The Evergreen Music of Bob Marley

Image: Bob Marley, The Official Website

"In ancient times the greatest prophets were great musicians." ~Hazrat Inayat Khan, “The Mysticism of Sound and Music.”

Today would have been the 70th birthday of this musical genius.

Of Marley, Roger Steffens eloquently wrote:

[Y]ou don’t see thousands of Maori and Tongans and Fijians gathering annually to pay honor to Louis Armstrong; you don’t witness phalanxes of youth wandering the world sporting Louis Armstrong t-shirts. In fact, big as the Beatles were, you hardly see any Beatle shirts around anymore, except for those few featuring John Lennon’s sorrow-inducing visage. Can you imagine an image of Elvis sewn onto the sleeve of an armed guerilla? When was the last time you saw a Michael Jackson flag or a Bob Dylan sarong or Madonna rolling papers? All of these exist in Marleyite forms, his iconography well nigh a new universal language, the symbol, as Jack Healey of Amnesty International continues to tell people, of freedom throughout the world. (Read the full 2001 article here.)

Then Jamaican Prime Minister Edward Seaga delivered Marley's eulogy declaring:

His voice was an omnipresent cry in our electronic world. His sharp features, majestic looks, and prancing style a vivid etching on the landscape of our minds. Bob Marley was never seen. He was an experience which left an indelible imprint with each encounter. Such a man cannot be erased from the mind. He is part of the collective consciousness of the nation.

Indeed, Marley is part of the collective consciousness of the world.

Bob Marley Live at the Rainbow, London, 1977

""[I]t is not surprising that the N.Y. Times, seeking one video to epitomize the past century, preserved in a time capsule to be opened a thousand years hence, chose 'Bob Marley Live at the Rainbow, London, 1977.' Or that the same "newspaper of record" called Marley "the most influential artist of the second half of the 20th century."" ~Roger Steffens

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The Deceptive Apology: Williams in Iraq

Image: Wikipedia

Brian Williams apologized on Wednesday, February 4, for the story that he was aboard an aircraft that was shot down by enemy fire during the 2003 Iraq War invasion. Rhetorically, the Emmy and Peabody Award winning, anchor and managing editor of the 'NBC Nightly News' attempted to correct his falsification of facts without admitting to lying.

Transcript of Williams' apology:

On this broadcast last week, in an effort to honor and thank a veteran who protected me and so many others after a ground-fire incident in the desert during the Iraq War invasion, I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago. (Emphasis mine) It did not take long to hear from some brave men and women in the air crews who were also in that desert. I want to apologize. I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft. We all landed after the ground-fire incident and spent two harrowing nights in a sandstorm in the Iraq desert. This was a bungled attempt by me to thank one special veteran, and by extension: our brave military men and women — veterans everywhere — those who have served while I did not. (Emphasis mine) I hope they know they have my greatest respect. And also now my apology.

The question is whether an apology is an apology if the statement is woven around a lie? Did Williams make a mistake in recalling what happened when he was a passenger on that helicopter? Is it possible for one to mistakenly recall being the direct target of enemy fire and their aircraft forced down in a war zone as Williams claims in his apology?

Williams' faulty memory disclaimer demonstrates a lack of respect not only for journalism but viewers and veterans alike. His rhetorical maneuvering suggests that neither are savvy enough to recognize his strategy to minimize his "recollection" of the facts. 

Was telling the lie about his 2003 experience the "bungled attempt"? Or, was using a veteran and by extension, as Williams states, all veterans, to bask in the reflected glory of the wartime soldiers the "bungle"?  Or both?

Williams on 'David Letterman' telling the RPG Helicopter Story in 2013 (2:46 marker):

Regardless of Williams' motives, the seasoned journalist is guilty of telling and retelling a false story and publishing it on a major news outlet. Would he have apologized if he had not been called out by a war veteran who was there?

Veteran's Post to the 'NBC News' Facebook Fan Page:

We will never know.

What is certain is that Brian Williams should be disciplined by NBC and the journalism profession just like other liars, such as Jayson Blair ("retired"), who deceive the public.

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Straight from Nairobi: Michael Soi

Image: Michael Soi, 'Amina's white Christmas', acrylics, mixed media on canvas. 200x100cm

Through his work, Soi critiques immigration and emigration, social culture, development, politics and economics in contemporary Kenya.  He bravely ventures into taboo areas that many visual artists might shy away from: government and business corruption, commercial sex work, violence, and sexual tourism. Some characters, such as Omari, appear regularly in Soi’s work. Omari, sporting his trademark dreadlocks that are as thin and restless as he is, is ever hard at work cultivating intimate relationships as a way of "obtaining his visa" out of poverty and limited circumstances faced by many in Kenya, despite the potential and natural resources of the country. 

Soi's 'China Loves Africa' collection (2012-13) points a probing lens on Sino-African relations in Africa; specifically Kenya. The line of work interrogates China's intentions on the continent that the artist views as a "type of re-colonialization."   
 
The canvas served has a billboard when, for the second year in a row, Kenya's national pavilion at the Venice Biennale was curated by Paola Poponi and Sandro Orlandi Stagl  two Italians. Both years, the participating artists were largely Chinese. 'Shame in Venice 1' (2015) speaks to misrepresentation and fraud through the red, green, and black colors of the Kenyan flag captured in the attire of the pavilion full of Chinese artists. 

Soi’s work, inspired by his observations of everyday life in Nairobi, often depicts nightlife replete with ample Tusker Beer for everyone's enjoyment. His paintings are an ever expanding visual, satirical diary faithfully and humorously recording the challenges, pitfalls, and social relations influenced by the structural, political, cultural, and economic forces shaping life in present-day Kenya. 

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'Cause Sunday is fa-Soul: Toni Braxton

Before 'Braxton Family Values' I didn't know Toni had sisters and that they at one time were a group. The show, implicitly, shed light on why it was Toni who initially emerged as the solo star. Generally, I find the reality show format irritating (e.g., scene-repeating in each episode). And I sometimes feel that "reality stars" are selling their souls to remain relevant. Nevertheless, the Braxtons are genius for continuing to make their careers a family affair.

The beautiful thing is how there is no "hateration" (as my favorite, Trina, would say) among the sisters and brother of this famous family.

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Remembering Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we remember the contributions of one of the most well-known, well-regarded, and cherished civil rights leaders in American history, let us reflect on the principles and values for which he stood.

Black, brown, and other peoples of color were not included in the Constitution of the United States. To date, this founding document has not been amended to embrace the dignity and humanity of non-white persons.

How, then, can this nation move forward to ask new and interesting questions about the progress of its citizens as the malignancy of racial injustice metastasizes.

Does the present state of race in America signal a failure on the part of Dr. King? No. Does it indicate that the civil rights leaders of the 60s have failed blacks in America? No. Does it suggest that 20th century activists did not risk all for freedom? No.

What it means is that the perilous march to freedom is an arduous process against a system of oppression that continually renews itself on the resources and spilled blood of the downtrodden.

It means that the sacrifices of yesterday produced a force inclusive of highly-educated, socially conscious, and determined activists who have a strong legacy from which to draw strength, courage, and examples of adaptability for today's challenges.

It means we must build upon rather than dismantle our legacy of audacity in the face of insurmountable odds and brace for what vestiges of injustice may lurk in our future.

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