the sanskrit word ‘vasana’ loosely translated means essence or inclination, and in ancient vedantic teachings, it is believed that each person is born with various vasanas; some more dominant than others but all present & constant throughout that individual’s life. whilst i easily recognise the vasanas i came to the earth with, my life experience makes a solid case for the influence one’s environment has, irrespective of the essential inclinations.

whilst my essence lies primarily in the realm of the arts, my education in knowing & understanding The Self has definitely occurred as a result of my time so far in the school of life.

i don’t have a linear story that makes complete sense, and i probably would have been much less of myself had that been my experience - i’ve done some cool things; in my early 20’s i was supervising the loading of cars, sharks, platinum bars & human remains onto jumbo jets; i’ve travelled across the country with bands & have even sang in front of an actual audience (anyone who knows me well will know that this is one of my biggest fears, hence the sense of pride you may have picked up on in that last one).

the valleys of my life are just as interesting & spectacularly terrifying as a result. i don’t often share my tribulations with anyone and as such, tend to need a little help in lifting my spirits & keeping my eyes to the sky, as it were… to that end, this post is a selection of tracks that take my mind off the troubles & move my heart into a place of possibility once again

Through The Fire - Chaka Khan

http://youtu.be/6QUwDBF53bc

pretty obvious, me thinks? i mean, chaka khan’s voice - walking through fire.. it all makes for a superb story. and this lady has a voice yo

Against All Odds - Tupac Amaru Shakur

http://youtu.be/6QUwDBF53bc

one of the best diss songs of all time, this is my angry music. at the height of the east/west coast beef, pac recorded this album & cemented his place in the history of gangster rap as a poet & a thug, in equal measure. personally, the anger that is so palpable on this record scares me a little. but then it was a scary time. i know all the words - now that’s scary. but everyone needs to blow off a little steam every now & then.

Creed - Higher

http://youtu.be/sHcYaS3m1c4

if i told you that i’d felt nirvana (the feeling, not the band) dancing to this song with my eyes closed, you’d probably think me slightly unstable. but i have (it was during a meditation workshop, to give that last statement a little bit of context) and it still has the ability to alter my state of mind by the time we reach the first chorus. it does require a bit of surrender because most people can’t get past the band’s religious beliefs, but well worth a try.

Stretch - Ryan Montbleau Band

http://youtu.be/_M5ZPnz6SsE

folksy musicians somehow have this ability to make me happy & sad, all at the same time. the piano, guitar & ryan’s voice are simply mesmerising & i love the lyrics of this song, especially the part that goes ‘stretch my limbs into wings’…

I Believe - Sounds of Blackness

http://youtu.be/_M5ZPnz6SsE

just about the only part of church that i don’t disagree with is the singing. it’s the part that stirs my soul & is most honest & untainted as far as all of that goes, in my opinion. sometimes the things we face are bigger than our minds can comprehend in terms of solving them - and that’s cool. we’re only human. but that’s when i find i gots to take it to church (figuratively) and let the universe take care of the things i can’t.

peace out, one love & always remember to believe.

when i was a kid, all i wanted was to grow up so that i could become anita baker, the jazz/soul singer who captivated my imagination from around the age of 4. her voice sounded like warm honey & i knew all the lyrics to most of her songs, (i still do) and was ever so pleased to do my impression of her, complete with trademark side-to-side swaying & semi-spastic head jerking, whenever anyone asked me to sing for them.

so, now that i’ve imparted that useless piece of information and embarrassed myself in the process, this post is named after anita’s 1983 masterpiece and is an ode to the women who make my musical world go around - here’s to the songstresses.

Ella Fitzgerald - Summertime

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCOe9OLsR2U&feature=related

miss ella reminds me of my favourite story about my gran - she was a singer, and on one particular occasion, was invited to sing alongside the legendary thandi klaasen at a popular soweto jazz club. she took to the stage, and the audience was so taken with her ella-esque voice, that they insisted she carry on singing - eventually thandi graciously relinquished the stage to the novice who had stolen the spotlight.

ella is one of the icons who sang freedom into being for countless african-americans - her voice is unmistakable, and is regarded by many to have near-perfect intonation and pitch. you understand when listening to her rendition of this jazz standard, just why she is called the first lady of song.

