Skyeview

I am excited about making my 8th annual trip to India. Typically I travel in the north but will add new destinations in the southern region of Gujarat State. Gujarat State is where the 2002 communal riots between Muslim and Hindus occurred. The riots displaced tens of thousands refugees whose misery continues to be compounded by the effects of globalization in Ahmedabad, Baroda and Surat all cities I plan to visit.

India remains in my top ten countries to visit-though travel in India is not for the feint of heart!

LINKS
Skye Gallery (India)
Dispatch #14 – Bombay, India
Sheba Chhachhi

Soul School is a weekly music program that airs every Sunday night on Budapest’s Radiocafe — hosted by none other than Michael Simmons. On Soul School, Michael takes listeners on a tour through the music born of the fusion between African American rhythm and blues and gospel music, known as soul music.

Tune in to Soul School every Sunday night from 10-11pm on Radiocafe 98.6 in Budapest. You can also listen to Radiocafe online anywhere in the world (but remember to account for the time difference — 10pm in Budapest is 4pm in New York.) While you’re listening, if you like what you hear, if you’d like to make a request, or, if you just want to say hello, send an SMS to the radio station at +36 20 9 986 986.

Read more about Soul School and Professor Michael Simmons on the Radiocafe website.

Radio Bilingue’s Roots Carnivall

This program mixes rhythms with African roots from Brazilian sambas to U.S. Latin jazz and rock, from reggae to calypso and blues.

Driving Music

I rediscovered this radio program in the wee mornings of a 12-hr turn around drive between Oakland and Los Angeles. It was just past the first minutes of a new day when I head the distinct baritone voice of Gil Scott Heron recite the opening lines to his poem-song “Morning Thoughts”. Open road, clear night sky, hours of solitary driving and GSH serenading me made for a pleasant drive home. The dj followed with a hot Latin jazz set and funky Latin rhythms.

Radio Bilingue’s “Roots Carnival” is broadcasting on the Internet and is carried by the Satellite network. You can tune into this show and others at http://www.radiobilingue.org and listen!

Bonus Links
Musical Dedication (Mi Paris Sistern and Old School Poets & Lovahs)

I Think I’ll Call It Morning
Gil Scott-Heron | We Almost Lost Detroit

1932–2008

My heart weeps cuz I’m gonna miss this sistah’s spirited voice here on earth. Makeba personified Black woman dignity, grace, power and creativity. Truly a role model and s-hero for me.

I kiss your feet Mama Afrika.

Links
BBC News
Soweto Blues-Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba – The Click Song 1966
Miriam Makeba – Pata Pata
(The little girl who comes on stage (at 2:00) to dance with Makeba is is
too precious. Transmitting Black female grace and beauty.)

One of the local newspaper reports that over 84% of Parisians support the election of Barack Obama as US president. The report only confirms what I’ve witnessed with my own eyes and ears since the election. Folks are JUBLILANT, ESCATIC and ELATED by the election results because it gives them hope of getting rid of French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Sarkozy as some of you might recall was the former interior minister who incited the North African youth during the 2005 riots by referring to them as “scum”.

My hope is that folks in the states will not get caught up in the cult of personality and Black male messiah fetishism that have derailed previous freedom trains. My hope is that the grassroots organizing, personal courage and alliance work that made this Obama election a success will be sustained.

Obama-Paris Gallery

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Sloganeering To The Extreme

This morning I went to a pharmacy to inquire about an herbal remedy for my digestive aliment brought on by too many business lunches and over-indulgence on French bread, cheese, and butter sauces. Since I wanted to be sure to know what the product contained I asked the male pharmacy assistant if there were English speakers on staff and if someone could assist me. He smiled, paused for affect and said, “Yes we can.” He looked at me for a moment to make sure I got the play on words. He was so pleased with himself.

Ummm, the product was an herbal LAXATIVE.

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Are You Traveling to Paris?

Check out the exhibitions at the Musee Dapper

Musee Dapper
Femmes dans les arts d’Afrique
10 octobre 2008 – 12 juillet 2009

Inkanyezi Yobusuku/ Night Star
Fiction. Afrique du Sud. 2007. Couleur. 13′. VO : Anglais, ST : Français. Distr. : Out in Africa
La tradition veut que les jeunes filles Zoulous soient isolées pour un temps de repos et de contemplation lorsqu’elles ont leurs règles. Mais les rêves de Lindiwe sont perturbés par son désir pour sa guide spirituelle pendant cette période.

Traditionally, Zulu women were barred from household chores during menstruation, a time for rest and contemplation called Ukuya Enyangeni, going to the moon.

Skyeview: What’s not mentioned in the description for Inkanyezi Yobusuku is the tender and sensual exchanges between the two Zulu women. Why omit this important and beautiful subtext, especially since the filmmaker is a LGBT activist?

