Did the title of my post get your attention? Nothing like some journalistic sensationalism to grab your attention.
Here’s the scoop from an article I read on BlackVoices.com…
This one is comes from the straight foolishness file.
A week after getting busted for shoplifting, Jena Six teen Mychal Bell was rushed to a hospital Monday with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest, according to the AP.
Cops think Bell was upset over media coverage for getting arrested for stealing from a Dillard’s on Christmas Eve. His lawyer says it was an accident. Thousands thew their support behind this young man and others in 2007 with massive civil rights demonstration. …
Bell’s record was just cleaned for charges stemming from a racially-charged fight involving him and five other black teenagers at Jena High School in 2006. The case got national attention when prosecutors wanted to charge the teens with attempted murder.
Bell was cleaning a gun when it accidentally discharged, his attorney told CNN. He’s been staying with a foster family in Monroe, La.
I hope Mychal finds a way to turn his life around. It’s kind of like Rodney King whom all our hearts bled for in the racially charged beating. Behind all of that was already a man in trouble (caught him recently on Season 2 of Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab show).
A few weeks ago, I learned that one of my male employees was making unwanted advances at a young lady in another department. Among her claims was that he was stalking her after work. The other department manager came to my co-manager who is a female as well (not me, but I’m going to choose not to dive into that) and shared this information. My co-manager did not share it with me until the end of the work day, and by then another encounter had occurred where my employee was over in this young lady’s department in a confined area. The manager of that department walked over to them and my employee then left.
Our employee had an ongoing problem working where he should be working (among numerous other things) so, on those grounds, we fired him the next week. HR asked me to be in charge of the firing and this one broke my heart because it was a brutha that I had taken under my wing very early in my position and had seen some clear growth. He just couldn’t shake some of his bad habits and his tendency to just be ridiculously defiant whenever I wasn’t around. It was like he gained a respect for me, but I could not get him to do it for everyone else. He really let me down. First, when I learned that he’s a baby daddy to one of only 2 girls that work for me and that happened within the last year (not sure how many of the management team knows, but I knew because we could talk real talk…i wasn’t intimidated by his blackness or tendency to be aggressive in his style of speech). The baby mama and the girl he was essentially harassing were both white. I say that just to provide some context because as a black man in America making unwanted advances at a white woman has some historical pain and prejudice that’s as relevant today as it was 400 years ago.
I did what I could based on what I knew. I made sure that the grounds for his firing had nothing to do with the unwanted advances because the young woman did not want to report them. Rather his firing was to do with his ongoing inability to work where he should be working and when he should be working. When I came into work, I notified security and reception that we were firing someone today and has on occasion been eruptive. We set a timeframe and security stayed past his shift to make sure everything went ok. And it did, he had some loud moments then calmed down. It was 3 of us including myself- my co-manager and a manager from the other department who I wanted present just so he couldn’t point the finger in any directions based on who was there.
A few hours later that day, we learn there was an argument in the parking lot after work the prior week on the same day that he was found in a confined area with the girl. Another employee shared that with another manager, and he then shared it with us managers as if it were just water cooler talk. My eyes widened because I’m thinking this dude is seriously messed up. So, I ask one of the managers from the department, where the girl works, to follow up with her about this incident. He didn’t want to because he didn’t think it was his business especially based on heresy from another employee. I urged him to given the circumstances. Later that day, I followed up with manager. He said he talked to her and she was ok. I asked if he brought up the parking lot argument and he said no. I again strongly urged him to have this specific conversation and document it adding that I personally would hate to have it on my conscience if something happened to that young woman and we didn’t take as many actions as possible to ensure her safety and document what’s going on. He eventually agreed and did do the follow up.
I reported to HR all the details based on the actions that I took and referred them to the manager who had followed up with the young woman from his department for any details based on the things he would have done on his own.
The plot thickens…
HR emails me back and says there’s all these red flags from my email and they want to talk to me. So we talk and I learn that this guy had showed up drunk at this girls house afer work one night and he had followed her home one night. This was all information she shared with the other department manager. HR’s concern was retaliation from this guy if he felt that the girl got him fired (which she did…that’s a whole other set of follow ups). I was equally alarmed to know this information myself. Had I known I would have made sure we had a plan in place for her leaving work on the day that he was fired. HR said we should have been called and also called security who could have checked in with her at the end of the day. They also suggested I have a reflection discussion with the management team just so we’d be better armed in the future. That sounded fair to me. Luckily, nothing did happen as far as we’re aware.
So I have this reflection conversation and everyone is rolling their eyes. Why is HR all in our business? Why didn’t they man up and take care of the security part? Why are we to blame?
I’m like, who are these people that I work with? Why are they taking this so lightly? Ok, I get their point. HR has some responsibility if not more responsibility and definitely dropped the ball, but I felt that the managers in the young woman’s department did as well by not seeing this as a potentially serious situation and not documenting specifics without my prodding. In my mind, if she confided in them with that level of information, I would take it very seriously and at least make sure she called me when she got home. I’ve done that if someone leaves work sick and really looks like they’re in bad shape or they’re injured and want to drive home on their own.
It’s a lonely road at work very often and it’s hard not to take it to heart sometimes (at least for me) to often be only person with a different point of view. I have enough visibility as a woman in a predominantly male environment, as 1 of only handful (if that) of African American in leadership positions, and already being pegged as someone with an attitude. I feel like the words in Justin Timberlake’s song “Losing My Way”…at least the chorus because the song is about a man with drug addiction.
Can Anybody Out There Hear Me
’cause I Cant Seem To Hear Myself
Can Anybody Out There See Me
’cause I Cant Seem To See Myself
There’s Gotta Be A Heaven Somewhere
Can Ya Save Me From This Hell
Can Anybody Out There Feel Me
’cause I Cant Seem To Feel Myself
Losin’ My Way
Keep Losin’ My Way [x2]
Can Ya Help Me Find My Way
Losin’ My Way
Keep Losin’ My Way [x2]
Can Ya Help Me Find My Way
That crying out for someone to hear me and/or validate me really plagues me. That probably has a lot to do with why I write. Often, I’m perceived as very confident and pulled together, but inside I struggle at times standing tall in my own shoes.
Anyhooz, I’m just sharing another one of those trials that comes with working in Corporate America.
