Feeling a little sick.....

Well I am back in Paris today. It's pretty wet, cold, and muggy. And to top it all off I have this pesky flu to contend with. But, I seemed to have been pulled to my computer to write something. I really don't what, so I am just gonna allow myself to babble. It's best that way. So I am listening to Rachell "mouth deep as a well" Farrell. I'm telling you every time I listen to one of her CD's I ask myself why do I continue as a singer. Not that I don't believe in my own talent, it's just that hers is sooo amazing. I mean when she sings, you can see her kidneys from the inside of her mouth. She has a range that just blows me away. And well it's good to hear her voice when you are sick and in Paris. Somehow everything is just fine.

So I got here about 4 or 5 days ago. (Can't remember now) I had a concert in a special events convention. It was pretty cool too. There was great wine and hors d'ouerves . There were lots of people and well it was generally cool. When I got to the hotel where we were staying (the band and everybody), I was completely floored. This was a four star hotel on the same street as the Eiffel Tower. Oh My God it was just beautiful. I wanted to stay all week. Great big ole tub, view to die for, and a great bar. I had a few glasses of Bordeaux red wine "1995" thank-you. It was just pure class. I was like ,"oh snap betta watch those ghetto tendencies". Anyone from the ghetto may know what I mean by that.

Then after that concert it was off to Bordeaux. Train to Bordeaux was great fun. The whole band was together and we made lots of noise at 8 in the morning. I am sure all the other passengers really appreciated us. Well you only live once so with that said, here is my official apology to all those people on the train ....."I'm so sorry to have been a thoughtless and inconsiderate neighboring passenger".... there all is good and right with the world now.
Bordeaux's concert was a bit smoky. There ought to be a law limiting each person to one cigarette an hour my God. Anyway, I saw some old friends while I was there. That was really cool. Music is really a universal connector in many many different situations. I tell you. I keep meeting people that I would not ordinarily meet much less talk to.

I had a great time to, while I was in the States. It was cool. I am just disappointed that not as many people voted in the end. It's a bit heartbreaking, but it's over now. Not that I am being a sore looser. It's just that I wish more of us (Americans) would pay attention to what's going on in the world, not just our neighborhoods. But, of course I know that I am asking for too much. Well I have two other events to attend to here in Paris then I'll be headed back to Texas to coninue to work on my CD. It's funny what life'll throw at you sometimes; a curveball, a foul, a cute man, well you know stuff like that. In any case I seem to be evolving because I look at things a little differently now. Not with so much despair as before. Maybe that's too much information, but it's the truth you know. I have now changed CD's and I'm listening to Amp Fiddler.... You are so deep ... Might I love ya ... Your vibrations touch my soul... Oh oh .....

Yeah that's what I love music that moves you that inspires you to be a greater you. So, even in the midst of all that is wrong in my world, I am inspired and I do have hope. It's gone get betta ya'll. And you know Mo betta make it Mo betta. Peace out....................

Time to Vote

I have been busy these last few weeks. I have been going places and listening to live music. I went to a music conference in Atlanta and I am going to Los Angeles. It's been very different to be home since my travels abroad. It seems that lots of people are interested in the things I have done over there. So, let me answer a few questions..... Yes, France was a great experience. Yes, I speak French as well as English. Yes, people are more political than we are. Yes, lots of people there think that Bush is a joke and ignorant. And yes they think the same thing about us in general. I hate that. I am always defending "us" to somebody. They are always saying things like we don't know the president of France or the Prime Minister of England or even where England can be found. They are always accusing us of being TV junkies. Money hungry corporate chasing fools, they call us. Okay, not everyone , but some people that I have had the honor of arguing with.

The people are surprised when I tell them that interracial relationships are still taboo here in the states. They gasp to know that a lynching happened just three years ago, and not 30 years ago in our past. I think that we should work hard to change these images for ourselves. It seems that we are behind. We need to open our minds and learn other languages. This is quickly changing into a real global market and well we all need to be ready for that. I mean we gotta start by voting. What's up with this 12 percent of our population votes? I don't get it. How can that be? I have met so many people who have told me that they have no intention to vote nor have they ever had an intention to vote. What's up with that? How can we change anything yet? When are we gonna wake up and smell the country in deep "shit"? Yes, I think that we have a lot of issues. Let's make health care an issue. How about everyone should be able to pay for a doctor... I mean I work hard and I can't even afford to pay one when I need to. What about dental care? What about the children? I could go on and on, but I am not the one running for office.

People we gotta go vote. Next week is our chance to be a part of history. Let's not blow it please I am begging. Anyway, I'll get off my soap box and say this. We need to educate our children better. Send them over seas to Europe, Africa, Asia, South America, somewhere where their minds will begin to open. You know I saw my own country in a different light when I went across seas. It really changed the way I think about many things that's for sure............

