Here is the follow up on my collaboration with my buddy and fellow artist in crime, Jelsen Jargon for THE WORLD AT LARGE // LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS SHOW that our friends, The Love Movement are curating in the Limbo Gallery in San Diego. The show's proceed will benefit The International Humanity Foundation, a San Diego-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides free education and community leadership development, as well as operates orphanages and famine feeds, for the poorest of the world’s poor in Indonesia, Thailand and Kenya. I have been involved in several benefit shows in the past and am always ready to contribute my art to the CAUSE. Read more about the show here.
Jelsen is bad! Here is his brilliant typography he just drew off the top of his head. It reads WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE. We worked hard on this for 4 nights in a row.
step one...I did the portraits
step done! coloring was real fun....[photo: Stephanie Land]
I picked Jelsen's childhood portrait to draw. [photo: Stephanie Land]
I wanted to see him communing with his childhood self. I love drawing kids and nothing boosts one's creativity more than getting reconnected with one's inner child...kids are constantly creating and their imagination is WITHOUT BORDERS. Imagine having rediscovering that kind of flow again!
I love collaborations..I always learn something new from my colleagues and get the creative juices flowing even more abundantly. Thanks, Jelsen!
Check Jelsen's post about our collab on his blog.
By the way, hit us up if you'd like to commission us (we can work with larger scale pieces too).
Thursday, May 15, 2008
"WE ARE": Lichiban X Jelsen Jargon collab!!
iRECOMMEND: Golden Ladies & HAPPY FEET
Check out the GOLDEN LADIES show featuring some of my beautiful friends, Sarah White (also my blog partner on WRONGLIPS), Caitlin Meissner and Fly Lady Di bringing the Venus vibe on Saturday, May 24th.
On the 25th, put on your favorite dancing shoes and get busy on the dancefloor. Tunes are provided by two of NYC's favorite deejays, Rich Medina and Bobbito Garcia, who are known to throw some of the best parties in the city.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
MY HOMIES RULE TOO: Kon & Amir
My crown couldn't be more appropriate for this feature, as these two friends of mine have been proclaimed Kings of Digging by London-based BBE Records, one of the most respected independent music labels out there. Though they always add the disclaimer 'it was BBE's title, we don't call ourselves Kings of anything', these homies definitely rule. If you need to know anything about rare disco, soul, boogie, jazz, or afrobeat records, Kon & Amir are two of the peoples you should turn to.
KON
crate digger, producer, flow expert, disco! jockey, serious night owl///////////////////////////////////////////////
WHAT DO YOU DO? - professional ass mover
TRUE BEAUTY IS… effortless
BEATS… to the rhyme a the rhyme i get paiiid
TRUE SEXY IS…making me harrrrrrd
MUSIC IS MY… religion
ART DOES NOT… cost anything to make yet... its so luxurious
MY NIGHTS ARE…my days
THESE 3 TURN ME ON…class, taste, drive
SELF-KNOWLEDGE …is the key to clear perspective
ENOUGH OF …jive ass turkeys running shit
MY CREATIVITY IS…free
TRUE POWER IS…letting go
LIFE CAN BE THE...best friend you never knew
TO LOVE IS TO…not hold back
I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE….im good to GO GO GO go go go goooooooooooo
THE WOMAN OF THE FUTURE…never grows old
WHERE CAN WE REACH YOU? 1 800 WAX JUNKY
WHAT'S NEW FOR 2008? all the old shit you never heard..whats new is old
AMIR
crate digger, music expert, DJ, Waxpoetics label manager///////////////////////////////////////////////////
WHAT DO YOU DO? when I first get up every morning is make some coffee for the caffeine addict in me!
TRUE BEAUTY IS…like climbing the Flatirons in Boulder, Colorado..truly beautiful and breath taking!
BEATS…dope beats give me goose bumps
TRUE SEXY IS…the confidence one has in oneself
MUSIC IS MY…stress reliever and escape from reality..hahaha
ART DOES NOT…have to be a Monet or Van Gogh, but true art is whatever the soul wants to express at any given moment!
MY NIGHTS ARE…are full of brainstorming of ways to make the Wax Poetics label pop and planning what Kon and I are going to do next!
THESE 3 TURN ME ON…a woman's beautiful smile, eyes, and hips!
SELF-KNOWLEDGE …is knowing that there is a higher power than all of us
ENOUGH OF …the medium tees and skinny girl jeans for men!!!!!
MY CREATIVITY IS…stems from the heartache and pains I have had in life as well the the blessed moments in my life.
