GHANA- BLACK STAR RISING!

I BELIEVE SO MUCH IN THE FUTURE OF GHANA & ITS FUTURE LEADERS. IN MY PASSION TO UPLIFT, I REALIZED THAT MY DELIVERY OR APPROACH MAY COME OF A LITTLE TOO AGGRESSIVE OR DOWNING RATHER THAN MY ACTUAL INTENTION OF UPLIFTMENT. IT’S THE STRENGTH OF MY PASSION & UNDYING BELIEF THAT THERE IS SO MUCH TO BE DONE & CAN BE DONE HERE IN GHANA, BY ITS PEOPLE FOR ITS PEOPLE. MY LACK OF PATIENCE & INGRAINED BELIEF THAT WE MUST LIVE EVERYDAY LIKE IT’S OUR LAST, THEREFORE WE SHOULD NOT PUT OFF FOR TOMORROW WHAT WE CAN DO TODAY, SOMETIMES BRINGS FORTH A SENSE OF URGENCY & AGGRESSIVE- LET ME LIGHT A FIRE UNDER YOU- TYPE OF ENERGY THAT CAN BE TOO MUCH TO TAKE BECAUSE WE ALL MOVE AT OUR OWN SPEEDS & DELIVER OUR PASSIONS DIFFERENTLY I AM A GHANAIAN WOMAN –THE TAKE CHARGE POWER FLOWS THRU MY VEINS- THE POWERFUL ENERGY FLOWS WITHOUT ME EVEN REALIZING JUST HOW STRONG IT CAN BE! MY COUSIN REFERRED TO BE AS A LIONESS- IF THE PRETTY LITTLE LION’S SHOES FIT THAN I AM MORE THAN READY TO WEAR IT & LET OUT A MELODIOUS LOUD ROAR TO STRENGTHEN & TAKE CARE OF MY CUBS!

BIG UP! TO THE PEER PRESSURE CREW, WHO I AM SURE YOU WILL ALL BE HEARING ABOUT SOON IF YOU DON’T ALREADY KNOW. MUSIC IS DEFINITELY THE SPICE OF LIFE IN GHANA. THE SMILES, BODY MOVEMENTS, DEEP CONTEMPLATION OF WORDS & SOUNDS THAT SHINES OFF OF GHANAIANS IS UPLIFTING & PUTS A SMILE ON MY FACE. THERE’S A CERTAIN FEEL GOOD ENERGY THAT COMES FROM MUSIC WHICH CAN REPLACE OR SATIATE ANY WORRIES, DESPAIR OR OBSTACLE!!

GHANA’S MUSICAL ROOTS RUNS VERY DEEP & THE CULTURE OF MUSIC IS SO RICH. WANLOV THE KUBOLOR IS THE TRUTH & THE PATIENT, CALM SERENE REVOLUTIONARY WHO NEEDS TO BE HEARD WORLDWIDE! HIS WORDS ARE REAL, HUMOROUS, RAW, UPLIFTING & RELEVANT. HIS VIBE IS ECLECTIC, PEACEFUL, UNIVERSAL & WITHOUT BOARDERS. HE IS AN AMAZING HUMAN BEING WHO REALLY REPRESENTS THE WARMTH & PASSION OF GHANAIAN PEOPLE. HE HAS DECIDED TO STUDY THE ROOTS OF GHANA’S MUSIC TO KEEP THE RICH HISTORY ALIVE & VIBRANT BY BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN OLD & NEW BY INCORPORATING THE ROOTS OF GHANA’S NATIVE INSTRUMENTS & SOUND INTO HIS MUSIC. IT WAS A PLEASURE TO SEE HIM LIVE ON STAGE BRINGING TOGETHER THE KEEPERS OF GHANA’S MUSICAL ROOTS, WHILE GIVING US ALL A QUICK, ENJOYABLE HISTORY LESSON OF NATIVE INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE BECOMING EXTINCT IN GHANA. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SOUL THAT YOU MUST ALL SUPPORT!

