#90's in harlem

[yourboijod]

Big L & Pete Rock, 1993.

[elixir]

Alicia Keys bedroom studio in Harlem during the late 90’s.

[oldnewyorklandia]

Katsu Naito. Harlem, 90's.

[marzipanandminutiae]

with the earlier American Girl dolls, I think that they did actual research and worked hard to make a realistic portrait of a 9-10 yo girl of that year. Whereas the modern 90's dolls feel like the research was from movies and magazines rather than pulling from lived experiences.

Strongly agree.

And I feel so bad for the dolls whose concepts are great, who focus on inportant times and issues in American history but had the ill luck to be made when the company is...Like This. Nanea, Melody, and Claudie come to mind.

Let us all please take a moment to imagine what a Harlem Renaissance doll would have looked like in the Pleasant Company or immediately post-Mattel buyout era. Just really let all the tiny accessories and scrupulously accurate outfit pieces we never got percolate in your head.

Okay, now try not to cry when you look at this outfit:

Poor, poor Claudie. You deserved so much better than the embodiment of "womp womp" that you got.

[schmergo]

Time for one of my long, rambling informal reviews! This one is for RAGTIME at Signature Theatre and unlike some of the other reviews I've written, this show is still running for 3 more weeks, but tickets are selling EXTREMELY fast, so I'd recommend you snap some up if you haven't already! I will add that Signature's discounted 'partial view' seats are extremely good value and actually not a bad view at all, so don't sleep on those.

TLDR: This show is absolutely amazing and totally does the material of one of my favorite musicals justice in an intimate, innovative staging.

Ragtime is one of those musicals with a name that belies the complexity and darkness of the subject matter (along with Parade and Carousel), and yet there's no other simple name that could tie together such a dense and varied piece of musical theatre. If you're not familiar with it, this musical set in the early 20th century follows three different groups in New York: a white suburban upper class family, a family of new Jewish immigrants, and a star-crossed young family in the emerging Black middle class of Harlem-- plus a half dozen real historical figures of the period. Their paths intersect and intertwine in many unexpected ways, changing all of their lives forever. Expect some very intense themes like racism, sexism, gun violence, and exploitation of the working class, but also moments of surprising levity and loveliness.

It's one of my favorite musicals of all time, but it's also so complex and such an example of the '80's-'90's megamusical' that it's expensive and tricky to stage. So you might not think of the intimate blackbox venue of Shirlington's Signature Theatre as a prime candidate for this piece. But I can report that director Matthew Gardiner and the whole cast and crew knocked this piece out of the park (teehee, yes, this musical has a song about a baseball game). It was a spellbinding night of theatre and there wasn't a dry eye in the house at the end of the show.

I've seen some other shows at Signature-- including Sweeney Todd earlier this season-- where the goal of 'get creative with the intimate space' actually distracted from the material, but the biggest sign that this staging worked was that I barely noticed it at all or thought 'ooh, what a creative idea'. It just... worked. Fitting 33 performers and a 16-piece orchestra onto a small stage, plus massive set pieces like a WORKING REPLICA MODEL T FORD (absolutely show-stopping when it drove out) without feeling cramped or sacrificing audience sightlines shouldn't have been possible, but it all flowed seamlessly. Actors hung around on the sidelines when not part of the action, observing and serving as a backing chorus. This was the first Signature show I've seen with a turntable stage and it helped the show glide from scene to scene without being overused or feeling gimmicky. The use of the aisle space, staircases, and sharing the upper balcony with the fully visible orchestra also served the piece well.

The arched industrial-chic design of the set feels gritty and elegant at the same time, easily standing in for a factory, seaside pier, tenement, ocean liner, or train station, with gorgeous lighting design by Tyler Micoleau adding to the seamless transitions between scenes. Sumptuous costumes by Erik Teague set the tone from the moment the show started. (Mother's dreamy outfits give her an extra shimmer while also giving the impression of extreme restraint; there are outfits for a person whose job is to be decorative rather than effective.) My only true complaint was the sound balance: at times, the orchestra and the backing vocals drowned out soloists. I'm sure it can be difficult to fine-tune this when you have a fairly large band in a small space where natural acoustics battle with amplification.

The theatre is so intimate that you can see the subtlest expressions in the characters' eyes and that makes Signature stand out among other local theatres as a place where musical theatre truly feels led by actors and not just spectacle. In a mega musical like Ragtime, that human element is desperately needed, and it's why this production and the one Ford's Theatre presented several years ago stand out to me as the best I've seen rather than the Kennedy Center production that transferred to Broadway.