TRUE POWER IS…knowing there is nothing to fear but GOD
LIFE CAN BE THE...cruelest joke sometimes
TO LOVE IS TO…experience heartache and pain as well ultimate in pleasure
I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE….I got it like that..hahaha
THE WOMAN OF THE FUTURE…is one that lets her inner beauty shine far and bright...oh yeah, and she can talk about any topic in life with confidence
WHERE CAN WE REACH YOU?amirontrack@gmail.com
WHAT'S NEW FOR 2008? Kon and I are planning to gig more together and I want the Wax Poetics label the most talked in 2009...oh yeah, would love to settle down as well...hahaha
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The story of Kon & Amir began back in 1996 when the two met at Biscuithead Records, while digging through crates of obscure gems from the 70s. They discovered that not only did they have the same passion for music and collecting vinyl, but they also had a particular passion for breaks and beats, so the two decided to put a CD together; thus, the first ONTRACK mixtape was born. Amir was working at Fatbeats at the time, and people slowly started to get hooked on the Kon & Amir mixtapes. The legendary J Dilla was one of the fans of the ON TRACK series.
I've been listening to Kon & Amir's ON TRACK series for years and been lucky to get educated in rare soul, disco and boogie grooves by my homie, Kon. I had ON TRACK 6 on heavy rotation for years...it is definitely one of the most treasured collections of rare breaks and beats.
"Since first putting it down together in 1997, the duo has released a total of ten albums; six On Track installments of critical acclaim, another album called The Cleaning, an album appropriately titled, The Kings of Diggin’ along with DJ Muro from Japan, and most recently, the first and second part of the Off Track series on BBE Records. Some of the most respected names in the game, including Shady Records, Diamond D, Dr. Dre, Capitol Records, Pete Rock, and Lord Finesse have sought their record knowledge and digging services.
Most recently, Kon & Amir accepted a five record deal with BBE/Rapster to begin the Off Track series, which builds off the successes of their highly respected On Track series. Unlike the On Track series, which featured short snippets of samples and breaks, the Off Track double disc series features full versions of some the best and rarest audible gems in their entirety. On one disc, Kon serves up extraordinary dance music (modern soul, boogie and disco) while Amir rounds out the sonic odyssey with rare, private press jazz and afrobeat selections from the 70's on the other disc."
After the highly acclaimed first OFF TRACK, finally the second installment of the series dropped last month. On Side One, Kon is still killing it with the disco and boogie tracks. My personal favorites are Angelo Tinsley's sexy "Get Down With Me", Wood Brass and Steel Band's complex "Long Live Music", Jay McGhee's groovy "Turn Me On", Phillip and Lloyd's tight dance track "Keep on Moving" and the Fabulous Conti Family's "You've Got Me Going Baby", which recalls memories of summer, youth and being in love .... definitely gets me going. Go to the BBE site to download or listen to the tracks. Kon has a blog where you can download several of his mixes for FREE! Check it.On Side Two, Amir is sharing some serious heavy-hitters as well. The intro, Rastafarian preacher, Ras Michael & The Sons of Negus's "Boma Yeah" from Jamaica sets the mood with a pretty deep reggae tune, then follows a journey through some rare Latin rhythms and obscure afrobeat anthems. I loved Honore Avolonte et L'orchestre Black Santiago's "Assounon Dje Dokoli", the sexy "Hello There" by Theodora Ifudu, Track 8 by Bentho Gustave Titiou Poly Rhytma, an afrobeat gem with some super fresh breaks for bboys, Earl Rodney's Caribean heartwarmer, and William Onyeabor's dope track "Something You'll Never Forget" evoking 70s blaxploitation soundtracks. (Not surprisingly, since the Nigerian William Onyeabor studied cinematography for many years, and started his own Wilfilms music label and to set up a music and film production studio in the 70s.)
This record got that sexy vibe, you can keep around as the soundtrack for the summer. Serve it with dancing shoes.
[photo: TONE]
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Artists, Illustrators MOBILIZE!!!
A good friend of mine, amazing artist Sho Murase, forwarded this alarming info to me recently about the ORPHAN WORKS ACT, a new legislation that's about to get introduced to Congress.
This concerns all artists, copyright issues and Congress and seems
really important at this point in time.
Please read and pass it to any artist , friend of an artists. Every artist must hear about this legislation about to go before Congress.
Basically it states that if you do not pay a registration fee with an independent, for profit, registration service, for every work you create, you will lose the rights to that particular work. Imagine paying $5 for every work you create!
To clarify some of the issues involved from, here is an excerpt from the Q&A the ILLUSTRATION PARTNERSHIP ORGANIZATION page.
Q: What does it mean to say your copyright is an “exclusive right”?
