"I Write The Songs" - Barry Manilow

Good evening peeps!! Long time no see! How have you been, boo? Miss me? I miss you, cause I haven't written anything since New Year's Eve. The reality is that I had "Writer's Block" and was feeling uninspired. However, today I feel like writing about the singer-songwriters of the seventies. In my opinion, some of the finest songs I've ever listened to were written in the seventies, by singers who penned their own songs, as well as wrote for other artists. One of my favorite singer-songwriters of that era is Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam. He had a string of songs that were not only pretty to listen to, but told stories that touched the soul. "Wild World" comes to mind. In the song, he sings about his woman leaving to go out into "the wild world" as he cautions her to be careful: "but if you want to leave, take good care, hope you make a lot of nice friends out there, but just remember there's a lot of bad everywhere;" a gentle, not hostile warning, from a man that is obviously hurting over losing his love.

Another prolific writer of the seventies is Don Mclean, who wrote the enigmatic, metaphorical, speculative masterpiece, American Pie and Vincent. While Vincent is a straightforward ode to the artist, Vincent Van Gogh's famous painting; Starry Night (maybe metaphorical also?); American Pie created a stir by referencing multiple figures, including "The Father, Son and Holy Ghost." Some interpreted that as the religious trinity; whereas others felt he was talking about the three rock and rollers that died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959: Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Richie Valens. This song has produced more interpretations than The Beatles walking barefoot on the cover of their Abbey Road album. My son Shannon, who was five at the time, even offered his interpretation of the song as he tried to explain it to me; it was one of his favorite songs at five!

The seventies was also a time of  female singer-songwriters as well. Carole King, Laura Nyro, Ellie Greenwich, Joni Mitchell and Carley Simon come to mind. Carole King started writing in the nineteen fifties; writing some of the best lyrics for rhythm and blues artists like The Drifters. She later recorded her own compositions. Ellie Greenwich wrote some of the most memorable lyrics ever sung by female and male groups: "Da Do Run Run Run, Da Do Run Run" and "Doo Wah Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Doo"

How can I not mention Neil Sedaka, Paul Anka,  Gamble and Huff, Holland Dozier Holland, Linda Creed, Thom Bell, Smokey Robinson, who was called "the world's greatest poet" by none other than Bob Dylan  and of course, the man who writes the songs himself; Barry Manilow! Oh how I could go on and on about these singer-songwriters and how much I miss this kind of music...but I won't! Thanks to YouTube, I have been able to hear my favorites whenever I so desire.

"What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" - The Orioles

Good evening peeps!! Happy New Year's Eve!!! Today is the sixth day of KWANZAA and today's principle is KUUMBA = CREATIVITY!!! This needs no explanation...do your thing all you creative types...BE BLESSED AND SAFE! GET READY FOR 01/01/10...It's here!

"Purpose" - Avenue Q

Good morning peeps!! It is already day five of Kwanzaa...time seems to accelerate as we grow older! I guess we become more aware of the passage of time as adults, whereas, in childhood we are so involved in our daily playful pursuits that we don't give time much thought. Wow...! Day five of Kwanzaa celebrates the principle of NIA. Such a pretty word! Such a lovely name for a daughter. NIA means purpose; purpose means different things to folk. As a principle of Kwanzaa, purpose is defined as making our "collective vocation the building and developing of our community, in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness". An idealistic pipe dream? Perhaps. But should we stop trying? Of course not! Let's continue to (oh-oh, here comes a tired cliche) KEEP HOPE ALIVE! Happy fifth day of Kwanzaa! NIA!

