RIP AFRICAN LEGEND, KING OF SOUKOUS : Tabu Ley Rochereau

You know I have a bias for ‘African World Music’ and of course being that the music that I make could easily fall into that category ( musically/lyrically) . So I follow the music and the news in that category of the entertainment industry closely.  We will surely miss a legendary musician who paved the way and passed the baton of good African cultural music to the rest of us. Congolese Tabu Ley Rochereau made beautiful Afro-Highlife, Jazz, Africando music with Papa Wemba et al. It would be awesome to meet these legends and glean from them before they leave us, above all, the musical legacies they leave behind, live on.

Tabu Ley Rochereau (November 13, 1940 – November 30, 2013 ) was a musician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was the leader of Orchestre Afrisa International and one of Africa’s most influential vocalists and prolific songwriters. Along with guitarist Dr Nico Kasanda, Tabu Ley pioneered Soukous; he internationalized his music by fusing elements of Congolese folk music with Cuban, Caribbean, and Latin American rumba (Source – Wiki)

As published on Standard Media –

“At 72 years Old, the legendary Tabu Ley passed on today while in a Belgium Hospital where he was undergoing treatment for a stroke that he had suffered in 2008, but had often been affecting his health. The performer, whose popular hits like Muzina, Maze and Sorozo rocked millions of fans in Africa, is a celebrated musician, whose songs continue to enjoy airplay years after they were released. Thanks to his massive contribution to African Music, Tabu Ley was recently in in Kinshasa to accept an award for his contribution to the country’s rich heritage and cultural diplomacy and was set to perform at a Gala Night today. News of his demise has thus left his fans saddened but despite the loss many still have tons of praises for his contribution to the African culture and Music. Having launched his career in Kinshasa in 1959 both as a composer, singer and dancer, in Joseph Kabasele’s African Jazz, Tabu Ley was one of the few of his generation of musicians, who included Joseph Kabasele, alias Grand Kallé or Nicolas Kasanda, alias Nico. When asked about his health state in a previous interview, Tabu Ley had said : “I feel very well as you can notice. As per my doctors, my health conditions are improving every day. The thing is that I have to accept my current condition with good-naturedness. I am 72 years old and find it normal to face some physical weaknesses. I am a Christian and trust in God,” . At the time of his death, Tabu Ley composed around 2,000 songs and produced 250 albums.”

His Music

Rest on Tabu Ley, The Dream Goes On…

xoxo

Tosinger

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WHEN STOP! PUSHES YOU TO GO!…

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give
the right things a chance to catch you.

Hullo Everyone,.. Today being the last day of the month of November…If you are like me, then I am sure reflections are already or about to get started and goal-setting for the new year is in process..

So I personally handpicked 7 of the 30 things to STOP (compiled by marcandangel)  and thought they were very important enough to share with you and may be a good mental ‘unlock key’ to open the doors to GO into 2014  on a positive slate.

1. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else.  Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you.  Don’t change so people will like you.  Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on.  No, it won’t be easy.  There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them.  We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems.  That’s not how we’re made.  In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall.  Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time.  This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become
3. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you.  If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you.  You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot.  Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth.  And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.  Yes, help others; but help yourself too.  If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now

5. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.  Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success.  You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did

6. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen.  Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story.  If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.

7. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life.  Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs.  Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

And ultimately, with God on your side, you CAN stop and GO!—>

If there is anything you should NOT stop —> ↓ ↓ ↓

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger

Yay! My Photo Made It To The Essence Magazine Photo Challenge Favorite!

Yaaaaaaaaaaaay!!

Hope you all enjoyed your thanksgiving day ( Friends in the US Diaspora) So I did the Essence Photo Challenge for Tuesday’s “Someone you are Thankful for” and Thursday’s “ThanksGiving Dinner Table” on Instagram. Out of the overwhelming multiple entries, my  instagram photo made the 1 of 4 Essence fav picks for the ThanksGiving Dinner Table challenge. How cool is that?

Here is the winning photo, menu list under the photo on my Instagram. While you are at it, follow if you will. 🙂

Thank you Essence Magazine!

In other random thoughts,  don’t make faces at other peeps’ dogs in parked cars

Ha! Ha!

Watch this

Be Safe,

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing..