A: Under existing law, “[a] copyright gives the owner the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or license his work…Under current law, works are covered whether or not a copyright notice is attached and whether or not the work is registered (emphasis added).”
Q: Why does this exclusive right matter?
A: Two big reasons:
- Creative control and ownership: No one can use or change your work without your permission.
- Value: In the marketplace the ability to sell exclusive rights to a client triples the value of your work.
Q: So how would the Orphan Works proposals endanger that right?
A: It would allow anyone who can’t find you (or who removes your name from your work and says he can’t) to infringe your work. Since infringements can occur anytime, anywhere in the world, they could be countless but you might never find them.
Q: So?
A: So:
- Under this bill, you would never again be able to assure a client that your work hasn’t been – or won’t be – infringed. Therefore
- You would never again be able to guarantee a client an exclusive right to license your work. This means
- Your entire inventory of work would be devalued by at least 2/3 from the moment this bill is signed into law.
To get more info,, read up on these link. You'll find more in-depth info at IllustratorPartnership.org. Pass this along to your artist friends. Write or better yet call
your members of Congress.
"TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR:
Go to http://www.usa.gov/Contact
Letters to our government officials don't have to be long, but they should be heartfelt. A good story helps. Tell them who you are, how this legislation negatively affects you and that you want them to vote against the Orphan Works legislation. It's that easy! If you don't, you will have only yourself to blame when you see other people making money from your art and you don't see a dime."
Friday, May 9, 2008
WU TANG Massive/////////////////////////
In progress....I'm starting a series of portraits of my favorite musicians/beatmakers. check the final version on my page.
CLOSE ENCOUNTER: DOLPHIN & the Airmath Show in BMORE
Here is a flyer I designed for Dolphin & the Airmath's performance. Check it if you're in BMORE! To get a taste of his music check his page. I've been listening to Machine Kiss since I rediscovered it while painting this collab piece with Jelsen (I'll post the result soon), who got totally hooked on Dolphin. To read my interview with him from last year, follow this link.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
I heartBEATS: Brand Nubian & Sadat X with Eagle Nebula camo
i'm back with my weekly "IHEARTBEATS" post. these beats are bad!
..and then i just found this today. Sadat X from Brand Nubian video with my girl Eagle Nebula!! stay tuned for my interview with this dope MC, whose solo album is dropping this August.
AIO, The Future-Gazer
I was asked by my artist friends, Mayan Tamang and hRo to submit a MUNNY for the GIT THAT MUNNY! TOY Battle Show they are organizing this month in Boston. I work in 2D predominantly, and I have a few serious toy designer friends (like Marka 27, whose new piece I'm going to feature soon) who really know how to create some really phenomenal MUNNY creatures, so I was up for a challenge. I am very much of a beginner in the game, and I just decided to have fun with...so don't hate!
For me, this was more of an opportunity to relive some childhood memories of getting lost in role playing and story telling. Here it is, I constructed a little photo essay for the baby.
Her name is AIO. She is a Future-Gazer by lineage.
AIO's roots go way back. Her family tree can be traced back to the primordial union of a Schytian Stag and a Himalayan Snow Leopard. She likes her new incarnation, her current MUNNY shell...AIO loves badass music.
AIO likes to chill with his Native American companions, Badger & Horny Goat.
AIO was born with a big heart. She was born to love.
AIO misses the Himalayas
You can find AIO at the following locations below. Give some love to Mayan for putting this together!
Friday, May 2, 2008
ARTIST OF THE MONTH: SARAH WHITE, Brooklyn Ma
My story with Sarah White began with this portrait on the left. It was one of those myspace connections that led to a real life friendship and continued mutual inspiration.
After she reached out to me, I checked out her page again and was completely blown away. As a portrait painter, I think I've developed a fairly refined intuition about people by looking at their photos. When I looked at her pictures, I just knew I had to draw her face. Trusting my self-representation as a sane artist (as opposed to some freak stalker), I reached out to her and asked if I could draw her portrait. The outcome was this drawing that brought the two of us together. One of the fruits of our friendship is WRONGLIPS, our joint endevour/blog.
I continue to be amazed and at awe at Sarah's never ending creativity and talent. Her multilayered, honey-glazed voice can melt over a sultry flamenco melody just as smoothly as when she is rapping to a heavy-hitting broken beat or reggae tune. Yeah, she's got the whole package: she emcees, sings, writes and produces many of her songs (not to mention her other talents as stylist, writer, and photographer under the pen name Artistic Bling, to name a few). She has also collaborated with several international producers/musicians such as Arch_type, Papastomp, M.anifest, and last but not least, her partner in crime, Dj Don Cuco.