"I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing" - James Brown

Good morning peeps!!Welcome to day four of KWANZAA! Today's principle is UJAAMA = Collective Economics! In December 1966 when Dr. Maulana Karenga created the concept of Kwanzaa, there was a lot of movement towards self-empowerment. The Black Panther Party demonstrated this idea in Oakland, California by starting "feeding programs" for the people. They encouraged  "self-sufficiency"; taking care of each other and community ownership. Dr. Karenga used Swahili words to derive the Seven Principles. Swahili is a fusion of African Bantu language with Arabic, creating a Creole derivative. Ujaama was selected to represent Collective Economics: "to build, maintain, and support our own stores, establishments and businesses". The late, great James Brown personified this principle by having his own self-contained band; employing many stellar musicians, and establishing a dress code. He also purchased his own radio stations (three), as well as his own production company. James Brown is one of a few Black artists who knew the importance of Ujaama. Have a blessed day four of Kwanzaa and support as many Black owned businesses as you can.

"Chain Gang" - Sam Cooke

Good morning peeps!! Hope you are having a blessed Kwanzaa! We are already on the third day of  Kwanzaa, and today's principle is UJIMA! Ujima is the principle of Collective Work and Responsibility. My penchant for attaching a popular (or obscure) song to my theme was a bit more difficult today than usual, because I couldn't really think of just the right song to personify Ujima! What is collective work and responsibility? I think it means pitching in to help one another complete a project together; or helping a friend move; having a paint party to get the job completed faster; bringing a dish to a "pot luck" dinner so the hostess won't have to do all the preparations. etc. Although the song Chain Gang is about a depressing situation, I can envision the men helping one another, in order to make each one's task a little less daunting. The song also evokes images of my ancestors working in cotton or tobacco fields, beneath a hot sun; under an overseer's watchful eyes! UJIMA! Working together in a positively helpful manner. Have you Ujima'd today?

Play List for Ujima

1. Chain Gang - Sam Cooke

2. The Work Song - Oscar Brown Junior

3. That's What Friends Are For - Dionne Warwick and Friends

4. Working In The Coal Mine - Lee Dorsey

5. With A Little Help From My Friend - The Beatles 

6. Lean On Me - Bill Withers

7. He Aint Heavy, He's My Brother - The Hollies

8. You've Got A Friend - James Taylor

9. Let's Work Together - Canned Heat

10. I Can Help - Billy Swann

11. I'll Be There - J5

12. Work To Do - Isley Brothers

13. Higher Ground - Stevie Wonder

14. Come Together - The Beatles

15. We Are The World - USA for Africa

"Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves" - Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin

Good morning peeps!! Bless you on this, the second day of KWANZAA. Today's principle is KUJICHAGULIA = SELF-DETERMINATION! Don't let anyone else define who you are or what you should believe. Just determine to be the best you you can be!

"Unity" - Queen Latifah

Good afternoon peeps!! Hope your KWANZAA began with you being well and satiated from your Christmas feasts! As we near the end of 2009, I reflect back to the beginning of The New Millineum, as we anticipated the dreaded Y2K! Boy what an anxious time that was! Threats of not being able to access our automated funds; computers crashing en mass, microwaves and VCR's being time confused (remember VCR's?) and so on. Prince's 1999 was wailing on radios across the nation... We thought the world might end then and there! Now, we are a decade into The New Millineum (actually, it's nine years in because we don't count 2000 as the first year of the new, but the last year of the old); remember, according to a game on Facebook, I was Einstein in a pass life! Sorry peeps, my mind is out of control like that at times!

Since this is the first day of KWANZAA and the first of the Seven Principles is UMOJA = UNITY, I hope to live up to that principle better than ever next year. I don't exactly know how or what I am going to change, in order to honor the principle, but God willing, I am going to try! I hope you will reflect; take stock, and reorder yourselves to have a better 2010 than you might have had last year! We have a new leader in The House; the economy seems to slowly but surely be improving; unemployment is not improving that much yet but perhaps better times are ahead...be optimistic! Let's accentuate what brings us together rather than what keeps us apart; let's pray for the men and women who are away from home and in daily peril, due to military engagements. Love to all whose eyes are reading this...UMOJA!