The Return of Feel-Good Friday Music

You missed it. You know you did. And you missed me (unless this is your first time reading my blog).

I have missed myself the past couple of weeks. Today was actually a great day. I live in NC and realized that I don't want to go to hell if its any hotter than it is outside right now (about 100 degrees with heat index of 103). I had a chill day at work and now I am home relaxing with my AC on full blast. AAAHHHH....

Anywho, my playlist for this Friday is, as usual, a nice mix of genres and artists who I listened to today. But, before I share it with you, I want to let you know about some upcoming posts I have in the works for the next couple of weeks.

• My first album review- check out my blog this weekend as I review Usher's latest effort, Looking for Myself.
• Best of both worlds- an analysis of the Christian hip-hop genre and a look at some of my favorite "underground" artists
• Rashad Reign- an interview with an up and coming DMV artist.
• Drama Faces - The two sides of Chris Brown. This will be interesting.
• The most poetic hip-hop artists (my opinion) and why

As you can see, I am trying to take it to the next level, so tell your friends about me!

Here's my Friday playlist!!

• The Killers - "Somebody Told Me" 
• Foo Fighters - "Best of You"
• So, I always wondered how you fight foo. When I looked up what a "foo fighter"means, apparently it is a WWII term used to describe UFOs. So, the Foo Fighters are from outer space....
• Maroon 5 - "Moves Like Jagger"
• J. Cole - "Daddy's Little Girl"
• Trina Braxton "Party Or Go Home"
• This is my joint LOL
• Tamia - "I'm So Into You"
• She's coming out with a new CD soon. And yes I will buy it and love it. And you will hear about it. So deal.

 The list is super long, but these are just a few of my favorites today.

Have a great weekend and I'll catch up with you very soon!! Next blog post up: Usher Raymond

Love,

-T. Amour

My 10 Favorite Michael Jackson songs

As we all know, yesterday marked the three year anniversary of Michael Jackson's passing. Since I was under the weather (I was also sick when he died), I did not get to post this blog yesterday, but any day is an excellent day to honor the greatest entertainer of all time.

I don't need to give you any background info. You already know the story. Anyone who loves and appreciates music knows that Michael Jackson was a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. And I am grateful and honored to have lived during a portion of Michael Jackson's reign as the King of Pop.

I remember when MJ died. I got off work early on June 25th, 2009. I was sick, pregnant, and wrapped up under covers in my bedroom mindlessly flipping through TV channels when I stopped on a news channel.

The news was interrupted by the announcement of his passing and my heart sank to the floor. I began to cry. Not because I knew him personally, but I cried because I knew what the music world had just lost. I always knew Michael Jackson would be around in his 80s, still hitting a dance move and coaching younger artists. I never thought his life would end the tragic way it did.

Michael Jackson loved mankind and broke barriers for African-Americans. Without him, there would be no Chris Brown, Usher, Trey Songz, or any of the R&B acts today. He had a passion for music, entertainment, and knew how to command a stage and pour his emotions into a song. I can watch a YouTube video of any of his performances and FEEL his passion.

Sadly, Michael was lonely and unhappy for most of his life. I hope he is free and happy on the other side.

Here are my 10 favorite Michael Jackson songs (I could go on and on...but I won't. And I love Man in the Mirror too...but a list of 11 is a strange number LOL)

1) "Billie Jean"  *I know this is the woman in me, but he looked pretty good in this video. Don't judge me!*
2) "Remember the Time"
3) "Smooth Criminal"
4) "Human Nature" *gives me goosebumps*
5) "The Way you Make Me Feel"
6) "Rock With You"
7) "Wanna be Startin' Somethin"
8) "Beat It" *this song is perfect...just, perfect*
9) "Bad"
10) "Butterflies"

Michael, you will live on forever through your music. Future generations will study your artistry and try to match your charisma, style, and effortless ability to entertain the masses.

Love you Michael,

-T. Amour

No Keys, No Drive - Get in the Driver's Seat!

