AFROPUNK Brooklyn Fest | Sunday August 27, 2017

Saturday took a lot out of me, with all the running to stages and standing shoulder to shoulder. While Day I was filled with stage hopping, Day II was filled with dancing! AFROPUNK indeed ended strong with more fashion, DJs and Raphael Saadiq shutting down the entire weekend proper. 

The park had a much calmer tone. Space to lay out was readily available, so people were more laxed on their blankets. There was time to check out the market and new to the fest rec area. Folks were playing table tennis and chilling on inflated seats. It felt so good to see black people at ease. I was also able to check out the Hajjaj photo booths and the art decorating the event.

Martina McFlyy started up the dance vibes. When her set started the floor was empty and I  turned again to a crowd of black people getting in formation! The was everyone congregated in front of her stage felt so tribal. It was so much fun dancing with everyone and it felt like a family barbeque. We enjoyed ourselves and starting dance circles, dance battles and just great rhythmic dancing. The joy I had in watching black boys doing choreo together, just hyping each other and being free. It was also great to just catch eyes with another person on the floor and groove with them. Plain and simple her set brought black love. As she ended her set, Blitz the Ambassador was announced; so I eased my way to the front knowing I was about to see a spectacular performance.

Hands down: Blitz the ambassador was my favorite show on Sunday. He came with  great spirits, playful character, and mad love for New York Hip-Hop legends. His suit was dope, his showmanship was in full effect and his band was just as ready. Hearing him rap Biggie and Nas made the  crowd go off. And it was even greater to see him do some Ghanaian classics. "Diasporadical" is his latest work and Blitz blessed the stage with many of his originals from said album. The band played excellently and definitely had fun right along with Blitz. It was clear he just wanted to pay his respects and give a wonderful show, which Blitz the Ambassador absolutely did.

After Blitz's set it was time to dance again. DJ Anaisb blessed us with her jams, hailing all the way from Paris. She one again got the vibes going and the people dancing. Laolu, an artist who specializes in Ori, was drawing art on his canvass Reign which was a perfect experience during the fest. Art and culture manifested. DJ Aniasb gave us electro afro beat sound and it was really lively. I jammed to her before looking to find Nao. I had a happy accident and thought Nao was at the red stage. While did have a mini panic attack because she was at the gold stage, I was able to uncover the extreme artist that is Kevin Abstract. When I say he had me hype, I mean him and his team crowd surfing. He has the hooligan, knuckle head vibes and I'm all for it. I have to check out more of his work because he is an artist to watch.

I made my way to the gold stage to see the lovely Nao! I was not ready for her at all. Nao is on a way more spiritual and afrocentric tip than I imagined, which is pleasantly surprising! She had the crowd screaming and gazing as she danced and spun, exuding sensuality and afrocentrism. It was truly everything. She also performed "Adore", a favorite of mine; so I was euphoric. It was an enchanting performance. From "Girlfriend" to "Happy", Nao gave each song her all and was just a wonderful act from the UK.

The red stage was packed for Anderson Paak. I stood by the entrance to get a glimpse of the panoptic artist. He came on rapping a song I'm unfamiliar with, but Paak was bouncing and coming hard which had the crowd plugged into his set. Afterwards he started tracks off "Malibu". Paak's raspy and lively voice echoed through the crowd and everyone turned up with him! Now it was time to head over to the green stage to see Raphael Saadiq close out the festival.

To say Saadiq gave a fantastic show is an understatement. All the different generations rocked with Saadiq as he performed his goodies, tracks he's contributed to and his horn section's solo of "Cranes in the Sky". He looks amazing and was rocking a white multi cowprint suit and his rock hard abs. He moved with a youthful rhythm and pulled out his guitar to jam throughout the performance. His lead vocal of the night, singer Erika Jerry, was emulating her good vibes to the crowd. She danced hard on that stage and really sang. Her and Saadiq also played off each other well and brought personality to the show. Raphael Saadiq was just a delight and the band was incredible, which included his nephew who Saadiq joked "smokes more than everybody; I don't know where he gets it from". Chris on the key gave his solo towards the end and it elevated the crowd even more with his strong, soulful tune. Everyone was just spectacular and the show really ended on a strong note.

