WARNING! THIS BLOG IS NOT OVERLY COMPLIMENTARY: Young Achievers and Wonder World...

So I think I am going to start with a bit of complaining and then move on to the more fun stuff.... I think I will start with the Young Achievers Awards 2010.....last year I attended as I did this year as well and whilst I have respect for what is trying to be done I have to say that the second edition was a complete and utter disappointment.  To begin with, unlike last year their seemed to be a serious lack of importance given to the actual nominees.  As I sit in the back bleachers with two of them, I find it completely off key that firstly we have pay for drinks etc, whilst the VIP guests sit comfortably with their complementary drinks and such .....I hate to state the obvious but are the nominees not the whole reason we are all gathered here? I’m just sayin.....But really this is a massively disappointing change from last year where the Young Achievers themselves where in fact treated as ‘Achievers’ not the accompaniments to corporate and political face’s who claim to be ‘celebrating’ the achievements of young Ugandans.....more it seems like they are simply using the event to make themselves seem youth conscious.....There is a certain rapper who is trying to tap into the same ‘market’....but I don’t think we need to talk about him....Do you want another rap? Enough said......

I mean in all honesty I am really rather confused about the situation....We get told at the start that there is more funding for the event....only to be met with hard seats and well quite a boring programme, I can honestly say that had I not had to wait for certain categories I would have followed the flood of people who all left about 20seconds after H.E.Sevo!  But for those of you who don’t know, or have not attended let me give you a bit of background on last year’s ceremony.  Guests were greeted and seated and then treated to a simple but to the point ceremony which included a beautiful dinner.  The entertainment was bland....and that was improved this year so I will have to give it some credit (although the sound was a bit off as was some lip-syncing).  Last year there was a sense that all the guests, from the cooperate to the Achievers, and their guests were all as important as each other, they were all contributing factors to the night and we were all  treated equally...which didn’t seem to be the case this year.  I cannot be lead to believe that it is coincidence that certain people and nominees were placed in ‘V.I.P’ when they were not even ranking in the top 5 of their categories and I am not hating on them as they realistically did not pick their seats but there was something very disappointing about watching nominees squeeze their way from the back bleachers to the stage while others who are here to celebrate them sit in comfort.....It all seems a bit messed up to me....

Also I just want it to be known that it was noticed that the Journalism, Art and Fashion and Entertainment categories were moved to the end, you know after the President had left the building and then rushed through like they needed to be over with as soon as possible....yeah thanks for showing the arts....or people with actual self expression not spoon fed to them by the education system....some recognition for their work....at least we can see how the arts and creativity  are ranked in importance!

So what is my message to the Young Achievers Awards? You had a good thing going last year, and if this year you got more funding and yet the treatment and standards of the ceremony went down (at least the treatment of the nominees anyway) the question needs to be asked....’Where is all the Money?’ I’m not saying your corrupt....I’m just saying....maybe if you knew where it was....you could collect it together....save it up....and maybe next year  treat your nominees with the respect, acknowledgement and sense of importance which you did last year instead of saving it only for those who are already established and ‘elite’....I won’t say anything about the actual V.I.P guests....only that they gave H.E.Sevo a Very listening and attentive ear....almost like they were all supporters....

But please don’t get me wrong I do think that the Young Achievers Awards stand for something good! I think that it is really good that they have set up this Award system which celebrates the Achievements of the Youth.....

Ok Enough of that!!!!! And on to some more positive things! So this Saturday I took the Ship Crew from the Bavubuka All Starz out to Wonder World for the day.  The day itself was sponsored by firstly a friend of mine who sponsors one the crew Medi A.K.A Mc Ship and me as a kind of Xmas present.  The day was really really really really FUN! I took Imogen with me and it was fun to see her get on rides for the first time and have fun with me in the bumper cars.  But what was more fun....and more the point of the outing was to allow the kids to have KIDDY fun.... In the world, and the country we live in it seems that the youth have to grow up so fast.  They have to use their initiative to make or create toys and they rarely get to enjoy the ‘luxuries’ of swimming pools or games and rides.  And so I just wanted to have one day where my friends could experience the things that I, having grown up in London and having the means, have always taken for granted....things like Bumper Cars at fairs, the Rocking boat thing (the one with the pirates that always makes you feel like you left your tummy in the air), the ferris wheel and the best thing.... WATER SLIDES!!!  And these are no ordinary kids, they MC constantly and have a policy of speaking out for those who cannot speak for themselves....they are constantly using their voices, words and actions to combat heavy social issues....and so I thought.....what do you give these prolific children for Xmas....how about a tiny taste on my childhood....real kiddie fun.....And that is what we did!