I’m stealing the below content from one of my other blogs as I realize that I’m collecting so many stories about the challenges we face at work to speak up on behalf of your identity/affinity groups or from the perspective of keeping others from speaking out offensively and blindly in the workplace. It’s a killer burden to bear and I often find myself alone with my view, but I have committed myself to letting people know (politely) when they’re stepping out of their bounds in the workplace. If they’re saying something that may not even directly relate to me and is offensive, then what might they be saying about me when I leave the room?
I’m working to make this a series, but I don’t have a name for it yet. For now they’ll all be posted under my category “07_nappy in corporate america” that you see along the left side of my blog.
(from my blog ifelicious.com)
I had an awkward moment at work last night as a male began recounting a story about a former gay employee amongst a group of folks kind of in coffee chat mode. I knew it was headed nowhere fast and I started out with little comments like “I’m not participating in this conversation” and “that’s not brand”. Eventually, I told the person that I was offended on behalf of all my friends who are gay, and jokingly “threatened” to take this homophobe out in my neighborhood sometime. There was one other person in the room making eye contact with me as if we were on the same page but didn’t say anything.
How many times does this happen at work on this subject or other controversial ones?
It’s hard to take a stand, but I’m finding it more important to do so as tough as it may be at times. I would want someone to do the same on my behalf if something offensive to me came up as a woman or a woman of color or whatever.
Have you ever had a moment like that at work? If so, did you speak up?
I’ve tried out the old and new iPhones but opted for the LG Dare to keep my service with Verizon. Prior to that I had the Motorolla Q. The Q was great in concept but steps 15-20 years backwards (slight exaggeration, but very slight) when it came to battery life. I had to charge it at least once a day and eventually some of the keys on the keyboard wouldn’t work. Mind you that was my 4th Motorlla Q. For one defect or another, I had to trade in 3 of them wthin the first month of buying it. At the time, it still was the closest thing to what I wanted.
Now life is getting better. Who was like me that bought the Moto Q or something similar and then found you had no reception where you needed it like at work? My LG Dare doesn’t have those issues and I charge the battery like once a week which was something I was giddy with joy to have again.
At the time I bought my Dare the iPhone had been all the rage and I don’t LG could really compete. True to Apple’s position as the king of cool and user friendly gadgets, who wasn’t lured in by those commercials? Even still, those I know who bought the first generation iPhone did not find it as cool as it was cracked up to be. The ability to hone in on the 3G network was often difficult. The new iPhone seems to have fixed most of those defects and has a lighter, slim design.
The Blackberry was the Pioneer of phone meets Palm Pilot (or what the world had begun calling smartphones). Big and clutsy, this gigantic piece of technology turned my husband and so many others into “crackberry” addicts. So much so, that I refused to buy one. Lo and behold BlackBerry is back in the game and likely to land on top with the Storm. I have a coworker with one and they have totally worked out the touch screen piece which is a pain in the arse to any of us who have phones with touch screen capabilities. As a female with smaller fingers and my nails as a backup, I can’t imagine how guys aren’t constantly backspacing on these other touch screen phnes. On the Storm, you can actually feel yourself typing not that “Wii” style vibrate at least I know I have on my LG Dare.
I just ran across this article when logging into WordPress this morning as was pleased to see that my suspicions are correct. BlackBerry is back in the game and winning with the BlackBerry Storm.
I’m not a non-believer, but I’m also not in a confident space when it comes to my own spirituality. When Dove from Tygereye Entertainment approached me about interviewing one of her clients, Jocelyn AKA iNDIGO, who is an urban gospel artist, I initially had some reservations. Do I want faith to enter my blog world? Will people judge me by my decision to interview an Urban Gospel singer? As someone who has not been to church in years other than for Christenings, weddings, and funerals, would I be able to do a story on someone who is saved? Am I a credible representative for Christianity?
After weighing the above questions in my mind and reading more about iNDIGO, I pelted my insecurities to the side in pursuit of inspiration instead. I know there are plenty of people out there like me who may benefit from reading about iNDIGO…as told by someone who is Christian- denomination ambiguous, null set, undefined (nerd alert! gotta be me ). Besides, iNDIGO has an absolutely beautiful voice and is so multi-faceted and is so multi-talented that it would truly be silly or dare I say “sinful” of me to deny you exposure to an up and coming artist with a fantastic story to share.
So don’t do the “Jesus story, I’m out!” thing and move on to something else on the web. Give this a read, check her myspace page (myspace.com/indy1st), sample her album “The iNDI1st Project…Breakthrough” on CD Baby, and come back here and share your thoughts.
If this is already your cup of tea and you’re just waiting for me to fill you up, then you probably didn’t need my preface, but now you know the eyes, fingers, and mindset of the person bringing iNDIGO’s story to life in this post.
Introducing Jocelyn AKA iNDIGO
After speaking with Jocelyn AKA iNDIGO a few weeks ago, I was left with a few lasting impressions. Here is a young lady who seems to be someone who would prefer to stay away from the spotlight but whose life’s path has put her front and center of the spotlight. She never set out to be a gospel singer, as you’ll read. Even when it came to college, it was something she did because people said it’s what you do. Her bachelor’s degree from Bowie State in Sociology was essentially an exercise of “eenie meenie miney mo” as she put it. As such, this wasn’t one of those intensively self indulgent, self promoting interviews, rather very humble, modest words from a lady with a creative gift, amazing vocals, business savvy, and the willingness to take some leaps of faith as she molds her career as a singer and entrepreneur.
In the span of 2 years, iNDIGO has taken her life in unexpected directions. After finding her way back to Christ, a commitment that she made just a week after attending a church from a friend’s suggestion just 2 years ago, and ignited by the loss of her father, with whom she was very close, to lung cancer shortly thereafter, iNDIGO began to put her ideas into action. She launched a Christian focused social networking and fashion website called JesusGroupie.com and began recording songs for her debut album entitled “The INDI1st Project…Breakthrough” that was recently released independently on December 9, 2008.
iNDIGO’s leaps of faith have not been in vain. Her single “Search In My Heart” was picked up by Praise 104.1 FM, a Radio One station servicing the DMV area, and is in regular rotation. Her website JesusGroupie.com has expanded as well.
Pre-2006
It was quickly apparent to me that iNDIGO had the most to say about her life from 2006 onward, but naturally, I was curious about her life prior to that point, and what series of events led her in this new direction. This part was like pulling teeth at first, but eventually iNDIGO warmed up to me, and I was able to gather some insight on the person she was prior to the past couple of years. I mean, inquiring minds want to know, right?
