up his call. I love this one because being a fine brother isn’t reason enough for a girl to be with a man.

3. Good Habits 04.10

This one a very beautiful song. The acoustic rock guitar in it makes me imagine Joss Stone or Alex Pelzer doing its cover. The story is about a man in desperate need for his estranged lover–a bad habit turned good, a fixture he can’t live without. ‘Tell me the secret to your love’ He sings. This one is a show of his splendid songwriting skills.

4. Sign Ur Name 04.08

Another replay material. Upbeat yet mellow, really love the guitars. Would you rather sign your name on the marriage certificate or across one’s heart? Oh the rhetoric. This is a song of a man distressed over the insecurity that his lady is cheating. He even sings in French (very sexy) that every other hour and minute, ‘Je pense a toi’. If Kameron marries me, I will sign his name, anywhere and everywhere, even across Nairobi city

5. Snap Out of It 03.27

This song is effortlessly soulful, and definitely one of my favourites. ‘Don’t you love the way I do you?’ The opening line with the undeniable Musiq Soulchild swag. It’s groovy sound and straight-up talk renders it a great RnB/quiet storm radio hit. He sings, ‘I can’t be the good guy and the bad guy at the same time, you’ve got to make up your mind.’ Relationships aren’t always a walk in the park, we all know that. One day it’s cold and another it’s hot. The wrong partner sometimes turns out to have been the right one and vice versa. Kameron’s one wish is for her to just, ‘Snap out of it’.

7. F_ck Love 05.05

The deep lyricism and acoustic lead guitar in this one can make you jizz! Eargasm doesn’t even start to describe this sound. For the EP title track, Kameron did a lot of justice to this song. ‘I can be honest, i don’t know where i am going. At this point I hardly know where I’ve been’.  You can feel his emotions of a conflicted love. An assertion that love can be evil, but a necessary one at that. I enjoyed the song’s verses melody better than the chorus and hook.

You won’t find a lot of Kameron Corvet’s info on Google, so for the record, I am highly rating this singer/songwriter and producer. Having gone by the stage name Jonz in his earlier career, he’s to date released two albums, Sayingthings and Korporate Rockstar. I think I like him better as Corvet. Well, despite love lost or meager lust, F_ck Love’s 7 songs will leave you with a lasting good feeling; for somewhere in this big bad world lies some good love, for you, and me too To listen/ download the free EP check  www.kameroncorvet.com

BONUS: The video to F_uck Love

Get ‘Back To Love,’ sings Anthony Hamilton.

With a voice unshakable and unmistakable, Anthony Hamilton’s singing can make even the blind see. At least his soul. He’s the deeper John Legend. They both share what I love to call the ‘church voice’–a matchless ability of fusing soul and spirituality in their music in a way appealing to both the gospel and secular music industry.

R&B has been drowning and seeking help since the start of the new millennium. Starting 2003 Anthony has been playing his part in the rescue mission. ‘Back To Love’ is his fifth album released in December 2011. I already fell for it head over heels, thanks M and now more than ever am convinced that the last sign of the apocalypse will be the halt of Anthony Hamilton’s animate lyricism and soul.

‘Back To Love’ is a show of his steady commitment to soul music. To consistently come out in honesty as he does and still be accepted and applauded in a decade hungry for trashy Riri and Maybach music-ego rappers is what I adore most about Anthony. A family man married with kids Vs Grammy award winning singer with a clean-cut image–his double stance is suave.

‘Who’s loving you’, is a man’s in-depth chat with the planets in pursuit of finding out why the love of his life is with someone else. Other songs in the album include praise to women, an account of self realization and prayer to God–most of which are packaged in an upbeat tempo. The dozen songs are a great party-or-kick-off-your-shoes-and-relax-your-feet compilation. Babyface co-writes and produces three of which deliver part of the album’s contemporary soul reminiscent of the 90’s musical thunder.

1. Back to love 3.20

R&B and neo soul at its best, this is a beautiful title track entrée. Most of us have experienced stormy relationships. In this song Anthony sings about one that needs God’s intervention for restoration. “How will we get us back to love? I want us to fall in love again,” he sings. Really love that Maxwell jazzy-quiet storm feel in this one. If you still have left the tiniest of hope in falling in love, again–this one is for you.

2. Writing on the wall 3.26

Contemporary R&B bordering on a hip hop beat spiced up with some horns, this one will make you bop your head and do a little jig. A continuation to the first song’s story, it’s a man’s assertion in rising above his fear of not loving. His relationship’s wall is jumbled mostly by people talking so he sings, “I don’t wanna listen, as I am grown and it’s my life.” If you ever had haters who couldn’t stand seeing you happy with someone, this is for you. Fuck what they say, only thing you should hear is your heart.

