Posts
Endea Owens & the Cookout
The radiant Detroit-born soul that is Endea Owens brought her crew, The Cookout, and all their energy and musical talent to Tri-C on this chilly fall evening. Phenomenal jazz music.
Takashi Murakami at CMA
I’m so glad I caught this exhibit! “Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow” at the Cleveland Museum of Art was a lot of fun. The paintings and sculptures are absolutely bursting with color and energy, but there’s actually some heavy stuff going on beneath all those shiny, candy-bright surfaces. Murakami’s work touches…
CHROMOKOPIA
The goblin.wolf.bastard.flowerboy came to entertain! A graduation gift for the new grad, we headed downtown to Rocket Arena to see the new-school musical genius, Tyler the Creator. This concert was so lit and to think that he was on tour solo, no dancers, no DJ, no hype man, no entourage! Check out this list of…
A Time to Celebrate
Watching Kali Cross the Finish Line As we sat in the Akron auditorium with hundreds of other parents and families, I searched long and hard to spot her amongst all the caps and gowns. I can’t lie, when I found her I felt my throat tighten. Then they finally called her name and she walked…
TANK and the Bangas
This Sista, this group. I, like so many others, “discovered” Tank and the Bangas on NPR Tiny Desk. Dope performance. This was my second time seeing Tank, but the Bangas were a bit different. A whole different crew, no Jelly, no flute, but still amazing. So amazing!
Black Panther in Concert
Been waiting a long time to catch one of these concerts! We finally made it to see Black Panther with the Cleveland Orchestra and it is was pretty amazing. Led by these two Brothas.. Conductor Anthony Parnther and Massamba Diop on the talking drum, we got to relive all the Wakanda feelings from the original…
Meshell Ndegeocello
NO MORE WATER: The GOSPEL of JAMES BALDWIN Soulful and fly, poetic and revolutionary.. This performance was so captivating and yet meditative and thought provoking. I caught a few raw clips below, just to give a taste of the evening. Meshell is a classic – live in the historic Agora Theater. We braved the cold…
AFROPUNK 2024
Can’t believe how long it’s been since I was at Afropunk. Far too long. Me and the ladies made a bold move and made it happen! The vibes, the sights, NYC, Brooklyn! and of course – the music. The Baduizm to be exact. A quick trip, but so worth it.. A hell of a start…
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm
Admittedly, I am a total sucker for a good father/daughter story and this one did not disappoint! The main character was a father and a jazz musician – so, you got me Ms. Laura Warrell 🙌🏽. I actually started Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm last fall, but got so busy with life that I had to…
Nature is My Refuge
Call it what you want, but Yep! – I live in Buckeye – one of the more “challenged” inner city neighborhoods in Cleveland, OH. Things can be a bit crazy at times – noisy and gritty – but we ARE a community. I’m VP of the Block Club, heavily involved with the cultural and political…
Star Wars Fanaticism – The Thrawn Trilogy
I’m going to shift gears for a minute. I am and have always been a fan of the Star Wars franchise. I remember the day we sat in the theater and heard Darth Vader (James Earl Jones) say “I am your father.” Maaannneee, what??? I think I went to bed that night hearing that voice…
The Intersection of Visual Arts & Poetry
This was the second installment of Let’s Talk Art – a discussion that was manifested through the challenge from the “Readers are Leaders” painting. This time, the art of spoken word took the stage, and did not disappoint. Calil “JUST C.O.S. Cage, Honey Bell-Bey, Siaara Freeman, and Wesley “Wallstreet Wes” Robinson brought it. It was…
Homecoming ’23
THEE best time at THEE best HBCU on the planet! I headed south to celebrate, reconnect, REMINISCE, and just have the most amazing moments with my college family. There is nothing like it.. to the airport! – first stop m-town.. As usual, I had to make a visit to my hometown of Memphis-10 to see…
Fertile Ground Poetry:
Sowing the Seeds of Creative Expression in ‘The Land’ On this warm Friday afternoon, three incredible poets gave us touching and powerful poetry along with a wonderful discussion about being an artist, building family, and staying true to who you are. Kelly Harris-Deberry, Teri Ellen Cross Davis, and Janice Lowe – immensely talented queens, women…
Dreamville 2023!