Florence + The Machine - Rabbit Heart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1pHDEAvqwE&feature=relmfu

i have a thing for music that envelopes me & transports me to a parallel universe - miss welch’s voice does that, and then some. lungs is one of those albums you can play in its entirety and listen to for hours on end, because you’re always finding something you hadn’t heard before. the drums that take ownership of your heartbeat & florence’s voice that reaches seemingly impossible notes are some of my favourite sounds to hear. plus i love the fact that she’s got the whole wiccan thing happening - reminds me of myself as a teen. blessed be

Alicia Keys - If I Ain’t Got You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhPAK8HjcPI

the reason i’ve chosen to use a live recording of the classically-trained pianist & one of the few actual musicians in popular music, is to give a sense of the immense talent that lies in the pop-friendly packaging that is alicia keys. not just a pretty face & an incredible musician, girl’s also smart - it’s a well-known fact that after graduating from a performing arts school, the then 16yr-old was accepted to attend the prestigious columbia university & chose to pursue her career as a solo artist instead. her music is rich with an intelligence, artistry & dignity that is sorely lacking in the the recording industry today - this is stuff i’ll be schooling my daughter about one day.

Evanescence - Bring Me To Life

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YxaaGgTQYM&ob=av2e

this is one of my all-time favourite songs, of absolutely ever. amy lee’s voice has always had a profound effect on me; there’s something eery & other-worldly about it and it takes me back to a time when my black friends were convinced i’d become a satanist because of my strange (to them) taste in music - fun times man. i’ve always been of the opinion that amy could give the best opera singers a run for their money, and then give them a beat-down afterwards just to show how bad-ass she is.

Beyonce - Love On Top

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob7vObnFUJc&ob=av2n

another artist whose talent is often dismissed because of her popularity & over-kill on the radio (i admit, i vomit a little when i hear her voice and i’m not the one who’s playing it). i’ve enjoyed witnessing her voice & music mature over the years and have to give her credit for lyrics that have inspired women to be better and more of themselves in a world that teaches the exact opposite. whilst her image is clearly a product of the marketing machine, her talent is undeniable & her influence on pop culture probably immeasurable. this song is an excellent example of the power in queen b’s voice & reminded me of why i rocked to destiny’s child back in the day.

Brenda Fassie - Weekend Special

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g0hYgsy4Vc

mabrrr, as the crazy queen of bubblegum pop is affectionately known, was one of the most colourful characters to grace south african stages. as is the case with most tortured artists, her insane rock-star life often took centre-stage when her music should have. i had the pleasure of meeting her at a fashion show when i was about 8; she gave me a signed LP (vinyl, for the younger folks) of too late for mama, which went on to become one of the best-loved records in south african history. of course, at that age i wasn’t aware of how incredibly cool that was! every shebeen in the country has seen countless booties shaking to this iconic song & listening to it now conjures up memories of a time when tight white pants & shoulder pads were essential items - and people took pictures (snaps :) holding the house phone or leaning against a tree. if you don’t believe me, go check out your parents’ pics. stroes bob

shap shap

decantophobia is, i believe, the term that is used for the fear of singing in public & is one of the most common phobias found amongst human beings.

judging by the widespread popularity of karaoke, one would have sound reason to question the latter half of the previous statement - every night, in karaoke bars all over the world, people gather to belt out previously amazing songs as badly as possible… and enjoy it.

i’m no expert on human behaviour, and so will not attempt to make sense of the irrational delight some members of our species take in embarrassing themselves for all to see. no, i will not do that.

i will instead, aid these self-flaggelating souls in finding a few fantastic karaoke songs - because i’m innately helpful & all.

(and of course, i’ve tested these all myself)

Bon Jovi - Livin’ on a Prayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_lmzY8iIhg

ok, so when you hear the electronic ooweh-ooweh oohweh-ooweh at the beginning, don’t you just immediately morph into ol’ jonny, rocking some tight leather pants & a trailer park mullet? the thing about rock music is that the vocal ability of the genre’s lead singers is often underestimated - you have to have a special pair of lungs to avoid turning the chorus of this song into a painful scream-fest. but this is karaoke, so bring on the scream-fest.

Whitney Houston - Run To You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9rCobRl-ng&ob=av2e

for all those who don’t want to make the obvious choice & sing miss whitney’s signature tune ‘i will always love you’ (sorry dolly, you wrote it but whitney SANG it), this song is a close runner-up in the karaoke stakes. every black girl in the world clutched a hairbrush in her hand & practised in front of the mirror, so when we choose this on bar-night please people, don’t be surprised. the only thing we forgot was that whitney had a pitch-perfect voice & some church-bred vocal chords with the power of angels behind them. the rest of us… not so much.