3. Woo 3.16

Oh this is a hard stepping killer, replay everyday baby! Every ensemble in it makes me believe that the babe Anthony is singing about was sure fly as hell. “I aint’ never seen a girl so bad, it feels so good,” he sings–witty pickup line if you ask me fellas Here I applaud Babyface for honoring the 90’s music feel. With a slightly slower tempo Woo’s spirit is inversely proportional to Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘I love music.’

4. Pray for me 4.39

Another Babyface classic. I like the story. A man distraught after breaking up with his lady sings a prayer to God asking him to simply bring her back. I hated hearing Babyface in the BGV’s because his identifiable voice suddenly makes it sound like he was featuring in the track. When solely producing records Babyface and JD need to shut their mouths. Great song altogether, there are situations when nothing else is left to say other than a prayer. Really love where Hamilton sings, “If you take me back I will be so good even Oprah would be jealous!”

Other songs include the SEXY Jill Scott-ish-groovy-sounds of ‘Best of me’, a serenade to a beloved marveling at the power of sharing life’s litu pleasures. ‘Never let go’ feat Keri Hilson is a fantastic duo yet a waste of the album’s only chance of a collabo. Keri’s crispy flat voice doesn’t complement Anthony’s. If I had to pick candidates for this spot it would be Melanie Fiona or Beyonce. It’s somewhat awkward that the album’s certified baby making jam ‘I’ll wait for you to fall in love’ has an abstinence theme. Que-ce qui’il ya ici?

12. Life has a way 4.13

This song is a distant relative to ‘Salt’ by Lizz Wright. Smooth jazz marking a beautiful finale and my best song in the album. I appreciated it’s message and soul. Antony takes the persona of a man who just found his life’s meaning. He sings that after thinking he knew it all he still found out that there is more room to grow as, “life humbles you down”. The message in this one is universal and simply an emphasis on always remaining humble, no matter what. I am down for Antony’s work of genius. This album will either help you get back to love or uphold the live-and-love-life policy. Enjoy!

BONUS: Anthony reveals the inspiration behind my favourite song, turns out he has a special spot for it too

Winyo croons of ‘Benga Blues’

Best things in life are free. 98% of that statement is true, see in 2009 I had never heard of Rateng’ band. So a ‘free of charge’ sign on their concert cum album launch poster was what bought me in. At the end of the night I got myself the band’s debut album, ‘Thumology’. Little did i know that simply tucking it into my bag was the start of what would become my insatiable love for their music and certainly a voracious one for the band’s then composer and lead vocalist’s music–Winyo.

Over two years later and he still sounds crispy-good. Now an accomplished singer/songwriter and guitarist, Winyo has had successful international tours and recognition as the only Kenyan & two-time finalist in the Radio France Internationale (RFI) Discoveries Music Awards.

‘Benga Blues’ is Winyo’s solo debut–an album oozing a rich display of his love for Benga. Singing in Luo, Swahili and Kikuyu, you will additionally hear loads of the bass guitar fused in acoustic sounds of Taarab, R&B and Jazz. I am lucky to have gotten a sneak copy of the album from Winyo last year. Trust me, it’s great, smooth and relaxing–my mum loves it! I haven’t seen us jointly enjoy an album like this–well since Sauti Sol, Whitney, Billy Ocean and Skeeter Davis. To all those who don’t comprehend much of Luo, chill out. If you can jam to the likes of Diogal and Lokua Kanza, trust me Winyo is right for you.

1. Odongo 3.24

Upbeat and beautiful acoustic opening to the album. This is a confessional song to a beloved called Odongo. Winyo takes the persona of a woman in love with this man to an obsessive extent of always singing songs of him. Even while brewing tea and fetching water by the river.

2. Nakupenda 6.32

Definitely a favourite. The bare mix of shakers, acoustic drums and piano in verse one creates for an alluring intro. This is again a song to a darling saying, “Look inside you, when you realize that I love you–you will love me back.” Some serious mind-fucking-love right there.