Did you grow up in DC?
I was born in Charlottesville, VA which is like 2 1/2 hours from DC, but I was raised in Prince George’s County since I was about 6 years old. So I’ve been local to the area since I was about 6 years old.
How old are you? Do you mind me asking?
I don’t tell! I’m old enough to have voted in the election this year. My thing is that the anointing does not have an age limit…I just don’t want the focus to be on age because my ministry goal is whoever I can reach, and I don’t want people to not be receptive to me because they think I’m too young.
Way to hit a home run, Affrodite! <– (that’s sarcasm folks) I decided to go in a different direction.
What were you doing before you got saved?
Before I got saved, I was singing in an RnB group…that was signed to Electra…That was like back in 2002, and we were signed for about a year and got dropped…I was still doing my thing by myself or whatever, but I was also in school. I graduated from Bowie State University. I was doing quite a few different things just trying to find my place.
What did you study at Bowie?
Sociology. I really didn’t want to go to college but it’s one of those things that people tell you ‘you have to go to school’…(pauses) School, I got through it. I did well, but I didn’t have a major. I just basically did like eenie meenie miney mo, and that’s how I picked Sociology.
So help me connect some dots here. You said you weren’t interested in being in the forefront. Was that after the group folded?
Ya, that was after…I definitely wanted the forefront at one point. The group was hot. It was a 4 girl group. We were like a Destiny’s Child meets En Vogue type because everybody in the group sung lead, and everybody had really good star quality. It was a really, really good group, but a girl group is a girl group. It’s a lot of work and they just don’t last. They just don’t.
What was the name of the group?
4BIDN, but it was spelled with a ‘4’ and a ‘B-I-D-N’. It wasn’t spelled the regular way. The group was hot, you know, but…it just didn’t work out. I mean I’m just an artsy person, in general, not just singing. I paint. I can do interior design and all that kind of stuff.
So you have the creative gene. Is somebody in your family creative?
My mom. Ya, my mom is really creative. So its’ like either way I would’ve ended up in some type of artsy, low paying job.
I interject with advice “Follow your passion! I’m learning about that daily. It’s not about the dollars and cents sometimes.”
And then somehow you just landed at 2006?
I think somewhere between 04 and 06, I just felt this emptiness. I didn’t know what it was. I mean my life was going great. Everything was on the up and up, but I just didn’t feel like something was there…I drifted away from church and all that in my teen years like a lot of people do. You go to college and you just don’t really care. You’re just like ‘I’ll go to church when I get there.’ You go for Easter or something. So I just had this longing like ‘You just need to go to church,’ you know? So I started going to some different churches…some nice churches, some really big huge beautiful churches, and…I wasn’t finding what I needed. So a friend of mine said that he visited a church in DC which is the church I go to now, and when I pulled up to the church, it’s like in a warehouse type of environment. It’s small…spray paint on the walls. I was like ‘I don’t wanna come up in here’ but I had promised him that I was gonna go. When I got in there. I mean it was so much love in that church…and once the pastor preached, I was like ‘This is what I need,’ you know?…The following Sunday I gave my life to Christ. It was that impactful.
2006: A Journey Of A Thousand Miles Begins
Tell me more about your spiritual journey.
I grew up in church. I’m a Christian by default ‘cause my mom is Christian and my grandmom is a Christian. The whole family is Christian. So, I had a good idea about what church was all about, but church and relationship is totally different. So, I didn’t have (pauses) I didn’t have a real relationship with God. Like I always say, I believed in Him, but I didn’t believe Him until I got saved. So, I can’t say there was one thing that led me there. It was just time…Everything was leading me in that direction and I kinda was fighting it because I didn’t wanna really do it God’s way. I wanted to do it my way. I wasn’t really interested in being and example in that way. And that’s why I didn’t really wanna, you know, sing anymore because you’re held to a higher standard when you can be seen…when you’re visible, and I wasn’t interested in that. I just wanted to join my choir and do outreach ministries…I’m a part of the women’s homeless shelter ministry with my church, and you know, stuff like that was exciting to me…The whole thing with wanting fame went out of the door with me getting saved. I didn’t really want to do it…but it was like a calling…it was on my heart like really seriously, so I had to just go with it.
What’s the name of the church that you attend?
About My Father’s Business Outreach Ministries.
Where is that?
It’s in northeast Washington, DC, right on New York Avenue.
What do you like about your church?
It’s basically in the middle of 2 men’s shelters a women’s shelter. I mean, like, at any given time you can look out the window of the church on Sunday service and see homeless people walking up and down the street. It’s prime for missions…we go out in the streets and it’s…I don’t really know the words I’m looking for, but we do a lot of outreach stuff…We don’t have a lot of programs in church [as they would likely have in larger churches]…It gave me a new respect for…Jehovah’s Witnesses. They evangelize. They go out. They get on your nerves. You see them coming, you lock your door, you don’t answer. I just gained a respect for what they do, you know what I mean? That’s basically kind of the mentality that we have is just to evangelize and be out in the street and just to bring people, we’ve had lots and lots of homeless people in our church. They come to church on Sunday morning because we go out into the street and evangelize during the week.
So what made you even start to say that you’re going to record a song?
Um, it’s funny…I was solo after the group had broken up [and] I started working with Kwamé for a while. That is right around the time he did ‘On Fire’ for Lloyd Banks, and he was in a little small apartment type studio in Harlem. I got introduced to him through my lawyer at the time, and we started writing some songs together. and everything was, you know, coming along really nice, but a lot of my songs started taking on this kind of positive empowerment song type stuff…One of the last songs that I did with him…was called ‘Talk to Me.’ I did it to try to get on Angie Stone’s project at the time that she was working on like a few years ago…It didn’t make it onto the album, but I kept it…‘Talk to Me’ is not on the album, but I’m just letting you know that it was very spiritual. Like, I didn’t say the name of God but anybody with a brain would know what I’m talking about when they hear the song. It just felt right to do that type of music. I was like ‘Ok, let me try do another song like that and see,’ and it just kinda started formulating into a sound…I actually recorded that song before I got saved. It all kind of started linking up. And then once I got saved, I was thinking ‘Well, maybe I’ll just record some more songs and this time I’ll say Jesus’s name and see how it comes out.’
A year before all of this would you have thought you’d be where you are today?