The performers were wonderful and the folks of AFROPUNK had a great time. This is what the fest is about: the culture. Loving on each other and embodying black joy is a blessing for so many of us alternative weird kids. Thank you AFROPUNK and until next time.

CURLFEST 2017

 

What can I call a festival full of gorgeous black people, culture and hair? Perhaps lifestyle goals? What words are fit to describe black folks flourishing in our truth? CURLFEST was everything from black girl magic to black boy joy. CURLFEST was black expression and community. CURLFEST, ultimately was a vibe. There were vendors, creatives, celebrity guests and a plethora of curly, coiled and kinky  hair. 

 

@kikikikheanu @steph_def

@tarapook

 

Upon arriving at CURLFEST I was struck with the many vendors promoting original content that was unapologetically black. With black themed t-shirts from Blacktag Apparel and jewelry and clothing from TheOFactory, people in attendance definitely had options in merchandise. We can only support black business If we know who they are. Check out some of these great companies and get blackity black. 

After passing the vendors I passed by the games. The Black Card Revoked table was a lot of fun. We were in the music category and had fun signing some throwback tracks. I won't tell you how many times my card was revoked, but just know I'm pretty damn black. 

 

 

Now I have to mention DJ C.Devone! She brought the party during her jam session! I love seeing not only women DJs, but one of color, controlling the music at a function. There was a big dance circle created. Black girls had dance offs, babies cheered and boys put in that footwork. The hosts at the Curlfest stage shouted out various nations in Africa and the West Indies (needless to say Haitians got the most hype, no bias intended). 

 

@djcdevone

 

 

It was my first year going to CURLFEST and I was not disappointed! The energy was great; plenty of smiles, compliments, and basking in the magic. So many ladies styled their afros especially nice for this event. I saw crowns of flowers, gold cuffs and wire, blue and green fros and just many styles curated with black in mind. There were also many gorgeous outfits and great t-shirts on the fellas; they didn't come to play. Although many crept on the ladies, many others came for the celebration of our hair.

 

 

 

I got had the pleasure to interview a few creative about CURLFEST. I asked them why they loved CURLFEST and what their hair means to them. The responses made me smile. Also a huge shout out to Evelynfromtheinternets! 

 

@steph_def

@jessicahughee

@afrovocative

@evelynfromtheinternets

 

 

 

 

What did I miss? The fact that Shea Moisture's representative got on stage and said a weird haphazard statement in regards to their latest controversy and CURLFEST messed on the bag distributing. Spike Lee was also there showing love to Brooklyn and leading a discussion. The Black Girl Podcast crew also came out and said hey to their supporters and !'m so bummed I missed them! It was a fun day and like Youtuber Jessie Hughee said "I feel like this is a big picnic"! Thank you, CURLFEST for a great first time and I look forward to plugging in in the near future.

 

 

VEVO Dscvr : Greenpoint Terminal Warehouse

@iam.mrqs

Last night was mad real! VEVO put on their Vevo dcsvr show, a new showcase that presents dope upcoming artists. Luckily, my friend and I went to this free, yes free, promotional event. I was able to see Kiah Victoria, Jorja Smith, AJ Tracey and 070 Shake. While I have fair critiques of the event, I had an overall great experience and would go again.

We arrived early enough to be near the front of the line. Upon entering the stage to our right, open bar to our left, and literature straight ahead. We claimed our spots on the left side front stage, then went and got red wine and reclaimed our spots. DJ Austin came with the jams, serving 2000s trap and letting 6th grade Becky flourish! Yesjulz hosted the event; she works with VEVO and also manages A$AP Mob which is pretty cool. Her get up was fire she was working her body which is amazing! She knew like all the words to all the songs, was dancing in the crowd, and really trying to show love to everyone; she did an excellent job.