Something about Sarah's presence that always has an air of mystery makes me envision her as part of a royal tribe of wandering singers. Imagine a world without the voice of Nina Simone, Jill Scott, and countless other female songstresses who continue to heal, inspire, turn on, make us smile and relive experiences through the sheer power of their voice...knowing the heart-transforming power of this lady's vocal abilities, I can no longer imagine the world without the voice of Sarah White...Watch as her inner star leaves the galaxy within to shed her brilliance all over the globe. Stay tuned for her new solo LP coming out later this year.
Lichiban: You recently moved to Brooklyn from Minneapolis where you have been on the music scene for a while. You emceed in the hip-hop group, Traditional Methods, and were the lead singer of Black Blondie and had many collaborations under your belts. How has the move helped you grow as a musician?
Sarah White: My move to New York has been kind of a two steps forward, two steps back process in my world of music. Though I am positive it was/and is what my soul needed to get closer to the music I was put here to make, finding time to work on music and still work to pay the rent has been the struggle. No pain no gain. I have been growing everyday, and remembering more and more who I am and what music is to me.. I love BK and I feel more home than I have ever felt. I am so inspired...L: What kind of venues (online and live) are available to musicians in your genre in NYC and beyond...where can one find you?
SW: It seems that venues are poppin' up around every corner. I think that music like mine can fit very well in the majority of the venues in BK, depending more on the crowd it pulls. Definitely Smooch (Fort Greene), Soloman's Porch (Bed Stuy) and the Stratosphere (Crown Heights). I will be playing at all 3 within the next 2 months. Online, the world is your venue. Easy access!! Myspace has opened many doors making a WORLD of difference for us independant types. Do it yourself marketing, right in your fingertips. You can find me on Virb, Myspace or Coopr8.
www.mysarahwhite.com
L: Do you think that the relative democratization of aspects of the media (youtube, blogs, internet radios,myspace, etc) helped independent, underground musicians like you to get yourself out-there and grow faster or did it make it harder because of the competition?
[photo by Skye]
SW: It definitely made it easier .. but maybe a little too damn easy. Every 14 year old high school kid has a band with a html'ed out myspace page that pops. I think its great that people can now market themselves, and really do the whole process independently, but I also think something was special about the way people used to have to work hard for their name.. tours, street hustle, face to face- hand to hand real life music... I want to go back to putting tape on cassettes to tape over old radio mixes...bringing it back…Did i even answer the question? L: Beside making music, I know that you always have a lot of other creative projects going on… you do photography, art, design and styling for shoots, studied 5 languages, and do so much more!..Where do you get your creative energy? Were you doing this many things as a child too? How do you see yourself now in relation to what you dreamed to be as a child?
SW: Ha! I just don't sleep. I dont know where the energy comes from, or where it goes when I need it most. I just have some craving I cant satisfy so I stay as creatively busy as I can so i can feel somewhat full. I have really been like this since I was a kid. My mom says I would never stop...talking, singing ,creating, dreaming.. kind of like an addiction since birth. I used to sing church songs in the stroller as a toddler, Broadway in middle school, freestylin with cyphers in high school, ..I cant see myself slowing down anytime soon. I wanted to be like Bill Cosby as a child ( Delivering babies, not acting) so .. I’m a little off of my first path, but right on track with my dreams. Birthing rhymes, baby! The gift of song. I am definitely learning to put focus in certain areas and trying to narrow down the wheels I am spinning. My man focus now is Music, Photography, Writing, and of course Motherhood..that's still too many wheels..L: I heard that your single is coming out soon. What are you working on these days? Any new collaborations?
[photo by Protius]
SW: Yes, I will have a single out for this track, "C train" out soon. Working on getting it mixed and mastered as we speak. We will also begin shooting the video for it early summer. Im drooling...Collab wise, I just finished a track with Arch_type, Im working on one with Papastomp, an EP with M.anifest, and last but not least, my main project with Dj Don Cuco. The more the better...L: If you had a wish for 2008, what would that be?
SW: 3 wishes:
That I could find a way to use my heart to heal, everyday...
That I can find a way to get PAID from doing what I love
To do a track with K-OS...I love his music lately…
check WRONGLIPS our new project, Sarah and I started a couple of months ago. Stay tuned for backstage photos of the shoot we've done for the upcoming show at SMOOCH, and read more about the other two amazing ladies of the show, Yolanda Zama and Eagle Nebula.
[design by Lichiban]
Thursday, May 1, 2008
FROM THE SOURCE: Yolanda Zama, Sarah White & Eagle Nebula
We are plotting a movement over here in Brooklyn. Yolanda Zama, Sarah White and Eagle Nebula are three of my favorite women who happened to be outrageously talented. In my attempt to support their creative journey, I helped to organize their joint show, FROM THE SOURCE, coming up next week. The ladies styled their own shoot, while beatmaker/photographer Protius, Sarah and myself were documenting the project, and I designed the flyer after the shoot. This is how we do...we support each other in ways we can.