Not at all. A gospel singer? Like me? Un-unh, no way.
iNDIGO’s song, ‘Talk to Me’ reminded me of what I call Christian ambiguous music, so I explained how back in my college days when The Sounds of Blackness and The Winans were very popular, they often used words like “you” and “my love” where it could take on different meanings for different audiences (basically for the mass music world and the Christian gospel world).
What’s your opinion on just saying “I love Jesus,” “I love God,” “I love being a Christian” in a song? Do you think it matters?
That’s a really good question. I’ve never been asked that before…
<Insert journalist equivalent of “ca-ching!” I just love to get someone thinking about something they hadn’t been asked before.>
…For me, I didn’t feel comfortable calling myself a gospel artist and not using the name of God. That’s just me. You know what I mean? I mean like I said, once I recorded a few songs before getting saved and they were kind of taking on that direction. I mean, I was still in the mindframe that if I continue to still sing solo, I want to be a female empowerment type of artist, but I wasn’t in the mindframe of a Christian artist even though I knew what I had written that song about. But I’m at the point in my walk. You know? I think everybody has to be comfortable in their own walk…nobody is perfect. If you need to build yourself up to that, then the point is you’re on your way. For me…I have to say the name of God. I have to ‘cause I want people to be very clear about this transformation that has taken place in my life and not to guess who it was the result of. It was because of this person and his name is Jesus Christ. I want you to know that. I don’t want you to be confused.
JesusGroupie.com
Continuing from the last question…
At the same time, I know you have the website JesusGroupie.com, and that doesn’t sound like someone staying away from the limelight.
(laughs) The way that it started, it wasn’t about me. It was one of those things where I had an idea. I felt like it was divinely inspired, and I was really intimidated to be quite honest. Nothing really intimidates me, but the idea of starting a company, I was like ‘I don’t know what the heck I’m doing. I won’t be successful. I won’t know what to do.’ So I had the idea like early in 2007, and I kept writing down little ideas and stuff, but I never moved forward, and then, when my dad, right around the time he really got sick and took a turn for the worse in July. It just lit a fire under me, like once he died [I realized] you only have 1 life to live. You’re not promised tomorrow. What do you have to lose? You can bring attention, if nothing else…to the gospel in…your own unique way. I wanted to basically platform people who are doing positive things, who are saved, who are hip. They’re trendy, they’re not frumpy, you know, they have a lot going on, a lot of good things going on. That’s where it all started…With the clothes, it was just one of those things. I really had it in my mind that I really want to do Christian clothes, but I don’t think anybody’s gonna want it. So, I tried one thing, and then one design led to two, and two designs led to three, and people were really receptive to it.
So this has been a whirlwind couple of years?
Basically. Everything basically started last year [2007]. Jesus Groupie wasn’t technically established. The website was launched in August of 2007. I was kind of learning my way around. I don’t know what the heck I’m doing still, but you know, God is in control, and I just keep that in mind.
What success have you had with Jesus Groupie? Is it more than you expected?
It’s definitely more than I expected, but I’m not getting rich off of it or anything at this point…It just feels good. I’ve been at the hair salon…just different places, and I’ll see somebody with the shirt on and I’m like ‘Wow!’ That’s just amazing to me. People I don’t even know. [The tee shirts] are enough to cause a conversation. It’s not about the website or the business itself. It’s about Jesus. So that’s the part that makes me smile on the inside. Whether or not somebody says ‘Hey, you can get this shirt at JesusGroupie.com’ I don’t really care about that, but if it inspires some kind of conversation, a dialog between 2 people, and people are like ‘Oh, that’s cute. What does that mean?’ then I’m happy with that, too.
What about Christians who question Jesus Groupie and the message? Even since my promo post about you, I have seen at least one other blog write something questioning the use of Jesus and Groupie within the context of Christianity where they were basically offended. What do you have to say to the people that feel that way?
Christ doesn’t care how you come to him. He just wants you to come. Like, sometimes, you have to get knocked on your face…we do so much stuff for us, for us, for us, and we don’t give God the glory. We’re so busy giving ourselves the glory so sometimes He has to…say ‘Look! You’re gonna have to really call on Me. I’m the one who gave you all of this. I’m the one who gives you life and gives you breath to breathe.’ So when you’re laying there and you and you’re on your back, who do you turn to? Who do you call on? Like when you’re sick, you’re like ‘Jesus,’ ‘God’ help me…That’s how most people operate.
So I’m saying all that to say that I don’t really trivialize and…try to go in those little areas because to me, whether it’s tee shirts or jewelry or people out in the streets with signs and banners. Like whatever it takes to cause a dialog about Christ…It can’t be a bad thing to get a conversation about God. You know what I mean?…I had this one lady send me an [offensive] email…because…I have a shirt that says ‘Pretty Girls Love Christ Too.’ She took offense to it because in her mind, ‘Oh you know you think because you look a certain way, you give back to vanity, and God is not smiling on that,’ and I’m like ‘Lady, you don’t even understand. Anybody can wear this shirt.’ It’s so many people with like low self esteem and have gotten further and further away from the gospel and thinking that, you know, you can’t be cool…You have to look a certain way to worship God. Totally, not the case. There’s a lot of teenage girls that I’ve come across that…didn’t know that you…could still look cute and be a Christian and be saved. People actually think that.
I’m like not trying to make disciples out of disciples. I was unsaved 2 years ago. If God can save me, he can save anybody, but you have to reach the people who aren’t in the church or who aren’t already there, who aren’t already saved.
Debut Album: The iNDI1st Project…Breakthrough
Tell me about your album.
The whole album is my creative vision even from the cover art. It’s just a picture of my face, and it’s just totally black around me because I’m kind of saying that I’m coming out of the darkness into the light type of thing.
How do you plan to promote your album?
The album…I’m putting out independently. I don’t have major distribution or a deal at this point, but tomorrow December 6th, I’m having an album release concert at The Temple of Praise in Washington, DC…at 6pm. I’ll be selling the cd’s tomorrow for the first time that particular night, but officially the release is Tuesday the 9th [of December]…
I don’t have a plan per se. Things cost money…I’ve been so blessed. One of the most major radio stations in this area for gospel, Praise 101.4 which is one of the Radio One stations, has picked up my song ‘Search In My Heart,’ and it’s been in regular rotation for about 2 months now…I basically sent the Program Director an email. I wasn’t realistically thinking he was going to hit me back. I mean, nobody hits you back when they’re at that level. ‘Hey, I’m an artist! Can you play my song?’ It wasn’t quite that simple but, in a nutshell, you know what I mean? I gave him a link to the myspace page on the email, and he hit me back 2 days later and said he wanted to have a meeting with me, and from that point then we did an interview together on air and about 2 days after that, I started getting calls from people like ‘I just heard you on the radio!’ and I’m like ‘What?’
