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Please support the inaugural Women Love the World festival.

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The Romantic Movement

LiquidLOVE

"I am merely a middle man trying to bring you and true love together."-@ChrisTurnerLC

FREE Album Download: http://www.audiomack.com/album/chris-turner/lovelife-is-a-challenge

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Christian Scott + Christian aTunde Adjuah

Christian Scott. Photo by Delphine Diallo BrooklyNites Jazz: Christian Scott Quintet

Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 7 p.m. Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway 2/3 to Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum New Orleans–born and Edison Award–winning trumpeter and bandleader Christian Scott performs selections from his new double album, Christian aTunde Adjuah. Scott has been called "the architect of a new commercially viable fusion" by Evan Haga of Jazz Times. The album explores contemporary inequality, racism, globalization, and Scott's own African ancestry. The performance will feature Braxton Cook (saxophone), Matt Stevens (guitar), Luques Curtis (bass), and Joe Dyson (drums).

Presented in partnership with WBGO 88.3 FM and hosted by Rob Crocker. WBGO members receive free admission. A sensory tour on the theme of “Brooklyn Stories” will precede the program at 6 p.m.

Drinks and small bites available. Tasting by Brooklyn Brewery.

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Hoʻoponopono

Ahhh, Hawai'i, I feel so blessed that Herman and I have been able to travel to Hawai'i for the past three years as a "family reunion" with my Mother and Step Father! The trip is always lovely, the aloha spirit of the islands (the people, the nature, the positivity). Mother Earth has been kind to us.

It is also important for us to remember that with all the beauty there is still a serious need to be kind as visitors to this sacred space. As we know most of the islands have been torn apart (with tourist and from the original people) so there is often a tension that is felt. Luckily, Herman and I are the type of travelers who are very respectful of space. With others that is not always the space. So, please do not be swayed by this video. It is beautiful, trust, but within the beauty there is rapid change. We must be mindful of how we treat her and her people.

About the video: Over a period of two weeks, in Maui and Oahu, HI Summer 2012 by Neglakay Productions.

Song Credit: Artist-Daughter Song-Youth ohdaughter.bandcamp.com What is Neglakay Productions? NEGLAKAY PRODUCTIONS® is a grassroots video production house curated by the visual philosopher, Herman Jean-Noel. Looking to consistently expand his knowledge and creativity in the world of art/film/video/sounds and technology. NLP®'s remarkably organic & honest style mixed with fine attention to detail and the ability to capture the mood & emotion in the simplest of things contribute to the unique works and visions of Neglakay Productions®.

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Thank you, Caits.

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PRESS PLAY RE-BLOG TWEET FACEBOOK SPREAD THE WORD SUPPORT THE MOVEMENT!

Happy Fall! I am so excited to finally share this video with you, Harvest Homicide by Josiah Wise, GodBodi! Props to Herman-Jean Noel of Neglakay Productions for the dope editing, production, and well... magic! Video was created in Philly, PA.

DON'T SLEEP!

Interview time...

GET TO KNOW HIM: JOSIAH WISE, GODBODI

Harvest Homicide, that is an interesting title for the song, where did the inspiration for the title come from? Autumn is a very special season to me. It has always been my time to recharge. In this particular song I wanted to talk about my experience in the Autumn of 2009. It was during this time that I learned to let go of thoughts that caused me pain and discomfort. The harvest season marks the end of a growing period, and maturation; Harvest Homicide is my attempt at illustrating this. 

You have awesome song writing and musical arrangement skills, how long have you been writing and arranging music?

Like most little kids, I was composing songs daily when I was very young... You know those songs that don't rhyme and are sort of atonal?? I was that kid that lived in the sky. I got back into writing when I started the band in the Summer of 2008. We started booking gigs and they wanted original music. I didn't know that I would be so fed by composing. Now it's all I want to do. I studied the writing styles of Cee-Lo, James Baldwin, Saul Williams, Stevie Wonder. Chick Corea, Kirk Franklin, Bjork are always on heavy rotation. They're my bread and butter. 