Planning my wedding was the hardest few months of my life. Between working a full-time schedule at my out-of-town job, running around after work to complete my never-ending "to-do-list", and dealing with constant complaints and attitudes from some family and friends, I was going INSANE.

However, hindsight is indeed 20/20. I believe every experience we encounter can be used to elevate us to a new mental and emotional realm. My wedding saga was no different! I learned who my true friends and family were and who indeed cared for me and had my best interest at heart.

But, I learned a larger lesson. DON'T LET PEOPLE DRIVE YOU CRAZY. Think about that statement for a minute. What does a vehicle need in order to be driven? Keys and gas!! It's the same way with us. Don't let people around you fill your emotional tank up with bad gas. If you do, you are asking for a breakdown!

And, don't give people keys to your emotions! They can't drive you to "CrazyTown" if you don't allow them to have the keys and get behind the drivers seat. Drive your own emotional vehicle and take charge of your mental and emotional health.

I will admit, I had several moments when I let others get in the driver's seat. But, because I have a problem with relinquishing control for long periods of time, I made the decision that it was MY DAY, MY JOURNEY, and MY TIME. If someone wanted to operate in bitterness, jealousy, and pessimism, they could drive their own "vehicle" there all by themselves!!

ANNNNNDDDD on that note....let's groove to some Bobby Brown. It's My Prerogative ;)

*I own no rights to this video. All right reserved to the respective owners*

Love Sanity,

-T. Amour

4 Great Father's Day Songs!!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there!! You know, I get angry at least once on Father's Day. Not because of any frustrations in my relationship with my own father, but I feel a tingling all over my skin when people cheapen what Father's Day is really about.

Yes, we all understand that this day, like Mother's Day and other holidays, are commercial holidays to make money off our emotions (let's be real). But, it is nice to set aside a day to recognize the many wonderful and present fathers out here.

Instead of celebrating great dads, I often see many people flock to social media to lament about their no-good baby daddies, absent fathers, and mothers who had to be fathers too. I know this is a reality for many men and women in society today. I grew up in a single mom home and my dad was not always in the picture.

But, I choose not to bash my dad or any other man I know who may not have been a stellar father. Was my dad perfect? No. He did many things wrong. Instead of focusing on his shortcomings, I take time and remember the good times I have had with my dad. I remember the great advice that I have gotten from him as a teenager and adult. I focus on his good qualities instead of harping on the bad decisions he made in the past. And, I take time to call, text, and honor other fathers I personally know who are amazing.

To make a long story short, if you don't have anything nice to say today, then don't say anything at all!

Here is a list of 4 Great Father's Day songs I love!!

1) Chrisette Michele - "Your Joy"

2) Luther Vandross - "Dance with My Father"  *for those who have lost their dad*

3) Beyonce - "Daddy"

4) Will Smith - "Just the Two of Us"  *father to son song*

There are so many more, but these are my favorites. I hope you all have a great week!!

Love Dad,

- T. Amour

Alice Dunbar-Nelson and A Smooth Music Playlist

Hello dreamers, believers, and lovers of life! As I have said before, I have been very busy and I am "jumpin' in deep water with short legs" in just 6 days. For those who don't speak "country", I am getting married.

But, I didn't want an entire week to go by without dropping another selection by the amazing Alice Dunbar-Nelson as well as letting you in on a few songs I had lodged in my brain this week.

First, let's talk a bit of music. Lately, I have been a ticking time bomb, poised to explode with the slightest motivation. To shift my mindset from the stress of planning a wedding (I am a woman, in case you are wondering), I have been listening to mainly instrumental music and smooth R&B. Here is a couple of my favorite jams this week.

