Daily Archives: June 3, 2010

Entertainment, Going Out

The Roots of House Music Are Alive at Cielo

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Wednesday has been considered “hump day” ever since the 40 hour work week was invented.  But for those of us who live to rejoice under strobe lights while the sounds of House music filters from the speakers and fills the atmosphere, Wednesday has taken on another moniker.  Wednesday is a night that is all about Roots.

One of my greatest moments while working as the Entertainment and Lifestyle editor at Caribbean Posh Magazine was interviewing Louie Vega and his wife Anane.  Louie is one of the architects of House music and a living legend.  His DJing and mixes have provided the soundtrack to my life and many other house heads’ lives around the world, and have been responsible for baby powder residue littering the floors of many venues. 

For those of us who live and breathe this music and culture, it is more of a creed than a lifestyle choice.  When I wrote my article about the Grammy winning DJ/producer, I dubbed him an archbishop because that is simply what he is.  Every leader must have a home base and in New York City Louie’s resident house is Cielo, located on 18 Little West 12th Street in the Meatpacking District.  The weekly Wednesday night party known as Roots is the seed of Louie Vega and Kevin Hedge of Blaze, another House music legend and high priest in his own right.  During its six years, quite an epic feat for an underground party, the stems of Roots have grown to become one of New York City’s staple parties.

Because House music is so engrained in the fiber of their beings, Louie Vega and Kevin Hedge provide the patrons of Cielo with sermons that are sure to guarantee a perspiration drenched t-shirt, aching bodies and refreshed souls.  When Louie is traveling, Kevin holds the party down solo.  Even Anane and Antonello Coghe (Nulu Music) spin on occasion. 

House music is not a genre readily found on top 40 FM.  It does not sell out arena sized venues and because it does not appeal to the masses, the future of my culture and its music is always in a precarious state.  Parties like Roots ensure that New York City, the cradle of House Music, will continue to have a voice as the underground dance scene moves into the next decade of the new millennium.

 Photos:  F.A.M.E NYC Editor

Arts

The Radiance of a Rainbow

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A journey begins with a single step.  When someone steps passes through the threshold of Raandesk Gallery to view the exhibition of South Korean artist Jihay Kang’s A Single Journey, the caravan one embarks on is one of canvases bursting with prisms of color. 

Jihay Kang’s artwork is a potent concoction of materialism and subtle statements in bold multi-hues.  Her use of color is the catalyst that draws the viewer in, but it is her use of iconography that keeps the viewer’s feet glued in front of her paintings.  Her use of color is extremely whimsical and feminine, which is the component that makes her work a refreshing take on contemporary art. 

One would be hard press to view her work and not become flooded with feelings of happiness and nostalgia.  Her use of stenciling gives her work a rich texture and reminds me of the patterns found in my mother’s lace curtains.  But it is the application of the Mickey Mouse silhouette that made Jihay Kang’s A Single Journey an excursion worth taking.

The clever appearance of the iconic Disney character’s silhouette shows how much pop culture dominates our world.  The Disney brand is recognized as a multimedia conglomerate, but it also can be seen a vehicle for mass consumerism.  Looking at Jihay Kang’s art allowed me to remove my jaded adult contact lenses and look at the Disney brand with the same exuberance I had when I was a child watching Fantasia and Cinderella.   Jihay Kang’s art is the visual equivalent to eating a bag of Skittles – full of color and lots of fun.

 

Jihay Kang’s A Single Journey is on exhibition at Raandesk Gallery, 16 W. 23rd Street, until June 11, but you can also view Jihay Kang’s work online at http://raandeskgallery.com/artist.php?artistId=43. 

 Photos:  F.A.M.E NYC Editor

Entertainment, NYC

F.A.M.E NYC Remembers Lena Horne

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Monday was Memorial Day and with remembering our fallen servicemen and women as well as reading about the deaths of Dennis Hopper and Gary Coleman over the weekend, I began to think about another icon we lost in May, Lena Horne.  Lena Horne was a New Yorker, phenomenal performer and the true definition of a legend.

When I first saw Lena Horne she had already been an international superstar several times over, but in my six-year-old eyes, she was Glinda the Good Witch of the South in The Wiz.   There she was larger than the Milky Way, residing in the heavens with babies as stars.  She guided Dorothy through her odyssey in Oz and gave her the keys to go back home when she sang “Believe in Yourself.”  And the way she sang it, you could hear the fight to never give up in her tone.  She commanded that not only Dorothy but all of us believe in ourselves.  She stole the entire scene and brought tears to my eyes.  Even when I see the seen as an adult, I am still moved to tears.  But the fact of the matter was anytime Ms. Horne was in a scene; she became the center of attention.

Unfortunately I would come to learn that the list of Lena Horne movies was extremely short.  The sad fact was when she came to Hollywood Hollywood was not ready for the beauty, talent and grace of Lena Horne.  Because of her skin color she was generally relegated to performance feature spots where her parts could be edited out when the film was shown in southern theaters.  It was Hollywood’s loss, performances such as “Stormy Weather” in Panama Hattie proved why she was so magnetic.  Movies such as Cabin in the Sky and Stormy Weather allowed her to showcase all her talent, but her abilities as a vocalist is what she was most famous for.  Very few people could sing a standard like Lena Horne.  She was a multiple Grammy winner, receiving the Lifetime Achievement Grammy in 1989 and winning her last Grammy in 1995.  She also received a Tony Award, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as well as a Kennedy Center Honor. 

Although I am sure Lena Horne did not go to Hollywood to become a pioneer, she broke new ground in Tinsel town nonetheless.  Lena Horne made Hollywood realize that black women could me more than just maids.  If it was not for Lena Horne stars like Dianne Carroll, Dorothy Dandridge and many others would have had to work much harder for their success.  And her pioneering efforts did not just lend themselves to the stage.  She was a civil rights activist.  Even after she was blacklisted in Hollywood in the 50s for her political beliefs, Lena still choose to fight the good fight working with Eleanor Roosevelt to pass anti-lynching laws and performing and speaking at NAACP rallies as well as the March on Washington.

Appearing on shows such as The Cosby Show and The Muppets Lena Horne continued to be relevant, introducing herself to new generations and creating a fan base out of Generation Xers like me.  As she grew older she became the epitome of grace, style and ageless beauty and her “tell it like it is” demeanor was Brooklyn to the core.  As the 80’s reemerge in fashion and music, it seems that the downside of reliving the decade of my youth is the passing of stars that I idolize as a child.  Hearing about Lena Horne’s death on May 9 was like losing an aunt.  I would like to thank Lena Horne for teaching me to be classy and gracious regardless of the circumstance life may hurl at you and to never give up.  Most of all, I would like to thank her for telling me with vigor to believe in myself.