Below are my behind the scenes photos from our shoot for the upcoming FROM THE SOURCE show. To read more about the performers, the whole concept behind us coming together and to see more photos by Protius and Sarah, go to WRONGLIPS, my other blog with Sarah W.
Wronglips & Dope Swan present:
FROM THE SOURCE
Thursday, May 8th 2008, Doors open: 8pm, Show starts at 8:30pm
Location: SMOOCH, Organic Cafe and Wine Bar, 264 Carlton Ave (off of Dekalb), BROOKLYN 11205 [Take C to Lafayette Ave, G to Fulton St + 5 mins walk]
FREE EVENT !!
Eagle Nebula, Sarah White & Yolanda Zama behind the scenes
Sarah White aka Artistic Bling. She's got skillz
The beautiful Eagle Nebula. I love this woman.
Behind the scenes
Directors of Mischief, Bella & Lichiban
Sarah, Eagle, Yolanda & DJ Don Cuco (you might catch him spinning afrobeat & latin grooves on Sundays at Habana Outpost)
Protius & Sarah White
Monday, April 28, 2008
Who is Alan Algee?
I came across this video on Youtube while doing a research on Dilla. I could only found out the name of the director of the video, Alan Algee, but couldn't get any further information about him. This video bridges music video and performance art ... perhaps another of Dilla's legacy of inspiring and opening minds to experimentation in a major way.
KALEIDA ---this kaleidoscopic video mediation/human mandala is the bomb... a reminder of back in the days when I used to love to draw mandalas.
check out some of his other cool videos on Alan Algee's youtube page.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
i heART NEW YORK! part 2
Below are some gems from my trips to the art shows I visited this past two months.
First, here are some images I'd like to share from PULSE, which was one of the major fairs beside BRIDGE that were happening in the apple at the end of March.
My friend and fellow artist (peep his dope work here), Rodney and I checked out what's new at PULSE. All in all, both PULSE and BRIDGE had a pretty large selection of fantastic work and some forgettable pieces as well.
Like the Washington portrait made of different currencies that I was digging at BRIDGE, these pieces play with optical illusion...this SPOCK image on the left is made of thread rolls!! Cameron Gray's piece took me by surprise...I only picked up the face when I looked into my camera's view finder. pretty brilliant.
an intimate look into life in the matrix...
one of Rodney's picks...cyber architecture meets the developing world
this massive 88" x 177" piece by Asgar (?) was one of my favorites.
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Then, there was "COME CORRECT", curated by legendary Bronx-bred graffiti artist, COPE2.
I loved the fact that a sizeable portion of the crowd was probably under 20...finally, there are more art events that get the new generation of artists and audience out too see art. Street art and all its offshoots are the new pop art movement...soon the official art establishment is going to catch up and will crown the new Warhols and Lichtensteins and Basquiats...until then, we've got a still-growing, breathing, expanding global movement that haven't been completely co-opted and tamed by the mainstream. And let's not forget that we've gotta thank hip-hop for being at the root of all this!
on the left, Cope2 repping his piece
i'm wondering when is there going to be a Fafi cartoon series?
Ashley is gangsta....
hmmm...
packing it....i love the SHOWROOM, (I was part of the COLLABRO show there last year), but it's way too small!
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And last but not least, I had a chance to see the opening of the Joshua Liner's Gallery, another new show space in Chelsea's industrial art quarter. (Again, thanks to Steve Psyllos, fellow artist and my brilliant managing editor at TRACE, who forwarded me the invite.) Mr. Liner was co-founder of Philly's Lineage Gallery that represented some of my favorite artists, so when I heard that it closed it's doors, I was pretty disappointed...is the art consumer world still not ready for the new art movement that has way surpassed its incubatory, underground phase (though it keeps on getting new blood from the street)?
I was happy to find out that he's bringing his eyes for new art to New York City, a natural destination for anyone who is trying to make it in the art business. The Joshua Liner Gallery is a welcome addition to the growing number of galleries in the city representing next generation art, whatever you might call it--- lowbrow, pop surrealist, street, urban. Yeah yeah, no one likes boxes. The terms are still fluid and people are not 100% comfortable with them, but they make a relative reference point. Ok, so check some of my favorites.