• The Crusaders - "Chain Reaction"
• Boney James - "After the Rain"
• Sade - "No Ordinary Love"   *A post for her will be coming soon...she is incredible*
• Amel Larrieux - "Gills and Tails"
• Duke Ellington and John Coltrane - "In A Sentimental Mood"
• Lauryn Hill - "Sweetest Thing"

I hope these songs relax you, bless you, and take your mind to a state of serenity :)

Now, for poetry. I have been reading a few of Alice Dunbar-Nelson's work this week. She was my featured poet last Monday ( Click Here for Previous Post ) and I wanted to share another piece of her literature with you. With Ms. Dunbar-Nelson, her poetry stands up and delivers its message clearly on its own. Enjoy!

Amid the Roses by Alice Dunbar-Nelson

There is tropical warmth and languorous life
Where the roses lie
In a tempting drift
Of pink and red and golden light
Untouched as yet by the pruning knife.
And the still, warm life of the roses fair
That whisper "Come,"
With promises
Of sweet caresses, close and pure
Has a thorny whiff in the perfumed air.
There are thorns and love in the roses' bed,
And Satan too
Must linger there;
So Satan's wiles and the conscience stings,
Must now abide—the roses are dead.

As you journey through this week, continue to focus on your goals and dreams. Don't let any person, any situation, or any obstacle stop you from making progressive movement! Have faith in yourself and your ability to take your talents and channel them through a positive outlet. And don't forget to reach out and help others in whatever way you can. When you help others, the universe returns the favor back to you. Positive karma is a plus!

Peace and Blessings,

-T. Amour

T. Amour's Poet of the Week - Alice Dunbar Nelson

In the midst of my hectic schedule lately, I have taken some time to dive into some great poetry. I often find myself drawn to poets from the Harlem Renaissance era, and my poet of choice this week played a prominent position in this pivotal movement.

Alice Dunbar-Nelson, the former wife of Paul Lawrence Dunbar (also an accomplished poet), was born free in the mid 1870s and was a fearless female in a time where fear was prevalent. She was a vocal siren for African-American rights, despite her mixed heritage which made her "not black enough" for her community but not fully accepted by the Caucasian community. 

When most Americans of all races didn't attend college, she received a degree. When most women didn't work outside the home, she did. She was determined to force her way into the male-dominated journalism field. And although she face her share of troubles, she never lost sight of what she wanted and who she was. A fearless female indeed!

My poem of choice by her this week is a collection of stanzas entitled "Impressions". These "mini-poems" briefly explore Dunbar-Nelsons sentiments about basic human emotions and concepts.I honestly don't have any earth-shaking revelations about this poem. It speaks for itself very clearly! Enjoy :)


"Impressions" by Alice Dunbar-Nelson

THOUGHT.
A swift, successive chain of things,
That flash, kaleidoscope-like, now in, now out,
Now straight, now eddying in wild rings,
No order, neither law, compels their moves,
But endless, constant, always swiftly roves.

HOPE.
Wild seas of tossing, writhing waves,
A wreck half-sinking in the tortuous gloom;
One man clings desperately, while Boreas raves,
And helps to blot the rays of moon and star,
Then comes a sudden flash of light, which gleams on shores afar.


LOVE.
A bed of roses, pleasing to the eye,
Flowers of heaven, passionate and pure,
Upon this bed the youthful often lie,
And pressing hard upon its sweet delight,
The cruel thorns pierce soul and heart, and cause a woeful blight.

DEATH.
A traveller who has always heard
That on this journey he some day must go, 
Yet shudders now, when at the fatal word
He starts upon the lonesome, dreary way.
The past, a page of joy and woe,—the future, none can say.

FAITH.
Blind clinging to a stern, stone cross,
Eyes shut, ears closed to earth's drear dross,
Immovable, serene, the world away
From thoughts—the mind uncaring for another day.
Or it may be of frailer make;
Eyes shut, ears closed to earth's drear dross,
Immovable, serene, the world away
From thoughts—the mind uncaring for another day.


I hope you all have a wonderful week! I look forward to posting more poetry about Alice Dunbar-Nelson this week and feature other poets from the past and present as well.


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Love Poetry!!

-T. Amour