YouTube channel

looking for some new music? maybe old music made new that you've never heard before? my youtube channel is full of r&b, dance, pop, and house music videos.

Saying goodbye to donna summer

Donna Summer, 1948-2012

 
i couldn't believe how difficult the news of icon donna summer's death took me when it was announced yesterday. i felt as though i had lost an old friend who i hadn't spoken to in awhile. just a few weeks ago i had spent an entire saturday listening to my donna summer record collection that my mother had bestowed upon me some years ago. i have every original record, even the unnoticed (to me) classics from the late eighties and Mistaken Identity from '91. a fond memory i have of my seven year old self is relentlessly begging my mom to put on the 7" I Feel Love record so we could dance around the house singing at the top of our lungs. the power of summer's voice, song writing, and theatrical performing is unparallelled.  throughout the day i found myself attempting to pull myself together, at times failing completely. few people will ever really understand the magic of donna summer and that will forever confound me. i was, however, pleased that my friend, blogger, and fellow music aficionado, quentin harrison, wrote a touching eulogy to summers. as did world famous singer jody watley who wrote on her facebook wall,

Not simply "Disco" Donna Summer also ruled "Pop" Music radio and charts. Her double albums were/are unparalleled...concept albums, few did them better male or female in any genre - her releases for me were events. I couldn't wait to see the cover art, read the liner notes and listen to the music, much of which she helped write. I've been reflective today, will do a blog post to celebrate the fierceness that was and will always be Donna Summer.

in fact many, many artists like, mary j. blige, duran duran, bananarama, kylie minogue, kelly rowland, david guetta, chaka khan, and robyn, have been sharing their memories of donna summer and how she inspired their own music. my sincerest hope is that donna summer is smiling down from heaven feeling the love that we all share for her. 


read the QH Blend's blog, Donna Summer: Black Gypsy Extraordinaire. 

Happy anniversary Ms. Watley!

Jody Watley in a recent CNN interview.

i was reminded of another special anniversary, that of jody watley who struck it out on a successful solo career 25 years ago. i was 7 or 8 when i remember watley's debut self titled album being released. at the time i had no clue that watley was originally part of the hugely popular group, shalamar, who my mother idolized in her youth. the album earned watley a grammy and the artist has continued leaving her unique and positive mark with nine albums to her credit. friends, family, and those who follow me on twitter or this blog know what a die hard jody watley fan i have been for all 25 years. style, wisdom, experience, enlightenment, fun, energy -- i can attribute some of these characteristics to myself because of my personal journey with watley's career.  a few months ago i posted a review of one of my favorite jody watley albums in anticipation for her upcoming tenth record, chameleon. in the meantime this funktress and dance diva is bringing her sound to venues across the US and beyond to whet fans' appetite.

for current news on jody watley, check out her website: http://jodywatley.net/

in celebration of this year long event i've created a playlist of just a few of my favorite jody watley songs.

A few summers ago my aunt surprised me with her original souvenir program from the Jody Watley Larger Than Life Tour.

"Jody Watley", 1987

Album review: "Affection" by Jody Watley

with grammy award winning solo artist, jody watley, about to have a birthday just around the corner (january 30th), it felt like the perfect time to post an album review of one of my favorite watley albums. deciding on what album to discuss, well, that wasn't easy. jody watley has, to date, nine worthwhile albums that have been released in the last two decades. the artist's music has spoken to me since i was young; even in the womb if you count her time in the band, shalamar, which my mom was jamming out to while she was pregnant. watley encompasses pop, soul, rap, funk, dance, jazz, and r&b into her innovative music and has been renown for her songwriting, individual style, dancing, and positive messages that she shares with fans through every album. each record that jody has released comes from the heart and is instantly relatable to listeners.