This last bit  may not have been as long as my beginning rant....but to connect the two...ish....I really hope the organizers of the Young Achievers Award look into their functionality (and maybe find the answer somewhere in the rumoured 300Mil given to them), and look at who they are actually serving....is it the sponsors and the ‘elite’ of Uganda or is it the people who they are claiming to be giving recognition? Because what they are doing in Theory is good and I having spent the day with some brilliant young people cannot wait for them to get older, excel in their chosen fields and potentially get the recognition and appreciation that was shown in last year’s Young Achievers Awards.

It's all about me.....well and you too....

What is the truth about beauty? Does it grow in our own minds or is it nurtured and formed in the minds of those who look t us, in men, women, in magazines and on television?  To be honest it is probably a question bigger and more complex than what I currently have to offer you.  All I have to offer in this blog is just one of my many opinions on the matter.  Yesterday I found myself in what I can only describe as a True State of Beauty.  And so I felt it only relevant too share it....and hope that other people can relate, and not just think I am some kind of crazy.....

It started when I woke up, felt fresh sheets under my skin and a voice in my mind whispering sweet words of compliment. And for the first time in a long time I believed what that voice was saying, without question or hesitation....yes I would look good in ‘that’ underwear, and yes today was the day to wear those skinny’s I had been waiting to feel confident in....No I didn’t want to wear anything totally out of the ordinary, but yes I was feeling every inch of what I was in.  I didn’t brush my hair, my curls were perfect.....eyeliner....mascara not for any reason other than to enhance what I felt was in need of some attention....and then I thought you know what....I need to take a photograph of me....in this moment ....in this one, unique moment where from start to finish I have not had a single thought about anything or anyone except for my own perception of MY BEAUTY.  My hips, my thighs, my lips and my eyes, all of them having had special attention paid to them.  From looking at myself in my underwear in complete comfort and confidence to almost feeling saddened with every item of clothing I put on....only to then get another wave of confidence as the ensemble was getting nearer to completion.

OK so I might be sounding and looking really random and a bit full of myself right now....but my point is this....I began to thin ‘when was the last time I actually dressed solely for me?’....without the element of consideration on the eyes that would find themselves gazing in my direction? Not for the conservativeness of meetings, or the acknowledgment from the man in my life.....or even for the saintliness of my father! When was the last time I dressed for me....feeling truly beautiful from the top of my head to the tips of my toes? And you know I couldn’t pin point it....Because quite frankly I rarely do it! Please, don’t get me wrong I am not the kind of woman who is constantly thinking about my body image or what I have to wear for people but I cannot deny the truth which is that as I look at myself in the mirror every morning before I go out, I not only give myself a ‘thumbs up’ from me....but also from the people I may potentially meet in my day.

Wait.....

am I  rambling a bit....

back to the point I was getting back to....

which was the pictures.....

Yes....

I decided that in order to celebrate this feeling naturally I should photograph it! Out comes the tripod....Set up camera.....put on auto timer and think you know what! I deserve a soft box or light as much as the next person! So out it comes.....fully set up and ready to go! Snap! Snap! And I am out the door! But why? Well part of it was in fact to see if I actually looked as ‘hot’ as I felt but also and more importantly because I want to capture this moment of me! The best way I know how.....with my camera....I wanted to remember my moment of true beauty so that the next time I am feeling shaken I can present myself with Proof of this moment..... Because it is hard sometimes to feel beautiful without justification or affirmation from others....

Plus....In my opinion beauty is connected to how we feel.....we have the same nose we had yesterday, the same lips, the same hips, the same tummy.....but each day it is the mind which tells us what to pick on....what not to love and what to accentuate or dumb down.....so for one day I wanted to remember that I was utterly and completely perfect....my hips were big enough....my stomach flat enough, my eyes big enough and my lips lush enough..... So homework....and this goes to the boys as well because I have a sneaky suspicion you feel like this sometimes too....Take a minute.....look at yourself and love yourself completely...because as the world is turning we are expecting too much from other people by way of affirmation of self....If you feeling it...and by ‘it’ I mean how you look and feel....take THAT picture....or draw or write....but try and capture it as a reminder!  I saw my baby girl today and I told her she was beautiful.....I saw my eyes in her eyes and I saw that there was nothing wrong with her having my nose on her face or my hair on her head....true beauty (or at least an element of it) is doing things for yourself....putting together the elements of what we were given to make ourselves happy and not the eyes we aim to please....