You have a dope style that combines, theater, rock, soul and so much more, who has been your musical, spiritual, and theatrical influences? My language is the language of motion.  I hear and see everything through the prism of dance; everything should move; everything should rock. That's Black music, and I'm always trying to make the Blackest music possible. I have a classical and jazz background. I sang in choirs for most of my life. I am interested in elegance and sophistication but I am also into producing sounds that are visceral. I love the opera. I also love Youssou N'Dour, Dorothy Ashby, and Janelle Monae. They are scholars and intuitive beings. That's the mission behind my music- to marry scholarship and dialogue about spirituality and identity. I'm a fan of most things. I'm inspired by most things. I suppose resourcefulness is something I live by. 

What has been your most magical musical experience... well, ever?

I've had so many magical moments performing with my band, and there have been so many mind-blowing concerts I've been blessed to witness in and outside of the U.S. However, some of my most magical musical moments happen when I see dancers perform. So often I wish I could set music to movement when I see it. I have a lot of dancer friends and they've taught me a lot about fluidity and being physically authentic. There's nothing more musical or magical than that. Speaking of that magic, what is your vision for your album and what would you like to manifest through producing it?

The name of this EP is paraboLA. Ever since 6th grade, I've sort of been obsessed with quadratic equations and parabolas. As I've grown, I've understood the spiritual implications even more. To me parabolas captures the idea of going forward in order to get back. With this EP I pray that people will desire to be a little more fearless. We spend so much time rejecting things that are intrinsic to us because we've inherited so much illness and so many ideas of deficiency. I want to live a full life. The 2012 shift is all about exchanging the fragmented perspective for clarity.

Do you have any advice for up-and-coming artists, especially new to NYC? Be authentic. Be bold.  Observe the signs. If it's screaming at you...listen! A peafowl never asks itself if its a peafowl; A rose knows that its a rose.  What quote would you leave The Culture-Connector readers for remainder of 2012?

"Isn't fear just obsession inverted?"

Where can we find more information about your work?

www.josiahwise.com Filmed by: Herman Jean-Noel for Neglakay Productions Location: Granny House, West Philadelphia Engineered & mixed by: Micah Forsyth Executive Producers and Producers: Josiah Wise, Anwar Marshall Drums: Anwar Marshall Percussion: Olatunji Ojore Vocals: Josiah Wise, Elle Morris,Andre Webb, Vinchelle Woods Guitar: Brosh Laven Bass: Steve Lyons

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Photo by Steven Duarte For the past few months I have been excited to share someone fresh with you. This man is so talented! His name is Josiah Wise...GodBodi. His music is fresh, he is out of Philly, he rolls with a unique crew of creatives including performance artist and writer Trae Harris (who will be featured alongside Raye 6 at October's Target First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum, Can you dig it?). Simply put, this man has it going on! and boy can he sang! Now, I am also excited to share with you know that Herman Jean-Noel from Neglakay Productions directed, produced, and edited his new video for the single Harvest Homicide (video in next post). Please... learn a little bit more about Mr. Wise. In his own words:

JOSIAH WISE: IN HIS OWN WORDS

In the Summer of 2008 I began a journey for success and self-identity in Philadelphia. I set foot on this journey seemingly alone, but soon realized I had friends and companions on the road with me. We were all embarking on similar voyages and discovered that through music we could inadvertently release our fears about our life-journeys and each other. We were becoming a GodBodi.

GodBodi: A GodBodi understands that the fullness of humanity is not separate from the Supreme, and since that is the case, our bodies are not just bodies..they are indeed GodBodi(es). People often separate themselves from God; some out of ignorance, and some for convenience. The time has come for humanity to elevate our thoughts and perceptions of our own physicality; we must recognize and see how limitless we are. All three songs on this EP: paraboLA are about inverting the ideas you carry about yourself and the world you inhabit. This initial thought conversion involves inverting ideas on God, and even our fears in life, and using that inversion of thought to our advantage.