that being said, i finally decided to review 1995's, Affection, the first release from watley's own record label, avitone. as every album before, this was an evolution of the previous as jody continued to expand her range of genre bending sound. in classic jody watley fashion, there is plenty of encouragement to get you to move with, '(we gotta be) together', 'the way' pts. 1&2, and 'pride and joy'. also with this record there is sex without being over the top for sales. rather it comes in a more organic (and powerful) fashion, something missing from today's popular artists. title track, 'affection', 'the beat don't stop', and 'all night love affair' are proof of that. watley doesn't rely on gimmicks, rather she flies forward with confidence and out of sight grace that brings you on a smooth and joyful journey. 'stay' reveals the strength of watley's voice and undeniable talent. a personal favorite from Affection is, 'i care for you'. the song sounds as though it may have come right from watley's own diary as it describes what can happen when a couple falls out of love. i can't stress enough how poignant jody's lyrics are in every song, each word chosen with careful consideration. jody watley is not just a pretty face, Affection proves that.

as fans clamour for jody to finish her current work in progress, Chameleon, there is an expansive collection of music that the artist has produced to look back on in preparation for her new album. i grew up with jody watley, as i have followed her solo career from the beginning, and relished in her triumphs, and wept with downfalls -- all that paralleled my own. if i were to describe what jody watley's music does for me, in particular the songs from Affection, i would say it instills me with positivity, hope, and a greater sense of self. that, and i never want to stop dancing!

Staying fresh

i've always secretly appreciated my ability to stay ahead of so called trends, particularly those of music, art, and fashion. friends and newcomers alike often give me compliments for my tastes in clothes, music, activities, and creative ideas. the truth is, i made a conscious decision not to pay heed to popular followings, rather do my own thing whether it be the "in" thing or not. with that in mind, i believe it's important to stay fresh, to update one's appearance, perspective, musical playlists, food pallet, etc -- to always continue to read, learn, and listen. i can never have enough new experiences! the important thing is to do it for me, what i like is what i like, there doesn't always have to be a reason. my more serious concern is to never be bored or fall into a rut, which can easily happen to any one of us - always mix it up. haters out there will demand i'm no more unique than the next guy, i would possibly agree with that. perhaps it's my confidence that i simply don't care of people's opinion of me that brings me more attention than the average joe. truthfully, i can't answer that.

the idea of this latest blog came to me on the way home from the salon. on an impulse i made an appointment for a cut at a place i've never been to. the overall experience wasn't much different from past salon visits, but having a new pair of eyes and hands overseeing my 'do was worthwhile enough to feel less guilt for not scheduling time with my usual stylist. without realizing it the co-owner and i began to open up about the importance of staying current in his line of work, also about inspiration for the both of us, artists in two very different fields. the more i thought of staying current, the more i realized it's a battle of futility. trends and fads are always changing, sometimes at such a fast pace that it's impossible to keep up. i much prefer my way of staying true to ones self and not focused on what's more popular.

that's not to say i don't regularly watch early morning MTV for the latest music videos, or check out the current issues of GQ, Vanity Fair, or the like. in fact i cultivate my ideas for my personal "look" and my own art and even my art lessons for my students from a number of sources. as i write i've begun to understand that i look back, as much as i look now or to the future. i love fashion from bygone eras, as well as the album artwork of albums decades old. used book stores always have hidden gems. comic books have always inspired me, from wanting to help others, to being the best i can be. i could go on and on, but instead i've decided to create a short list of resources i like to use to stay away from being stagnate or dull. if you're reading this and have your own list, please email it to me, i'm always interested in new and bright ideas to aid me in staying fresh!
1. 100 Years of Fashion Illustration
2. Jody Watley: StyleFile - Jody Watley knows, music, fashion, health and has used her gifts to inspire her fans and more for over twenty years.
3. Amazon Archives - The Amazing Amazon, Wonder Woman, is a fictional character, but of all the comic book characters I've read since I was young, none have had more of an impact than DC Comic's premiere heroine.
4. DapperLou.com - Ludget Delcy is a stylist with a keen eye for fashion, not just for himself or clients, but of those in his world of New York City - awesome stuff.
5. LPCover Lover
6. Cher: Forever Fit - Laugh if you must, but this book originally published in '91, purchased by my aunt, set me on the path to a better life through fitness and nutrition. I was nine years old.