These three below I call the Top3D series...they are all ingenius in the way they achieved a subtle sense of depth that will make you want to have a tactile encounter with an illusion. I like to get really close to the canvas, and I admit I spent a lot of time in front of this beautiful piece, entitled 'Powerhouse' by Robert Hardgrave aka Farmerbob. I love the layers, the blending and balancing of colors and the way he creates a dreamy sense of 3D with using a collage technique.
Oliver Vernon's 'Temple Alps' is another surreal trip. it's pretty mindblowing the way he's got one's eyes tricked with the false distances.
Futura's piece has the same effect...it is actually super hard to achieve this kind of illusion of depth with such minimal use of lines
two very different take on the female form. on the left Aiko Nakagawa's pop piece will be a sure seller. Ben Tour's dark and trippy stigmata-ridden 'Devil May Cry' is unsettling.
I loved David Choong Lee's Mindscape. pretty amazing.
Who else could rep your portrait better than the model itself? On the left, it looks like the young model of Ron English's amazing portrait has found the perfect spot to chill while the adult world was schmoozing around the corner. On the right, there is another trippy 3D mindblow; Damon Soule's 'Bird Brother' is another genius work.
Ron English's massive Superpop Cowgirl Guernica is a flip on Picasso's classic Guernica piece. This is only a detail and my camera doesn't do any justice to this dope piece.
Kenji Hirata's eye candy in the background.
If you are interested in art along this line, you should also check out another Chelsea-based art space, the Jonathan Levine Gallery. Interestingly, the JLG is another Philly import, but Mr. Levine has made the move to NYC back in 2005. I can't wait to see the solo shows of Camille Rose Garcia, Doze Green, Blek the Rat, and James Jean!
RECON:sider
My fellow TRACEr, Prince and I went on a trip around the corner from our office to interview the peeps at the RECON store (one of the oldest exclusive kick shops around the area) about what's making ripples on the sneak scene.
Angel lays it down
what...turquoise faux snake skin? i want them!
Saturday, April 26, 2008
MY GILRFRIENDS RULE!: KIRA & CHESCA
My first encounter with Kira back in 2005 was so intense that we waited a year to discover each other again. It was all worth the wait. This Chicago-bred nightingale shines wherever she goes, and she's got the whole deal: she writes, sings and produces her own songs. You may have heard her sultry voice providing some extra aural sweetness to BQEZ, her jazzy-funk-hip-hop band based in Boston/Brooklyn. She has been working hard on her much-anticipated solo album scheduled to come out this year. She is and will remain my one and only classy freak.
KIRA
songstress, poetess, muse, sexiest tech nerd, stylist, supawoman!//////////////////////////
WHAT DO YOU DO? Singer/Songwriter/Software Developer/Fashionista
TRUE BEAUTY IS…balance
BEATS…are addictive
TRUE SEXY IS…depth
MUSIC IS MY…heart
ART DOES NOT…dictate
MY NIGHTS ARE…restless
THESE 3 TURN ME ON…music ... and girls girls girls ... and whiskey ... and dancing ... and spandex ... and platform boots ... do I have to choose just 3?
SELF-KNOWLEDGE …is like the air.
ENOUGH OF …judgement
MY CREATIVITY IS…boundless
TRUE POWER IS…unwavering belief
LIFE CAN BE THE...the test of your vision and the unexpected delight of your senses
TO LOVE IS TO…be selfless in your generosity and bold in your vulnerability.
I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE….i feed my soul and follow my intuition.
Check the technique here.
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I first heard about Chesca from my homie, disco jockey Kon. I actually never met her, but she definitely deserves to be highlighted here. Hailing from the land of Italo Disco, this lovely diva is bringing back the fattest analog sounds and disco grooves... she is one of the new singers to watch in 2008.
CHESCA
electro queen, singer, songwriter, fashionista, DJ/////////////////////////////////////////
WHAT DO YOU DO? i make music. i dj. i write. i try to sing.
i also sell fluorescent briefs to hipsters to pay my bills.
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? WHERE ARE YOU AT? i was born and raised in Southern Italy but I've been moving around a lot.
right now I'm in London.
TRUE BEAUTY IS…innocence.
BEATS…i enjoy making them.
TRUE SEXY IS…my new mixtape called Chesca's System.
Out really soon.
MUSIC IS MY…salvation.
ART DOES NOT…say anything, it suggests only.
MY NIGHTS ARE…way too short.
THESE 3 TURN ME ON…alcohol,dark skin,belladonna.ooops
SELF-KNOWLEDGE…mmm yeah
ENOUGH OF …rain. clouds. fuckin uk.
MY CREATIVITY IS…strictly connected to my hormones.
TRUE POWER IS…sitting in a room doing nothing
and being totally confortable with it.
LIFE CAN BE ...good.sometimes.