This is what GodBodi does with its music. Currently based out of Philly, our music and message are a tool we put forward to help rid the mind of ideas that no longer serve the individual or the collective. The songwriting process is, in major part, a response to surveying and studying the world’s mythologies, religions and people. Humanity’s answers to our illusory “new” problems are hidden in the world’s collective age-old wisdom. This has been the labor of the Soul, the journey, undertaken by GodBodi since 2008;  I invite you to journey your own soul, and the collective experience of mankind. I invite you to confront your fears of self and others.

In the film adaptation of Ronald Dahl’s famous novel “Charlie and The Chocolate Factory”, Willy Wonka famously states: “You've got to go forwards to go back."

Abundant life is one well balanced, and at times you will have to dispel things and ideas, while wholly embracing new ones even if they conjure up fear. GodBodi brings together the disparate “parts” that are left after that shedding and growing process...different sounds, genres and stories. Most importantly, the stories.

In a nutshell, we are simply as honest and authentic as possible, embracing all of who we are and the journey of what humanity is to be: The GodBodi.

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Love. Love. Love..... Allen Stone, Unaware, Highline Ballroom, NYC (UNEDITED by Neglakay Productions)

Wow, this past week has been amazing. I have seriously gone out and spent really fun, quality time with amazing people. I feel so blessed. Shout out to all the new folks I met this week too including my soul mate/art buddy Lucas and Herman’s long-lost film brother John! This show was special. I decided to take my fiancé Herman out on an "special date night" (SDN) ... which--  for us --will always and forever be some kind of combination of GOOD MUSIC, GOOD PEOPLE, and GOOD FOOD. This particular SDN included Fried Chicken from Dirty Bird, Soul food gifted to us from a 25 year old hippie, hipster soul singer from Seattle Washington, and a nice bike ride home from Manhattan. My goodness...when I tell you this man puts on a soulful show... I mean it. I was extremely impressed by his voice/style, audience, showmanship/stage presence, kick ass band, opportunities for audience interation/participation, and onstage energy. Ya'll...we had a dance off during the show! To top it all off, after each show he makes a point to meet, hug, and, take pictures with all of his fans. Real Human:Human contact super cool, any day -- to get to know your audience -- but I also think that is a smart way to spread the word about yourself and your music via social networks. Please enjoy this song Unaware shot by my love and husbannd-to-be  Herman Jean-Noel of Neglakay Productions via his Youtube for Neglakay Grassroots.

Enjoy.

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Flying Lotus' 'Until The Quiet Comes', is out October 1st/2nd on Warp Records. Album features Erykah Badu, Laura Darlington, Niki Randa, Thundercat, Thom Yorke & more. Video directed by Cyriak.

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Love sent me this Harlem Elvis video this morning. Not only is it shot extremely well but the message is perfect! Live, love, and spread light.

There are 84, 600 seconds per day. Make something positive.