I only came expecting to be taken away by 070 and 070 Shake, but to my delight the first act gained herself a new fan! Let me tell you about Kiah Victoria! She's a gorgeous young woman with amazing heartbreak songs and the pipes to make her words resonate. Her outfit fit her warm and loving personality, especially her plaid platform pants; like come through 70s vibes! Kiah Victoria's performance was the first I've witnessed where the performer had one of those voice synchronizing machine boards (clearly I have no idea what they're called; tell me below?). It was really cool seeing her go back and forth with the morphed sound and raw vocals. And let's not forget to mention hair goals with a her luscious bodied curls!

Kiah Victoria

Jorja Smith came on after next and did not disappoint. She has gorgeous vocals and so much 90s swag I just wanted to buy a crushed velvet sweat suit all over again. We even had a moment because I kept smiling in awe at her and she smiled back giving me a nod. I felt like that was her thank you for your energy. Whatever it was it made me feel good. It was her first show in the US and what an honor to be a part of that process. She even had a featured artist come on stage for her song and they were like English angels in my ears. Unfortunately, on her last song of the night the sound starting messing up. I'm not entirely sure what went haywire, but I could start to hear everything get off beat. Things were bad enough for Jorja Smith to put the mic up and rush off the stage. I felt bad she had to experience that after being so amazing to the crowd.

 

Vevo dscvr's sound was a constant situation throughout the night. Kiah Victoria made sure to get that all figured out before she started her set, as she kept asking us "do I need to be turned up?" She really shouldn't have had to but regardless major props to her. Then the sound on stage starts messing up and you have an artists who is so bothered she left the stage in a fury. And for the next act no one in the crowd even hears him. Why are three our the four artist having sound issues? This was unacceptable and I hope Vevo dscvr is much more preventative in the future.

AJ Tracey was third in the lineup and had the worst experience with their sound if you ask me. He went through an entire song sounding muffled to the crowd. While I do give him props for continuing the song, I don't give him props as a performing artist. Everything about him was off-lackluster rather. He wore this over the top Slayer sweat suit that didn't fit his persona, or lack of one, at all. He had these box braids or twists happening that didn't suit him and he kept saying "you get me". He lacked stage presence even before his sound was messing up. The crowd was so dead when he was on; everyone was on their phones or looking like "is this for real?" It was just upsetting seeing a performer half ass when there's so many fresh artist who will give the crowd a show; they'll put their all into that slot knowing every instance counts. I don't believe his music career will flourish if that's how he functions. It almost seems like he doesn't take music seriously. He even announced one of his songs adding "this is the track that sort of got me [famous]". However, Yesjulz said his parents both worked in music; so maybe he has plugs and is taking advantage of it. Quite a shame really.

 

After AJ Tracey's dreadful set was finally over, I was beyond ready for 070 to come out. I was now remembering how sore and tired I was from the day. I was also trying not to hit the guy behind me who kept bumping into me. I must admit I was not the best person to be around at that point and tried to enjoy DJ Austin's last set. As much as I love music events, I am beginning to realize I have a problem with those spaces because I don't have complete agency over my body/personal space. A guy kept rubbing up against me. I kept snagging a girls hair and hitting her butt. I stepping on shoes. People stepped on mine. All these things are accidental but they do happen in these settings and can become triggering. I had to fight for my space in a space-less setting, which was sort of surreal; but I've decided it's something I need.