So how was that moment for you?
I didn’t hear it. I was in the movies and I was getting texts and people were like you’re song is on the radio, and I’m like ‘I’m in the movies!’ but I’ve heard it several times since then, and every time I’m kind of in awe, like ‘Wow!’ like God is so good, you know? It’s kind of like everything that I’m trying to do has been shown and proved because God is kind of making it really simple for it to happen. On the RnB side, it was like struggle-struggle-struggle, years-years-years…and I finally believe that this is where God wanted me to be all along. I just wasn’t in tune enough with Him to see it.
I can relate to that.
Ya, it’s like, why doesn’t everything pan out for me? Why is this not working? I’m doing everything right…and it’s still not taking it to this point, and then after only a few months of doing something on the gospel side, God is just opening doors-opening doors-opening doors as if He were saying, ‘I was waiting for you to catch up with Me.’ Like ‘What took you so long?’ I’m just (pauses) I don’t have any worries. There was one point at the beginning of this year that I was like ‘I really, really want a deal.’ I took a couple of meetings or whatever, and…I kept procrastinating. I had this album done for months. I was just afraid to put it out by myself. I wanted a stamp of something major [as in major record deal], but God kept telling me that ‘You just need to step out there on your own faith and trust Me.’…I’ve had so many interesting meetings. Finally, God was like …’Just do it, and all of this other stuff will come,’ You know what I mean? ‘The distribution in the stores that you want your stuff be in all across the country. It’ll come, just do it now. Just start now.’
I like the song ‘Thank You For Giving Me You’. That’s the song I listen to the most when I go to your myspace page.
Ya?
I like the melody in it and the message.
That’s actually one of my favorites, but it didn’t make the album.
It didn’t?!?
No…I recorded about, um, I don’t know like 30 songs and I had to pick like 12. It was really difficult to pick songs, but you know some stuff is political or whatever. Sometimes people have samples in their music that, you know, as an independent artist…you can’t afford to clear…There were just some songs that I just couldn’t use this time around.
Well, that was my vote.
Aww, well once you hear the entire album, I’m very sure you’ll hear something that you like. (laughs) That song ['Thank You For Giving Me You'] is really hot. I’m trying to ask and see if maybe I can sell it to another gospel artist on their project or something and see what happens with that.
Do you write all your own songs?
Not all of them, no. I try to be involved. I probably wrote or wrote on about 75% of the songs on this album, but there were a lot of other writers involved. [Tyra McKinsey] wrote about 7 of the songs…she’s very talented, and then Isaiah D. Thomas who is a stellar award winning artist and producer. He did 2…songs.
Small Talk
I read on your myspace page that your father passed away recently. Did you write anything on the album in his honor?
No, I didn’t do any music on my album dedicated to my dad or anything, but the music video that I shot in January of this year was dedicated to him. At the end of the video, it actually says dedicated to his name, and it has his birthdate and when he passed. I was like mad close to my dad. He had lung cancer…he was smoking cigarettes since he was 15 years old. He died relatively young like 52 when he passed..
I noticed that you and Jamie Jones are friends.
Ya, we’re mad cool. I’ve actually worked with her quite a bit. Her manager is my business partner. His name is Reggie, and we’re all a part of his [company] X-posure Entertainment. So we’re pretty close knit all of us…I think that 2009 might be a big year for X-posure entertainment. We’ll see.
Where to find more info on iNDIGO
Where can us fans get a hold of your album?
CD Baby, iTunes, Yahoo! Music, all those digital outlets as well, and then when I go from church to church and different events, you know, I’ll have my product with me.
Thank you, Dove, for setting up another great interview opportunity with one of your clients.
Thank you, iNDIGO, for being the first interviewee to ask for me by name rather than “this is your 4 o’ clock”…lol. You are very talented and just beginning your journey. I wish you much success.
…”The Green Ball: Inauguration of a New Green Economy” will be held Jan. 19 at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington.
A draft version of the invitation, obtained by The Washington Times, urges people to join Mr. Gore to “bring together a diverse coalition of environmentally-forward organizations, entrepreneurs, scientists and advocates, celebrating a commitment to growing the New Green Economy.”
More than two dozen environmental organizations are listed on the invitation…
…Meanwhile, a second group is planning a “green inaugural ball,” calling it the first “eco-friendly” inaugural celebration. It is planned for Jan. 17 at the Andrew W. Mellon auditorium in Washington.
A press release issued Wednesday notes the catering will be “100 percent organic” and that the bars will feature both local and organic beverages. The food waste and floral arrangements will be composted and the lighting scheme will be energy efficient. The group will also pay for wind power offsets and carbon credits to make the event carbon neutral…
…The schedule of events includes:
Sunday, Jan 18: A welcome afternoon event open to the public.
Monday, Jan. 19: Mr. Obama, Vice President-elect Joe Biden and their families “will participate in activities dedicated to serving others in communities across the Washington, D.C., area.” Those activities will be in connection with congressional recognition of the King holiday as “a national day of community service.”
Tuesday, Jan. 20: Traditional inaugural ceremonies, including the swearing-in on the West Front of the Capitol, a lunch in the Capitol’s Statuary Hall, the 56th Inaugural Parade and official inaugural balls in the evening.
Wednesday, Jan. 21: Mr. Obama and Mr. Biden will participate in a prayer service.
Hosted by Actress Gabrielle Union, “THE BET HONORS” Recognizes the Accomplishments of Tyler Perry, Mary J. Blige, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, B. Smith, Judith Jamison and Congressman James E. Clyburn Inaugural Ball to Support America’s Promise Alliance and Washington, D.C.’s Dunbar High School And the Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Last update: 12:08 p.m. EST Dec. 15, 2008
NEW YORK, Dec 15, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — BET Networks kicks off the inaugural festivities in Washington, D.C., with the second annual BET HONORS on Saturday, January 17 and concludes with BET’s first-ever Inaugural Ball on Tuesday, January 20.