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Masauko Chipembere is a singer songwriter from Malawi, born in Los Angeles while his parents were in exile from Africa due to political strife. His music has an international quality that has allowed him to travel the globe performing with: Stevie Wonder, Hugh Masekela, Susana Baca, Dead Prez, Black Thought, Talib Kweli, Mary J. Blige, Ishmail Reed, Sweet Honey on the Rock, Ruby Dee and more. He has been musical director for Divine Styler. He has collaborated with Lady Bug Mecca and toured with Digable Planets. He worked with RZA from Wu Tang on a song for Tekitha's 2010 release "The Prelude". He is part of the popular South African duo Blk Sonshine with Neo Muyanga. Blk sonshine was nominated for a South African music award in 2010 for their latest CD "Good Life". The duo performed for the world cup in 2010. He has an album coming out later this year which features Brian Jackson, former Gil Scott-Heron MD and Mongezi Ntaka former Lucky Dube MD. 1.      Where did the idea for Blk Sonshine come from? The name Blk sonshine came from my partner Neo Muyanga who is songwriter like my self but also a painter, playwright, festival producer and more. I came up with the spelling because we wanted to people to understand that we are black sons of the African continent shinning our light out of respect for our ancestors. The spelling of black as "blk" came from our reverence for the black arts and beat movement poets like Bob Kaufman, Ntozake Shange, Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Jayne Cortez, Kamau Brathwaite and Etheridge Knight who all destroyed English creatively in the continual struggle to create a dialect suitable to the jazzy needs of black folks. 2.      After hearing your song "Building" what action do you want your listeners to make? I just hope my creativity is inspirational to someone in some way. Most of my songs are actually prayers. I believe that we use words to create our reality. This means that I don't write songs with the intention of being heard as much as I create them to transform my own soul. 3.      What is next for Blk Sonshine? Right now both of us are moving in the direction of theater on our own paths. Neo just finished a play that was running at the Baxter theater in Cape Town. I also wrote the musical score to a play called Ark that was performed at the Caribbean Cultural Center in New York late last year. It seems time for music to come closer to theater. Amiri Baraka has a theory that at times of great change people tend to go back theater as a mode of culture because it is a place where new visions came be brought into the consciousness. I tend to agree and this is a turbulent time on the third stone from the sun. Those who want to hear our latest CD "Good Life" can pick it up here. 4.      Do you have any advice for up-and-coming artists that want to change the world? Don't worry so much about changing the world. Begin with yourself because when you change yourself you change the world. Most of the people out there who want to change the world are the ones who tend to want to run from intimacy. They fail to see the power in a smile or of laughter. The greatest weapon in the world is laughter. We have a saying in Southern Africa, "when you laugh you fool the devil." This means that the devil assumes he has you down and trapped but when you laugh the devil is stuck thinking you know something about life he doesn't and gets worried... 5.      What quote would you leave our hearts with? "Love is the condition of human beings beings human." - Bob Kaufman

Video for "Gliding" here: http://vimeo.com/12812385

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Grammy nominee Gregory Porter exhibits an incredible degree of vocal mastery. His distinct style ranges from jazz, funk, R&B, blues and gospel, all soulful while still maintaining the elegance he learned from his earlier influences. Playing on major stages around the globe as well as on famous television shows, The New York Times has said, “Gregory Porter has most of what you would want in a male jazz singer, and maybe a thing or two you didn’t know you wanted.” http://www.gregoryporter.com

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Figure Study: Light + Color

Neglakay Productions

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The minute I heard my first love story,

I started looking for you, not knowing

how blind that was.

Lovers don't finally meet somewhere,

they're in each other all along.

- Rumi

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Little Dragon In Concert

August 13, 2012 The Swedish quartet's experimental, electro soul turned out the Prospect Park Bandshell in a Celebrate Brooklyn show.

After the show, my love and I hung around outside of the band shell talking with some friends and to my lovely surprise out walks... none other than.... Ms. Yukimi herself! She is so fly! Much love to LD and the crew!

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Jose James is the future of Jazz and this cut right here is represenitive of his old + new, fresh sounds. I am looking forward to working with him once again here in Brooklyn ... stay on the look out! Support his new album soon come on Blue Note Records! From his bio:

“No Beginning No End sums up how I feel about music right now,' says José James of his Blue Note Records debut. ' I don’t want to be confined to any particular style. I decided I didn’t want to be considered a jazz singer anymore and that was really freeing. Once I realized that jazz singing is just something that I do and it’s just a label, it freed me as an artist to just write without any boundaries.'

No Beginning No End is a seamless musical experience that moves between different styles with remarkable fluidity, bound together by James’ transcendent voice. It marks a new chapter in the artistic journey of the 33-year-old singer/songwriter. Conceived, recorded and produced independently without any recording contract, the album is his most personal statement yet."

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All photos (c) Herman Jean-Noel, Neglakay Productions

Wax Poetics Presents

Christian Scott Christian Atunde Adjuah Album Release Party

with a special live performance

Thursday Aug. 2nd

Ginny’s Supper Club at Red Rooster Harlem

Read more about the album HERE