Ok sorry if that was a bit deep for some of you....but really try it....If anything because I can testify to how bloody good it felt to just love every element of me for a minute!

Till next time....be blessed!

The First Poetry In Session

Ok so it is over and done with, my very first event organized all by myself! Well not all by myself I had some help in the form of Bavubuka All Starz Gilbert, on media, Blaze on the technics and Babaluku on sound and vibes, and of course Isha’s!  But I can’t deny it felt good to be the boss! Be able to set things out how I wanted and to really put all the elements together to make the night move and flow the way I wanted it..... But enough of that the real stars of the night were my Poet Family! Who were absolutely brilliant, I love that feeling when someone is speaking and all you want to do is close your eyes, lean back and let their words wash over you! In my next blog....or maybe tomorrow I will post up some clips of my favorite poems and moments, but really every poet had their own vibe.....from the acoustics of Waterfalls to the spirit of Sister Ife all the way to Jason’s humor and jest.  

But all in all I am inspired! And motivated! I want to take it to Jinja, Ebbs EVERYWHERE! I know it’s a bit quick but it’s all in the works and it is all down to this positive response! My mum came out, and I don’t think she really knew what all my ‘poetry business’ was about, until she came out and lived it...Brilliant!

So for those of you who may be wondering what I am babbling about basically (if you don’t want to read my last blog J) I held my company’s first event....’Poetry In Session’ it  is a night inspired by the Spoken Truth movement where Artists, Poets and Writers congregate to share, express and inspire to a listening audience.....As a  Poets, Writer  and Expressionists  I was quite frankly starting to get sick of competing with the chinks of glasses and the incessant sound of chatter that is encountered through most readings, and so the only thing to be done was to ‘borrow’ from the Spoken Truth template (Which is more high energy MC’s, Comedian’s, Dancers etc) and create a space solely for the poets and writers of KLA City. The event just wanted to be an intimate gathering of people who were coming out solely for the pleasure of listening to poets and friends showcase the Art of Spoken Word to a more listening ear.  And we really found it at Isha’s which is appropriately names ‘Isha’s Hidden Treasure’s’ because it really is a treasure....in the heart of Kamwokya a little oasis that has this Cheers meets Uni  bar feel.  And by that I mean that it is friendly and inviting, everyone knows everyone and if they don’t know you they will surely make a point of asking you where you’re from and welcome you into the community. At the same time though the space is very intimate and private, with a sense of romance and quiet, beautifully decorated with iron wall pieces and the most exquisite bone lamps.....AND THEN THERE IS THE GALLERY!  But basically what I am saying is that I found this little oasis (with some help from my friend Rosa) and I think that I should be telling everyone to run through it if you’re feeling for that quiet space to chill relax and play Scrabble (yes Scrabble.....you know it’s the best of the board games!)

But all in all I am feeling very blessed this week people! And I just want to thank all the poets who came out, the listening ears that came to hear, and the fam that came to support.  Not to mention my mum for her PA system, Bavubuka for being the back bone of technical operations, Isha’s for the space and forum and Spoken Truth for the inspiration!  The next poetry in Session is on the 21^st of December and I will keep you posted on that one....

Till next time (I am trying to go photograph at this Buddhist retreat which should be fun!)

Peace, Love and Blessings to all the travellers, friends and Revolutionaries out there....We may be a million miles away but as I sit on my stairs, looking out on Kampala, I can feel your hearts beat and your minds manifest dreams into reality, and as I finish I know that the world is full of possibilities!

Photography and video by Gilbert Frank Daniels and Editing done by moi! The rest of the photo's can be seen at  Masaani Facebook

And also check out some of these links..... Phoebe Mutesi: http://mphoebe.wordpress.com/http://mphoebe.wordpress.com/

Spoken Truth: http://www.spokentruthug.blogspot.com/

Masaani:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23517&id=100001080127583#!/masaani

The First Poetry In Session

Ok so it is over and done with, my very first event organized all by myself! Well not all by myself I had some help in the form of Bavubuka All Starz Gilbert, on media, Blaze on the technics and Babaluku on sound and vibes, and of course Isha’s!  But I can’t deny it felt good to be the boss! Be able to set things out how I wanted and to really put all the elements together to make the night move and flow the way I wanted it..... But enough of that the real stars of the night were my Poet Family! Who were absolutely brilliant, I love that feeling when someone is speaking and all you want to do is close your eyes, lean back and let their words wash over you! In my next blog....or maybe tomorrow I will post up some clips of my favorite poems and moments, but really every poet had their own vibe.....from the acoustics of Waterfalls to the spirit of Sister Ife all the way to Jason’s humor and jest.  