Almost every single member of this cast was a standout, even the hardworking ensemble members. This is where I simply have to ramble on about everyone and how beautifully they acted and sounded. My personal favorite performer of the night, in a show more crowded with stars than a planetarium, was Awa Sal Secka as the desperate young mother Sarah. The challenging score sounded like it was written for her, which is saying something because her role was originated by Audra McDonald. Her powerful but sweet voice pours effortlessly from her mouth as though raw feelings have been distilled into pure music. Sal Secka’s simple, earnest characterization of the young woman is utterly heartbreaking. I won't spoil her character's trajectory, but expect to feel every possible emotion in the spectrum. She's incredible.

As her love interest and the show’s anti-hero, Coalhouse Walker Jr., Nkrumah Gatling is perfectly cast. I’ve rarely seen someone in a stage musical act so effectively with just his eyes, flitting from mischievously charming to stone cold in mere seconds. There’s an edge to his rich baritone that might remind you of Brian Stokes Mitchell, who originated the part, but he puts his own spin on the music and gives it a new texture. I’d have loved to have seen Gatling’s take on Sweeney Todd earlier this season. Still, I didn’t get the ‘main character energy’ from this character that I typically have in past productions. Rather than feeling like the show’s central figure, he blended into the rest of the cast—which may say more about how wonderful his co-stars were than any fault of his.

Teal Wicks did exude star quality as Mother, a disaffected housewife who awakes to the world’s injustices and starts to see her life through new eyes. She conveyed every turning point in her character’s life with clarity. Her mellifluous, creamy voice soars on big ballad numbers and her relationships with the show’s many characters feel fully realized. One of the only things I knew about her before seeing this show was that she had played Elphaba on Broadway in Wicked. But here she uses more of a classical-sounding mix voice that fits right into this antique setting.

Matthew Scott plays her stuffy husband, Father, as more sympathetic than I’ve seen before. He seems younger than most actors who’ve played this role (he and Wicks are both in their early 40’s, while I’ve often seen Father cast as significantly older than Mother), and as we see him try to fulfill his role as ‘patriarch,’ we can tell he’s insecure and uncomfortable there.

We had an understudy for the other major role, Tateh, a Jewish immigrant with big dreams and artistic gifts who wants above all else to give his daughter a better life. I was disappointed to see this because Bobby Smith, who usually plays the role, is one of my favorite local actors, but his understudy Edward L. Simon did an absolutely charming job. He imbues Tateh with an impish lightness at times that only make the dark moments more heartbreaking and nimbly navigates musical numbers with a lovely voice. Like many understudies, you could tell he was giving 110% at all times and his energy sparkled. Still, there were a few dramatic moments that I’d have loved to have seen given more power and the orchestra drowned him out more than any other character. I’m guessing that sound levels may have been calibrated to a performer with a bigger voice.

Simon is also by far the youngest-seeming Tateh I’ve seen. This works, adding to the earnest naivety his character shows when he first arrives in America, but I’d be so curious to see how the dynamic works with the usual actor, Bobby Smith, who seems to be about 30 years older than Simon. I’m so tempted to go see the show again with Smith and compare the two performances, but rest assured that if Simon is the understudy at your performance, the role is in deftly capable hands.

I loved Jake Loewenthal as Mother’s Younger Brother, an awkward young man in search for meaning in life. I previously enjoyed him as the Baker in Signature’s Into the Woods but thought, “This guy was born to play the Baker, but I can’t picture him in any other roles. He’s just TOO specific and TOO good as the Baker to play anyone else well.” I was wrong. He’s perfect here, filled with a tightly coiled intensity that is, in his character’s own words, ‘like a firework, unexploded.’ There’s a quirky piercing nasality to his voice, but it shines out in Younger Brother’s effusive self-discovery. Among other family members, Declan Fennell is adorable and NOT annoying as the family’s weird (and slightly psychic) little son Edgar and Lawrence Redmond is a hoot as the drily snarky Grandfather.

Among the smaller roles, standouts include Dani Stoller’s impassioned firebrand Emma Goldman, Jordyn Taylor as show-stopping soloist “Sarah’s Friend,” and Tobias Young’s Booker T. Washington, more memorable than I’ve ever seen this character portrayed. But more than any of these, Maria Rizzo stole her scenes as vaudeville sensation Evelyn Nesbit. She seemed to be having an absolute blast up there and gave the character both more depth (hints of trauma!) and risqué sultriness than I’ve seen before. If sometimes she verged into showboating, I couldn’t possibly complain. She was just too much fun to watch.