Frank Sinatra - Fly Me To The Moon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VXieTCqWzc

again, for those who are above selecting everyman songs like ‘i did it my way’, this classic ol’ blue eyes number will give you instant karaoke cred. simple enough to pull off with minimal effort (if you can hold a tune) and cool enough simply by virtue of song choice if you can’t - you can’t really go wrong with the king of swing.

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD09NuNl830

if you’re just trying to have a good time & don’t really care what you sound like, this beat-backed dance track is for you. you can fluff the lyrics as long as your hips keep moving & you keep an idex finger stabbing at the air. a pair of skin-tight jeans as in the song, a cutie in the crowd listening to you un-sing katy’s song - who could resist, right?

Mariah Carey - Emotions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrJEFrth27Q&ob=av2e

i’ve always been very conflicted over mariah - here’s this voice that can reach notes beyond the 7th octave (which is nearly the entire range of ALL the available notes and the equivalent to vocal genius), a voice that can be arranged in a song so that no actual music is needed - and she makes films like glitter & does shallow things like insure her legs for millions of dollars. whatever my personal views on mariah, one thing is certain - she has an incredible voice with astonishing range. anyone who can sing this song, and well, shouldn’t be singing in a karaoke bar. 

and that is all.

hip-hop, much like television & mcdonald’s, was a little slow in arriving in south africa - so i only came upon the genre that would speak to me, in my own voice, at around the age of 13.

my oldest friend, alex, originally hails from what was then called zaire, and i bless the day he walked into my life & brought with him the beats & rhymes that reinforced in me, a young coloured girl with one foot in the hood & one in white suburbia, a sense of identity & pride when some of my peers were trying to erase their blackness because it didn’t serve them in this lily-white world we inhabited.

hip-hop talked about the violent beauty of ghetto life; it told the story of the hustler & the church-boy, the upwardly mobile sister getting her degree & the 22 year-old mother of 3, the drunken beggar & the pastor - without reservation but most importantly, without judgement.

i knew these people - played hide & seek with hustlers before they chose selling drugs or stealing cars as their destinies; i knew the girl who was hooked on some or other substance because our moms grew up in the same street. i also knew the mothers who lived the lives of saints & the dads who worked tirelessly for 40 years so that their kids could have better lives than they were able to. these are all the faces of my people.

hip-hop told all these stories & gave a voice to what i saw unfolding each weekend we visited my gran. it made sense of the struggles & highlighted the joys of a people with a past so stifled by the laws & regimes of an oppression that sought to destroy its very spirit, that its future remains uncertain to this day - it spoke to the heart of me.

so, told through the voice of hip-hop - this is one part of my story:

Keith Murray - The Rhyme

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3N16ta-_yMs

mr murray came with that typical raw new york gruffness but also came with something i hadn’t heard before - the vocabulary of an english professor. as someone who has a deep & abiding love for my first language, this street cat who spat lyrics like ‘the mad matador of metaphor’ & ‘with mass production of mass conjunctions, i displays the ways of mc destruction’ had me bouncing off the walls with excitement. incredible talent & a wordsmith of the truest - just listen.

Tupac Amaru Shakur - I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRJTQ7FHx0o

if ever an individual embodied the simultaneous dichotomy & unanimity of being an activist & a thug, it was this young man. tupac’s music spoke in equal terms of a brother not only dreaming of, but actually trying to uplift the consciousness of his people & the hard thug nigga who smoked weed & called some women ho’s. he scared the heck out of white america because he was intelligent & articulate - and he carried a gun & hung out with the hustlers on the corner. timeless & deep to the point of bringing me to tears.

The Roots - Never Do What They Do

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qzacv8dtb4&ob=av2e

intellectual hip-hop if ever there was such a thing, any work by the roots demands your full attention. this particular song called out all the bling cats when hip-hop started going commercial & became all about naked women, champagne & borrowed cars in videos - and said everything we’d all been wanting to say…with a finesse that we could only have dreamed of.

Common - The Light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_-qRcHAhzk

this track is how i want the dude who eventually makes it to being my dude who walks with me through this life, to feel about me! the sample is so smooth, its as though it was originally recorded for this track and common’s woman-exalting lyrics make it possible for little ghetto girls to realise that men like this, who feel this way, and treat you like a queen, do exist. never settle for less

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Crossroads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMYAEHE2GrM&feature=related

i can’t hear much of what these guys are actually saying, which meant that i had to read the lyrics online to really get the meaning of their songs BUT the amazing singing-style rap Bone Thugs brought the world is truly one of a kind. this video scared the crap out of me & all my friends but it was so cool you couldn’t help but bop your head, while your hands were covering your eyes.