But all in all I am inspired! And motivated! I want to take it to Jinja, Ebbs EVERYWHERE! I know it’s a bit quick but it’s all in the works and it is all down to this positive response! My mum came out, and I don’t think she really knew what all my ‘poetry business’ was about, until she came out and lived it...Brilliant!

So for those of you who may be wondering what I am babbling about basically (if you don’t want to read my last blog J) I held my company’s first event....’Poetry In Session’ it  is a night inspired by the Spoken Truth movement where Artists, Poets and Writers congregate to share, express and inspire to a listening audience.....As a  Poets, Writer  and Expressionists  I was quite frankly starting to get sick of competing with the chinks of glasses and the incessant sound of chatter that is encountered through most readings, and so the only thing to be done was to ‘borrow’ from the Spoken Truth template (Which is more high energy MC’s, Comedian’s, Dancers etc) and create a space solely for the poets and writers of KLA City. The event just wanted to be an intimate gathering of people who were coming out solely for the pleasure of listening to poets and friends showcase the Art of Spoken Word to a more listening ear.  And we really found it at Isha’s which is appropriately names ‘Isha’s Hidden Treasure’s’ because it really is a treasure....in the heart of Kamwokya a little oasis that has this Cheers meets Uni  bar feel.  And by that I mean that it is friendly and inviting, everyone knows everyone and if they don’t know you they will surely make a point of asking you where you’re from and welcome you into the community. T the same time though the space is very intimate and private, with a sense of romance and quiet, beautifully decorated with iron wall pieces and the most exquisite bone lamps.....AND THEN THERE IS THE GALLERY!  But basically what I am saying is that I found this little oasis (with some help from my friend Rosa) and I think that I should be telling everyone to run through it if you’re feeling for that quiet space to chill relax and play Scrabble (yes Scrabble.....you know it’s the best of the board games!)

But in all I am feeling very blessed this week people! And i just want to thank all the poets who came out, the listening ears that came to hear, and the fam that came to support.  Not to mention my mum for her PA system, Bavubuka for being the back bone of technical operations, Isha’s for the space and forum and Spoken Truth for the inspiration!  The next poetry in Session is on the 21^st of December and I will keep you posted on that one....

Till next time (I am trying to go photograph at this Buddhist retreat which should be fun!)

Peace, Love and Blessings to all the travellers, friends and Revolutionaries out there....We may be a million miles away but as I sit on my stairs, looking out on Kampala, I can feel your hearts beat and your minds manifest dreams into reality, and as I finish I know that the world is full of possibilities!

Photography and video by Gilbert Frank Daniels and Editing done by moi! The rest of the photo's can be seen at  Masaani Facebook

And also check out some of these links..... Phoebe Mutesi: http://mphoebe.wordpress.com/http://mphoebe.wordpress.com/

Spoken Truth: http://www.spokentruthug.blogspot.com/

Masaani:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=23517&id=100001080127583#!/masaani

Diary of a Juilliard Miracle and Poetry In Session

So it has been a while since I last posted anything, but i am telling you people it is not my fault! Sometimes it seems like the dictionary is too small and the English vocabulary to limited to express the emotions of a stunted artist and writer.  But it is true, recently I have been feeling very unable to write.....I needed inspiration, a breath of fresh air....a muse.....

And I found two, one in the visual form and one in the literary form. And so let me start with the visual. A beautiful and talented young lady called Jessica. Jessica is applying for Juilliard on the 1st of March (coincidently my birthday). She is a talented and beautiful young dancer who is passionate about African Contemporary Dance and once you meet her you can’t help but want to photograph her, her shape, her form, her spirit. Everything about this humble young lady just blows you away! And she believes it would be a MIRACLE for her to get into Juilliard. So I told her along with her talent she can also have my birthday Luck! So I titled her session The Diary of a Juilliard Miracle, not because I believe that it would be a miracle but because it was refreshing to hear someone still believe in them, especially when she is already so talented.