3. Gari Teri 7.00 ( The car will take you)

This is real Benga, also a killer cover to Rateng’ Band’s original. All the guitars seem to be outdoing themselves in this one. Love Winyo’s incessant chants, ‘Romna romna baby’ in Luo means ‘receive me baby.’ This is a wise song dedicated to all ladies, single or hitched. It cautions that one day you will get into a car and leave your home to another one–marriage. Never forget that a home must be built under the foundation of respect and humility, even in the face of shortcomings. The song’s two climaxes render it very danceable at a live gig. Saliva would go all ape on this one–hell i would dance and shout to this on top of a roof top!

5. Nya Chula 7.07

There is a place called Chula so Nya Chula is a lady who hails from this region. This is a song about Nya Chula, a village woman who could not quench her heart’s thirst for money and dreams of moving to Nairobi. Winyo takes the persona of her husband, he sings cajoling her to relax and sit still right next to him. For if she does their home could make babies. Is Winyo a story-teller or what? Really love the part where he sings, “Ngima mi dwaro ohinga” (I can’t sustain the kind of life you want to live). This song is a caution that if and when two people decide to settle down together, their lifestyle demands should merge into one. The song’s climax has a Lingala beat. I can already picture Wanjeri, Marcus and I seriously getting down to this one on the dance floor!

6. Kimani 4.36

If my Kikuyu didn’t fail me, this is a song about a gentleman called Kimani. It’s a cheer-up song urging Kim to keep his head up despite life’s ups and downs, for there will be a better day. Shall I also award this as the first afro-acoustic fantastic Kikuyu song? Not taking any no’s.

8. Yaona Yoo 6.14 (Open way for me)

This is a very beautiful song–my best in the album actually. Not too sure if it’s the shakers fused in the acoustic guitar and soft drums or Winyo’s butterscotch-voice … Everything in this one just makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. The song is a dedication to the one who got away saying, ‘I can tell you a secret, everything you do even in laze still pleases me so I sing through your way, stupidly hoping that you will let me through’. Deep stuff and a special song to the ones we never got over.

10. Gikalo 5.27 (They will pass)

My mum particularly loves this one, I think because she has witnessed all these kind of dramas in shagz. This song has stories of a typical village. Brothers fighting over land, women undressing in protest in the open—a taboo, mean gossiping and talk. In the song Winyo takes the persona of the society’s mirror that marvels at how friendships can turn into rivalry. Most of us can attest to this and the un-related fact that Winyo is a rock sitting gracefully on the Kenyan contemporary Benga scene.

With 13 tracks ‘Benga Blues’ is an outstanding album worth your money, time and life’s lessons kitty. It teaches on virtues like humility, kindness, patience and temperance.

The album was released in Europe last year. A Kenyan release is expected sometime this year. I will certainly be there tagging alongside mother. For more info visit www.ketebulmusic.org

BONUS: Read on Ten Mins With Winyo, a feature I filed for ARISE Magazine. And a throwback track–Ukoo Flani MM feat. Winyo 

‘Make way’ for Sara Mitaru’s debut single

Black roses makes way for Sara Mitaru in a celebration of the blog’s 100^th post and the first single-song review. Listen now! Complete with lyrics saramitaru.bandcamp.com.

This is Sara’s debut single, and only a week old. Make way is fresh and young. However its osmosis effect spreads by the day having already made a twitter TT and several high flying spots on radio. We are at a crucial moment when something’s got to give, even if it means less of ‘mikono juu ya hewa’ songs.

Kenya’s 2011 was a year marred by a crippled economy but a flipside of a sporty entertainment industry. Irrespective of societal roles, all Kenyans are needed to converge in messages that will emit positivity. Sara is doing her part and the longevity factor of ‘Make way’ can be felt.

They say we’re independent but they won’t set us free, they say we are sovereign but we are shackled and chained … But there’s a man down, head down with no food on his plate… Make way for the people today, make way liberation will say.

I want to storm into parliament and sing this line to all the politicians. That’ll probably get me arrested. So I want every youth to hear it and know that voting is either paving way for change or conformity. It oozes optimism for the dejected citizen in the world. It’s simply a case of ‘love at first listen’.

The song is a beautiful island. It has no country’s particular musical stamp, giving it more of a world-music feel. The instrumentals in the first 30 seconds are alluring, a fusion of the piano, bass guitar and various strings. About 45 seconds later, Sara’s singing is a marriage of sorts…with the band. The strong beat will leave you bobbing your head if not tapping your feet.

Sara sings about a lot of things, from love, maziwa lala-yes, the plight of children and women to emancipation. Her debut album will be out in 2012, potentially the most befitting gift anyone could get me in this century.

She is also appointed as a UN messenger of truth and an advocate of the UN MDGs. In modesty she speaks of her conviction, “It’s not the title but the ability to sing freedom songs in different spaces where voices will be heard.”