Da Brat - B Side

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv-6AvCA2yg

yoh! when da brat first dropped, i was in awe of this foul-mouthed beauty with a flow that could rival any guy rapper out there… she was the complete antithesis of the li’l kim’s & foxy brown’s who had to take off their clothes to sell records - she rocked baggy pants & hung with the boys, as their equal. plus she features one of the greatest flow-masters of all time on this track, the notorious BIG - winner all round.

Nas - If I Ruled The World

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW55FRXlPEs&feature=related

i remember opening one particular issue of source magazine & seeing nas’ 5 mics rating in the bible of hip-hop & trying not to scream in the aisle of cna… they were as impressed with this nigga as i was! again, an articulate & incredibly smart brother who spoke life into dreams of becoming somebody - the album ‘it was written’ became an instant classic & a piece of work that i’m not sure nasir jones could surpass in his lifetime. on this track he features one of the greatest female mc’s & singers of our generation, lauryn hill - this one is for all the black diamonds & pearls who have yet to discover their true worth.

needless to say, my journey with this poetry put to music is too expansive to fit into one post…i will dedicate a few more future posts to the voices that helped me find mine.

one love & peace out.

The original background artwork from the television series Samurai Jack by illustrator Scott Wills :: via animationbgs.blogspot.com

wethinkwedream:

infinity-imagined:

Our Sun during a solar flare on January 23rd, 2012.

fun, eventful, surprising week so the music should reflect that. also just trying to make sense of a lot of things, so there’s that too..

here goes :

Josie Field - Without You

one of those ‘dance like no one is watching’ tracks, this josie field song is incredible! strong bassline, brilliant guitar riffs and josie’s remarkable voice make this one of my favourite tracks on her sophomore album, leyland. she’s an amazing person - quietly confident, serene & humble… and then you see her on stage & the lady lights up like the chinese new year!

no link available which is a pity - will try upload from my itunes when i have some more time on my hands.

Maroon 5 - I Can’t Lie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duTt7Q2PH0k

right up there with my favourite bands of like, ever - maroon 5 execute a happy bridge like no other. from the first time i heard the first few notes of the first single off songs about jane, i was crazy about adam levine’s vocals & the sheer depth of their sound - it was like someone had taken that feeling of pure bliss & put it to music; well, for me anyway. the ultimate experience would be to watch them recording because if it makes me this happy listening to them, imagine what they must feel like actually creating brilliance? i’m addicted, and happily so.

Astrud Gilberto, Stan Getz - The Girl From Ipanema

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJkxFhFRFDA

i dare you to find another singer with a voice as smooth as astrud’s - really, i’m willing to part with cash if anyone would like to venture a bet. instantly recognisable, velvety & enticing - it epitomises the warmth, magic & straight up amazingness that is brazil. many people have covered this iconic song but few will transport you to the beaches of brazil as easily & immediately as this version does. best enjoyed with a cocktail in your hand, the sun on your face & a gentle breeze - aah, feels good yea.. you can thank me later

Green Day - American Idiot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg7YjwZzNz0

first, the music is electrifying right. then you listen more closely, and you realise that we’re not crazy for thinking that the world’s population is being manipulated & brainwashed into becoming unthinking, unquestioning zombies who live on a diet of celebrity fodder & mindless reality shows. i dig musicians who have actual beliefs & can see the wood for the trees, as it were - plus, they’re one of the few bands who still artfully give the lyrics to their songs in cd covers. amandla!

oh, and they make heavy eyeliner look better than those parlotones ever did.

India Arie - The Truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lg7YjwZzNz0

one of the un-mushiest love songs i’ve heard, this song is like a home-coming for me. delivered unpretentiously & from a place of pure understanding of what the whole true love thing is. also, i’m a bit biased, having known & experienced this exact kind of love - the meeting of oneself, just in another body. never an easy relationship - often tumultuous, uncomfortably revealing, unconditional & always healing - a blessing of the highest order. nothing compares

Does It Offend You Yeah - Epic Last Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lkuXfkaea4

title says it all, this damn song is epic. one of my first forays into the indie-electro genre, and i think you can tell why i’ve never looked back. the beat will loop in your brain for days, but its such a good feeling when you’re bopping your head to it that you don’t mind at all. happy, loud, unashamed - just friggin super cool

ps thanks miss roxy for the hook-up back in the day

and then some retard goes ‘but they’ve excluded the *insert relevant belief system here*… they are …ist!

have fun

its been a rather busy time in my world, so this week’s post will cover week’s 2 & 3 - a promise is a promise, after all.

music these past few weeks has had to work harder than usual - living in a different city to the people i love means that some songs sound all the sweeter when i need to be reminded of home. and then there’s the inspirational bit that’s needed to remind me of the greater purpose playing softly in the background to the familiar rhythm of one’s life.