Hosted by world renowned actress Gabrielle Union, THE BET HONORS will celebrate legendary songstress Mary J. Blige (Entertainment), groundbreaking filmmaker Tyler Perry (Media), celebrated dancer and choreographer Judith Jamison (Education), businessman, philanthropist and basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson (Corporate Citizen), entrepreneur extraordinaire B. Smith (Entrepreneur), and the Honorable Congressman James E. Clyburn (Public Service). The second annual event will take place at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, January 17 and premiere on the network during Black History Month on Monday, February 9 at 9:00 p.m.*
“We are thrilled to kick off this historic inauguration weekend with the return of THE BET HONORS, a truly inspirational event that pays tribute to extraordinary individuals in our community,” said Debra L. Lee, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BET Networks. “And it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly that THE BET HONORS and the Inauguration are happening within days of each other, as President-elect Barack Obama epitomizes all that we had in mind when we first put this show together. I’m certain that this year’s BET HONORS will be even more poignant and powerful than we could have ever imagined.”
“THE BET HONORS recognizes excellence in achievement and celebrates inspiration,” said Stephen Hill, President of Programming, BET Networks. “Last year’s inaugural show had a number of leave-your-seat performances dedicated to our honorees. This year, we’re finding new ways to musically pay tribute so look forward to fresh, unforgettable moments. The pride will show.”
During the historic weekend and following THE BET HONORS, BET Networks will host its first-ever Inaugural Ball and will air a one-hour special, YES WE WILL! BET’S INAUGURAL CELEBRATION, on BET on Tuesday, January 20. Taking place at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, the Ball will be in support of our next generation of national and local leaders, with proceeds benefiting America’s Promise Alliance, the nation’s largest non-profit alliance dedicated to the well-being of children and youth founded by Colin and Alma Powell.
Additionally, the Ball will support two institutions that are committed to the education and advancement of today’s youth in Washington, D.C. – Dunbar High School and the Duke Ellington School of the Arts.
“As we celebrate this historic inauguration and begin a new chapter in our nation’s history, it’s important that we stay focused on our most precious resource — our children and youth,” said Alma J. Powell, chair, America’s Promise Alliance. “We are deeply honored to partner with BET to raise awareness of the challenges facing our young people — and applaud those making a positive difference in their communities. We cannot afford to stand still as more than a million students drop out of high school every year.”
About THE BET HONORS
Last year’s honorees included Alicia Keys, Tyra Banks, Dr. Cornel West, Richard Parsons, the Honorable Maxine Waters and Janice Bryant Howroyd. Hosted by Cedric “The Entertainer,” the first annual event boasted performances and presentations by Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, Wyclef Jean, Gladys Knight, Brian McKnight, Blair Underwood and Vivica A. Fox, just to name a few.
Stephen Hill, President of Programming, BET Networks, and Lynne Harris Taylor, Vice President of Specials, BET Networks, are the show’s executive producers, along with John Cossette of John Cossette Productions.
For up-to-the-minute and archival press information including releases and photographs, visit BET’s press-only Web site at www.bet.com/pr.
*All times ET/PT
About the 2009 BET Honorees
MARY J. BLIGE – Mary J. Blige is an eight-time Grammy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actress who has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide.
TYLER PERRY – Tyler Perry is a remarkable playwright, screenwriter, actor and director and producer known for his very funny yet poignant plays and movies. Over the years, many credited Perry with resuscitating (and reinventing) African-American theater. Perry’s first eight plays reportedly earned a cumulative gross of more than $75 million in ticket and video sales.
EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON – Earvin “Magic” Johnson is Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises. Through strategic investments, partnerships and endorsements, Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE) provides products and services that focus on ethnically diverse urban communities. As Chairman and Founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation, he is dedicated to developing programs and supporting services that address the educational, health and social needs of those residing in minority communities. Mr. Johnson is universally known for his 13 year career in the NBA. His honors include: five national championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, three MVP awards, 12 NBA All-Star games, a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Mr. Johnson is also Vice President and part owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.
CONGRESSMAN JAMES E. CLYBURN – Congressman James E. Clyburn is an illustrious politician and House Majority Whip, the third-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. In 1992 he became the first African American elected to the House of Representatives from South Carolina since 1897. He proudly represents South Carolina’s 6th Congressional district, the state’s only majority-black district, which includes Florence, Sumter and large portions of Columbia and Charleston. He is second African American (behind Bill Gray of Pennsylvania) and the first South Carolinian to serve as Majority Whip.
JUDITH JAMISON – Judith Jamison is a celebrated dancer, choreographer, and artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, and recognized by the U.S. Congress as a vital “American Cultural Ambassador to the World.” One of the most renowned figures in modern dance, she has led the Ailey organization to new heights with the opening of a permanent home in New York City — the nation’s largest building for dance. Dedicated to asserting the prominence of the arts in our culture, Ms. Jamison is an author and a recipient of a primetime Emmy Award and many of the nation’s most prestigious honors given to artists.
B. SMITH – B. Smith is a former fashion model turned restaurateur, television host, author, entrepreneur and entertainer extraordinaire who is widely regarded as an expert when it comes to casual but elegant living. A seasoned culinary expert who was recognized by Elle DA(C)cor as one of America’s 10 most outstanding non-professional chefs, Smith is the owner of three successful B. Smith restaurants in New York, Washington D.C., and the scenic Long Island Hampton village of Sag Harbor.
About America’s Promise Alliance
America’s Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest partnership alliance comprised of corporations, nonprofit organizations, foundations, policymakers, advocacy and faith groups committed to ensuring that children receive the fundamental resources — the Five Promises — they need to lead successful, healthy and productive lives and build a stronger society. Building on the legacy of our founder General Colin Powell, the Alliance believes the success of our children is grounded in experiencing the Five Promises — caring adults; safe places; a healthy start; an effective education; and opportunities to help others — at home, in school and in the community. For more information about America’s Promise Alliance, visit www.americaspromise.org.
About BET Networks
VIA.B, is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 87 million households according to Nielsen Media Research, and can be seen in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET Digital Networks – BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, an extension of BET network programming for global distribution.
According to news reports, Peterson announced his engagement to an unidentified woman, even though he is still officially married to Stacy Peterson. Stacy who has been missing since last year, October, 2007…
(source: Crime Suite 101)
Glenn Selig said the 54-year-old former police sergeant has been seeing the woman for about four months. She’s the same age Stacy was when she disappeared last October. If they marry, she will be Peterson’s fifth wife.
