Singing, Travelling, reading, writing articles short stories and poems, organising Acoustic Uplift, meeting talented artists at gigs & literary/poetry events, staying informed and learning from history so I can be an instrument in the progress of the African continent...one patch of land at a time :-)
The curious...
I tend to like artists these days more than specific genres although I am partial to jazz, soul and most things made in the 80s! Artists I love/admire/influence/inspire me... Tonéx and Nureau Ink delegates(of course), Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, The Carpenters, Beach Boys, Paul Simon/Garfunkel, Kate Bush, Earth Wind and Fire, Randy Crawford, Lisa McClendon, Deitrick Haddon, Whitney Houston (vocals), Deborah Cox (vocals), The Innocence Mission, Chaka Khan, Maxwell (beauty AND vocals :-) Yolanda Adams (vocals), Michael Jackson (especially late 70s/early 80s top of vocal game), Christina Aguilera (vocals) Karyn Clarke (vocals) new kids like Adrianne Archie and Sunny Hawkins, Commissioned, Sade (that's my girl!), Alex O'Neal (80s kudos), Tommy Sims, Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins, En Vogue, Boyz 2 Men, George Benson, Sting (80s early 90's kudos), Peter Gabriel (kudos for 'Games without frontiers' alone), a lil' Phil Collins, ABBA (believe it, chords and vocal arrangements so complex they make you weep), Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Michael Bublé, Nina Simone, Frank McComb, Nat King Cole, Teddy Riley and the New Jack Swing... I'll stop now or you'll be here all day...
City of God, La Haine, Amelie (en francais), Crash, Hotel Rwanda, Ray, The Passion of the Christ, Shrek 1 & 2, Dodgeball (humour factor), partial to a bit of Adam Sandler, Zoolander, Edward Scissorhands, Pirates of the Caribbean(its the Johnny factor mainly)...those will do for now.
Scrubs, The Office, Hustle, Lost (LOVING it), Everybody Hates Chris, 80s music videos, Enjoying Everyday Life, The Messenger, ...Buzzcocks, IT Crowd, Half&Half, Ugly Betty, My name is Earl, Fonejacker (nothing but love for you Mr Novak).
To Kill a Mockingbird (one of the best pieces of literature..ever), The Great Gatsby - FS Fitzgerald, Purple Hibiscus- Chimamanda Adichie, Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe, Anything by Zadie Smith although 'Autograph Man' is my favourite, Shirley Goodness and Mercy- Chris Van Wyk, Jane Eyre, pretty much anything by Buchi Emecheta, Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry Trilogy, Maya Angelou's autobiography volumes especially 'I know why...', 'Heart of a woman' and 'A song flung up to heaven...'. Everything good will come - Sefi Atta, What was Lost - Catherine O'Flynn, Black Boy - Richard Wright, Icarus Girl - Helen Oyeyemi, Nervous Conditions, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis...the rest is on Shelfari and the list still grows...