I saw this really cool video on YouTube the other day about how the Soulquarian movement got started. The Soulquarians are a neo-soul movement during the late 1990s and early 2000s. All of my favorite artists like The Roots, Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu.
It is sad we don’t hear music like this anymore.
It is time to add some Christmas music to my iPod. Many of them are old classics and there is something for everyone to enjoy this holiday season!
Joy To The World – Whitney Houston (My favorite Christmas song ever!)
A Charlie Brown Christmas – Vince Guaraldi Trio (Best Christmas album ever!)
Ella Wishes You A Swinging Christmas – Ella Fitzgerald
Currier & Ives: Christmas Treasures – The London Symphony Orchestra
Jingle Bells – Duke Ellington Trio
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Luther Vandross
Winter Wonderland – Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett
Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy – Bing Crosby and David Bowie
Santa’s Got a Bag of Soul – The Soul Saints Orchestra
Cool Yule – Louis Armstrong
This Christmas – Donny Hathaway
Do They Know It’s Christmas – Various Artists
Winter Wonderland – Lena Horne
Let It Snow, Let It Snow Lena Horne
Santa Claus Is Coming – Les Paul and Mary Ford
The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas – Judy Garland
Ask Yourself – Sunday People
My Favorite Things – The Supremes
What Child Is This? – Vanessa Williams
Last Christmas – Wham!
What Christmas Means – Stevie Wonder
Every Year, Every Christmas – Luther Vandross
Christmas in Hollis – Run-DMC
Christmas in New Orleans – Louis Armstrong
All I Want For Christmas – Mariah Carey
Let It Snow – Boys II Men
Happy Holidays – Peggy Lee
Christmas Time – Chris Starney
Here Comes Santa – Ramsey Lewis Trio
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Many people were behind organizing the historic event, including many Hollywood actors. Following the march, the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) recorded a roundtable discussion with Marlon Brando, Charlton Heston, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Joseph Mankiewicz, James Baldwin, and moderator David Shoenbrun as they discussed the march and race relations in America.
USIA’s mandate at the time was to provide an honest assessment of American life to an international audience. The participants both criticized and praised American values. USIA films at the time were not shown in the United States due to the Smith–Mundt Act.
“No matter how bitter I become I always believed in the potential of this country,” says James Baldwin in the film. “For the first time in our history, the nation has shown signs of dealing with this central problem.”
While the march and the roundtable, which were broadcast around the world together, was received favorably globally, many Americans criticized USIA for “putting out our dirty laundry” to the world.
So much for democracy…
But the real question here is if all these men were still alive today, would they met for such a discussion, considering Charlton Heston became a conservative later in life. And why were there no women invited to be part of this discussion?
Summer is a great time to refresh your playlists with tunes that set the mood for the hot days and sizzling nights. I listed some songs below that I am feeling right now. None of them are current chart toppers playing on the radio today, but rather, timeless hits. Plus, a lot of today’s music is garbage, but I digress… I’m in a 90s kind of world, and I am glad I got my… playlist. A good song, no matter when it was made, never goes out of style.
This list is in no particular; they are just random, cool summer songs.
Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Who Knows – Jimi Hendrix
Live: P Funk Earth Tour – Parliament
Greatest Hits – Bob Marley
Reggae Anthology: The Channel One Story – Various Artists
Putumayo Presents: Asian Grooves – Various Artists
Putumayo Presents: Brazilian Grooves – Various Artists
Ella and Louis – Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
The Very Best of Prince – Prince
Hits, Rarities, and Remixes – A Tribe Called Quest
Back to Black – Amy Winehouse
Paid in Full – Eric B and Rakim
Blunted on Reality and The Score- The Fugees
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill