Essence Fest 2009

I was really impressed with the line up of Essence Fest this year. I had always heard great things about the Festival but this was my first time actually attending. I went with a group of friends and we had an awesome time. The performances were phenomenal, the selection of moderators for the daytime events was equally impressive.

It was great to see some performers on the main stage and also have the opportunity to see some other performers on a smaller more intimate setting in the suites at the super dome. Although Maxwell was late coming out, he stayed to perform a full set. I'm happy to see his return to the spotlight. I got to see Janelle Monae....a new favorite of mine. This girl gives a phenomenal show. Her energy is incomparable to any other artist I've seen. She has the depth and maturity of someone at least twice her age. Seeing her gave me a renewed optimism for the future of the recording industry.

Ledesi put on a great show in the suites as well. Her flow was just as soulful and inspiring as her album. If you don't have it, go get it. She's gonna be one of those voices that can tend to get lost in the mix. You don't want to sleep on her. Her songs minister to many reoccurring issues of life and love. I find her music soothing and uplifting. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.

I missed Dwele, which I was sick about but I have seen him perform before. There was so much going on at once. You had an act on the main stage and then 4-5 acts going on simultaneously in the suites. I did get to see Keri Hilson. She's a beauty inside and out. It shows in her approach to her performances. She really made an effort to connect with the crowd and gave energy on stage like a veteran performer. I don't think her current image marketing does her justice. I'm looking forward to watching her blossom as an entertainer once all the push for this catchy pop style of song has subsided. I don't think an artist really comes into their strength of style until their sophomore album sometimes 3rd of 4th.

I saw Ryan Leslie in the suites also. He was a pleasant surprise to me. I had no idea he was so talented. This man could literally be a one man band. I was in awe watching him change from one instrument to the next showcasing his many musical talents. I enjoyed being able to see a side of him that has not been promoted in the industry mainstream. He's established himself as a good writer/producer. I'm anxious to see him break through as a prominent performer.

I chose to focus most of this blog on the performers who were not on the main stage. Yet I have to mention one headlining performer who really touched me. I have never really been a fan of this artist. Most of her loyal fans would probably label me as a hater. But, I just wasn't impressed with her. Even when she first came onto the scene in a group, I always hated the fact that we never/rarely heard from any of the other group members. I thought "why is this chick always hogging the solos"?

I am here to tell you that after seeing Beyonce perform for the first time, I'm now a fan. This woman works...do you hear me? She WORKS, she is not playing with you on stage. I'm not into that alter ego none sense she started but I will acknowledge her drive and thirst to be the BEST seemingly every time she hits a stage no matter how big or small. Even in her greatness as a premier performer, she somehow managed to remain humble. She addressed every section....especially the nose bleed section where I was. She interacted with us and made all of us feel special. More importantly, she thanked us all for coming...repeatedly.

Many of the other artists to grace the main stage did NOT remember to thank the audience or engage us. I appreciated this human quality exhibited by Beyonce. She even sang happy birthday to all the birthday boys and girls in attendance. All of this was nice, but it was her emotional tribute to Michael Jackson that really moved me. She sang a slightly altered version of her popular single "Halo". The song was accompanied by video of Beyonce as a child going to see Michael Jackson perform for the first time. There was also a still photo of Michael in the background.

This is the tribute I wanted and was expecting to see at the the 2009 BET awards. I don't know why it wasn't done there but I am truly thankful that she chose to share it with us at the Essence Fest. Love her or hate her....she's an entertainer at heart. Not many people can do what she does as well as she does. I applaud her for her efforts.

Overall, the Essence Fest seemed to have something for everyone. There was clearly a lot of thought put into the daily program of panel discussions and performances. I don't know that I'll faithfully go every year, but I can say that I will go again and I recommend that any lover of music go at least once in their lifetime.

New Orleans 7/2009

I had an awesome opportunity to go to New Orleans, Louisiana for the annual Essence Fest this year. I had only been to N.O. once before several years ago, prior to the havoc and tragedy caused by hurricane Katrina. I was really excited to go back and see the city back on it's feet thriving.

I must say that I was initially impressed with the how the city looked when I first arrived. Mind you I had lodging in the downtown/french quarters area. I did not venture outside of this area. I realize that it did not sustain the bulk of the damage caused by the hurricane and it's an area where wealthy affluent people tend to reside.

I immediately noticed a strong presence of N.O.P.D officials and monitoring devices. I thought, "this is just for the increased traffic due to the Essence Fest attendees". As the weekend progressed on, I began to think that the people who remained where dealing with some sort of oppression. I have no numbers on how many residents came back after the hurricane or how many stayed in their new cities. What I did see was a large group of seemingly wounded people. You could see it in their eyes. It was heart wrenching.

I applaud the organizers of the Essence Fest for coming back to New Orleans. The Festival brought a much needed stream of revenue to the city. I hated to see so much emphasis on the night life though. Always somewhere to go and drink or see strippers. You could still see some of the remaining damage from the hurricane even in the affluent French Quarter. I promise you, this was not my imagination...I thought I smelled a faint stench that lingered silently haunting the super dome as a reminder of the anguish that many people suffered there trying to survive during the aftermath of the natural disaster.

While we were dining at a restaurant on Bourbon street....it began to rain. After about only 5 minutes of rain, I looked out the window of the restaurant and noticed that the streets were flooding. I actually was scared for a second. I thought to myself, "this water irrigation issue has still gone unresolved". I wonder would the cost to build more efficient levys outweigh all the restoration costs incurred after the hurricane.