Album review: Jody Watley, "Flower"

i’ve been a fan of jody watley since my youth, when this amazing artist first struck out on her solo career from the popular, shalamar. my mom, my aunt, even my regular babysitter were all fans of watley which ensured that I kept up with her career through the ‘90s. But somehow, I never discovered watley’s album, “flower”, so imagine how surprised I was when I found it on itunes! After some digging i found that the album was meant to be a comeback for jody watley, but problems with the label prevented a states-side release and prompting watley to almost decide on a musical retirement! After getting the album downloaded onto my ipod, i can understand watley’s frustration – this is an AWESOME album.

i received this album at a perfect time in my life as i was just separating from my partner of three years and for the first time in a LONG time, striking out on my own. “flower” is almost an echo of my own personal journey from start to finish as watley soulfully sings of love, passion, unfortunate breakup, but later emancipation, and inner strength. the ballad, ‘just one more time’, is ripe with such strong emotion and beauty that I thought I would cry at first listen, and – whitney who? ‘if i’m not in love’ is yet another powerful love song to add to the lengthy list owned by jody watley. watley doesn’t shy away from her dance roots either, ‘off the hook’, and ‘baby tonight’, are sexy tunes one can’t help but want to get down to!

i’m VERY pleased i now own this album and what’s more, that watley continues to produce quality music to this day. “flower” is a definite step between jody’s “intimacy” of 1993 and 2001’s “saturday night experience” -- highlighting the evolution of this inspiring artist. It’s been several weeks since I first obtained, “flower”, and i continue to play the album on regular basis for whatever mood I may be in. it’s THAT good.

five out of five stars.

Album review: Jody Watley, "Intimacy"

i vaguely remember listening to this album in my youth – i think it was a CD owned by my babysitter, mary, who fueled my love of jody watley. not owning it personally now as an adult has always tugged at me since i lovingly own all of jody watley’s more current material. so finally, early one Saturday morning, i downloaded it from itunes. i instantly remembered two of the tracks through their music videos that had aired on tv, two classics of the ‘90s from my childhood, ‘when a man loves a woman’ and ‘your love keeps working on me’. i didn’t realize it at the age of nine or ten, but ‘when a man loves a woman’ is powerful poetry with a heartfelt message from watley herself to all men and women. I applaud the artist’s unique approach with this song in an era full of violence and obnoxious decadence. “intimacy” is slightly dated with its house club beats, but for the most part, this record is a sexy and playfully soulful journey from start to finish. the ten tracks were perfect for my leisurely saturday morning at my pool and will work for a more romantic setting some evening with a special someone.

three and a half out of five stars.

The 2011 BET awards jody watley campaign

the BET awards ceremony has long-time been a remarkable annual event that highlights african americans and other minorities in various fields of entertainment, particularly music. a campaign has begun to showcase the career of longtime performer, jody watley. read my letter to BET below,

The 2011 BET Awards Jody Watley Campaign has begun and I fervently hope you consider this growing group of Watley fans' single request to spotlight the talent of Ms. Watley!

I became a fan of Jody in the late '80s after she had already started as a solo artist and have continued to follow the amazing artist's career as a Grammy winning entertainer and entrepreneur of her own independent label, Avitone Recordings. Through her inspirational music, ground breaking music videos, her dancing, her latest tweets, and even her current StyleFile blog, Jody Watley is a woman unlike any other. But Jody doesn't keep this all to herself, no, Ms. Watley has always been an artist for the people, something that can be seen and felt in any of her live performances.

