On this day in 1958, Michael Jackson was born. A child prodigy, he joined his brothers in their musical group the Jackson 5, singing lead at just five years old. He amazed the world with his vocal talent and performance skills, which we were to learn later came at a cost: his childhood.
As Michael matured and became a mega pop star idolized around the globe, that little child never disappeared. We could see it in his playful smile, his joy in dancing, his theme-park estate. And of course, his deep empathy for ailing children. He shared his vulnerability, and suffered for his innocence.
Soon after the time that Michael passed away last year, I happened to be in Illinois for a friend's wedding and took the opportunity to drive over to Gary, Indiana to visit the Jackson's original family home. Looking at the tiny house, I could just imagine a young Michael sitting at the window, gazing wistfully outside; longing to go play, to just be a kid.
Michael's sacrifice of his childhood gave us the benefit of a musical legend the likes of which we've never seen before nor will see again. So as we honour MJ's life on this day, let's also pay homage to the child that defined a large part of the man he became. This one's for you Michael.
Rockin' Robin
ABC (1,2,3)
I Want You Back
Sugar Daddy
Doctor, My Eyes
The Love You Save
Lookin' Through The Windows
I Wanna Be Where You Are
It's Great To Be Here
My Girl
Darling Dear
Love Song
Never Can Say Goodbye
Girl Don't Take Your Love From Me
I'll Be There
Ready Or Not (Here I Come)
La La (Means I Love You)
We've Got A Good Thing Going
You've Got A Friend
Got To Be There
Ain't No Sunshine
Who's Loving You
Wings Of My Love
Ben
Music And Me
----------------------------- Geena Lee Lovesoul Studio Toronto, Canada
I'm very pleased to announce that as of August 23rd, selected episodes of The Lovezone will be broadcasted every Monday night at 8pm EST on Black Soul Rhythms Internet Radio. BSR broadcasts a wide range of music inspired by the beats from the African diaspora: R&B, Hiphop, Jazz, Funk, Gospel, NeoSoul, House, Reggae, Dance Hall, Reggaeton, Soca, Salsa, etc., with listeners in over 170 countries on every continent of the globe. You can listen to the broadcast streamed over the internet by logging onto http://www.blacksoulrhythms.com/, and be sure to check out the other shows on BSR Radio, it's a great line-up!
Sometimes when you’ve been single and looking for a long while, it can be a bit of a surprise when all of a sudden, a potential partner appears; full of passion and desire to start something with you, right now.
After trudging through the desert of loneliness, here comes this beautiful oasis of love, inspiring the temptation to just go full steam ahead and dive right in. I totally understand that urge, none of us are immune to it, but I’d like to caution you to just wait a bit longer before you enter; see if that oasis is for real or just a mirage. Now I’m not encouraging you to be mistrustful or negative when you meet somebody new, just to take it slow enough to get a better evaluation of who they are and whether you are compatible beyond chemistry.
We live in a ‘give it to me now’ society; where instant gratification is expected, heck, it’s demanded. So it goes a bit against the grain when you prefer to take a laid-back approach when getting to know a romantic candidate. The person may think you’re not that into them since your eagerness doesn’t match theirs, they may even step it up in the pursuit to win you over; trying even harder to get your approval and commitment. That will apply even more pressure for you to make a decision. The thing is, for those of us looking for a serious relationship, we don’t need the song and dance, we need to see the walk and the talk, and that will take the time it needs to take.
You may have thoughts of guilt when applying the brakes on another’s forward motion into your life. After all here’s someone who’s interested in you, and you like them too, you’re just not keen on jumping in bed right away and sharing closet space just yet. That’s absolutely normal, and you shouldn’t feel mean about it.
I think it’s rare to find two people who’ve fallen in love at the same time with the same intensity. Everyone has to go at a pace that’s comfortable for them. No doubt our past experience with heartbreak will influence that, but as long as you’re willing to explore new possibilities, it’s absolutely in your right to be cautious. If you’re feeling rushed into a relationship, don’t allow that fear of ‘missing out on a good thing’ force you to disregard your first instinct. Take the time that’s right for you to feel secure.
Now I say this a lot, but it’s true - communication is key. If you’re dating someone who keeps hitting the fast-forward button, let them know that you prefer to just take things mid-tempo, so that you can savour the experience of getting to know them. I’ll also give you one warning: it’s important that you don’t sleep with them in the beginning stages, ‘cause that’ll throw things into a whole other level of complication. Getting intimate off the bat can cloud your judgment, and will create a lot of mixed signals. So it’s best to leave that till later, if things are going in the right direction, you’ll get there eventually. If the person you’re dealing with can’t accept that, then well maybe their priorities are not aligned with yours.
Love is not something that can be rushed, nor should it be; when it’s allowed to bloom in its own time, a much richer experience develops. So don’t rush and don’t worry, when you’re ready to take that step, you’ll know it.
Leon Haywood - Don't Push It, Don't Force It
Stephanie Mills - (You're Puttin') A Rush On Me
Eric Roberson - Hesitation
Ledisi - Get To Know You
4Hero ft. Jack Davey - Take My Time
The Braxtons - Slow Flow
Jazz Liberatorz - Slow Down
Alicia Keys - Slow Down
Faith Evans - Catching Feelings
Rahsaan Patterson - Can't We Wait
Mary J. Blige - Slow Down
Zapp & Roger - Slow & Easy
Changing Faces - Take It Slow
Janet Jackson - Let's Wait Awhile
Bobby Brown - Take It Slow
Alicia Myers - If You Play Your Cards Right
Teddy Pendergrass - Be Sure
---------------------- Geena Lee Lovesoul Studio Toronto, Canada
Her songs are ones you have to sing along to from the beginning to the end. With a voice that had no equal, Whitney Houston climbed the multi-octave range into our hearts. Just as Micheal Jackson broke across the mainstream barrier with his pop appeal, Whitney was one of the first African American female artists to be heavily featured on MTV and most radio stations; opening doors for other divas to follow in her footsteps. Her mega-success in the mid-1980s and early 1990s has made Whitney one of the world's best-selling female artists of all time; you'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know at least one of her songs.
Whitney Houston's journey has been one of amazing highs and lows, and as she now turns 47 years old, one can only imagine how she reflects on the time that has passed; the lessons learned and stripes earned. In honour of the woman who gave us the 'greatest love of all' and made us 'exhale', I've put together two 'Whitney Mixes', the first one containing her upbeat and danceable tracks, the other featuring some of her best known ballads. We'll always love you Whitney, happy birthday!
I Have Nothing
You Give Good Love
Run To You
All The Man That I Need
Where You Are
All At Once
You're Still My Man
Didn't We Almost Have It All
Where Do Broken Hearts Go
Saving All My Love For You
Greatest Love Of All
One Moment In Time
I Will Always Love You
Exhale (Shoop Shoop)
When You Believe (duet with Mariah Carey)
I Believe In You And Me
My Love Is Your Love
On My Own
I Didn't Know My Own Strength
Another R&B queen is re-entering the scene; none other than Faith Evans. It's been a five years since her last album, and from the sound of her new single, it looks like Miss Dunaway is ready to grace us with her long awaited presence. I've always enjoyed Faith's albums and so look forward to hearing Someting About Faith when it drops this October.
To keep up to date on Faith, follow her on Twitter.com @MissDunaway
Take a stroll down the candy aisle of love, and you will find many tasty, yummy, sweet and sticky treats to sample. There are so many flavours you can choose - chocolate, honey, strawberry, peach and watermelon too, and of course lots of brown sugar, just for you. Enjoy.
Mary Jane Girls - Candy Man
New Edition - Candy Girl
Jackson Five - Sugar Daddy
Luther Vandross - Sugar & Spice
Cameo - Candy
Soul For Real - Candy Rain
Portrait - Honey Dip
112 - Peaches & Cream
Mos Def ft. Faith Evans - Brown Sugar
Good Music For Days - Watermelon ft. Peter Hadar
Mtume - Juicy
Nicole Renee - Strawberries
Mariah Carey - Honey
Erykah Badu - Honey
India.Arie ft. Musiq Soulchild - Chocolate High
D'Angelo - Brown Sugar
Smooth - Strawberries
Jill Scott - Honey Molasses
Jon B. - Cocoa Brown
Faith Evans ft. 112 - Caramel Kisses
Keith Sweat - Chocolate Girl
Public Announcement - Honey Love
The Whispers - Chocolate Girl
Ohio Players - Honey
----------------------------------- Geena Lee Lovesoul Studio Toronto, Canada
I have this song on repeat right now, it fills me with joy and hope! Do I dare say Lauryn has returned to reign? No, I won't...not yet anyway, I don't want to jinx it! We're waiting for you Ms. Hill!
The Lovezone's debut was in 2001, along with Canada's first urban music radio station, FLOW93.5FM. It was there that listeners could tune in late weeknights to hear Geena Lee deliver a 'quiet storm' of slow jams interwoven with her Poems of Passion. The show was a top-ratings earner and made an indelible mark on Canadian radio history. The Lovezone was revived in Taiwan while Geena was at ICRT FM from 2006-2008. Shortly after her return to Toronto, Geena resurrected The Lovezone online, with the same vision: to bring love and enlightenment to the hearts that dare to hope.
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