TO LOVE IS TO…forget about your damn self.
I'VE GOT FLOW BECAUSE….im honest.
THE WOMAN OF THE FUTURE…will have easily replaceble components.
WHERE CAN WE REACH YOU?lately on the 149 around Shoreditch.
yeah, at www. myspace. com/cescamusica
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
LICHIBAN RECOMMENDS: 4/18-4/19
FRIDAY: SPINNA's parties are a must...this one is going to be big! Last time he had his Stevie Wonder party, anyone who stayed until 4:30am were in for a huge treat when Stevie showed up to bless the event. Listen to Spinna's Prince vs. Micheal Jackson mix from a previous show. Don't miss this one.
SATURDAY:
My homies, legendary crate digging duo Kon & Amir's Off Track mix series of rarer than rare joints will be seeing the release of its highly anticipated 2nd edition this summer on BBE Music. In honor of the art of record digging, Amir will be spinning an all vinyl block party set in front of Halcyon Records in Brooklyn as a part of the Record Store Day celebration. Off Track Volume 1: The Bronx is out now on BBE.
I had a chance to listen to the record...it is pure HEAT!! Lovers of rare disco, boogie, afrobeat and latin jazz...this is must have record.
Saturday April 19th @ Halcyon Records (57 Pearl St. @ Water, DUMBO)
Record Store Day Celebration w/ Amir, DJ Too Tuff, A. Frog
1:00 - 7:00 PM, all ages, FREE
and then at night
Saturday, April 19th
Kon & Amir at APT
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
ART SHOW to help raise for Liberian Women Higher Education Movement
Beside the Future Arts exhibit this weekend, my work also be on display at the The Juah Higher Education Movement (JHEM) Collaborative Art Exhibit, opening on April 19th in the Front Room Gallery. I'm always down to participate in art shows with a higher cause.
Curated by my good friend and amazing photographer, Mohi Sillah, the show will focus on bringing artists from all genres together for a single
purpose of raising funds to finance the higher education of 5 young
women in Liberia. Mohi have asked many artists to donate pieces of their
work, or a specified percentage of their proceeds to fund JHEM. The
funds will be used exclusively to educate and empower young women,
thereby changing the professional landscape, diversifying the
workforce, and ultimately creating the right environment to allow
young women to succeed during and after college in Liberia.
When ask about the drive behind setting up the Foundation and organizing the art show, Mohi explains "I have been asked many times why this is important to me; it is important because history tells me that since the founding of Liberia,
the under-representation of women in its workforce has been a
persistent problem. My grandmother, for whom this organization is
named, was pulled out of school at the age of 10 so that her family
could instead invest in the education of her brother. My own firsthand experience in secondary school, having seen two female
classmates (12 - 15yrs old) pulled out of school and forced into early marriages, has further confirmed the gravity and pervasiveness of this problem."
The first exhibit will be held for one month beginning on April 19, 2008 at the Boston Ba'hai Center. In addition to the display and sale of several works of visual arts, opening night will be accompanied by a performing artist. For more info check here.
Monday, April 14, 2008
My APRIL artshows: sneak preview
This is one of the pieces I am submitting to one of the shows coming up this April. Stay tuned, more is on the way....
Future Arts 2008 Art Exhibition
FUTURE ARTS 2008 @ The Boston Center For The Arts
539 Tremont Street Boston, MA
Saturday, April 19, 2008 // 8PM - 1AM
Future Classic, UFO HEFEWEIZEN & PABST BLUE RIBBON Present:
FUTURE ARTS 2008
Future Classic is proud to announce the official launch party for its latest art brand, FUTURE ARTS on Saturday, April 19, 2008! Come witness the future of urban artwork in America as over 25 artists from North America converge onto The Boston Center For The Arts for one night only on SATURDAY, APRIL 19.
Featuring the following artists:
Alphabet Soup, Alone1, Andy Regan, BIGFOOT, Brian Butler, Canneen Canning, Chas Reed, Courtney Moy, Damion Silver, Dana Woulfe, Darryl Blood, Dave Tree, Ed Thomas, Enamel Kingdom, Fish McGill, Ivan Cofield, Hocus, Jessica Hess, Kenji Nakayama, Kim Harris, Kyle Bryant, Lichiban, Lisa Gilman, Lizmatic, Mike Howard, Mitchell Mano, Patrick Pollard, Peter Moscaritolo, Rebecca Greene, Rob Larsen, Sara Theophall, Shayna Shenanigans, Sho Murase, Steph Love, Yuko Adachi
Featuring AERIALIST/ACROBAT Mathew Brouillard performing live! 7PM - 8PM VIP RECEPTION sponsored by UFO HEFEWEIZEN (valid for the first 200 advance ticket purchasers only)
TICKETS ARE ONLY $10 IN ADVANCE!! (plus $2.00 ticketing fee) $20 @ THE DOOR. Tickets are non-refundable.