This is a score full of HARD-HITTING ballads and intense big production numbers, with almost every number including dramatic swells of the orchestra and singing to the rafters. Every time you think you've seen the showstopping number of the night, another one comes along to blow you away. Some of the standout songs in this piece include Sal Secka's haunting lament "Your Daddy's Son," Wicks' journey of self-discovery in "Back to Before," Gatling's anthem "Make Them Hear You" and the adrenaline-pumping duet "Wheels of a Dream," but you will find that some of the smaller numbers between them will also send chills down your spine and bring tears to your eyes. One of my personal favorites was the sweet duet "Our Children," which sees the spark of a potential relationship forming as two parents watch their children play together.

What does this show say about America? Basically everything up to and including the kitchen sink. Is it a land where people can triumph against adversity and succeed? Yes! Is it is a place where dreams are broken and crushed by reality? That, too! Is it a place where understanding can win out over hate and people find they’re more alike than different? Yes! But is it a place where hatred and bigotry can tear lives and families apart in the blink of an eye? Yes! Is there a hope of a brighter future for the country? Yes! But do we see the struggles of present day reflected in these characters from over a century ago? A resounding yes. Every audience member will come away with different moments resonating in their minds, but the rich tapestry of humanity in all its strengths and flaws showcased in this production is a marvel to behold.

I’m attaching a few clips from the show in the comments so you can see some of what it was like for yourself! Please consider seeing this show if you can. It’s the most powerfully affecting piece of musical theatre I’ve seen in the DC area since before the pandemic and will no doubt stick with you long after the cast takes its last bow.

[dabratzchronicles]

Get To Know Me Tag Game!

thank yew tew the lovely @megamindsecretlair for tag me to join it and allat good shitty shits

i MAY get extra ion know we gone see

1. Were you named after anyone?

Yes actually, my mama alwayssss tell me how she use to tell me a story abt how she use to work at the schools and it was the cute lil girl with her name and said “imma name my daughter after you!” and boom, here i is!

2. When was the last time you cried?

i can not remember. im slow NEXTTT

3. Do you have kids?

to put it short, NAWL!! do love my niece n nephews but kids outta my cooter aint happening soon

4. What sports do you play/ have you played?

volleyball basketball love volleyball to death💕

5. Do you use sarcasm?

i use it too much idk even know when i do so sure!

6. What is the first thing you notice about people?

how their vibe is. i NEED a serioussssss vibe check before i continue, if i cant juh vibe witchu this aint gone work booboo!!

7. What is your eye color?

dark brown, but if you wanna see the pretty shit i gotta do it😁

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

both.

9. Any talents?

my toxic trait is thinking that i can sing like im mfkin toni braxton in the 90’s but my pen game throws down! so thats one of em

10. Where were you born?

Flint, Michigan! #freerio

11. What are your hobbies?

writing, reading, gaming (ps n mobile girlie) listening to music, sleeping, eating, watching shows (im currently on the godfather of harlem and im so hurt of this dude dying😭😭)

12. Do you have any pets?

i have a bad ass fuckin pitbull name Blade dats my son yawl i do love himmmmmm but he do be making mama wanna drink

13. How tall are you?

5’3. imma fuckin migdet yawl short, black n fat im gods favorite!!

14. Favorite subject in high school?

lunch! na im playing but id sayyyyy english bc i love to write fr

15. Dream Job?

i always wanted to be a actress. always have always will want to be, ill start off on tubi soon💋

uhhhhhh ion got nobody to tag hea so ill tag myself! @bratzmaraj

have a black ass day💋💫

[aliceramblesonnerdity]

ALRIGHT BITCHES. WE BACK. HES BACK.

MY FAVORITE HERO IS BACK YALL

Off the bat, the cover is beautiful but the redesign SUCKS. It's just close enough to the original for the changes to just look wrong.

The cover IS a nice homage to his original mini, so I can't complain there, but redesigning a mask that has importance to his character is... Odd.

Perfect interior art imo. And Roubpheap is here and.. I definitely didn't shed a tear over Chord being dead... Nope...

Kicking screaming crying forgetting batman ever existed. The Taylor-Chord family never being used is why I settle for the Batfamily being my favorite. These pages are so good, I missed Dwayne, I missed Roubpheap, I'm glad they're dealing with Thrash's survivors guilt.