And so these are my observations. (And please do click on the photos I don’t think their size does the justice). Going through the pictures I am not 100% sure that she will approve of all my choices....(one non perfect foot included in my black and white triptic) but the reason for them is simple, we are not perfect, but faith, practice and perseverance will always remind us to aim higher, do better and appreciate all that we achieve. I don't think that she needs a miracle, but I do believe she will get hers!

And so now onto my second inspiration. I am finally taking the plunge, and starting my own event! I am excited, and completely petrified to be honest. The event in question is called 'Poetry In Session' It aims at being a small and intimate event which brings together poets, writers and artist to perform and express themselves to a welcoming audience. For a long time I have been involved in an event called Spoken Truth, a forum which brings youth to the foreground and really was a pioneering force in giving poets, mc's and writers a platform to express themselves (they are also having an event on the 20th in Makindye, and yes this is a little plug!). And it was from my love of Spoken Truth, with its high energy and combination of Spoken Word and Hip Hop that I decided it was time for me to put my vision into practice, someone had paved the way for me to know take on an event which before Spoken Truth might have otherwise been ignored! And so here I am....looking for equipment, speakers, microphones and most importantly writers, to congregate and appreciate with me the art of the poet, the writer and the artist. And Isha's Hidden Treasures in Kamwokya (last turning before the police station, I know another plug but it’s my blog people!) is the perfect place to do it, the small intimate courtyard, the gallery, the organic space. This really has been a new experience for me! And I am hoping that all who read will come out and support....I hate to get ahead of myself, but I am back! the creative juices are flowing and I want everyone to come out and be a part of it....after all I need something to spark of my next post!

                                                   So Love, Peace and Blessings People....
                    (and thank you to everyone who felt the need to call when I hadn't posed for a while!)

                                                     POETRY IN SESSION EVENT PAGE

A Quick Look at Beauty

Over the past week I have been trying to expand my portfolio by looking into some simple beauty shots.  Shots that are not high in content or theme but fully represent the beauty of the women within them in a simple but powerful way.  With the help of Mushana and my some unique pieces from my mother’s Vintage collection I shot last Wednesday with a group of my friends.  The investigation for this week was simple, beauty, and what does it stir inside us.   I invited four of my friends, who I think are beautiful and striking in their own ways and began to start the process.

I do not want to sit here and say that I wanted to delve into the intricacies of what our perceptions of beauty are, because by now I think that as women we should be evolved enough to understand that what we see in the media is almost always a lie, and that beauty is connected with confidence from within, that it doesn’t come from what we wear but comes from the soul and moves its way through our lives in the conversations we have and the ways we use ourselves as tools in the world. But as a photographer, what I was looking for here was to try and keep beauty in line with the truth of the lens and not the truths of Photoshop.  Trying to keep my editing to a minimal and where it has been used a lot still try and keep a sense of the atmospheric beauty.  

I am not trying to beautify to sell a product but instead to enhance what is already there to show people what I see.  And I see skin tones, colors, locations, environments, dimples and shades.  So this is my outlook.  And these are my images….. Thank you to the beautiful ladies who turned out and to Mushana for adding a little something special….and of course to the spirits and souls which make beauty come out through our eye’s and emotions…..And the lens that captures it all……

Fancy a HUG?

So since my last entry, I have happily settled back into Kampala.  Rested my head a bit and finished my ‘readjustment’ phase.  And then on to my first venture.  With a week before the event I started the process of designing my own t-shirts.  Inspired by the Bavubuka All Starz and Babaluku’s Shirt designs I thought it was high time that I began to empower women with my visions, creating and collaborating to design and make my first t-shirts.   

My inspiration comes from myself, and trying to find a way to empower women by designing something simple but powerful, that has a positive message and moves people to wear and appreciate it.  This is why I went for the ‘Phenomenal Woman’ slogan.  With thanks to Dr Maya Angelou, this was the first of her poems that I ever read.  And it was in those moments that my mind began to change, and I began to see myself from a completely different perspective.  I began to look at myself less from the point of view of others and more for myself and for my own benefit.  It was the first time I knew that I was beautiful despite the opinion of other people.  That my breasts, hips, legs and lips were enviable and not ugly, and that it was ok….no,  better than ok to just love myself for exactly who I was.  And so it only seemed natural for this to be my first design.    