Back in good ole Texas

Been back in good ole Texas now for one week. Getting used to those temperatures and all. It's still soo hot now even though it's the end of the month. The flight was pretty usual, I flew on September 12th because the 11th was freaky.. Then of course my afterthought was that I was being pretty silly about all this superstition and what ifs and stuff. I kind of laughed uncomfortably to myself thinking "nah that didn't bother me".

I find that I am noticing to many negative things in the world. I want to get down to some positive vibes you know. So, I guess during my time here in Houston I am gonna do as many positive things as I can think of doing. So to begin, I am staying between my three sisters houses. It's pretty cool cause we all get together and sing old children's songs and laugh at each other. It's so funny because they all live like 5 to 10 minutes from each other. It's cool too because we all see each other and the children pretty often. I did a little Tae Bo with my youngest sister and well I felt bow tied after all that kikin and stuff. My God I felt like I ran 26 miles or somethin' One of my other sisters is pregnant for the first time and she's all giddy and excited and just brimming with the joy of A new life. She like calls me all the time talkin' bout "Song, you should see my stomach today". It's so funny. My other sister has decided to go back to college and take some courses and I think that's real cool. In any case we have all been bonding here in Houston, feeling like 10 year old kids again. I loved that.

But I tell you what it's so hot I just can't get over it. I had forgotten the heat and all the humidity. It makes you just want to get down and ...... Now ya'll betta git out the guttah.

Anyway, it's funny to be back in pop culture so much t.v. I love t.v. I used to watch all the time. But, now I think I just don't like the choices. I can't believe what people would do to be on TV. It's just plain mind boggling for me. I see that all the music channels play the same songs after a while. I see that there still are lots of commercials for losing weight and we have such high rates of obesity, even in my family. There are all these reality shows I am just amazed.

I wonder how many people really understand the issues in the upcoming election. It's not not like I even know all of the issues but I think it's pretty weird that MTV has to tell us to vote. We should just do it. We should feel obligated to do our part to make our country into what we would like them to be. But, once again I am living in my own little world of what if's. For the meantime I'm gonna just keep chillin' with my sisters and nieces and nephew and brother in laws. We are gonne keep on lovin' each other and holding each other up. Peace ya'll...........Song

Preparing the way

I have been writing a lot in my little jog book all kinds of really silly things. Flowers, butterflies, rainbows, and stuff like that. It's funny that I could think about stuff like that when we have some real issues in the world at present. I was horrified reading the papers on what happened in Russia. It brought me to tears. I really couldn't or wouldn't believe that there were actually children involved and then killed. And then we got these bombings just spreading like a cancer with no cure. Folks what are we gonna do? What can we do? I mean I'm thinking we are really about to turn into the ultimate Big Brother here because of all this. Does anyone out there worry about their privacy?

I am speaking on the privacy issue because I am annoyed by the whole flying thing. It's psychologically affecting me. I feel like everytime I go to an airport they want to check me first off. Do I look like a criminal? I go through about an hours worth of checks then I gotta get on the plane and hope everything will be alright. I mean how could a woman, today, get on a plane and then blow it up? I don't know, but it happened.

I know they are checking me for my own protection, I just can't help feeling like I am being singled out. (Paranoia at it's best) When will we ever be at peace in the world? Without trying to sound too mushy, I would like to see us try other ways to co-exist.

I love the new possibilities with technology and all, but there is also the other side. Beheadings and kidnapping filmed and put on the internet. We have definitely stepped into a new era and a whole different playing field. I am not ashamed to say that I am afraid for the future..........

Am I just claiming that the sky is falling? Maybe I am overacting. I am sure that people over the last few centuries others have always feared for the plight of the world. This cannot be a new thing. So, what again I ask, are we gonna do about it?

I am gonna keep writing and maybe some simple answer will just fall from the sky. Until then >I ask you..What are we gonna do?

Summer Heat

I was complaining about the fact that this summer was not exactly hot enough. Well I take that back now. I was recently in the south of France (Pau) and the heat was unbearable. It is a lovely town lots of nice views and things. I sang with the gospel group Voices of Praise. It was interesting for us to sing over there. The people were real nice and all. It was the last time that we played with the pianist Camelia. She just got signed to play and arrange for a musical here in Paris. She's real excited by that imagine a real contract.