Tosinger

xoxo

TODAY’S “THANKFUL” PLAYLIST

Hi Hi Hi Beautiful People,

As Thanksgiving is being celebrated in the U S of A today, I thought it timely to put together just a few “thankful mode/mood” songs that I would choose for a playlist  and share ’em with you.

So Here Goes a list of 7 Songs

A mix of Thankful To God, Thanks to Family/Friends, Thankful to be ‘Home’ with those you love and who love you  😉

Mary Mary and Kirk Franklin – Thank You

Blessed and Highly Favored – The Clark Sisters

Don Moen – Thank You Lord

Frank Edwards – I Made It

Ziggy Marley – Friend

Dido – Thank You

Tosinger- Ile (Home)

In Everything Give Thanks

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger

LET ME HELP YOU SET YOUR DINNER TABLE

Hello Friends…

To those who live in the US, you know what time of the year is. Yep! It’s Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow, goes without saying we all know everyday IS a day to be thankful; but here goes the history of Thanksgiving.  To everyone in general, well this may serve as a useful info for you especially  if  you like to be prim and proper in your hospitality/presentation.

Here’s a graphic on how that dinner table is really supposed to be set if you ever wondered what the correct way is. I am guilty of random placement in the past 🙂 . Click to enlarge.

As for the  menu,  I almost always don’t really do (some things) as the Romans do when I’m in Rome, I tend to do things that the Romans will find intriguing and interesting enough to maybe, copy.  In that light, so as to be not much of a rebel, my thanksgiving menu this year will be about 85% a deviation from the norm, I will of course be cooking  the  proverbial turkey, dodo (fried plantain – my fav), Jollof Rice, sauteed vegetables, tossed salad, rolls, stuffing, pad Thai shrimp, sweet potato casserole, pan roasted brussels sprouts,  with sides of spring rolls, meatpies, fruits & pumpkin pie as dessert and/or cheesecake (my fav), and any other spontaneous item that pops up in my head tomorrow {self confessed Queen of Spontaneity } 🙂 . It’s really a simple and intimate one this year. So what’s on your menu?

Above all, I am thankful  for you, me & mine and  all of God’s blessings..

Thanks for stopping by and Have a Happy and Enjoyable Thanksgiving!

Cheers

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger

Do You Know You?

¡Hola!

Have you ever done a personality test? I read a book as a teen about personality types (not the Type A, Type B stuff )  and No, this is not the DrPhil one that’s making the rounds. :&  this is a personality test of the four Ancient Greek temperaments: choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic, sanguine categories. So do you know what you are? Knowledge is power. Knowing what you are will probably help you to understand YOU and how you relate with others. So feel free to try it and get on that journey to self discovery.

Click on the graphic below to take the test. It’s quite simple and straightforward and should take less than 5 minutes. The theory has never been scientifically tested. Some find its descriptions useful however. The result may be a dominant trait with an element of another one present.

My results say I am dominantly ‘Melancholic’ Hmmm.. So what was yours? Feel free to drop in the comment section.

And hey, I thought this was informative and interesting about colors and their interpretations too

Stay true to YOURSELF

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger

Weirdly Beautiful Art : Yinka Shonibare MBE

Top of the Day to you Dear Friends..

Let’s talk about Art that evokes feelings, out of this world concepts that speak volumes of  inexplicable depth. That’s Yinka Shonibare MBE ‘s work for ya . I came across his interesting and intriguing work online a few years back and can’t wait to have the opportunity to behold in person the magnificence of his artistry.  Although it comes across initially as weird and of shock value,  the more you look, the more you’ll see. I love the way he incorporates African elements (fabric/prints) into his installations and  general work. Underlying messages of political flavors, “exploration of colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalization” are strangely expressed in his works which range from Sculpture, Photography, Installation, Painting, Works on Paper, Film, Public Art . A lot of them to feed your eyes on.

All images from yinkashonibarembe.com

A little insight into Yinka Shonibare, the Artist

Yinka Shonibare MBE (RA) was born in London and moved to Lagos, Nigeria at the age of three. He returned to London to study Fine Art first at Byam Shaw College of Art (now Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design) and then at Goldsmiths College, where he received his MFA, graduating as part of the ‘Young British Artists’ generation. He currently lives and works in the East End of London.