Saturday was my first event since I came back to Kampala.  With the help of the Bavubuka All Starz I printed and sold my very first tee shirt designs and I have never felt better.   It was a beautiful and truthful experience to print my shirts in an organic and encouraging environment.  Be part of the entire process and at the same time be with my friends and Bavubuka family with all of their positive energy going into the production line.  The Bavubuka All Starz are starting their own t-shirt printing company and I thought that this was a great way to get the ball rolling, by not only showcasing my products but at the same time using the Street art fair as an opportunity to showcase their talents as well. 

The day begins slowly, with a mass of tents all lined up on one very LONG road.  My tent is at the opposite end of the general mass, and at first I am a bit weary of  how much we will see. But I optimistic, and rightly so.  As the day moves on we are met with a multitude of interesting and diverse people.  All wanting to represent themselves, their sisters, daughters and wives.  I wanted to just celebrate how beautiful and powerful we all were and it felt good to have women of all different races and cultures celebrate with me.   To watch a group of three Chinese sisters and brother all pick out their t-shirts and walk away with them, and to see a father by one for his daughter telling her this was the kind of thing she should celebrate, the day has been truly blessed and I am glad to be a part of it.  But it is far from over.  Another aim for my day was to use this opportunity to give back to my community in a positive and fun way.  And so, as a participant (whenever possible) and a fan,  I decided to activate the Bavubuka All Starz and my friends to go out and give some FREE HUGS.   

This I must say has truly been the highlight of my day.  After all Hugs are FREE and they can only make you feel better.  The whole point of us going out and giving free hugs was really to just get into the community and spread some love and positivity to people in the hopes of just making someone smile and feel good about themselves.  And I think it worked! I can honestly say there was only one person who when asked if they wanted a hug said “thank you for the offer but no.” 

All in All the day was a positive one, a good collection of people who were out to celebrate the beauty and progression of Ugandan Artists, and spend time enjoying the atmosphere of the day.  I encourage everyone to look out for the video clips which I will attach soon, check out Bavubuka’s All Starz showcasing their talents at the Hip Hop Canvas tent, or just appreciate some of Uganda’s fresh young talent.

 

Dr Maya Angelou and Hip Hop Saves Lives

From the busy streets of New York to my Kampala touchdown, the journey has been long and liberating.  And as I sit here I feel the need to first reflect on my leaving the city that never sleeps.

I think I have to start with my family.  Some old and some new who have made this trip worth every breathing moment. Mushana, women working under one sun, I met Angela through a friend Babaluku Coolbaba.  Angela and her husband John work double time to create and push Ugandan Art.  Her company helps to sustain a community of women and children in Uganda through art and bead work.  Taking raw materials and turning them into beautiful art pieces with the help of jewelers such as Trevor Hartman.  But what has been most capturing about meeting these people are their welcoming spirits and support in all endeavors, going above and beyond to make sure you are always in the right place at the right time, sharing contacts and networks openly in order to support the arts.  

My last night in New York I was privileged enough to attend, with my Mushana Family, a gathering of women at the Fairleigh Dickinson University to hear the prolific Maya Angelou speak and recite.  From the notes I have scribbled into the program I can feel the same gratitude to her as I did in those moments of listening.

From the moment she walks on stage I feel my heart stop beating, frozen in awe the room is filled with silence and she sits on the tiny platform with nothing but a seat and a microphone.  I only have two minutes to take any photograph with a flash, as the rest of the time it is not permitted. I almost feel like taking pictures might cause me to miss something crucial! And she sings, loud and inspirationally, it feels like I have goose pimples coming out from my bones.  The subject matter, jokes about her childhood, her grandmother, her abuse, and everyone’s ability to be a Rainbow in Somebody’s Cloud.  The woman is beautiful and elegant, making the crowd laugh and move with every word spoken.  I hope that all of you can hear a caption of her words as you are reading this from the link I have attached to the bottom of the blog.  I leave this experience with a deep sense of her words and an appreciation of my ‘Rainbows’ past present and the ones still to come. 

My evening moves quickly on to a second event.  Hip Hop Saves
Lives.  An organization that uses Hip Hop as a tool to support communities and causes through benefit shows and events.  Tonight’s activities aim is to fundraise for water pumps in Haiti and it is a blessing to see artist and friends step up in an effort to help their peers. There is a massive atmosphere of love and support in the room and the artists photographed bellow are just some of the performs.  However, being a Ugandan I must focus on showcasing our representative, Babaluku Coolbaba and his friend Okai from Negus.  Okai, originally from Haiti plays the Jemba with rhythm and passion alongside Babaluku.  The message is an empowerment of self and the want to put back into the community. Both artists present a perfect example of Luga Flow and although both speak different languages the message is still heard loud and clear.