When this was announced I was terrified they'd assassinate the characters but so far Sil is as strong and badass as ever, Dwayne still is Dwayne at his best and worst... It's perfect so far.

Reading further ahead, a gang of kids rob a gentrified area of Harlem, Dwayne tries to catch them but the cops detain him because... Y'know ... He's black. And that's what cops do (hoping we see Midnight's Fire some how return but who knows) I do enjoy when Superhero stories tackle the themes of the struggles of the oppressed, from the perspective of the oppressed. I'm a huge Milestone fan and this makes me feel right at home.

Also this is what leads Dwayne to start considering not shutting down the Foundation, to be able to play the system against the cops and systemic issues THROUGH the foundation. Batman comics could learn A LOT from this book.

They've maintained Silhouette as a core character which I love. I love that she's as bad ass as the 90's made her, it really makes me mad that we don't get representation like her anymore. Tho on the next page Dwayne just starts listing off teammates who... Aren't in the picture? That pic is rage, Microbe, Sil, Thrasher, and Firestar. The next page he lists Donyell, Namorita, rage and microbe which... I mean sure, but the inconsistency is odd, and what about Speedball?

Rage is the BBEG! Interesting, he's not like... Evil evil. But he's the antagonist here which like... This guy was IMPORTANT to the original Warriors run.

The sins? Of his past?? IN THIS ECONOMY???

Ok ok, no onto the Sihloette back up!!!

It still hurts to see Chord like this, having grown up reading New Warriors omnibus from the library CONSTANTLY. I'm so thankful they're focusing on the family dynamics here.

That's basically all of the issue. It's everything I could have asked for. Everyone is here that should be, it's dealing with exactly the themes of hope for, and everyone is characterized perfectly. I adore this book. I'm definitely going to try to find more of Holtman's work in the future.

[thatcartoonnetworkblog]

Cartoon Network Friday Spotlight: The New Scooby-Doo Movies- “The Spirit Spooked Sports Show”

The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries is the second Scooby series to be made, airing just after Where Are You? and before The Scooby-Doo Show’s return to form, and it feels like a logical next part, containing similar aesthetics and the same musical cues that made the original series instantly iconic. Yet, these episodes aren’t quite as strong, stretching the formula into double length without adding much justification for the length besides to show off whichever special guest they could score that week. While we would get solid feature length Scooby stories even 15 years later, I don’t think Hanna-Barbera’s crew at the time were ready to make the characters fit into extended periods at this time.

Some episodes are more iconic than others, with the Batman and Harlem Globetrotters episodes widely available in individual videos before getting partly-complete DVD releases. It helps that Batman, Robin and the Globetrotters remain recognizable to this day, but a lot of actual celebrity appearances feel closer tied to their day, like Tim Conway here. While Scooby continues to draw kids in to this day, I don’t think there were many young fans of The Carol Burnett Show when stories like this were airing frequently on CN in the late 90′s and early 2000′s... but hey, prove me wrong! (I’d suspect that I have more fans of his Disney work with fellow Scooby guest star Don Knotts on here)

But anyway, onto the story. In this one, Velma has the gang drive to her old high school- which begs the question, how old are the Mystery Inc gang, and if they didn’t go to the same high school, how did they meet?- to view and participate in their upcoming sports expo. The problem is that the school is haunted by the ghost of the school’s most iconic athlete, who has scared away anyone who dares to take his place, and is threatening the closer of the school, as one of their biggest backers is planning to fall out if they can’t support one winning team.

Tim Conway factors in because he’s signed up as the school’s coach to gain real world experience for a movie and wow does this sound convoluted for a damn Scooby-Doo story. But because these are meddling kids, they insist on sticking around to help Mr. Conway and the school, but the ghost keeps coming around and messing with them.

It’s fun enough, but does feel bloated as a double length classic Scooby story that doesn’t need to be so long. Still, it’s fun to see Tim Conway match Scooby and Shaggy as the biggest coward on campus, and see the latter two become shockingly decent athletes. I also dig how old-timey the ghost looks, like a remnant of the gay 90′s. I believe you can get this and most of the other episodes in the recent almost full series release- IIRC, only the Addams Family episodes are missing.

[heronstill]

Katsu Naito. Harlem, 90's.

[randomvarious]

New York City Hip Hop Playlist (YouTube)

Started building a unique playlist of hip hop tunes that originated from the city that gave birth to the genre in the first place: New York. Here we have a slate that begins in the party-oriented early 80s South Bronx and progresses all the way through the late 90s into a bunch of raw, underground, hot street rap fire 🔥😎.