Donny Hathaway - Sack Full of Dreams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Z6NgoEOeZM

easily the most beautiful voice i have ever heard, my donny hathaway cd’s are the first thing i’d rescue if the atlantic ocean decided to go tsunami on us. strong & clear, relentless at times & always in perfect pitch, the sound of his voice is hands-down, without a doubt the last thing i want to hear before my spirit leaves this body.

his genius & magnificent voice bring the idea of ‘the world of love that i’m dreaming of’ to life in a vivid & moving portrait - its as though you’re right there, and such a world is not only possible, but actually exists.

Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9TGj2jrJk8

i actually fell in love with the lyrics on the inside cover of my uncle’s vinyls (back then we used to call them LP’s) long before i heard the music - i was so taken by the story and when i eventually heard the haunting flute & guitar combination, i was lost in it. completely drowned in the simple melody & deep-ass lyrics that have two meanings, as the song goes.

Michael Franks - Eggplant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYHRJ1kpPU4

i don’t claim to understand what the heck this guy is ever singing about & after listening to his music for my entire life, i am utterly convinced that michael franks wrote all of his songs high as a kite. taken off the iconic album ‘the art of tea’ this song is so happy & senseless & reminds me of sunday lunch at home - everyone sings along & we all poke fun at my dad, who dances like bill cosby (read : spastic). on second thoughts, maybe franks wasn’t high - maybe he was singing in a secret code that only he & his special someone understood. either way, we’re eternally grateful.

Michael Jackson - Baby Be Mine

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG9OzYVSg3c

from one of the greatest albums of all time, this little-known gem is over-shadowed by all the amazing music on this record & understandably so. this is michael just being michael - effortless vocals, kick-ass brass section & if you listen carefully, you’ll hear where beyonce got the inspiration for the tone of ‘love on top’ from. *insert michael shriek here*

Mos Def - Sex, Love & Money

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m_FpksGLZ8

first, the tambourine gets you - then the nimble flute lures you deeper & before you know it, mos def’s laid-back lines have you so deep, you can’t help but want to stay forever. not his deepest work in terms of content, but killer nonetheless. take your direction from the song ‘lay back & relax your mind, about the double the dosage in half the time’

Hugh Masekela - Marketplace

http://mp3skull.com/mp3/hugh_masekela_market_place.html

bra hugh needs no introduction - let’s all just pretend we’re living in the old sophiatown, rocking them starched dresses & the men looking dapper in their fedora hats & pin-stripe suits.

Alanis Morissette - Head Over Feet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBgP44KEf3Q

jagged little pill was one of those albums that defined a whole generation of prepubescent, hormonally imbalanced girls & gave us permission to own our feelings & not have to apologise for their intensity or the fact that they made no sense. this is one of the less pissed-off tracks - honest, vulnerable & dare i say even sweet in places. and then she played God in Dogma and everything made sense.

Eric Sermon - Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ-_sQ262Dg

 the green-eyed bandit with a little help from marvin gaye on this track - thank you eric for telling ‘em one more time about the music. one of the most seamless samples i’ve heard, you would be forgiven for thinking that eric & marvin were in the same studio laying this beat-heavy jewel down - except that marvin had been dead for a long time at the time of its release. but like i said, you’d be forgiven.

Arturo Sandoval - Tumbaito

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQCAlpl3Kfo

this is the song i brush my teeth to most mornings - its that good. mr sandoval is arguably one of the greatest trumpeters to ever bless the instrument & tumbaito is pure magic. the trumpet has enough light & shade to put any vocalist to shame and i don’t even want to know how many notes he manages to get in - leading the rest of the band, all the way. happy music - do yourself a favour & listen to the whole song, it just gets better & better

Aretha Franklin - Dr Feelgood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IfEx6p4Ces

i didn’t ever really like aretha franklin (i know, who says stuff like that!?). for a long time, i was annoyed by what sounded to me like screams where singing should have been.. not to mention her outfits always gave me the impression that a flock of birds somewhere was cursing the day they ever crossed her path.

then i gave her greatest hits record a try last year & now i get why she’s called the queen of soul. the young aretha’s voice is so powerful, it stuns you into submission. gruff in places, smooth as persian silk in others - i’m a convert. this song is great, she’s a woman besotted with her man - anything else is a waste of her time. some psycho tendencies if you ask me, but so sassy & soulful… you almost fall in love with dr feelgood your damn self