Sara is powerful. Her voice is peanut butter smooth, and sweet, enriched with husky bits. If a secret society kidnapped you and left you in the dark (not that you’d notice) you still wouldn’t miss the voice. Never mind that some of you haven’t heard her music before.

Written and produced by Blackman, Sara’s producer, ‘Make way’ is a fit freedom song. I see my mother jamming to it at the same measure with the thirsty man sitting under a tree in Uhuru park. It would make a great soundtrack to a movie. Heck it would make a good anthem for Kenyans.

BONUS: Follow this link for a FREE Make way download SARAMITARU

“Love even in Protest”, sings Eric Wainaina!

There is a building at the well-groomed Kifaru gardens disguised as a house. Inside lies a recording studio, a music cum book library and even picturesque collections of Eric Wainaina’s musical journey. This was the venue for the listening party of his third album titled ‘Love and Protest.’ On that cold night, bonfires lit up the garden’s surrounding. Inside the ‘house’ was a different kind of fire fuelled by three special rooms separated by distinct sounds and tags on each door labeled, ‘Love’, ’Protest’ and ’Groovy’.

Up and about the partitions, guests sampled songs from ‘Love and Protest.’ Notable were groovy tracks like ‘Orutu special,’ a song bordering between the benga genre-fused with the orutu (a traditional Luo one stringed fiddle), this one made us (Wanjeri and I) dance at the first listen. The song ‘Mariana’ was harmonious and sweet sounding akin to the echo of saying that name. Ok, say ‘Mariana’… shhhhhh, hear the echo? Certainly a certified feel-good jam! (alliteration naaaayo! #ReasonsWhyIownThisBlog

Do you remember when the Wainaina-Factor shun corruption using the simple yet brilliant hit song ‘Nchi ya kitu kidogo’? Well the muse behind all that seems to be intact as if frozen by time and now ready to melt again. At the center of his compositions are messages gunning for reform. That Wainaina- Factor has now given birth to the song ‘Revolution’ which was written to give a voice to the disempowered. “There is a Che Guevara saying that goes, ‘All rebellion comes from a place of Love’. Like the rest of Kenyans, I was saddened by the post-election violence. In trying to make sense of the sad occurrence I realized that people protest where there is no love, and that said; protest is just part of patriotism. At the end of the day, after voting we are still one despite the different tribes,” said Eric.

‘The road’ is a song collaboration between friends. Eric and Senegalese world star Baaba Maal who enriched ‘Love and Protest’ by adding distinct sounds of mbalaax, a stamp of a Senegalese music style. “From the look of things Eric isn’t going anywhere. In fact, he seems to be all over the place of late,” that would be Africa’s testimony is she would talk. Eric most recently graced the Umoja festival in Maputo. Just weeks before that he was among a lineup of African musicians performing at the Arts Alive festival in Johannesburg, S.A. In a fateful twist that came to be Eric’s opportune moment to meet Nigerian born songbird Asa, who was also present at the festival. “Love and Protest was actually ready in 2008 but when I heard Asa, her sounds gave me  a whole new inspiration, enough to have stalled the album till now. Meeting her this year was amazing and I hope to work with her on a song in the near future,” asserted the multi award-winning singer, actor and playwright.

So, why don’t I usually get loads of such exclusive invites to listening parties? Kenyan musicians, iko nini? I warmed up to the whole idea and loved the execution, I enjoyed it! Eric backed by Aaron Rimbui on the keyboard and The Mapinduzi Band even gave us a live performance at the ‘house,’ Shukran to y’all! S/O to Nanjira.

BONUS: Love and Protest is Eric’s first self-produced album. It covers elements of reggae, benga and R & B. Eric & The Best Band in Africa launched the 14-track album in DEC 2011. I got my copy, get yours! For more information please visit ericwainaina.com

Introducing Bez with SUPERSUN

Bez has an air of coolness around him. About 5’10” tall, he’s rocking a grey fedora, wayfarer glasses, a white tee, an African beaded chain and slightly cropped up denim trousers leaving his argyle brown and turquoise socks peeping from the shoes. While in action during his first stage-performance and visit to Kenya, he transcends into a sweet-voiced guitar playing musician. This is exactly what I will settle for if I don’t get married to a tall, dark & handsome man

I first stumbled on Bez music via a fellow music junkie (some drugs are actually good). I thought that Bez was just another one of those cool American kids, for real. Well, after I heard ‘Zuciya Daya’ a little research led me to discovering that Bez is actually from Nigeria. One of those impressive eureka moments! I was lured into knowing him better when I got to understand the message in the song ‘Zuciya Daya.’