New York JFK two-hour delay…..seven hour flight…..transit London Heathrow ten hours….London Heathrow eight hour flight to Entebbe….forty five minute drive to Kampala…..I am tired. But I can’t sleep trying to find the conclusion to my travels.  And wanting to  thank everyone who helped me on my trip to progress my projects and allowed me into the spirit of the work they do with young people globally please take a minute to check out the links below:

Bavubuka Foundation: Facebook  CDBaby  Website

Mushana: Website

Maya Angelou: Website

Sulu Nation: Facebook

The Smart Chicks: Simone Jacobson BiriBell Fashion LunchBoxTheory Tanekeya Word

Negus: Facebook Website

Noah G-Pop: Website

Toni Blackman: Artist and activist Website

Trinity Hip Hop Festival: Website

Hip Hop Saves Lives: Website

Also look out for my next shoot for Mushana and the Contemporary Tribe, until then Peace, Love and Blessings…

the quality of the video is not so great but the sound speaks for itself....if you cant see this follow the LINK 

 

Trinity Hip-Hop Festival 2010

“This is a Public Service Announcement.  Hip-Hop is locked up in prison and Hip-Hop is free. Hip-Hop is poor, and Hip-Hop is rich. Hip-Hop is art.  Rap costs money but Hip-Hop does not.  Hip-Hop is education.  Hip-Hop is law.  Hip-Hop is health care.  Hip-Hop is protest.  Not just when rappers show up at the protest to promote their new album.  Hip-Hop is protest even when rapper don’t show up, and its just heads from the block, standing together in the rain and the cold” (Hoch, 2002, taken from Words.Beats.Life “The Global Journal of Hip-Hop and Culture”)

This is the first quote which I think fully encapsulated the essence of the 5th Annual Trinity Hip-Hop Festival.  A collection of Artists and Fans congregating under one roof to celebrate the nature and unity of the global concept of Hip-Hop.

This weekend I spent time and traveled from New York to Connecticut to involve myself in this event.  Preparing myself to be educated on the true essence of Hip-Hop.  Along with my friends Angela from Mushana and Babaluku from the Bavubuka All Starz I looked to explore how this event could relate to a Ugandan Based Movement whilst miles away.  What I found was a collection of minds willing and wanting to explore every corner of Hip-Hop from around the Globe.  The encouragement of the mother tongue, and the acceptance of Hip-Hop as not singing and rapping for monetary gain but a tool which transforms and changes lives and even governing bodies through the presentation of truth and the community efforts of Social Change.

How did this event move me as an African Based Photographer? For a while I have been formulating and conceptualizing my Contemporary Tribe Project and as an African Based Photographer was looking to explore an event which claims to encourage, nurture and promote Global Hip-Hop.  After all these minds are the perfect representation of the Contemporary Tribe, collections of people who believe in the same concepts but are spread around the world pushing for their own revolutions whilst trying to collectively gain awareness of their indigenous struggles.
At face value the room is filled with a mass of Hip-Hop Artists and enthusiasts, but brushing past tables and conversations it becomes clear that this is not your average collection of human beings.  As you move through the first apparent tones in conversations is that of an introduction, networking from every angle.  Move forward to the noticing of dialects, Arabic, French, Wolof,  Spanish, Luganda, and Creole.  And finally to variation of subjects, from Hip-Hop to Cuba, Africa to America and the universal messages of social change, unity, community and smiles on the faces of the youth they represent.  This is one sect of the Contemporary Tribe.  A group of people from many walks of life each celebrating their cultures together under one medium Hip-Hop.

There was one particular spirit amongst these that blew me away.  That was of ‘The Reminders’ front lady Aja Black.  A Mother, Wife and the combination of her and her husband spreading inspirational messages through a Reggae and Hip-Hop fusion.  I photographed her as part of my collection after her performance, allowing her to formulate her own dots as a representation of her own indigenous spirit.

Moving on to KRS-ONE.  The writer of the Hip-Hop Bible and the founder of the Temple of Hip-Hop, and one of the first prolific Artists of the Hip-Hop generation.  The feeling in the room is one of excitement, awe and inspiration as he moves through classics and continues to spread the message of independence and community development.  But more so than this show of his musical talent I am struck by his teams willingness to give back to communities which look up to the Temple for strength and as a pillar of education.  They were kind enough to have copies signed for the Bavubuka Foundation.  Despite their busy schedules they are willing to move out of their way to bring together Hip-Hop globally through the acknowledgment of our Ugandan Youth and the struggle at home through encouragement and positive minds connecting through literature.  So Thank You.  