It seems like living in N.O. is still a gamble. I just don't understand why in 2009 the U.S. can't find a way to better equip the citizens of Louisiana against the occurrence of natural disasters. If we can mobilize in a matter of days to help victims of a Tsunami 1/2 a world over...why can't we pool our resources to preserve all of the history and rich culture that is still fighting to survive in New Orleans?

This was supposed to be a happy blog about eating a 'Po Boy sandwich for a friend who couldn't be there (the food was great). But I just couldn't front with a sappy blog after observing the people of New Orleans trying still to rebuild a life for themselves.

Dating Scene....What's really going on?

So call me old fashioned...no really I don't mind. I actually prefer it. I'm a wholesome girl born and raised on the south side of Chicago. I grew up in a single parent home. My Mother raised me with good strong Christian values. I went to private school and just was not into the things that most girls in my generation were into growing up. My Mother never brought men home, she modeled the behavior of a God Fearing LADY in front of me.

As I grew and became interested in boys, My Mom talked to me folks. She explained to me what "courting" is and laid out the "do's and don'ts" of dating. She really helped me to understand my worth as a woman. As a result of this coupled with life experiences, I've developed my own set of dating standards. There are certain things that I desire and things that I will absolutely not tolerate. I provided this back story to help you understand what is fueling the burning question I have to pose to you now. "What in the heck is going on with the dating system in our society?" (For real...For serious)

Since when did it become okay for men to not even TRY to date/court you? Let's examine the definition of dating here for a second.

Main Entry:³date

Function:verb

Inflected Form(s):dat·ed; dat·ingDate:

15th century

1: to reckon chronologically 2: originate dating from college days> 3: to become dated 4: to go out on usually romantic dates

See no.4 people? "To go out on usually romantic dates". Merriam Webster says a date means going out.

So now back to the questions at hand: What the fux up with dating in our society? I meet men, and as soon as they find out I live alone they invite themselves over to my place (unsuccessfully I might add). But just the audacity alone is bugging me out folks. I've had some heated debates with men about this. I had to seriously analyze this situation and here's what I cam up with:

1. Some Men have not been taught how to properly date/court a woman. So they don't understand the concept.
   
2. Some Women have not been taught to command respect from men. Therefore, they settle for less than ideal dating circumstances.
3. hanging in the balance are desperate women who are unaware of their self worth and the men who have been spoiled/ruined by them. (Both equally responsible for this poor state of affairs)

Now this is all in my very humble opinion. But I do have some suggestions on how to remedy the situation. First of all, we could all use a lesson in self respect and respect for others. That can easily be achieved by learning that you MUST treat people the way that YOU want to be treated. Next, we must forgive past transgressions and heal. The whole punishing folks for the acts of previous cats syndrome has got to cease and desist (immejiatelayy). Finally, we must not settle. It's okay to be picky. It's perfectly fine to know what you want and not accept anything less than those heart's desires. However, be willing to be the best YOU that you can. Don't expect someone to give you the world if you aren't willing to give it back to them in return.

I feel that if we start thinking and applying a few common sense factors to our dating process, we'll all be much happier in the long run. I've decided that the cobweb club is precisely what I need to clear my head and command the type of attention from the sort of man that I desire to have in my life. Does it get lonely sometimes? Hell yes...but I can not settle, I've done it before and the pain of gambling with your body and your heart is not worth it. I'd rather wait for Mr. Wonderful...'cause I truly believe he's out there and I'm so ready to be his Mrs. Wonderful.

Think about it....don't talk about it...and be about it. Yes you can! Yes we can do better!

Rest in Peace Beloved Michael Joseph Jackson

My Mother said to me today: "I finally understand what people felt when Elvis died, He didn't even have half of the reach in his career as Michael Jackson did. Michael was an international star who somehow managed to personally touch us all. It feels like I've lost a family member"

I echo her sentiment as I begin my blog with a tribute to the late and great Michael Jackson. My very first memory of MJ was his thriller video. Now to give you some back story, you have to understand that my Mother was very protective of me and monitored the type of entertainment I was exposed to. This meant that I usually had to sneak and watch/listen to secular entertainment as a child/teen.

I remember this night vividly, we were at a family friend's home. My mother was talking with the adults and I was playing with the children ranging in age from infants to I guess about 18+ or so. At any rate...I consulted the release date for the video (short film). It was December 1983. I was 4...and perhaps a quarter...no where near 5 yet. I VIVIDLY remember that video. It scared me and intrigued me at the same time.

This was the beginning of my love affair with Michael Jackson's music. Although I never got the chance to see him perform live, I literally grew up listening to this man. One of my co-workers said: "I feel that the passing of Michael Jackson has affected so many people so deeply because this man literally provided the sound track to the lives of 3 whole generations and counting." I couldn't have explained the depth of my admiration and respect for MJ any better.

MJ the performer touched many lives by giving the gift of beautiful music. MJ the humanitarian improved the quality of life for many by being selfless and giving of himself more than any other celebrity as was stated today at his memorial service. MJ the person, loved others more than he loved himself. He was and will forever be the eternal child. His loving and giving heart is an example of how we should strive to be better humanitarians. Let us follow his example and love one another as Christ loved us. Let us start today because tomorrow may be to late.

Finally, let us never forget Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer that ever lived, the selfless humanitarian, the best father ever (Paris Michael Katherine), the brother, the son, the uncle, the cousin,the friend and the International Icon who touched so many lives in his short lived 50 years on this earth. God Bless you MJ and may you live on forever in our hearts and minds. Thank you for the many gifts you left us to cherish and remember you by.
Love,
Jannelle