Most recently, I was hit by great news that Bez would be visiting the country for a jam-session (a series of random-acoustic gigs displaying budding and talented artists organized by Blackman and Sara) I couldn’t wait to buy myself a copy of ‘Super Sun’, Bez debut album released on July 24^th 2011. Experiencing a taste of acoustic-Bez was really great! Not to mention, when his drummist played, even the statues at the MJ center did the Kemboi dance .. Walalala! Nway I am glad to share this review of ‘Super Sun.’ with you all;

1. Super sun 4.15

Contemporary R&B fused in a little jazz. Life is definitely about ‘ups and downs.’ This song is an assertion that despite the struggles one day you will be at your brightest. It basically tells you not to be afraid of stretching into your ultimate limit. Quite the inspirational entry into the album!

2. Over you 3.49

This one has a modern ’Earth, Wind & Fire’ feel fused in a John Legend ‘Green light’ feel. Here Bez obviously flaunts his musical versatility. He sings to his jilted lover, asking for his keys to the car and the house, because he is now over her.

3. Zuciya Daya 5.07

Love this joint. It’s one of those feel-good tracks. Mellow and soulful. At the concert he (Bez) explained that in Hausa, his native language, the closest translation to ‘zuciya daya’ is doing something whole heartedly. It’s a serenade to a beloved saying, “Irrespective of all the problems that our relationship may encounter we should both be happy. But only if we do it whole heartedly. Someone teach me Hausa and see how I will start to pick bros, I KID Or maybe not.

5. Say 4.24

Ready is an important word. It means; to prepare mentally and physically for something. If you are in sync with your life, then you know that you have to be ready for a lot of things that life throws your way. Challenges, love, new appointments, sex, growth, relationships, heartbreak, sudden loss, windfall, the list is endless. Bez sings to a beloved asking her to SAY that she’ll be ready and waiting for him. Happily, she sings back saying, “I will be ready for you!” Definitely replay material- Neosoul redefined! The kind of song that makes you ask yourself, “I am ready?”

10. Stop pretending 4.09

Love love love this one! This is an acoustic song about a guy who was dating three different girls. He sings to them all, asking each one of them why they keep feigning that they don’t want him. Lost in their games, and their images on his mirror while shaving he leaves them all … Left me wondering, why was he dating THREE different women?

11. More you 4.27

If I had a list of my ‘Top 65 Best Songs ‘in the world, this one would still make it into Top 40. Love it too much I would freaking do a different post just to review it solo  If songs had distant relatives this one would be related to Maxwell’s ‘Playing possum’ and Sade’s ‘The safest place.’ It’s such a beautiful acoustic song. I really loved the violins. Like ‘Lazizi’ it’s guitar work makes the song. The message in this song is jumbled. At the concert Bez described the state of wanting more from the person you love because of the pleasure that never depletes. Love this song because it describes the state of humanity. We never get satisfied. We always strive for more which p.s isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

‘Super sun’ is made up of 12 tracks, 2 live covers and one remix. You NEED this album for those chilled-out days. It’s cool to hear such a contemporary-sort-of-John-Legend mellow sound coming from Africa. Bez, the world is yours! Special S/O to cool-peeps Blackman & Sara.

BONUS: While speaking to Black Roses Bez revealed his ultimate definition of Music. “It’s an expression of my feelings. I am very spiritual, in that whatever I sing about is inspired by God. He uses me to speak to my listeners via the music. It’s my tool,” said Bez.

For more info visit www.bezidakula.com

Photo courtesy of http://www.japho1.blogspot.com/

12 QUOTES FROM ‘100 Years of Solitude’

Considered to be among the best books ever written, God bless Gabriel Garcia Marquez for writing ‘100 Years of Solitude.’ It’s no wonder he was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1982.

I really loved the book and how it had so many stories that eventually streamline into one long story. This book is about the struggles that a family’s lineage encountered over a century, the most profound being solitude.

I particularly fancied it’s dark magic. The correct literary word for that style is ‘Magical Realism.’ Look it up. In fact Gabriel has since been considered as having been the father of the literary ‘Magical Realism.’ This style allows for characters and events to live on past their deaths without any prior explanations from the writer.

