Hello Good People,
This week’s Midweek Mixx celebrates Black History Month. Here are 20 jazzy, soulful, bluesy, funky, smooth tracks from artists who broke records and changed history. From Micheal Jackson to Marvin Gaye to Etta James, it gives you an overview of black music throughout the years.
Download, listen and enjoy here! Read the rest of this entry
The Two Dragons
ThatKellieGirl celebrated the Chinese New Year in Chinatown yesterday. There was a parade (ThatKellieGirl loves a parade 
), a traditional Dragon Dance and Lion Dance as well as an awesome fire cracker display. There also were DC high school marching bands, beauty queens and elected officials to bring in the New Year. The Chinese consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA), an umbrella organization representing thirty Chinese-American organizations throughout the Greater Washington area, hosted the event. Check out my pics below. Enjoy!
Hello Good People!
I hope you had a great weekend. I had a nice getaway from the DC scene for a bachelorette party. My girlfriend is getting married at the end of the month, so we headed to NYC to celebrate. When I left the DC limits, I then realized how much of a break I needed. I will be taking another mini-vacay REAL soon. So in honor of rest and relaxation, check out this beautiful song from Sara Tavares, Balance.
Hello Lovelies!
This Monday, millions of people began ringing in the Lunar New Year. In DC, the new year will be celebrated on Sunday in Chinatown. 2012 is the year of the dragon. The year of the dragon is considered to be the luckiest of the Chinese lunar years. ThatKellieGirl was born in the year of the dragon, so we will see what is in store for the rest of the year.
In the meantime, enjoy this unseasonably warm weather by heading out to some great events this weekend.
Hey Good People!
This Saturday, The Axel F Party is celebrating its One Year Anniversary Party. The brainchild of DJs Jahsonic, Stylus and Adrian Loving, Axel F (named after Eddie Murphy’s character from Beverly Hills Cop) is about the illest jheri curl funk, champagne soul and lazer boogie cuts from 1977 – 1987. In addition to a killer ’80s setlist, there will be live performances by the Sexual Chocolate Band & Show (think Murphy’s character Randy Watson from Coming to America) featuring Zo!, Deborah Bond, Phonte, Ne’a Posey, and N’digo Rose. Yeah, it’s going to be like that!
I woke up this morning with this song in my head and in my heart. It was quite encouraging. It made me think about how we often try to deal with things in the physical. We think if we physically cut it off, take it out or “take matters into our own hands”, everything will be fine. However, we fail to realize it is just a small part of the battle. We have to learn how to deal with our situations spiritually. I believe with a spiritual mindset, we can navigate life with more love and compassion, and be more empathetic towards others. I must admit I am learning to tone some things down. I can’t just talk to someone without slowing down, focusing and speaking gently. Or to be in tune enough to know when someone is hurting. So let’s learn to be more spiritually minded in how we deal with our situations and each other.
So how do you keep a spiritual mindset?
Happy Monday Everyone! Let’s make it a great week.
Happy Friday Everyone!
If you are looking forward to catching Red Tails this weekend, I recommend buying your ticket last week! It looks like theaters will be packed with enthusiastic movie-goers. I am glad that this overlooked part of black history, American history is coming to the forefront again. How many WWII films and documentaries were made with no mention of African-American soldiers and their accomplishments? Some folks have pointed out that this isn’t the first time the history of The Tuskegee Airmen was turned into a movie. And I think that’s great. Our stories must be re-told consistently to ensure that we don’t forget our history. I also hope we continue to stay enthusiastic about black history. We have such a rich history that has never been fully told, and we shouldn’t wait until someone makes a movie to learn about it. We can read a book, an article or watch a documentary. Or here’s a novel idea, talk to members of our family! More than likely, we have uncles, aunts, or older cousins who can talk to us about our history in a real way, not just to be entertained, then forget about it. Movies are a very powerful and impactful platform, but that is just a starting point. Let’s use this as an opportunity to connect and inspire one another to accomplish even greater things in the future.
There are several “watch” parties for Red Tails this Saturday, here, here and here.
Peace and Blessings, ThatKellieGirl
Words, Beats and Life celebrated 10 years of serving DC communities by hosting Philanthrobeat: The Soulquarians Edition at Liv. Attendees were festive and ready to give back as the music of the Soulquarians was played throughout the evening. The event raised funds to help WBL to continue to apply creative approaches to working with youth in addition to preserving and presenting the arts.
Hello Good Folks!
For your listening pleasure, check out The Other Side of Tomorrow by Slakah the Beatchild‘s alter ego The Slakadeliqs. This album is the result of four years writing, experimenting and exploring different groups of musical influences. My favorite song on the album is Love Controls the Sun. Check out the video below.