Check out more photographs and videos and relevant links:
KRS-ONE: http://www.youtube.com/user/roshankarmali#p/a/u/1/DdcEuDhnZUI
The Reminders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9X4NQjnnWeI
Shokanti:  http://www.myspace.com/shokantimusic
www.bavubuka.org
www.trinityhiphop.com
www.templeofhphop.com

Taking The First Bite...

As the beat of Kampala moves through the soil and up through the tarmac and potholes I am lifted.  Through space and time watching the dark lake beneath me move further into the distance.  And my mind begins to work overtime.  This journey through the sky brings a space and forum for my own mind to process itself and understand where it is going.  

I think I need the sunshine to write.  I left for New York on the 24^th of March and this is my first blog entry.  But through the cold my initial New York experience has been blessed with warm and friendly encounters that have made me reflect on life with a beautifully hot mindset.  

The people I have met so far have been nothing less than a blessing, with beautiful ideas, careers and motivation. The first of these people I wanted to tell people about was the ‘Mushana’ Family.  ‘Mushana’ meaning ‘Sun’ is a company who takes Ugandan beads and uses them to make fashionable jewelry; this jewelry goes on to help sustain the women making them in the village by providing a constant source of income.  Angela and her family have been the warmest most well spirited people I have met in a long time.

New York, the busiest place I have ever seen.  People walking at a constantly fast pace as if they are all late for something. It seems as if time is moving quicker here than anywhere else in the world and every turn is a photograph.  I wonder, through streets and streets trying to find the next place to stop and absorb my surroundings. I began my first day in New York with the Art Expo, an event organized with the aim of providing new and upcoming artists with a platform to put themselves out there to dealers and curators from all across the country.  This was an experience that allowed me to absorb and place myself into the contemporary New York art scene and mindset.  However, my initial experience did not enthrall and excite me as much as I had hoped that it would. Instead it seems as though the Expo, once renowned for showing the likes of Andy Warhol and Leroy Neiman seems to have become a mass of super commercial, easy on the eye artists who did not move me in any particular way.  What I did however learn was that this would be the perfect place to kit out a booth if I want to one day mass produce and sell images to hotels or large stores.  

The next stop of the day was the Art Institute, where a mass of talented young designers were having their work/portfolio’s reviewed.  This was a much more artistically expressive space.  It was a breath of fresh air to see New York’s young new talent fresh and ready to combat the fashion world and make links with potential designers I could barter images for designs with. 

The last two events of my first day were a gallery opening for Fund Art Now and a Gig for an upcoming artist Alice Smith.  I met both of these events with equal excitement.  Fund Art Now is where I had the pleasure of meeting Noah G Pop, a unique photographer who prints his images onto cloth to make funk fashion.  He has photographed the likes of Gil Scott, Erykah Budu, Jay-Z and Puff Daddy to name a few.

Moving on I have gone on to spend a bit of time with Noah, who on first encounters seems to be a very loud and in your face character, confident and not as approachable as the man I met for a walk through Central Park later.  This second meeting brought more clarity as to why he is such a likeable character.  In this moment of a long walk we meet a different side of Noah, a much more peaceful and complex man whose photographic career has not always surrounded itself with the celebrity and fashion world but started with the exploration of underwater photography. Noah also runs the Pulmonary Wellness and Rehabilitation Center, which is what makes him a great example of an Artist and human-being who gives back whole heartedly to his community. He pushes the boundaries of the mind, allowing us to understand that not ever celebrity photographer is cut-throat and cruel, as is the common understanding at times.

From our walk Noah invites me out to dinner with none other than Zelda Kaplan. For those who don’t know Zelda Kaplan is a 94-year-old socialite and party girl.  Well known for her travels to Africa and her love for indigenous culture and fashion, Zelda is also a the oldest most respected party girl n New York.  I remember first hearing about her when I was much younger and would play on the idea that I would know I was ‘it’ if I walked into a party and saw her there.  Whilst I am far from ‘it’ and not as accomplished as I hoped I would have been it was still an honoring feeling to eat and then go for drinks with her.  Her presence is very special and encouraging, and the lessons acquired through her are to really love life and appreciate every breath and movement that your life takes you into.