Roots Rock Reggae

The hubs and I just recently returned from our first trip to Jamaica, where we celebrated our third anniversary (still together!). We flew into Montego Bay, and then made the hour or so drive through the back o' bush to Negril, and then through even more bush aaaaalllll the way to West Bumba, otherwise known as Little Bay (a stone's throw away from Bob Marley's house). We wanted a trip where we could just unplug and unwind, and get away from the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives. The views were a-mah-zing; Jamaica is such a beautiful country. We had a blast, but I was very happy to get back home! After all, there's only so much rice and peas and rum girl can inhale without worrying about her figure. Here are some pics from our romantic little rendezvous in Jam-Rock...

As you can see, the water is crystal clear, the sunsets are breathtaking, and even the shanties have so much character and life. It really was a beautiful trip, and I'm happy to have Jamaica as the first stamp on my new passport!

Redemption Song

Monday, bloody Monday! Did everybody get their football and junk food fix last night? I honestly don't care enough about sports to sit through an entire game of football when my Gators aren't playing, so I only tuned in during halftime. 

. . .

What. Was. That? Believe you me, I love me some Madonna (well, at least old school Madge - "Music" and older). Who doesn't? She's the fiercest, the original "don't give a f*ck," in your face, superstar. In fact, I liked Madonna so much as a child, that I stood in line in SOUTH KOREA to buy The Immaculate Collection on cassette, because I was out of the country during its release. No joke. But last night's debacle was just that, a debacle. The material matron was doing the wobble, baby (and I don't mean the newest dance craze to hit the scene)! She almost fell a couple of times, and was totally out of breath. It honestly made me a bit uncomfortable to see her trying so hard for relevancy. I don't want to remember that Madonna. I want to remember the Madonna with the cone bras, and the hot chained up guys. Not the Madonna prancing around in too-tall-for-someone-her-age-to-be-dancing-in boots, madly flourishing gold pom-poms and screaming at me to L-U-V Madonna! Yikes. That said - her production rocked, and it was entertaining, to say the least.

Okay, let me stop harping on last night's halftime show ... Moving on (because I could probably go on forever), today is Bob Marley's birthday!

(6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981)
Source

He was more than just a reggae legend; he was a revolutionary.* His music, although it sounds like clever lyrics over a funky, Caribbean, ska beat, was wildly political. As the third world's first superstar musician, he used his notoriety to speak out against apartheid in Africa, and to be the voice of his people and black resistance. I think that maybe too often, people associate the memory of Bob Marley with lazy days and ganja smoke; but they neglect to honor the memory of what he fought for and believed in. People have managed to commercialize him, effectively softening his militancy, and thus, not truly honoring his legacy. In the book Reggae and Caribbean Music, author Dave Thompson addresses this issue as such:

Today's Black History Month Tribute goes to Bob Marley, the militant revolutionary, the Rastafari, the original Tuff Gong. So, Get Up, Stand Up, put your lighters up, and t'row on I Shot the Sherriff; let's give this man the props he deserves.

*He was also a bit of a philanderer, with a total of 11 children (acknowledged on the official website; there may be more). Only 3 were with his wife, Rita. Fun-filled fact of the day:  in 1972 alone, he fathered three children, who were all born within a month of each other. Bloodclot! Ya boi got around, yunno? Talk about Kinky Reggae.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is celebrated today, January 16, 2012, one day after he would have turned 83 years old. Today, many of us are off of work, enjoying the many luxuries that we often take for granted. Some have more than others: nice cars, vacation homes, private jets ... but we all have our freedom. We all have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of our own happiness. So today, let us not forget the struggle that came before us, the loooong trek to the mountaintop of civil liberty. Let us celebrate how far we as a nation have come; but also not forget how far we still have to go. Today, let us remember a man who helped to pioneer the Civil Rights Movement, and challenged our nation to lift [itself] "from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood." Happy Birthday, Dr. King - today we celebrate your memory and your vision.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source

Excerpt of speech taken from YouTube

*If you live in Atlanta, and have not been to the MLK memorial - for shame! You should get on over there, at least just to see it. Culture, remember? Get you some! 

High Brow Art with a High-Yellow Broad*

Source

On Friday, the hubs and I spent the afternoon at the High Museum, exploring their Picasso to Warhol exhibit. It was our first time going there, so we didn't know what to expect.  What a pleasant surprise; the exhibit is wonderful! I was so impressed by the collection. They have some really breathtaking pieces on display, including several that would be recognizable even to the fine art novice. There are mobiles by Calder, oil paintings by Picasso and paper collages by Matisse. The styles range from Cubism to Fauvism to Pop Art; from the real to the surreal. For all of my Atlantans out there - if you have a free afternoon, and you haven't already been, I highly recommend that you pay a little visit to the High Museum. Parking was $10 in the campus garage; adult admission was $18 (Foursquare offers a $5 off coupon when you check in; Scout Mob should also have the same coupon). If art is kind of your thing, and you dig the museum scene, the High offers different packages that include unlimited admission, free parking and various other perks/discounts at the cafes and gift shops.

For those of you who don't live in Atlanta (i.e., a stone's throw away from the museum), I took pics of some of my favorites (because everyone should see a Picasso at some point in their lives) to share with you. I know, I know - SO thoughtful, right? I do it all for you, folks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please excuse the quality of the pictures. Taking cell phone pics when you have a perfectly good digital SLR collecting dust at home = epic FAIL. I promise to do better next time, guys. Mean it. In the meantime, go see Picasso to Warhol; it's only going to be around until April 29, 2012 ... so hurry up and go get yourself some culture, yo.

*The title of this post was taken from "Off That," from Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3. It shouldn't come as any surprise that Jigga loves fine art; he has spoken repeatedly for his love of the finer things in life. He has touted his Basquiat and Warhol pieces throughout the years; I've now seen exhibits for both of these artists. Thanks to my hip-hoppin' hubs for sharing this link, explaining Hov's love for fine art. Enjoy! Hip-hop is culture, too.