After all that unbearable heat I decided to go down to Biarritz and Anglet-> the beach!!!! Well that was really nice. But, the water is definitely not for beginners I mean whoa!! The waves are sooo strong that if you are not familiar with these kinds of waves forget about it. It can be really dangerous. I was only about 2 feet into the water when the wave knocked me over. While I was trying to get up it knocked me over the other way and just when I thought I was safe.... Well I was knocked over again. This time face in sand no time to think just go. I still enjoyed myself though it's really the sound of the ocean that I need to hear. So, of course it was a trip worth taking. However, I did this last minute so finding a hotel room. Well you can just forget that too. My God I had luck that someone didn't show up for their room. I waited and then I had the cash in my hand. I paid for the room and slept rather well. It was cool.

Sooo London....

     Well I went to London this weekend and what a trip. Almost too much to write. I was trying to concentrate more on the atmosphere of London more than your usual "Big Ben" and "London Bridge" thing.  Well to be really frank about it, London is EXPENSIVE. That's right folks I kid you not. In fact it is the second most expensive city in the world next to Tokyo.  It was so hard to really enjoy everything because I'm on a real budget, so I have a more visual from the outside kinda view about it. I went along the Thames. That was cool..... No really I mean cool like  65 degrees cool. I was not prepared totally for that in the middle of July. I mean come on. Anyway, I went down to Piccadilly Circus and no I didn't see Marcus, but I saw someone with his guitar..... Strumming along and singing. There was a thing called the SOLDES which means a sale, but not just in one store.. ALL the stores!! I mean like 50 and 60 and 75 percent off. Well I got a couple of T-shirts, some books, and some soap! That's right, I went to this really cool place to buy just soap. It was nice. Went to the Saatchi Museum near the Eye of London where you can find the oddest pieces of art. (Not the oddest in the world mind you,but odd) The real highlight of my trip was seeing MeShell N'dgeocello play at the world famous Jazz Cafe (where I will one day play!) . It was a nice surprise also to see Goapele play after. I had no idea that she was gonna play some of her songs after the jazz set that MeShell had.  incidentally, I was pretty angry that people were yelling at her (MeShell) to sing during the concert. If they had read anything in any paper they would have known it was a jazz set. She's a bassist... Let the girl play!  Anyway, just my opinion. I also spent a lot of time in the underground subway system because apparently London is huge  and everything is far apart. Too far apart in fact to rent a car and drive it around without getting lost. So,  with maps in hand I tackled the bus and underground public transit system. Really different than Houston of course or Detroit or anything like that. You pay something like 16 dollars to ride around all day.  I of course, stayed in the Docklands, which is 35 minutes East of London. Then another 35 minutes to get downtown. Keep in mind that the last subway is at midnite for the Docklands. After that you have to take the night busses or the taxis. And this city is just full of people from everywhere. I mean you could hear any language at any given time all around you. Most of the staff people in restaurants and hotels and stands were from Spain, Portugal, Poland, German, African, Chinese, and Japanese. It was really something to see.

       On a different note, while reading a paper on the subway, I came across an article on Linda Ronstadt.  Apparently, she was "removed"  from the stage and out of her hotel room for dedicating a song to Michael Moore........... What are we coming to people? I thought we had free speech here. What's going on here?

     I even heard that Whoopi was fired because of her words and well we all know what happened to the Dixie Chicks.  I know we don't all have the same opinions but removing someone from the hotel and not allowing them to pack their own bags is straight  crap and it makes me ashamed to be American. The name of the place where she was kicked out is called  Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay. I think we should all do something to stop these unamerican ways. It's really embarassing. We have free speech as long as it's not about our presdient whom we like or dislike. Give me a break. We are in the land of the free right? ...... 

Back in Paris and today is their national holiday!!!!!! 14th of July

Hello Folks,
I must make this short because I don't have much time, but all is well here. Went to the most enchanting town of Carcassonne, France. I had a concert there for some of the special passers by. It was magical. I never experienced so many of my senses at the same time (if that makes any sense). Anywhoo, the trip there was a grueling 7 and a half hours long. We got there unloaded, ate, showered, and sang. Then we ate again, (I put on more lipstick) and we sang again. Everyone there gave us so much energy we couldn't really help but jump around and have a goodtime.

For the traveler's in the world I highly recommend going to Carcassonne especially when they are having festivals or huge concerts on the really magical large stage. You will be mystified I guarantee and the concert will probably rest in your head as the most beautiful one you've seen. No matter who's playing either. It's just that great.