This book will give you an idea of the importance of a people’s history. It will make you realize how important the past is as it determines the present. It will make you cherish the present as it determines the future generations. If you have a brave heart, trust me when I say that you will appreciate this enchanting tale. If you aren’t brave enough, this is what will make your heart solid. Here are my best quotes from the book, enjoy!

1. The best friend a person has is one who has just died.

2. ‘‘She had fallen asleep without putting out the candle and had awakened surrounded by flames… Since then the grandmother carried her from town to town, putting her to bed for twenty cents in order to make value of the burned house. According to the girl’s calculations, she still had ten years of seventy men per night ….  He felt the irresistible need to love her and protect her. At dawn, worn out by insomnia and fever, he made the calm decision to marry her in order to free her from the despotism of her grandmother and to enjoy all the nights of satisfaction that she would give the seventy men. But at 10 o’clock in the morning, the girl had left town…”

3. The secret of a good old age is simply an honourable pact with solitude.

4. To a neighbour woman who brought her a set of candles so that she could light up the picture of her lost lover with them, she said with an enigmatic security: “The only candle that will make him come is always lighted”

5. “Her heart froze with terror as she connected her daughter’s evening baths with Mauricio Babilonia. She asked the mayor to station a guard in the backyard because she had the impression that hens were being stolen. That night the guard brought down Mauricio Babilonia as he was lifting up the tiles to get into the bathroom where Meme was waiting for him, naked and trembling with love … A bullet lodged in his spinal column reduced him to bed for the rest of his life. He died of old age in solitude, without a moan, without a protest, without a single moment of betrayal, tormented by memories that did not give him a moment’s peace, and ostracized as a chicken thief.”

6. The anxiety of falling in love cannot find repose except in bed.

7. “Aureliano thought without saying so that the evil was not in the world but in some hidden place in the mysterious heart of Petra … Intrigued by that enigma, he dug so deeply into her sentiments so that in search of interest he found love, because by trying to make her love him he ended up falling in love with her.” (Oh this is so Beautiful, I love it

8. “Madly in love after so many years of sterile complicity, they enjoyed the miracle of loving each other as much at the table as in bed, and they grew to be so happy that even when they were two worn-out old people they kept on blooming like little children and playing together like dogs.”

9. One minute of reconciliation is worth more than a whole life of friendship.

10. “The body of the twins were placed in identical coffins, and then it could be seen that once more in death they had become as identical as they had been until adolescence … In the tumult of the last moment, the sad drunkards who carried them out of the house got the coffins mixed up and buried them in the wrong graves …”

11. “He replaced the curtain and the canopy of the bed with new velvet … At six in the morning they came out naked from the bedroom, drained the pool and filled it with champagne. They jumped in en-masse, swimming like birds flying in the sky … He remained wrapped up in himself … The children had become tired and gone in a troupe to the bedroom, where they tore down the curtains to dry themselves, and in the disorder they broke the rock crystal mirror … an destroyed the canopy of the bed in the tumult of lying down. When Arcadio came from the bathroom he found them sleeping in a naked heap in the shipwrecked bedroom. Inflamed, not so much because of the damage as because of the disgust and pity that he felt for himself in the emptiness of the saturnalia, he armed himself with an ecclesiastical cat-o’nine-tails that he kept in the bottom of his trunk … He drove the children out of the house, howling like a mad man and whipping them without mercy as a person would not even have done to a pack of coyotes. He was done in, with an attack of asthma that lasted for several days and that gave him the look of a man on his deathbed.”

12. “Gaston was a pilot … On weekends he would pick her up where she lived … They began to love each other at an altitude of fifteen hundred feet in the Sunday air of the moors, and they felt all the closer together as the beings on earth grew more and more minute … He wasn’t only a fierce lover, with endless wisdom and imagination, but he was also, perhaps, the first man in the history of species who had made an emergency landing and had come close to killing himself and his sweetheart simple to make love in a field of violets.”

Can’t get enough of Gabriel’s beautiful ability of manoeuvring words. It’s now fourty-four years since its first publication, do I really have to insist any further on why you should read this book? If  I were you, I would read it now if not in six years. the gist will be for those who will read it when it’s fifty and subsequently a hundred years old  As for me, am moving on to his other book, ‘The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor.’ Which I am yet to purchase.