And alas! 070 Shake is on stage, starting with the ever so aesthetically pleasing Ralphy River. When I tell you he is everything, I'm telling you he is queer, masculine and The Feminine Divine and beyond! While he is clearly my favorite the whole crew was care free and just dope. 070 is a rock star and introvert. She would dap the fans but rarely look at us. It seemed when she was becoming more vulnerable she'd put her shades on. she wore a metallic jacket and pants that was so Michael Jackson and it was glorious. "I just want to have fun with you all tonight" was what she told us after they performed Precious Pressure, and her following acts would prove she meant it. I must say the biggest moment for me was when they performed Honey. Though when she sang " I don't want to exist; I want to live", I could here her experiences of being othered release from her. Her mic flips were dope and she was just giving it to us. Major props to their guitarist and drummer too.

070 Shake was literally just having fun. There were also members in the crowd who ended up hitting the stage which surprised us regulars. Apparently I was rude to one who tried to stand in front of me but we won't talk much about that!

070 Shake with hidden members in the audience

All in all Vevo dscvr was an amazing show. I know this was their first show with this setup, so they had kinks to work out, but I still was pretty bumped about the sound and AJ Tracey. But would I go again? Absolutely. The objection behind this project is commendable and I am very excited to see where they take this.

AFROPUNK 2016

So Afropunk is officially my favorite event. I went last year and had a good time. I went this year and had a great time! Afropunk is literally a space I fantasize about my reality looking like. Being surrounded by so many beautiful black people that love their blackness is utopia. Black women loved on each other. Black men broke gender norms. Folks came as they are and were accepted. Afropunk is a safe space for the black community. It reminds our world that we aren't any less black because we wear unusual hair, clothes and listen to alternative music. There is so much room for power and acceptance in that space and I'm always going to support Afropunk.


Aside from turning up to dope performances, there's so much going on at afropunk. The activism that happens in Afropunk connects organizers that want to free black folks. Seeing all the beautiful art and words expressed on behalf of the movement encouraged me. It reminded me that folks are working endlessly to liberate ourselves.

 

The merchandise section had all sorts of gorgeous pieces. Artists were making rings on site! Folks had their face dotted or masked! Sexy black men took pictures with women on a big pink couch! Basically, everyone had a bunch of options for what they could do or buy at the merchandise section.

Then of course: the beer gardens! I enjoyed Pinot Grigio and Rosé. I appreciate these beer gardens because they're great for starting up conversations. There's room to sit and rest your feet after all the standing and dancing. And of course: um drinks!

So many amazing artist were at Afropunk. Having to choose between who to see was literally some of the hardest decisions I made in my life. However, I made my decision and stand by it! I got the honor to witness a great show from The Vee Vees and Sate, two artists I saw at the Afropunk at Lincoln Center and were amazing both times. I also saw Tyler The Creator and now have the hugest crush. Other performers I saw was Gallant who's extremely passionate, Kelela who's a goddess and The Internet who is vulnerable and loving. All these artists gave me life! They charmed at how black and beautiful the crowd was. The music was great and I can't believe the line up was filled with so many artists I know and love. I would be lying if I said I'm not upset at missing Earl Sweatshirt and Janelle Monae, but I'm extremely happy I saw all those talents.

Let's talk about all the slaying done in the fashion department! From the gorgeous hair to the beautiful prints down to the sheer and lace, people came out and showed out. All the colorful afros was my favorite part. I also smiled at all the men and male passing folks who wore a crown of flowers.

As far as the food trucks went, I have one word: empanadas.


I truly can't express how wonderful Afropunk is and why it's such an important space for me. As my friends and I were exiting Sunday night, one said she wished Afropunk happened once a month. It is an essential space for the black community. I met people who traveled across the country just to be there. Black girl magic flourished at the turn ups. All in all, Afropunk was amazing and I'm already excited for next year.

Haitian Flag Day 2016

There's something about Haitian Flag Day that makes me so patriotic. Our other holidays are great, but flag day is powerful, potent even. What a reminder of our fight to liberation! Every person I pass wearing the flag inevitably puts a smile on my face. This day is ancestral and celebratory, so of course I celebrated!

