MERRY HALF CHRISTMAS!!!

Today is one of my favorite days of the year! The only thing that could make it better would be if I was off from school, but alas, the world has yet to adopt half-Christmas! That won't stop Keith and I! We've got our tree up (we trimmed it last night), the stove is fired up for our feast and the Evites have gone out for tonight's HALF CHRISTMAS "OFFICE" PARTY! We will start off with our traditional viewing of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and then we will have a marathon of the office (which is my favorite TV show). Great fun will be had by one and all! Gotta run, my macaroni and cheese is ready! Seasons Greetings!

Enjoy this holiday clip!

My Ode to Nina Simone: Free Download

Ask just about any female eclectic soul singer who they are inspired by, and they are almost sure to mention Nina Simone. There is no question that she has one of the most fearless and iconic voices and presences to grace black music. This is why I decided to cover her song "Be my Husband". What I appreciated most about this song was that she was able to convey her strength and vulnerability simultaneously. Not to mention, can we just have a moment of silence for her fabulous sense of style! That woman was too much! So Nina this is for you!

Thanks to Honey Soul Magazine for helping to share this song to others. To get the free download, go to:

www.honeysoul.com
http://www.honeysoul.com/wp/2009/06/joy-jones-covers-nina-simone-free-download/


Enjoy!

The Scientific Artist - The Artistic Scientist

Emilie Faif is an artist and visual designer who makes incredible stuffed art that makes me smile. This is my favorite piece from of hers! I am all about the intersections on art and science. In fact who said that they should be separate genres? I think that they should just be part of one long continuum. ya dig? Anyhow, since taking my finals yesterday I have much more time for philosophical thought! lol! Let the blogging begin!

Joy: Maker of Fine Films!

So Keith and I shot the footage for the single, Promised Land, coming on my debut album GODCHILD! Let me tell you, it was no small feat! The concept was loosely based on that dude that was in the news last year for tying tons of balloons to a lawn chair and taking flight. I thought that was the best idea ever! So we got about 80 balloons and headed to the beach. I can't wait for you all to see it. We shot it on film, which is being processed as we speak, I hope it comes out well. No fear, I will post it as soon as it is done. Until then, enjoy the clip of the film's inspiration below. Up, up and away!

Kehinde Wiley is Bonkers with the Art!

So I have been following Kehinde Wiley since my boy Ali Evans, from the Studio Museum in Harlem, put me up on him. Up until last week, I had only seen his work online and in books. I've always appreciated the portrayal of young black men represented as renaissance royalty. Something about it warmed my heart and really captured the beauty and strength of my folks. Then last week, my artsy fartsy friends and I swooped in on the Roberts & Tilton Gallery (http://www.robertsandtilton.com/) in Culver City, CA to see Kehinde's art, up close and personal. First of all, not only is it even more stunning in person, but the pieces are massive. Like mural size! I wasn't ready for the scale of the art, but it only added to the grandiosity that is Kehinde and his work. This particular exhibit was entitled The World State, and in this third installment which has also covered West Africa and China) he plays artist/anthropologist and takes us with his to Brazil. The colors are incredible and if I win the lottery I am buying on of those pieces, for sure! If you are in LA, please don't miss a chance to check out his work before the end of May. Did I mention that he is originally from LA, maybe that is why he is so dope! (smiles)

Triathlon Here I Come!

As you may remember, one of my resolutions this year was to participate in a triathlon. Well, good people, I officially got my bike today and I don't know what to do with myself! I feel so doggone official. Let me just say that financially this triathlon business is not for the faint of heart. You have to buy shoes, a good bike, an outfit, helmet, wetsuit, goggles and it just seems like the list never ends. My hope is that I will become addicted to it and that this will just be the first of many! Wait til you see the helmet I want, it is uber-chic, and screams "get outta my way, suckas!", lol! I think it might make me look a little like the predator with my locs and whatnot, but I guess that will just make me all the more intimidating in the race! gotta love it! I'll keep you posted

The Break/s: A Mixtape for Stage

Saw a great play the other night at the REDCAT theater downtown LA. It was called "The Breaks: A Mixtape for Stage". The artist was Marc Bamuthi Joseph and it was a performance piece exploring hip-hop through personal memories of travel, relationships and introspection. As an anthropologist, I really enjoyed the cultural reflections and he was so physical. i felt like he never stopped moving, which kept me engaged for the full hour. I plan to make more time to do things like spend an evening at the theater. Yeah, yeah, I have a billion things to do, but life is all about balance, isn't it!