BONUS: Sujata Bhatt is a famed Indian poet. His sentiments on One Hundred Years of Solitude, “ I don’t think any book has shaped world literature to the extent that the internet has in the past 25 years.  I believe that the last book that has had a significant impact on world literature was One Hundred Years of Solitude.” Quote via, http://www.wasafiri.org/index.asp

The Still Livin’ Mixtape- Jahaziel

Jahaziel is a Hip hop gospel rapper who hails from the UK. I only previously heard of him in a song collaboration with Daniel Bedingfield. Somehow thanks to someone, I ended up in possession of his killer mixtape titled, “The Still Livin’ Mixtape”. Released on May 2011, its rich content is alive owing to the diversity of its 17 tracks, 14 out of them conspicuously being collaborations with various artists including Mali Music (Check them out too).

If you dig Hip hop, lyrical punches and funk, this mixtape is perfect for you irrespective of whether you believe in the word or not. It’s message has been uniquely packaged in songs about ordinary stories of life’s challenges intertwined in prayer and praise to God. Jahaziel embraces his Jamaican roots when he throws in a reggae song ’Deliver me’ in the midst of the head bopping Hip hop.

‘Be not deceived’ is somewhat a short story in a song. The moral of it being an emphasis on the need to be wary of the world’s dangerous pleasures like greed, lust and money for ”what a man sows he will reap, the same way he will eat what he grows”.

 ‘Come home remix’ sounds as fresh as a track off Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Lasers’. The song is a tale of a man  sliding from his belief. In spite of his dark life he discovers that there is still a mansion for him next to where the Lord lives. Lost in his spiritual poverty, he asks God of how that would be possible and He answers him, “Christ paid your mortgage”. DEEP!

If you are attentive, you will notice how Jahaziel’s British accent sips through the songs, very sexy! (Not too sure if that description is fit for this kind of post I loved all the rap verses in ‘Regenerated- a monster collabo! “I can set it off with the obvious line and say that I’ve been transformed something like Optimus prime but far from this rhyme is my gospel design to give God the optimum shine…”  SWEET! The consistency of the well executed lyrical semantics of the mixtape will blow your mind!

I am unable to review all the tracks because I am either spoilt for choice or Jahaziel’s litu-message of vote of thanks in the mixtape did it for me! It’s poetic, definitive of honesty and plain inspirational. I copy pasted the below except from the mixtape, word for word. His words are so beautiful leaving me with nothing to say other than, Il faut partager!

Thank You

I’ll keep it short and sweet

Thanks goes first, foremost and utmost to Almighty God – you already know – without whom life would be lifeless. Thank you for showing me more love than I could ever understand let alone reciprocate, in sending your Son to suffer my sinners death and give me His righteous life for eternity.

Thank you to Nadine my wife and Azaliah my daughter – having both a queen and a princess truly makes me feel like a king! I love you both dearly and may I never be a better rapper than I am a Christian husband and father.

 BONUS: The mixtape comes after his debut album, ‘Ready to Live’ which I am yet to get my hands and ears on as I wait on the release of his sophomore album later this year. Feels like I began to know him from the middle going in and outwards. No matter your style, I am recommending this mixtape. Click here The Interview of Jahaziel via snowdroponline.com

10 QUOTES from (Love in the Time of Cholera)

If you love reading books, you haven’t read anything yet till “Love in The Time of Cholera” If you don’t love reading books “Love in The Time of Cholera” will turn your taste buds upside down, inside out and backside front, so watch out!

I never shed a tear while reading a book, well until recently… It’s astonishing that what made me cry was not the riveting tale of the different kinds of love and struggles narrated over an entire century but Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s power of giving a breath of life and reference to each and EVERY detail, memory, person, thing and feeling.

The rare beauty of the writer’s evocative literature style supersedes the book’s powerful love story but don’t get me wrong, it is that love of the “crowned goddess” that inspired this amazing tale of the weak while at the same time, brave hearted … Here are some of  my favourite quotes from the book, enjoy!

1. “They were not capable of living for even an instant without the other and the capacity diminished as their age increased.”

2. Wisdom comes to us when it can no longer do any good.

3. “The girl raised her eyes to see who was passing by the window and that casual glance was the beginning of a cataclysm of love that still had not ended half a century later.”

4. “On Christmas eve he wandered like a sleepwalker until dawn, watching the fiesta through his tears, dazed by the hallucination that it was he and not God who had been born that night.”

5. “All that was needed was shrewd questioning, first of the patient and then of his mother to conclude once again that the symptoms of love were the same as those of Cholera. The doctor prescribed infusion of linden blossoms to calm the nerves and suggested a change of air so he could find consolation in distance but the man longed for just the opposite, to enjoy his martyrdom.”

6. One comes into the world with a predetermined allotment of lays, and whoever does not use them for whatever reason, one’s own or someone else’, willing or unwillingly, loses them forever.