So, if you've been following me long enough, you know that my forte with these playlists is to load up on great obscurities, and I've got a bunch here, but I've also got some classic jams as well, all of which come courtesy of Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five and Melle Mel. There's shortened versions of two early hip hop cornerstones: "The Message," which was the genre's first ever lyrically conscious hit, and then the anti-cocaine anthem, "White Lines," which Grandmaster Flash actually had nothing to do with, even though Sugarhill Records slapped his name on it in order to help boost its record sales.

But speaking of anti-drug hip hop anthems, a lesser known one from around that same early 80s time period is The Funky Four's "King Heroin," which heavily interpolated The O'Jays' own "For the Love of Money," aka the theme song from The Apprentice (🎶 money, money, money, money....mon-ay! 🎶). "King Heroin" is definitely not a completely unknown song, but in comparison to "White Lines," far less people are aware of it, and in total, it has about 62,000 plays on YouTube across a handful of uploads. Fun, catchy, early hip hop gold as far as I'm concerned.

But once we hit the mid-90s, that's when we really get into some of these underheard Big Apple rap goodies, like a pair of mid-90s boom bap cuts from a Harlem native called Raucous aka Sabotage, who at some point decided to leave an oversaturated US rap market for Germany. 1995's "Say No More" has around 1,100 total plays on YouTube and the Roey Marquis II remix of "No Way Out" from 1996 has about 2,400.

And Brooklyn's own mighty Mos Def aka Yasiin Bey makes an appearance on here too, on a rare remix of N'Dea Davenport's "Bullshittin'," which I'm pretty sure was produced by the one and only J Dilla. Super chilly synth tones on this one that's approaching 20,000 YouTube plays.

And lastly, Manhattan trio Missin' Linx supplies "M.I.A.," a song whose beat very well may have been jacked by Dr. Dre himself so he could release his iconic "The Next Episode" the following year. Both songs utilize the same main sample from David McCallum's "The Edge," but according to WhoSampled, either producer VIC was the first to ever sample the song for "M.I.A.," or one of his collaborators, Godfather Don, was the first to use it for underground New York rapper Scaramanga's "Death Letter" remix. Either way, although "The Next Episode" would come to be hailed as a late 90s west coast rap classic, Dre wasn't the first to sample that McCallum song. And "M.I.A." has about 176,100 YouTube plays while "The Next Episode" has managed to rack up hundreds of millions.

This playlist is ordered as chronologically as possible:

The Furious Five Meets the Sugarhill Gang - "Showdown" Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - "The Message" Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel - "White Lines (Don't Do It)" West Street Mob - "Mosquito" Funky Four - "King Heroin" Dana Dane - "Something Special" Nine - "Any Emcee" Raucous a; k; a Sabotage - "Say No More" Raucous a; k; a Sabotage - "No Way Out (Roey Marquis II Remix)" Smoothe Da Hustler - "Hustlers Theme" N'Dea Davenport feat. Mos Def - "Bullshittin'" D.I.T.C. - "Themes, Dreams & Schemes" Missin' Linx - "M.I.A." Mr. Supreme feat. Al' Tariq - "Run the Show"

And this playlist is also on YouTube Music.

So, we currently sit at 14 songs with a runtime of one hour so far. And maybe when I find more to add, I'll have enough songs to make a Spotify playlist too.

Enjoy!

More to come, eventually. Stay tuned!

Like what you hear? Follow me on Spotify and YouTube for more cool playlists and uploads!

[yourboijod]

McGruff - Destined To Be

[shilpams]

Haven't been on fb much, but RIP Ustad Zakir Hussain. The first concert I remember was him and his dad Ustad Alla Rakha at Carnegie Hall, when I was 3 years old. It was snowing outside, and such a classic New York moment.

When we were growing up in the US, and studying European and Indian classical music or dance, the Suzuki Method, Bach, and bharat natyam, there were less than a handful of artists invited from India to those elite stages. Zubin Mehta conducted European music at the Philharmonic Orchestra. Ravi Shankar was famous with the hippies and stoners. Zakir Hussain, and of course, his father - maybe I should reverse the order, since his father came first. It was over the decades that American tastes opened up, the World Music Institute sponsored artists, and our own parents' generation started hosting artists here in the US. Now Lincoln Center has a whole week dedicated to South Asian artists, and Times Square has the biggest Diwali outside of India.