For my French friends who stop by checkout the sight Carcassonne's Festival. We did the "off" for a kind of private thing. However, we got invited to do a normal set for the passersby. It was really cool. Bye,Song

Sweetness

Sweetness like kindness for no reason

Sweetness like like love

Sweetness like the feeling I get when I see you

Sweetness as the sun dips into the horizon

Sweetness like badass

Sweetness like silky notes in your ear

Sweetness like the time that passes me by

Sweetness like loving your neighbor

Sweetness like Grandma and Grandpa kissing

Sweetness like that time I ate ice cream at the park

Sweetness like smelling a flower

Sweetness like growing a year older

It's sweetness to be alive I should always remember the sweetness

Hangin out

Well my birthday is coming up. Trying to decide what I really want to do. Maybe a car trip on the coast of Spain? Or the southern borders of France. Yeah right, rich girl I am not.

I went out last night to see a band play here in Paris. It was great!!!! I danced and danced and drank beer. Yeah, I drank beer, and now I am crying because I don't really drink. Oh well that happens.

I am sittin' here now listening to Zap Mama the new one. I love that group. They are the best. It seems like they are finally gonna get some real attention in the states. I mean the masses will hear them. I think they deserve that!!! Finally got a guestbook on my website, so maybe some people will leave me a message when they stop by my site.

I wish I had money to put a good recording on my site. I tried to record with a mini disc and it didn't work well. The recording I have now is the first concert that I did with new songs. We were testing stuff out, so some stuff worked some stuff didn't. Anyway, that's the way it is. I will keep working until that changes. Doin my thing.


I am waiting with impatience for the film of Michael Moore to come to France. I have seen pictures of the lines of people outside of the cinemas, and I must say I am more than pleased. Not that I had anything to do with the film, but more because I am glad to see people respond. It's about time!! We seem to be sitting on our butts in the US. We don't fight anymore. Or at least us regular folk don't fight anymore. We just accept the way things are and basta! Anyway, that's how I feel today.

House of Live

Well .... Yesterday was real cool. Some people I haven't seen in awhile were there. Crystal came back (www.crystal-project.com tell her I sent ya') and sang a couple tunes. I tried out some new material and everyone was so cool about it. Thanks to all the people who are noticing the vocal progression. It's true the more you sing the better you get. I seem to have just a couple gigs a month. I hope to change that soon.

I am wrapping up the production in France and now preparing to go back to Texas and finish this CD. I can't wait. I am such a kid I swear. Anyway, today I left a message on the Hidden Beach guestbook because I just love Jill. Why, you ask? Well simply cause her voice is great and her lyrics remind me of stories in my own personal life, so voila.

I erased a negative comment the other day, and I shouldn't have. In fact the way to improve sometimes is to get feed back negative and positive. It's just so hard when you are broke to make the best packaging, so I am just sensitive. You know? I should probably correct that. So, when you have a comment leave it I won't erase any more. Just please try to be nice when you're telling me you don't like something. Cussing at me just don't cut it you know? Alright peace to all...Song

Last night's gig

Well it was quite interesting the concert last night. We were so concentrated on the concert that we are gonna do Sunday that we did not focus on the set for last night. Well all I can say is thank God!!! It went really well. People were dancing every time there was a song that was up tempo. The hard thing is most of my songs are medium tempo and on this kind of setup it's really difficult. But, I think it's a good school of singing. You are really naked and you are really close to the audience. So, of course, I was really worried. But, for nothing. Music is meant to be lived and felt. And last night that's exactly what I did. Lived it and felt it.

So L'Opus Cafe

So tonight I am gonna play again at the Opus cafe. The real problem is that I am not excited. Let me explain, first the sound system there leaves a lot to be imagined. It's beautiful and all but, there are two monitors and four little speakers, so there we are. On top of that I am doing covers, because I don't have time to work in my new songs. Well I am doing a few of my songs. Anyway, it's a great exercise and the people in Paris are real nice to me. I am so impatient to finish this albulm that I can scarcely think of nothing else. I'll let you guys know how it goes though. It should be just fine.

For all you cats who are in Paris come on out. If you feel like singing just let me know and I'll put you up. You know if we don't help each other out who will? Anyway, have a nice day.

P.S. Any ideas on what we can do to stop the deaths of innocent people don't hesitate to leave me a message. I am not an activist (not brave enough I guess), but I think I would like to put in some hours anyway, feel me?

Rimshot Stuff

Si tu veux xoir des chose Rimshot ici


If you want to see Rimshot stuff click here: here

This is my next performance. It's all covers and originals. Some songs that I like. I don't know how much longer I will sing covers though. It's a good school, but I prefer to sing my own songs!! In the meantime I am pondering on yet another anti-war song. I know I am way too original, but I think it will make me feel like I've made a public statement against it.
copyrightseesong.com

June 21, 2004

Today is the first day that I try something like this.... I am using this space to talk and babber on about nothing in specific.

I really hate the idea of war. I know we must fight for those things in which we believe, but the concept of killing towns of people? Bombings? Terrorism? What can we do? Sounds naive I know. But, I am wondering these things.