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In Search of The Wild Kingdom (Trailer - Quicktime)
Fiction. États-Unis. 2006. Couleur. 65′. VO : Anglais, ST : Français. Distr. : Blowfish Production. Film interdit aux moins de 16 ans / Film prohibited under 16.
Suivez la réalisatrice Georgia Mann et son équipe à travers les rue de San Francisco alors qu’elles capturent certaines des scènes les plus chaudes du milieu de la nuit. Un vrai faux documentaire avec du vrai sexe dedans… Ce film a reçu le prix 2007 du Feminist Porn Awards.

Follow documentary filmmaker Georgia Mann and her crew through the streets of San Francisco as they capture some of the most raw and compelling sex to date. One woman’s quest to find, film and understand “real lesbian sex” leads her in the depths of queer sexuality.

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The Apple
Expérimental. France. 2007. Couleur. 6′. Sans parole. Distr. : Emilie Jouvet. Film interdit aux moins de 16 ans / Film prohibited under 16.

L’histoire revisitée d’Eve croquant la pomme. Avec en fond une superbe musique de Mz Sunday Luv, Emilie Jouvet a réussi a créer un style qui mélange l’érotique, le burlesque et le fétichisme.

Eve wakes up in Paradise, finds an apple…and commits a delicious sin. On a gorgeous soundtrack, Emilie Jouvet has managed to create a style that mixes the genres of porn, burlesque and fetish.

Additional Links:
Cineffable Film List
Kekeletso Khena (Director of Night Star) Speaks Out
Holiday Inn Gare de l’Est
Skyeview: Cineaffable ‘07
Skyeview Gallery: Cineaffable ‘07
Skyeview: Paris Travelogue ‘07

Les salutations à toutes les femmes gentilles que j’ai rencontrée à
Cineaffable. Vous tout sait lancer un parti !  Les salutations spéciales à Mari, Peggy, Patricia et Celine (Serial Kisser).

Mari, festival volunteer and Skye with fete ticket.  Good to go!

Link:
Céline Tiberghien Contributes To Lesbian Visibility – French | English

Cineaffable is the BEST of the BEST lesbian cultural event bar none.
Imagine over a thousand lesbians from Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Latin and Central America attending film screenings, parties, debates, visual art exhibition, and lesbian organization information tables all in the magnificent Baroque style Le Trianon and nearby Halle Saint Pierre. I can hardly wait!

In the meantime I’m watching endless loops of Paris, J’taime a brilliant and entertaining film about The City of Love. Anyone familiar with the different flavors of Paris arrondisments (districts) will appreciate this film.

Share the joy of coming together to blow out our 20 candles for this essential event on the international lesbian scene (rated in the Top 10 of worldwide lesbian events in the British magazine Diva!). We look forward to seeing you all this fall to wish the festival a happy birthday! [Cineaffable website]

LINKS
Paris, je t’aime (IMDB plot summary, dvd available on netflix)
Cineaffable
Skye Gallery (France ’07)
Dispatch #10 – Cineaffable: Paris International Lesbian and Feminist Film Festival
Travelogue – Paris, France

I vote because so many have sacrificed so much for me and mine.

Telegenic Black Male Manufactured Charismatic Leadership
I neither support nor oppose Barack Obama and have really come to resent the assumption that my vote for him is a given.

The names of Jesse Jackson and Colin Powell came up in discussions on potential first African American presidential contenders, but not once during this 2-year campaign did I hear the name of the late Honorable Shirley Chisholm. On January 23, 1972, she became the first major party African American candidate for President of the United States.

Roll Call
As an Afriles feminist independent critical thinker I’m not willing to
quietly ignore the historical and contemporary contribution of everyday
folk and a few extraordinary Black women who’ve made it possible for me to cast my vote.

Freedom Summer

So as I cast my mail ballot today, I call out the names of ancestors’ known and unknown who have cleared the path.

Shirley Chisholm

Carol Moseley Braun

Barbara Jordan

Fannie Lou Hammer

Let’s flip the script in 2008 and remember the womenfolk this time around.

To my absolute shock and dismay while going through the security checkpoint in Beijing Capital Airport I spotted a partially used tube of Darkie toothpaste amongst the confiscated liquid and creams bin near the x-ray machines.

Links:
Darlie
Colgate to Rename a Toothpaste
Atomic Bomb Cinema: Mouth Jazz Toothpaste, aka Darkie Toothpaste and Black Face Toothpaste

The ginger garlic crumb shrimp was DELICIOUS!

Wo Bu Yau Xiea Xiea
(translation “no thank you”)

The fish was served whole, then the head was returned to the table for plundering by my hosts. I had to take a pass cuz Nemo kept staring back at me with those jagged
teeth! Too much…

Not Your Neighborhood Fowl

I’m not particularly fond of duck but since this Peking Duck was ordered in my honor I had to at least take a nibble or two as a courtesy. It was cooked to perfection.