The story started a little bit earlier in the 1950's, when my mom's great-aunt Mrs. Byramjee would invite all the artists and influential people to her house in Nagpur. So it was there that my mom first saw Ustad Alla Rakha play, and Zakir Ji was 9 years old. My mom was 13. They were later invited to his apartment in Mumbai, when some other musicians were visiting. Ustad Alla Rakha later traveled the world with Ravi Shankar, and Zakir Ji grew up back stage at Woodstock, the Monterey Pop Festival, and the night markets of Mumbai, where the street drummers would get the crowd going crazy during festivals. They were rock stars.

In the late 90's, Asian Underground music started, and classical music started crossing over into club nights and electronic music, as our generation started making their own music professionally. I had just graduated from music-heavy Oberlin and moved to the East Village, when I saw an unforgettable concert of Zakir Ji with Tito Puente, the Puerto Rican drummer from Harlem, at Symphony Space. At one point, they made the audience clap along and it sounded like the rain forest. Tito Puente died later that year. Suphala, one of this students, scoured New York clubs playing tabla with alien electronic, or country, collaborations. Rimpa Shiva, another student, came up in India on the more classical side. But some purists would consider Zakir Ji to be the tops, and none of these "youngsters" on his level. They were too rock, or too clubby, or too "what is this?"

One day I was taking the bus from West Orange to Manhattan, a New Jersey commuter bus, and @Talvin Singh got on. They were recording Tabla Beat Science at Bill Laswell's studio on Main Street and Llewellyn Park. What a small world. My sister had taken drum lessons in the studio above where they recorded. Some other friends like Karsh Kale and The Midival Punditz, were also on this album.

A couple of years later, in 2001, I had moved to San Francisco, and my first music documentary was interviewing Zakir ji and the Tabla Beat Science Crew at Stern Grove. It was a sold out show in a park, and people had climbed the trees in true San Francisco hippie style, to watch the concert. I have that interview somewhere. Zakir Ji was actually nicer and friendlier than some of the younger and less established artists. This was summer before 9/11.

We started 3rd I South Asian Films a few months before that. We had a safe space post-9/11 when all the anti-South Asian hate crimes backlash was happening. In September 2003, we hosted the US Premiere of the Speaking Hand, which was Zakir Hussain's biography. I had met the director when he was making ads in Mumbai. There was some internal conflict, as some people in our collective didn't think it was "political" or "activist" enough, and kind of a bougie fundraiser...but I could say that music unites, we sold out, and our fundraiser was successful. It was a conflicted and Islamophobic time of war, and he could talk eloquently about music uniting people on a spiritual and international level. Also his own practice of the classical and ancient tradition - combined different beats as representing different goddesses or different spiritual and religious practices from Ganesh to Sufi saints. As many of the classical musicians are spiritual, and music is a higher power.

We had a live Q&A, and people never hear him talk in person, especially for so long. I also met his wife & manager Antonia Minnecola at this point, who was a dancer.

As the screening wrapped up, the audience of 500 aunties and uncles, went crazy, bum rushed the stage to meet Zakir Ji, as you see the old movies of the Beatles. One of these people was - my Dad! Acting like a teenage girl. So as the organizer, I scolded him under my breath in Marathi, "Why are you acting so crazy? Act cool." Zakir Ji, having grown up in Mumbai, spoke Marathi. So he saw this interaction and started speaking in Marathi and Gujarati to calm people down, "Calm down, what's the big deal?" Still it was funny to see an Indian classical musician get such a maniac fan response in New York. He was truly an icon. From that experience, I also learned to plan for celebrities and security on sets. Later I was asked to do a commercial with Shah Rukh Khan, and I remembered - the fan base that can show up suddenly.

Over the years, we would try to say Hi after the shows. Initially it was pretty informal. Later the venue unions and post-covid made it more strict. They would kick everyone out of Madison Square Garden. He always remembered me, considering how many people he met over the year. I met his daughters. The younger one was starting college. Anisa Angelica Qureshi later turned out to have a lot of mutual friends.

For an Indian from IST (Indian Standard Time), he liked to shame people for being late. Once I came half way through a show, because I had an evening grad school class. I thought I snuck in the back and sat discreetly in a black kurta, in the shadows. But afterwards, he reprimanded me, "You were 34 minutes late! I saw the clock when you walked in." If someone was late to his show and sat in front, he would play slow music until they finally sat down, drawing attention of the whole audience to that late person.

He had a sense of humor, and after a serious, classical show, would play the Pink Panther in the last set.