7. ”From that time, she would still feel a belated longing for a letter that never arrived.”

8. “Worldly goods: security, order, happiness, contiguous numbers that, once they were added together, might resemble love, almost be love. But they were not love, and these doubts increased her confusion, because she was also not convinced that love was really what she most needed to live.”

9. The problem with marriage is it ends every night after making love, and it must be rebuilt every morning after breakfast.

10. Love, no matter else it might be, is a natural talent. You are either born knowing how or you never know.

I believe that friendship in the same measurements as love is about re-igniting that flame that burns deep within an individual so thank you Wanjeri for the book, and for awakening the ardent reader in me, much love sis

Nostalgia, Ultra. Frank Ocean

Recently bumped into ‘Nostalgia Ultra’ making me  find it perfectly appropriate to tag Frank Ocean as among the emerging champions of contemporary R&B and funk. This is his debut self released mixtape released in February 2011. Out of 10, I give it a whopping 8.8 just because I only wished some of the songs had a rap or two.

Nostalgia brings the inherent oomph & soul back into the new R&B arena. Frank croons using his sweet vocals about the entire life of relationships to social issues and even about spirituality. He evokes deep sad emotions, anger, all this not stopping him from showing us his raunchy side. One of the reasons why I absolutely love Ocean is well, Ocean’s 11 was one helluva movie, nway seriously you don’t have to be a poet to be a singer but you can tell that Frank is a poet who sings. 14 tracks, only 9 actual tracks.

2. Strawberry Swing 3.55

Quite a kick-ass start into the album. I love this one,it’s beautiful.He kills his rendition of the Coldplay’s song too hard, I could hardly remember that they ever did that song. Nothing like good music re-done well.

3. Novacane 5.03

Quite upbeat! Novacane is a strong pain-killer. Love the song title, the beats and the storyline. He met a porn star (who had a dream of becoming a dentist) It was the perfect though accidental rendezvous. They share a smoke, she tells him to shut up & not let the high go to waste. He can’t feel shit but the good feeling of loving while numb …  Kanye West would love this song. Here is the un-censored vid   also check this cover with a rap, I LOVE IT —–(Rap Novacane Cover)

4. We all try 2.52

The first Ocean song I heard , fell in love with its spiritual borders. He sings about his belief in men despite the fact that they are wicked. He believes the body is a temple and a woman has the right to choose but he begs her not to abort. He doesn’t believe that the American flag is planted on the moon. Doesn’t that make you think of the first 16 minutes of Transformers 3?  All the same, very cool short song.

6. Songs for women 4.13

Quite upbeat! Love this song very muchos. He sings about his lifelong quest of finding out why he started to sing. He admits that he has sung to get at women. One day his girl forgot about him & started blasting “Drake & Trey” songs in her car [Clever line] Now he no longer sings for women because she broke his heart. Rather weird that he would mention Trey & Drake in the song because it sounds like either of them if not Kid Cudi would effortlessly rock this jam. Good stuff.

10. Swim good 4.17

I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCH I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. Hear it and check The Video now! Found several versions of it’s covers on YouTube but I really loved this acoustic one, check it out

11. Dust 2.31

This is the mother of quiet musings. “Who is that talking in my library?”, he asks.  He won’t put them out because what would his place of writing books be without the muse? He wishes he could erase some of the pages he wrote but he keeps writing, loving and living as when the ink dries and the pages turn to dust so will we. He couldn’t ask her to stop laughing in his library because it would be nothing special without her smile. When he fell in love with this girl, she left everything for him and in turn set his books in flames. He quit writing but kept living and loving. After all, when the ink dries and the pages turn into dust, so will we…. TOO.  DAMN. DEEP.

12.American wedding is a beautiful masterpiece. Check out Yasmin’s cover 

14. Nature feels 3.14– modern day -baby making-Jodeci- Silk-Colour Me Bad- song. This one is for nothing but sex.

Frank Ocean has that Kanye West confidence, Drake voice, and Trey ‘gotta make it alright’ freshness. All that and he still holds his own. All the fuss and it’s just a self-released mixtape. If this guy gets some serious label, he is good to join th next decade’s top-selling R&B/Funk singers.

BONUS:  The 24-year-old song writer/musician was one of the Americans evacuated from their native during hurricane Katrina. Now Get ultra with the mixtape Nostalgia (condom ad huh?) Nway seriously all the songs will be worth your time. Heck how is this a mixtape? Then I cant wait for his album!