I got the pleasure of spending my Haitian Flag Day evening at the Shapeshifter Lab in Brooklyn, which housed the event Haitian Flag Day Celebration. NYC Council Member Jumaane D. Williams and Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte partnered with Haiti Cultural Exchange to create a vibrant and festive event. As everyone embodied the richness of our Haitian heritage through music and dance, honorees were also presented and said beautiful things about Haitian, being Haitian and our flag. One of them said something really great, and I wanted to share her sentiments.

Vicky Jeudy is popularly known for her role as Janae in "Orange Is The New Black", but she is also an activist. As a Haitian American, she fights for all Haitians and those who support the community to love themselves and their people.

To be in the same room as her was one thing, but to see her engaged with her fellow Haitians and for her to speak to this Haitian, leaves me euphoric.

Check out my super short, super impromptu but super relevant interview of Vicky Jeudy. Listen to what the Haitian flag means to her. Ask yourself what it means to you. Embrace Haitian culture outside of the month of May.

Enjoy and ignore my awkward demeanor!

https://splice.gopro.com/v?id=x21xw75pa

Lauryn Hill Presents Diaspora Calling at Kings Theatre

On April 15th, there was a new event in Flatbush, Brooklyn that was extremely relevant to the city and the times. With strong Caribbean ties in Flatbush and the progression with the Dominican Republic's deportation crisis, Lauryn Hill had great timing with headlining the first ever Diaspora Calling!

Ms.Hill launched an amazing music and art expo in partnership with MoCADA, The Haitian Cultural Exchange and Nader Haitian Art at the historical King's Theatre. Her concert was Friday evening and of course sold out. Unfortunately, I could not attend but I was definitely at the exhibit prior to her show. Kings Theatre had the art displayed and open to the public in the afternoon, so I was fortunate to tour around.

Phenomenal. Thought-provoking. Vivacious. Deep. These are a few of the words that came to mind when looking at all the pieces displayed. And honestly there's no words string enough to explain the emotion that those pieces brought. All the artist were a part of the African diaspora, but most of the works were created by Haitian and Haitian descent artists, which was not a coincidence.

Concentrating on Haitian diaspora works was extremely appropriate, considering the intent of this inaugural event was to "celebrate the rich tapestry of artists from the African Diaspora while also illumining persistent and irrepressible themes..." as Lauryn stated. Although she did not straight forwardly present the statelessness of many Haitian descent Dominicans, it is evident this issue is on her heart. The majority of the works were those of Haitian artists; there is a political statement just in that lineup. A statement was made.

While I would desire and encourage her to speak more directly about that subject, I of course applaud and commend her efforts within and outside this event. Lauryn Hill provided a platform and room for conversation that hopefully, sooner rather than later, leads to action.

                                     "Unidentified Fist"


This event was a blessing for me. Seeing the various Haitian artists presenting past, present and future Haiti really conjured up a great sense of heritage for me. It was a remedy for my soul, knowing so many Haitians are crating these detailed, bright, vivid and gorgeous works, all for the sake of nationalism.

                                                           "Market Scene"

                                                            "Untitled 1938"

As I work with Haitian Community Land Trust, a non-profit aiming to empower Haitians through self sufficiency, I needed to know others have that same belief. I needed to see Haitians love and embrace who we are and are invest in The Pearl of the Caribbean. We are currently looking to fundraise to purchase land in Haiti that would house and provide jobs for seven families. This is just the beginning of our mission in partner with OAKSPA, and bi-national organization working with the refugees from the Dominican Republic. If you're interested in learning more, getting involved or donating, please visit our site www.haitianclt.wordpress.com .

With being a part of the Haitian diaspora and working to fight for the liberation of my people, it is so refreshing to see an event like this. Empowerment is pivotal in the change we want to see; so celebrating who we are and how far we've gone is important. Looking at the things we struggle with is important. And working together relentlessly to free ourselves of those struggles is imperative. We can get there and Diaspora Calling reminded me of that.

                                          (Etienne Chavannes)

I'm forever grateful for having that experience.