I'm an artist in Boston working as a teacher and I constantly use Jody's fashion style (then to now) and music as a generational and cultural bridge between myself and students that creates a positive buzz for masterful works of art. Jody Watley is still "bad" to young and old! The BET Awards would benefit greatly by showing the world just what Jody Watley means to music, video, fashion, and her fans.

With much respect,

Steven Derrick Wilber

My ideal of modern feminism

i'm a man who's a feminist. a damn proud feminist. i've grown up with strong women who's personal strength, love, guidance, and patience shines through. many of these women i never knew personally, some are purely fiction, but their confidence and adventures taught me a lot. okay, okay, i realize i must sound nuts, but celebrities like janet jackson, cher, madonna, kylie minogue, and jody watley were striking out on their own in the mid-eighties - theirs was the music my mother (a very independent and strong woman in her own right) was listening to and to what my younger brother and i were exposed to. my obsession with wonder woman also started when i was very young. my mother encouraged my reading comic books as a form of learning education, much of this was done through the adventures of the amazing amazon, a powerful princess my mother herself was a fan of as child. with strong outspoken women like my mother, her sister (my aunt is one of my closest confidants), and grandmother, plus the heavy dose of cher, janet, and the others, along with my following of the regularly published escapades of wonder woman, i never quite saw women as a weaker gender. oh the women in my family would explain to me that 'the outside world' was cruel and unfair, but our family was different and both men and women were absolutely equal and always stood up against anyone who disagreed. i don't quite know if they knew how much of this belief i would hold onto, but hold onto it i have, and what's more, i've reinforced our belief of equality to include everyone. but i'm getting off my subject of modern feminism.

this month, july 2010, dc comics released Wonder Woman #600. within the issue the comic book publisher revealed the amazon's first new costume in almost two decades. the makeover is an attempt to modernize a female icon's image that, to many, has stagnated. personally, i loathe the new look, but if it brings more readers to the book, what's more, a greater population of young female readers, then this change will be well worth it. my concern with youth is that there are fewer and fewer strong female role models for young women to aspire to and for young men to admire. who are the madonnas, kylie, and jodys of today? women like britney spears, rihanna, and lindsey lohan have dominated air waves for the last few years for all the wrong reasons. even wonder woman has adapted to a similar look in the fashion of these "celebrities". where is the new generation of feminists?

i asked friends and students of mine, from twelve to fifty-one, their definition of, "feminism". surprisingly, it was the younger interviewees (both male and female) that understood the concept and attitude of girl power. the women over forty seemed to take to heart my questions when i begin quizzing them about former and modern day feminism. clearly, they appreciated someone who sought to know and understand more. as far as a response to a modern day feminist i didn't get a large response, but miley cyrus, beyonce, and even adam lambert (?!) were responses. i'm very surprised that lady gaga was not selected as a feminist by either the females or males that i included in my informal poll, but apparently the entertainer is considered more of a weird hot mess by those i interviewed. yeah ...

my mother is currently in the process of writing an article for a local women's publication on modern day feminism and asked for my opinion. from there, this blog blossomed. i wonder if my ideal of modern feminism is becoming invalid (?) simply because women are finally taking their rightful places in the many arenas of the world. well, that's not completely true in about half the world, but here in the states young women seem to see themselves just as powerful as any male. and while that's superb (and about time!), i feel the younger generation is missing something by not having the same experiences i grew up with. in the meantime, my students will definitely be getting a dose of my beliefs of feminism and equality every time they step in my classroom!

Warming up for summer update

just when i thought i had made up my mind for a summer 2010 anthem two new songs hit the airwaves and i was forced to admit, maybe it's too early to decide on a song for the season. i'll just see what happens as i begin to gear up for pride weekends, bbqs, block parties, and beach excursions. meanwhile, checkout the new song by mark de clive and jody watley as well as robyn's first single off her upcoming album, body talk part 1.

Mark De Clive ft. Jody Watley, "Tonight's the Night"

Robyn, "Dancing On My Own"