I started working in India, and caught him playing at the small Prithvi Theater in Juhu, where Bollywood legend Shabana Azmi attended. Another show was a huge, outdoor, public festival at the Asiatic Library Steps. The stage was set up between road closures. Street People were lined up outside the ropes to listen. Here you really felt India, in the ancient music and the crowds of Mumbai, and the smells of the streets, and the colonial library, mixed with something ancient mixed with modern cars and sweat and heat, and the sea breeze. It was really outside an A/C classical music hall in a cold, snowy country. Here you had a performer, who could still capture everyone's attention, with all these distractions of the Mumbai streets. Blue Frog and other venues were opening up in Mumbai. His brother Taufiq Qureshi played with some beatboxers...an idea I had pitched ten years before that.

Many years later, I saw him in Sacramento. DIWAL'OWEEN had won 13 awards, and he was really proud of me. Although I was aware of all the mistakes I had made. He had scored so many films, and I always wanted to collaborate on something...one day, when I had the budget.

I always made an effort to see Masters of Percussion once a year, when he would bring different percussionists from India. At one show at Town Hall, in New York, a mridangam player was 90 years old and had never left Rajasthan before. He shouted during his set, and the lights blacked out. The "show went on," to the next set. We thought it was some experimental, jazz type thing. Later we found out an ambulance had come back stage, and the performer had died on stage, doing what he loved! But that's how pro the Broadway stage managers were - to just move on with it. Another time, at a qawwali show at Town Hall, someone fell off the balcony while dancing ecstatically, and the crowd caught him.

After the lock down year, Masters of Percussion was the first concert I went back to, wearing a mask. He had just won another Grammy, and was touring the remembrance of Shivkumar Sharma.

Thanks for bringing so much joy and music to us, Zakir Hussain.

[cyarsk52-20]

They have to do what Black American women, and Caribbean women did in Harlem, and Flatbush Brooklyn, in the 90’s. BOYCOTT those stores, that will shut them down, and get people who hate Black people, out your neighbourhoods!

[dream-wrecker-blog]

IM OK WITH BEING THE VILLAIN!!!

One of the things that life seems to keep me on my toes about is that not all people are going to like you. Thats kind of obvious at this point. But! What is not obvious is that people wont like you just for the sake of not liking you!

I have come to the understanding that, people have this notion, I have probably said it before in another post that. People really do think that the world is supposed to operate the way they perceive it to be. That the world is a one size fits all case. Which, we should know by now that it is not!

I bring all of this up because my sister recently had a conversation about me with some other family members. In a vague dismissive kind of way but in a way! I have a very short fuse when it comes to people I trust and I fuck with. These family members and I have burned bridges, each of us on our own side with one another. And well! It is what it is.

ON November 14th I had found out that my great aunt had passed way! She and I had a very good understanding about one another. Or! At least this is what I think. She was born in the 60's and grew up in the 70's and raised children in the 80's and late 90's. Which this means she had seen the epidemics that effect Harlem and other places in America. Although she is my great aunt I knew her as my aunt. The ranking system in my family is a little messed up. I'll probably discuss that in another post.

Knowing who my aunt is, it greatly saddens me that she's no longer here with us. As a spiritualist, I don’t grieve for her in ways that other people do. I grieve because I know she must have been lost and sad and scared in her transition over. Well, it was more of a…….I know she has rather than a must have. Earlier that day I decided to paint a picture of a bear. On my down time I like to practice my watercolor painting.

I was scrolling though the gram and I happen to see an oil painting that I really like and though that I could do it in watercolor. try my skills out. Sharpen them.

Once I was able to go my little room and started sketching the bear. I felt this magnetic pull. I just assumed that it was me bing hyper focused. Or! That I was inspired by (Keisha) the stray abrasive cat that meows so loudly outside the defact. But as I sketched, the magnetism grew stronger and stronger and I would see is my aunt in my head. I thought that she may have been talking that stuff about me.

The falling out that I have with my great aunt goes way back to when I was homeless. Which I do think is very petty. I was house hopping at the time and had very little to myself. I was depressed and defensive and trusted no one and took whatever help I could at the time.

I felt abandoned and very unloved. which is why I love my spirits and the Orisha. These two power house has had my back so much and has gotten me through so many dark times in my life that I'm just like. I love you more than the members who are alive. Having this deep spiritual bond and connection. Means that for my safety, things are known about people. Information becomes extremely clear. So that no matter what I was never caught off guard by anyone. I'm not blaming anyone or anything. I'm mearly stating facts about my spiritual experience.