Top Street Style Event Returns to BostonLegends of Style announces April 26th date
Boston MA, March 27, 2008: Legends of Style, an event based brand showcasing urban art, dance, music and fashion, has partnered with Scion to launch its 2008 series of nation-wide events in Boston. "Our 2008 Boston show will raise the bar ", said Legends of Style executive producer Kyle Moran. "From the start we have been all about exposing the hottest new artists and our show this year will be no different." Attracting almost 1,000 attendees per event, Legends of Style is a four-year old event featuring urban inspired artists, top deejays, dance performances and hot new fashion.
The complimentary Saturday showcase will feature interactive painting with select artists, a Scion painting exhibition and a b-boy workshop with members of the renowned Floorlords Urban Dance Theater. With top local, national and international artists already confirmed Legends of Style 2007 promises to be a highlight of Boston's art and culture event calendar.
April 26th at the Boston Center for the Arts
Afternoon Showcase 12:00 - 4:00
Main Event - Doors Open at 7pm
Tickets available at www.LegendsOfStyle.net
Sunday, April 13, 2008
LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS: Art show in San Diego!!
The World at Large / / Love Without Borders
In May, I'll be part of a group show in San Diego, curated by THE LOVE MOVEMENT, an amazing art collective working the LA art scene. I own three pieces from TLM, so I'm an official TLM collector, I guess. TLM's works combine political messages angled to wake up one's conscience with a philosophy of "love is the way", which of course I support to the fullest. And they actually get down to do the hard work of fundraising and using art for a cause. TLM is the way!
[thanks for TLM for using my piece for the flyer]
from the press release:
International love goes local as Limbo Fine Art Gallery hosts The Love Movement and other prominent street/surf artists in a show to benefit the International Humanity Foundation
San Diego, CA - Feb. 25, 2008 – How can street/surf art on the edge help kids on the fringes? By erasing the borders between them. Los Angeles-based artists’ collective The Love Movement (or TLM) has a history of creating art with that purpose, using funds from art sales to purchase school supplies and build a community well in a village in Benin, Africa. When long-time International Humanity Foundation (or IHF) volunteer Amy Thom first met TLM artists in 2006, she immediately recognized an opportunity to work together, using the energy of the art community to raise money for IHF’s children abroad.
Early last year, TLM dedicated a portion of art sales from an LA show to the sponsorship of three schoolchildren in Bali, Indonesia, supporting their individual educations for an entire year. In September 2007, Amy visited those children while she was volunteering with IHF overseas, bringing them notebooks, clothes and the knowledge that artists across an ocean believe in their ability to create personal success through art and education.
In May 2008, IHF and TLM will be working together again to spread the love and raise money for the education and empowerment of kids abroad. Given that IHF’s home offices are in San Diego, Amy wanted to open the city’s doors to TLM and other collaborating artists, bringing the best of graphic talent from California and NYC to Limbo Fine Art Gallery in Hillcrest.
The World at Large / / Love Without Borders will showcase an amazing lineup of internationally-shown artists: Michael De Feo, Wolfgang Bloch, Alex Knost, Tyler Warren, Ben Brough – 33, Andrew Sarnecki - Hippytree, Hovin Wang, Paul Lefevre – Polish, Micke Tong, Thundercut, Abe Lincoln Jr., Lichiban, eight-year-old Reece V., Meredith Ambruso, Guy Quezada, Jon Ho, Karen Jones and of course, TLM.
The opening reception of The World at Large / / Love Without Borders is Saturday, May 17, 2008, from 7pm to 12am at Limbo Fine Art Gallery, 1432 University Avenue, San Diego. Cover charge is $10 at the door with a hosted bar provided by Hangar One Vodka and Stone Brewing, live dj, and giveaways all night. All proceeds to benefit IHF. The show runs from May 10 to June 1, and is open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays. Interested parties can contact Limbo at 619.316.2239 to arrange a private viewing.
For more information, please visit:
www.ihfonline.org www.limboarts.com www.tlmphilly.com
The International Humanity Foundation is a San Diego-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides free education and community leadership development, as well as operates orphanages and famine feeds, for the poorest of the world’s poor in Indonesia, Thailand and Kenya. IHF’s offices are 100% volunteer-run and all monies raised go directly to fund its overseas programs.
Here is a lil sneak preview of a 4-piece collaborative project I'm working on with Jelsen Jargon (featured earlier on My Homies Rule). That is actually him as a kid.