Road trip! A birthday/graduation gift for Solomon! Down to NC, to experience Dreamville. Orchestrated by J. Cole and his Crew, we were able to catch Drake, Ari Lennox, Summer Walker, JID, Burna Boy, many others and of course, J. Cole himself grace the stages over two days. Unfortunately, we missed Usher. Good food, shopping, museums,…
Art Speaks Volumes
Art is created to provoke. If done well, it will spark a wave of emotions. This piece of art (commissioned to serve as an image for a 100-year anniversary library card) started a series of controversies and conversations. It was met with both praise and criticism – just the way good art should. I found…
Relaxing Sunday at the Museum
We just made a quick stop at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Incredible artwork – always a good time.
Hanging Out at Gordon Square
We went to a few hidden gems in Gordon Square, but Cool World was by far the most intriguing. Then we had some silly moments, lol. Just what we do sometimes..
Derrick Adams: LOOKS
School was out, so Kali and I went back to the Cleveland Museum of Art for another Diasporan display. My artiste of a teenager and I were able to check out LOOKS, the wig inspired/politically driven paintings of Derrick Adams.
Kemet in Cleveland – the Kevin “Chill” Heard Tour
Knowledge is power and there’s no doubt about it. Learning the facts of the great civilization called Kemet is in itself empowering. Our Brother Kevin “Chill” Heard offers one of the most in-depth tours of the Cleveland Museum of Art “Egyptian” Exhibit around. He is able to decipher hieroglyphs, offer historical counter arguments, provide alternative…
CLE Car Show 2022
Confession: This was my first car show – EVER! I’m just not into cars like that, but it was’t bad at all. We saw some pretty dope vehicles and also some cars that haven’t changed much over the years. Perhaps car makers are running out of ideas! Oh well, here are a few of the…
My Second Journey to East Africa – pt.1
From LaGuardia to Kilamanjaro.. Heading into town – Arusha, Tanzania Day 2 in Arusha Visiting a local winery, swimming in the hot springs and dinner with the full group.
Revealing Krishna at the CMA
As always, Kali and I have the best experiences! On this day, it was unusually warm for December so we got out and enjoyed another CMA exhibit entitled Revealing Krishna. The virtual reality experience with narration was awesome, but the story of how “Krishna” made its way to Cleveland was even more amazing. It’s a…
Rhapsody
Enlightened minds break synthetic barriers. Carry burden with pride No soldiers on their side Just pretenders and defenders of the same bullshit Running scams from the pulpit Regardless of wake up and rise up. When in the dungeon, simply climb up When the devil feeds lies, and Saboteurs project dis-ease, then dot their eyes…
The Immersive Van Gogh Experience
This was dope! Van Gogh, crazy as hell – or was he? I can relate, kind of.. Anyway, the Immersive Van Gogh was a fantastic experience. One of a kind. I have to respect all the work a project like this takes! Masterful projectors and painting and curating and graphic design – they completely transformed…
Another Long Journey
As I navigate incessant noise Of arguments and gun shots Racial rants, schemes and political plots My ears grow weary, bleeding on queue. The rhetoric and ridiculous notions Of materialism and mental madness I need to get away from An inherent longing to be that butterfly who fleas, that monarch that travels cross seas and…
Buckeye Neighborhood Mural Unveiling
On this special day, the East 128th Street Block Club unveiled a historic mural that was two years in the making, It was NOT an easy process and in fact the challenges often felt insurmountable. But finally, FINALLY, the finished product was completed, installed, unveiled and celebrated.
Meeting the Need – Library Backpack Giveaway
It’s just another way that we give back.. the youth were in need and we tried to make it happen. This year we were planning an event that would include a firetruck visit, local food vendors, games and a helicopter landing for the children in the community! However, some kind of political ego crap got…
Kayaking in the Cuyahoga River
Another pandemic-time getaway. Relatively inexpensive, very little hassle, and divinely peaceful. I highly recommend it! Check them out at paddletheriver.com. peace
akofena 