“This is a private matter as far as we’re concerned,” Selig said. “And he’s entitled to be happy.”…
(source: Boston Herald)
Drew must have some serious mojo to lure in another lady the same age as murdered former wife Stacy Peterson less than a year later. Ladies, do not marry a man that has been married 4 times and 2 of the former wives have ended up dead.
To tell the truth, I really struggled with putting this particular interview together. It’s not at all because of lack of interest, rather, Toya is such a multifaceted, multi-talented young woman. Capturing all of her interests was perhaps one of my most challenging moments since starting this blog. I had so much great content, the open canvas of my own blog, and no rules about editing down content that I’ve decided to break this interview into a 2 part series. You are currently reading Part 1 of 2 which focuses on all of Toya’s passions and pursuits. Part 2 will solely focus on Toya’s perspectives and experiences as a Black woman who chooses to wear her hair natural.
Enjoy! ~Affrodite
- – - – - – - – - – - -
After speaking to Toya a little over a month ago, I was reassured that you can do it all. If you recall in my promo post, I initially was connected to her through Media Relations at NPR who announced that Toya caught their attention, out thousands of submissions, and her essay entitled “Natural” was selected for NPR’s weekly “This I Believe” segment hosted by Michel Martin. The original segment aired on Thursday, October 16, 2008, but you can still find it online in their archives by searching for that date or simply clicking HERE. For ladies who have been along the natural hair journey, no matter where you are in the process, her essay is worth reading as well one of her blogs called The Life Of A Ladybug where you can find, among many other beauty secrets, natural hair care product information.
However, Toya’s life does not begin and end with her essay. She is a mom to a beautiful 5 year old daughter and married to a supportive and loving husband for the past 6 1/2 years. Just that information alone starts to defy many of the negative stereotypes that plague our community. A native of Baltimore, Toya graduated from Western Senior High School- a well respected and one of two all girls public high schools in the country. From there, Toya pursued her bachelor’s in American Studies (Communications and Popular Culture focus) and a minor in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. By day, Toya works for the Federal Government. So many of us stop there, and perhaps Toya would have, too, but the birth of her daughter 5 years ago ignited something in Toya to make some changes from the way she wore her hair to pursuing her passions. When asked how she makes time for everything, Toya laughed and said:
“I don’t know…I’m really busy, but I love everything that I do. To me, that’s the way to do it. If you love everything you do, it’s not a chore, it’s not work. It’s something that I enjoy.”
Later in our conversation, Toya added:
“I could not do what I do if it weren’t for his [her husband's] hard work and his support…He has things that he’s a part of, and I have to do the same thing for him…We really are a really good team, and I am blessed to have that.”
I hope I manage to give her story justice in this post because I literally left the conversation feeling inspired. As a womanof color or even just as a woman, there are so many messages and obstacles and expectations that can truly derail you if you let them. Toya is a fine example of someone who has charted her own course and loving every minute of it.
How did you get started belly dancing?
“I’ve been dancing for a little over 5 years now…When I got back to work after maternity leave, they were offering a belly dance class in the fitness center at my job. I just thought that would be something that I would want to do, something different to try to get off the baby weight, you know? So, I went down and took the class and after the first few classes, the teacher there said to me ‘you seem to have a talent for this, and I really think you should come to my serious class…’
…So, I did start going to her class, and I really enjoyed it. After a while, she invited me to join the [belly dance] troupe that she had. I did that for a while, but after a while, I noticed the style that she was teaching wasn’t really speaking to me much, and I wanted to go a little further.
Right around the same time, I went to a show at the…Baltimore Museum of Art…and in this show was this [belly dance troupe] entirely of Black women. It was the first time I had ever seen that…So, I said to myself then ‘One day, I want to dance with those girls.’”
Over time, Toya wanted to expand her belly dancing style and approached her instructor…
“She [belly dance instructor] said to me, ‘I know a person that I think you will enjoy. Her name is Lotus Niraja. You should go take her classes.’ So, I looked her up. I went to take her classes, and come to find out this is the same lady that I saw on stage at the museum.
…I took her class for about 2 years and then she had auditions for her troupe. I was terrified, but my husband talked me into it, and I auditioned for her troupe, and I got in, and that’s when I became a professional dancer.
So, it was like full circle. I sat in that audience and said, ‘I want to dance with those girls,’ and 2 years later, I was. So, I’ve been dancing as a part of her troupe for 3 years, and I’ve also been a soloist outside of the troupe…”
Do you have a dance background?
“I have never done any serious kind of dance training. This is my very first entrance into serious dance.”
How do you all get along personally?
“It’s a sisterhood. It’s a family…We travel together. We stay together. We dance together. At this point, we’re pretty much each other’s closest friends.”
How frequently do you practice?
“We’re in rehearsal at a minimum of twice a week, and when we’re [preparing] for a show, we’re in rehearsal up to 5 times a week.”
The troupe of 6 beautiful women is called the Niraja Dance Company (NDC) and is based in Baltimore, Maryland. All of the dancers in the troupe are women of African descent, making them the only troupe, in this dance form, of its kind. NDC has performed all across the US and has plans to expand its reach through performances in Canada next year. Ultimately, the troupe aspires to tour globally.
For more information on Niraja Dance Company, go to:
where you can navigate to information about the NDC or their instructor Lotus Niraja. Toya dances under the name “Makeda Maysá” (Makeda is the name of one of her blogs, discussed later in this article). They have also been featured on several DVDs for the International Academeny of Middle Eastern Dance. If you do a search for “Lotus Niraja” on youtube, you will find several of their performances online. I have included one below:
Toya has enjoyed wearing and experimenting with makeup since she was a little girl. She now runs her own makeup artistry business called Makeda Makeup Artistry- makedamakeupartistry.com.
When did you decide to become a professional makeup artist?
“I’ve been doing makeup professionally about as long as I’ve been belly dancing…Again, not too long after my daughter was born that I decided that I didn’t want to fall into just being ‘Mommy’ and nothing else. I wanted to continue to pursue what I enjoy. So, I decided to go to a local school to get my makeup artistry license…I started out as a freelancer because I didn’t want to be tied down to any one brand. I didn’t want to have to market or sell any one brand. So as a freelance artist, I can use whatever I like.”