THE ONE THING I HAVE REALIZED IS THAT OUR UNIVERSE IS SO PARALLEL. THE SAME THINGS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WITH THE CRITICISM OF HIP-HOP, ITS LYRICAL CONTENT, IMAGERY, THE WHOLE BIG PIMPIN', BALLIN' LIFESTYLE EXISTS HERE! I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE PAPER YESTERDAY BASICALLY CALLING FOR A BAN ON THE HIP-LIFE (GHANA’S HIP-HOP) & ALL THE NEW YOUNG ARTISTS COMING OUT, BE IT SINGERS, RAPPERS ETC. BECAUSE THE ELDERS FEEL THAT THEY HAVE BASTARDIZE THE CULTURE, HISTORY & RESPECT OF GHANAIAN MUSIC WITH RACY LYRICS & IMAGERY. AS THE REPORTER SAID “ALL THEY TALK ABOUT IS HOW TO GET WITH WOMEN & PLEASURE WOMEN”.

THE CREW I MET, KWAKU T, EDDIE BLAY, REGGIE ROCKSTONE, SENA, WANLOV AND MANY MORE, ARE BUCKING THE TREND & SHOWCASING THE BLACK STARS’ RISING!! THEY REFER TO THEIR MUSIC/MOVEMENT AS “HIGHER LIFE” MUSIC, WHICH THEY SEE AS A MORE CONSCIOUS LEVEL OF HIP-LIFE (THE CROSS BETWEEN HIP-HOP & GHANA’S TRADITIONAL HI-LIFE MUSIC). I TRULY BELIEVE IN THESE ARTISTS & CAN’T WAIT FOR THE REST OF THE WORLD TO SEEK THEM OUT.

THE BATTLE BETWEEN OLD & NEW CONTINUES UNIVERSALLY SO INSTEAD OF FIGHTING IT, WE NEED TO HAVE THE MEETING OF THE MINDS, THE PASSING OF THE TORCH INSTEAD OF A HOSTILE TAKE-OVER IN ORDER TO TRULY BRIDGE THE GAP. WE ARE ALL NEVER TOO YOUNG OR TOO OLD TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW & WE ALL HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM ONE ANOTHER AS CITIZENS OF THE UNIVERSE.

I WAS SITTING OUTSIDE OUR GO TO SPOT, HONEYSUCKLE, WHEN 3 LIBERIAN GIRLS SPEAKING ENGLISH LIKE THEY WHERE STRAIGHT FROM THE HOOD IN BROOKLYN, NYC , STARTED A CIPHER VERY REMINISCENT OF THE LYRICAL STYLES & CONTENT OF LIL KIM’S “BIG MOMMA THANG” OR FOXY’S “AIN’T NO NIGGA” MIXED WITH A LITTLE BEYONCE’S “UPGRADE YOU”! IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME BECAUSE I JUST SHOOK MY HEAD AT SOME OF THE LYRICS THAT WERE COMING OUT OF THEIR MOUTHS, WHILE REALIZING THAT I USED TO BUMP THE SHIZZNIZZ OUT OF BOTH KIM & FOXY, BUT NOW I AM A LITTLE OLDER & MORE CONSCIOUS WITH MORE RESPONSIBILITIES PLACED ON MY PLATE; THEREFORE I MUST BE MORE CONSCIOUS & RESPONSIBLE WITH LIFE REGARDING MY OWN WORDS & ACTIONS & HOW THEY EFFECT OTHERS. WE MUST ALL BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO GROW, MAKE MISTAKES, AND CHANGE WHEN & HOW WE SEE FIT. SOME MAY NEVER CHANGE OR MAY NEVER CHANGE IN THE MANNER THAT OTHERS MAY WANT THEM TO, BUT IT IS THEIR RIGHT TO LIVE & BE HEARD. I STILL LOVE ME SOME OL' SKOOL KIM & FOXY , BUT I HAVE GROWN ENOUGH TO SEE THAT LIFE IS MORE THAN “PARTY & BULLSHIT”, EVEN THOUGH IT CAN TAKE THE EDGE OFF SOMETIMES & IS NECESSARY FOR SOME TO TRULY LIVE LIFE FULLY INSTEAD OF BEING CONSUMED BY LIFE & ALL OF ITS PROBLEMS! GHANAIANS HAVE THE WHOLE IDEA OF “ENJOYING LIFE IN SPITE OF YOUR OBSTACLES” DOWN TO A SCIENCE. THERE IS NO SENSE OF URGENCY MORE IMPORTANT THAN GHANAIANS ENJOYMENT OF LIFE. BLACK STARS PLAY FUTBAL –EVERYTHING STOPS & THE CELEBRATING BEGINS! IT’S A BEAUTIFUL THING & THE UNITY & PRIDE IN GHANA IS REAL, EVEN THOUGH IT CAN SOMETIMES BE MISGUIDED & MISPLACED!