As I started the actual painting. I looked over and decided to use my gouache paint over my watercolor paints. The good stuff. So I started to paint and I just began to make it more and more detailed. Moments after, I get a call from my sister stating that I was right! That my aunt had died. (I had told my sister that I sensed DEATH and that I had thought it was my great Aunt)

I knew my aunt like to dabble in things that were no good for her. I also knew that she was a women who needed help, therapy and concealing. Don’t get me wrong, She was not one of those people who you could not have around you. She was. She was very much so the life of the party. She would make you laugh and had a way of bringing you in to her energy. It was sad to know that this light of hers had been put out. And the fact that It was done by her own hand bothers me.

[cybermoonmoon]

(This story based on a notion by my dear radio pal Peter Cedric 'Rocky' Smith...no relation I know of. He mused what he would do if he woke up and it was the 1930′s again. So I put myself in his position. The trick is to protect the timeline...or try to...good grief!)

"Clips"

“Back and forth and forth and back.” Put another way...NYC the 125th Street subway platform. It's January 26th, 1937. The ‘A’ rain pulling in wakes me. I’m a science fiction fan so I know what’s happened. Fuck! I’m near 90 years in the past! Serious temporal disorientations. I wander my great grandmother’s hood for days maybe weeks. Think a speedball whiskey crash. FDR is President Dick Tracy is on da radio and it's the Great Bleeping Depression. Best time to appear. I can get lost in this chaos.

I end up in a Salvation Army soup kitchen. Looking for possibilities I tell them I went to a Negro college and could tutor. Tutors white only but with a lucky connection I get a half-time gig at the local library...as a porter. It’s 1937. With the job I get a small room. Do ganja recovery from my temporal displacement and make plans.

Winter passes. In summer I notice a small Harlem machine shop. Just the right size. I introduce myself to the owner. Seems a decent guy. I later hear he’s in the closet. I tell him its cool love is love and don’t worry about it. Anyway, I put an idea to him. A small item that everyone uses that he could very cheaply make. ...and sell. Desperate times so he's game. I show him my designs...paperclips. I was thinking Velcro but too game changing.

No copies from the future. Rather blends of types any of which ‘could’ have been designed in the 30′s. Strips of metal and cheap tools are all that's needed...history is safe. We haggle over details become partners...sort of and get to it. Business slow but they’re cheap look cool so catch on. Towards da Holidays orders is coming in through the ‘gawddamned’ windows to paraphrase Holden Caufield. Whose book I hope isn't butterflied away.

The machine shop is now our office/factory. Slowly we hire more help. I insist on gender equality. My pal thinks it nuts but goes along. Planting seeds. Orders from locals later direct to business. Sure there was problems. Corrupt cops, mob run unions 30's racism but fuck it life is fun. This as I become more accumulated to pre-digital industrial America.

1939 the Board of Education gives us commissions later bulk orders. This via the 'WPA'...google it. Orders from other City departments follow. Mayor Laguardia aka ‘The Little Flower” ...my grandma spoke well of him. Well, he’s throwing FDR’s cash around to help small businesses. First time the government ever really helped me, and I had to go near 90 years into the bleeping past to get it. Figures.

Which reminds me. I'm from the future which means I saw several post-war recessions. Lesson one: Don’t expand before ya ready. My pal wanted to open two large tooling and fabrication shops with a zillion employees. I talked him down to 15 and one medium shop. Smart because the bubble burst...we stayed in business and happily banged along issuing paychecks. An upside I saw the Great Harlem Artistic Rennaissance in person. I also organized the first poetry slam. ...I hoped history wouldn't notice.

Still, war is coming. This is a world with Hitler and Stalin running around loose. Did I mention our own Nazis and a powerful Klan? Anyway, in my only suit...double breasted like grandpa wore. I angle for federal orders. Thanks to patronizing liberalism...hey what works works. I get a few small nibbles Then all hell breaks loose. December 9th, 1941. War comes two days late thanks to my temporal shenanigans.

Uncle Sam is kicking the crap out of that Nazi fuck Hitler and his pal Tojo. And is doing it with our flexible rust-less paperclips. Did I mention our Army is integrated we already have the fucking B-29 and the P-80 jet fighter...all these five years early. All because of the butterfly effect of cheap rust-less paper clips and two smart queer colored guys...one from the 21st century. Fuck da timeline...in for a penny in for a pound.” I finagled a meeting with that Einstein guy and tells him about microprocessors. Stay tuned.