Who are your clients?
“I do a lot of proms and weddings…I also do classes/workshops where ladies just want to go in and learn to do a certain look or just want help on how to do their own makeup. I also do shopping trips with ladies because they just don’t know what kind of [makeup] looks best on them. I will even go to the store with them and say ‘this is really what you need to look your best.’”
Along the same vein as her makeup artistry, Toya also maintains a beauty blog called The Life Of A Ladybug- lifeofaladybug.typepad.com. This blog is her original blog, launched about 3 years ago, that eventually evolved its content to be solely about beauty.
Tell me about your beauty blog, The Life of a Ladybug.
“I talk about lots of the different products that are out on the market and whether or not those products are good for women of color- what they can offer, what they can’t offer.”
Included in The Life of A Ladybug are a few different series. I’ve summarized them below for you. Check her Categories when you get to her blog as well.
Affordable Alternatives. In this series, Toya takes an expensive cosmetic product and offers a comparable product at a more affordable price point.
Bronzers for Brown Girls. With bronzers being a popular option, many women of color have struggled with how to best use them considering they already have skin within the bronze range of tones.
Ladybug Love features products that are Toya’s favorites.
Natural Hair Care Products features products that work well with women of African descent with natural hair.
Toya’s other blog is called “Makeda.”This is Toya’s second blog, launched about a year ago, as an outgrowth of the first one. After deciding to make the focus of her Life Of A Ladybug blog about beauty, Makeda became her new blog to focus on all of her other interests. You’ll see the name Makeda used in Toya’s makeup artistry business and belly dancing which had me curious as to the significance of the name to her.
Why did you choose the name Makeda for your blog?
“It was the proper name of the Queen of Sheba, and I’ve been fascinated with her my whole life, since I was a little girl.”
Makeda means “beautiful,” and if you’d like to learn more about the history of the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba, I’m starting you out with a wikipedia link HERE.
The blog Makeda covers:
Updates on her involvement as a professional belly dancer
Politics
Pop Culture
Issues facing the Black community
- – - – - – - – - – - – -
This ends the first part of our interview. The next post (coming soon!), as described at the beginning of this post, will feature our intriguing discussion on natural hair.
The one great thing about writing more is that I’m reading more. So true is the statement that knowledge is power. I love folk music but have had limited exposure. Today, I said hello Odetta’s musical life and good bye to Odetta’s physical life.
This is the first video I found on youtube and I’m already hooked. Her music is soulful and resounding. Not many people have the gift of singing in a way that allows you to get in touch with feeling behind the lyrics.
Odetta sings “Glory Halleluja” at “Satyagraha: Gandhi’s ‘Truth Force’ in the Age of Climate Change” presented by the Garrison Institute on April 13, 2008 at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City.
Odetta, the singer whose deep voice wove together the strongest songs of American folk music and the civil rights movement, died on Tuesday at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan. She was 77.
The cause was heart disease, said her manager, Doug Yeager. He added that she had been hoping to sing at Barack Obama’s inauguration…
…Odetta sang at the march on Washington, a pivotal event in the civil rights movement, in August 1963. Her song that day was “O Freedom,” dating to slavery days: “O freedom, O freedom, O freedom over me, And before I’d be a slave, I’d be buried in my grave, And go home to my Lord and be free.”
…“a majestic figure in American music, a direct gateway to bygone generations that feel so foreign today.”
“If only one could be sure that every 50 years a voice and a soul like Odetta’s would come along, the centuries would pass so quickly and painlessly we would hardly recognize time”
– Maya Angelou, Poet Laureate
When she was 19 years old, Odetta landed a role in the Los Angeles production of Finian’s Rainbow, which was staged in the summer of 1949 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles…The following summer, Odetta was again performing in summer stock in California. This time it was a production of Guys and Dolls, staged in San Francisco. Hanging out in North Beach during her days off, Odetta had her first experience with the growing local folk music scene….
…Pete Seeger and Harry Belafonte had both taken an interest in her career by this time, and her debut album, The Tin Angel, was released in 1954. From this time forward, Odetta worked to expand her repertoire and make full use of what she has always termed her “instrument.” When she began singing, she was considered a coloratura soprano. As she matured, she became more of a mezzo-soprano. Her experience singing folk music led her to discover a vocal range that runs from coloratura to baritone.
Odetta’s most productive decade as a recording artist came in the 1960s, when she released 16 albums, including Odetta at Carnegie Hall, Christmas Spirituals, Odetta and the Blues, It’s a Mighty World, and Odetta Sings Dylan. In 1999 she released her first studio album in 14 years, Blues Everywhere I Go. Vanguard Records has released two excellent Odetta compilations: The Essential Odetta (1989) and Best of the Vanguard Years (1999). On September 29, 1999, President Bill Clinton presented Odetta with the National Endowment for the Arts’ Medal of the Arts, a fitting tribute to one of the great treasures of American music.
The next few years found Odetta releasing some new full-length albums, including Livin’ with the Blues and a collection of Leadbelly tunes, Looking for a Home. She toured North America, Latvia, and Scotland during this time and was mentioned in Martin Scorsese’s 2005 documentary, No Direction Home. That same year Odetta released Gonna Let It Shine, which went on to receive a 2007 Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Folk Album.
50% of your donation (less Pay Pal fees) will go to Emerge Global charity (http://emergeglobal.org/). The other 50% funds the sweat equity I put into my work for your enjoyment. My hope is that one day I will be able to donate 100% to charity.
). Besides, iNDIGO has an absolutely beautiful voice and is so multi-faceted and is so multi-talented that it would truly be silly or dare I say “sinful” of me to deny you exposure to an up and coming artist with a fantastic story to share.
After speaking with Jocelyn AKA iNDIGO a few weeks ago, I was left with a few lasting impressions. Here is a young lady who seems to be someone who would prefer to stay away from the spotlight but whose life’s path has put her front and center of the spotlight. She never set out to be a gospel singer, as you’ll read. Even when it came to college, it was something she did because people said it’s what you do. Her bachelor’s degree from Bowie State in Sociology was essentially an exercise of “eenie meenie miney mo” as she put it. As such, this wasn’t one of those intensively self indulgent, self promoting interviews, rather very humble, modest words from a lady with a creative gift, amazing vocals, business savvy, and the willingness to take some leaps of faith as she molds her career as a singer and entrepreneur.
Comments