Over the past decade, Shonibare has become well known for his exploration of colonialism and post-colonialism within the contemporary context of globalisation. Shonibare’s work explores these issues, alongside those of race and class, through the media of painting, sculpture, photography and, more recently, film and performance. Using this wide range of media, Shonibare examines in particular the construction of identity and tangled interrelationship between Africa and Europe and their respective economic and political histories. Mixing Western art history and literature, he asks what constitutes our collective contemporary identity today. Having described himself as a ‘post-colonial’ hybrid, Shonibare questions the meaning of cultural and national definitions.

Shonibare was a Turner prize nominee in 2004 and awarded the decoration of Member of the “Most Excellent Order of the British Empire”. He has added this title to his professional name. In 2013 he was elected Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts. He was notably commissioned by Okwui Enwezor At Documenta 10 in 2002 to create his most recognised work ‘Gallantry and Criminal Conversation’ that launched him on an international stage. He has exhibited at the Venice Biennial and internationally at leading museums worldwide. In September 2008, his major mid-career survey commenced at the MCA Sydney and toured to the Brooklyn Museum, New York in June 2009 and the Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC in October 2009 . In 2010, ‘Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle’ became his first public art commission on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square.

Click here to view a complete CV.

Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle 2013

He gives real meaning to the tag ‘Global Artist’. Click on his photo to hear him speak…

There’s so much to look at on his site here if you want to explore him/his work the more..

He has the talent, and it started with envisioning that dream of expression…He realized his dreams….#BeInspired

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing..

xoxo

Tosinger

You Tie your BowTie, I Tie my HeadTie

Happy Sunday Friends,

‘Tis a beautiful day to be Afro~bohochic and that is exactly what I did.

So I like doing things out of the box, going against the norm type o’ person I am. Creative peeps are like that right? so there goes a sigh of relief. 🙂

So here’s a fashion accessory that will be live on the Afrodreaming store soon.  Georgietta’s SkirtyHeadwrap© (I’ll tell you the story behind that tag soon)  The fabric pattern is so beautiful and the texture very malleable …it’s not your regular accessory, I’ll tell you why soon.  Unique Colors, and patterns, …you’ll have it. .for all the ladies out there who admire and want the look…..Watch out 2014! “Georgietta’s Afro-Boho Line”   on the Afrodreaming Store Site.

(This is a teaser)

What’s more, you can lift that lovely wavy  handle and complete the wrap around  to get the look below

Well till then have a laughter filled week. …And to my American friends….Have a Happy thanksgiving!! There’s a lot to be thankful for!

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing..

xoxo

Tosinger

Now Available On CDBaby ~ The AfroSpire Demo ~

Hello Friends,

How is the weekend going for you all? It’s a quite and laid back one on my  end.  However, on a buzzier note, I am excited to announce that my ‘AfroSpire Demo’ is now live on CDBaby for everyone who’s been asking.  These are a collection of 2013 songs I released to showcase the sound/style I am aiming for in my music.. ( thus the ‘demo’ tag)

In the mix, is a perfect one for the Christmas season tagged ‘Olugbala’ (means Saviour in Yoruba) I am sure you will absolutely love it.  A perfect Christmas gift this collection will be for family and friends just &7.99. Click here to purchase. I have gained a new  stream of followers/fans over time who are not familiar with my previously released songs so this is a great opportunity to own a musical showcase of mine.

‘The AfroSpire Demo’ is nos 2 on CDBaby’s new release home page. How cool is that?!

Don’t forget to drop your reviews after the download. It means a lot and goes a long way. Thank you for your support. 2014 promises to be better. As you know, as it is with creativity, when used and shared, it gets better like old wine.

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…,

xoxo

Tosinger

P:S If you haven’t seen the video for ‘Ile’ (Home). Now is the time! 🙂 Like, Share and Drop your comments…I read them 😉

Thank youuuuuuu!!!

Cute African Commercial

Look at this healthy and robust baby in this cute commercial… I daresay its the “No” sss that kept him looking the way he is , the ones that the parents didn’t catch. I stand corrected LOL

Fast foward 0.30seconds to see what I mean. Now , this is the Africa that is being seen. Click Play.

Beautifully Dreaming, Positively Doing…

xoxo

Tosinger