Thandiswa has so much energy and humility. She has a highly-attractive spirit.
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Lira is so graceful and just all out beautiful. I love her smile!
Make sure you click on the links and pictures to visit their websites and see some of their great performances/videos. The world needs more women like them who are beautiful, stylish, and who respect themselves.
So I was out and I picked up the new Black Hair Fashion Beauty Style August/September 2013 Magazine because Janelle Monae is on the cover. Of course she is sitting lovely in her black and white. I really like her.
I can’t believe she has a new video out and I didn’t know! I always love the creativity, the flare and the boldness of Janelle. I also dig that she has really attractive female energy in her videos and she isn’t afraid to dance crazy. Furthermore, my favorite video from her remains to be Many Moons. I also adore Tightrope and Q.U.E.E.N. Go Janelle!
Dance Apocalyptic by Janelle Monae
Gotta include my Many Moons!
Review of the Black Hair Magazine:
I really think that the editor is cool and I am glad Black Hair got someone that we could relate to! Her name is Keysha Davis. This issue of Black Hair features fearless women who wouldn’t even give a second thought to other peoples’ opinions of them, Keysha quotes. She says that Monae is one of the most brave, creative, and free-spirited artists of her generation. I really dug the interview! It was cool to know that Janelle wrote and produced Erykah Badu’s part in her song Q.U.E.E.N. I like that she was open and honest. I did not know she was only 24, though. I thought she was in her later 20s.
Words that I took away from the interview:
QUESTION: What do you do when you’re not Janelle Monae the artist, and the persona we know you for?
JANELLE’S ANSWER: I love laughing, I love art, I love discussion and stimulating conversation where I’m learning things. I like hanging with people who speak different languages. I am just a sponge for knowledge. I swim in my tuxedo, I walk with monkeys, I kiss tigers, I do lots of different things. I have tea with bumblebees. … sounds like something I would say!
I also like her dedication to expressing herself and her femininity in a respectful manner as opposed to the get naked get rich fast model. She is all about respecting her Queendom and redefining what it means to be a woman. She say’s that she wants young girls with natural hair to know that they can be Cover Girl’s too. What a lady! That is what it’s about- being comfortable with what God gave you! She is super cool. She ended the interview by saying she uses as many natural products as possible like raw Shea butter from Ghana. That’s what we do, right? Gotta love Janelle Monae!
As to the rest of the Aug/Sept issue of Black Hair… it was cool. Black Hair is a nice magazine because it is modern with great photography and many style variations. The images normally look really nice and the women and men are not air brushed to plastic! Definitely realistic photos which oddly is not common in mags today.
They have lots of info on weaves and honestly, it is always hard for me to embrace features focusing on weave because I see women hiding behind false hair and using it as definition rather than adornment. Weave can be beneficial in transitioning processes and to use as decoration from time to time. It should not be our everyday mask. We have to learn to let our own hair down! However, this issue had the TOP AFRO TRENDS. There were only a few in the article, but the pages from the issue that I really liked are: Black Hair.
I am posting these pages just to let you all get an idea of what Black Hair looks like inside. Not too many people know about it, but if I had to choose a “black hair” mag, this is definitely the best. I am hoping that the posting of these pages do not constitute any form of infringement. I do not stand to make a profit and this is in promotion of Black Hair! I want people to try it! (page 44 was my fav!)
Today I was introduced to Omar. I really like the sound of him. I visited a bar on Cleveland’s west side and he was set up to do a video interview on Skype for fans and in promotion of his new album. He was really cool and laid back. The bar played the whole CD and I really dug it. Check it out.
I am looking forward to dissecting this CD. I will probably get it in a few weeks. It sounded so good at the bar! Omar seemed grounded and pure during his interview.
“Everyday in America, we get up, and we live life because we have infrastructure. We have water. We have electricity. We don’t think about these things. We utilize these things. But (en Ayiti) in Haiti, we have to get up, and we have to (cheche lavi) look for life. But despite that, we still get up, we still say, ‘Thank you life.’ We still say mesi lavi.” -Marie-Yolaine Eusebe
It’s 2013, and a major issue in Haiti is Cholera. Lack of clean water and healthcare have made it difficult to get rid of the widespread epidemic. Most families, whether they live in the remote mountains of Haiti or an over-populated city, don’t have access to clean water. Women and children either have to hike or walk for a long period of time to obtain water in plastic gallons and water buckets. The water they have access to is not clean…
Wondering how to wear your NON-FANCY thrift store finds? Check it out. … and if you haven’t ever visited this blog, be sure to check out the ABOUT page aka Details tab at the top.
I love when the sun is out! I live in Midwestern United States where it is cold at least 9 months out of the year. So, when the sun decides to show its face, I am like, here I am, shine down on me! I have to be careful because last year I got my very first sun burn and it wasn’t fun at all! So remember everyone if you are going to be in the sun, for even just a few minutes, rub shea butter on your skin because it is a sun block. You may even want to use something else along with the shea.
My first day in the sun… I bought this outfit from second hand stores.
Clip-on earrings $1.99 from Icing by Claires
Shirt- light-weight sweater material- $4 from Platos Closet
Shirt- Amnerican Eagle Outfitters from Platos Closet $4
Bone bracelets $25- Festival vendor
This denim skirt is from the thrift store for $3. It is a brand I only see at Target. I think it’s cool that it has pockets.
Claires sales ankh rings!
Ankh ring- Claires (clearance price $3.75)
I love this ring, but it’s cheap!
The bone ring on my right hand is from City Buddha of Cleveland Heights. It was $3.95.
I am not sure if you can tell, but this is Revlon black nail polish which I really like. To give it a matte look I used China Glaze matte top coat. It was on sale at Sally’s for $2.50. I got 2 bottles. I am impressed. It is a good top coat. I went without chipped polish for at least two whole days. I’m rough on my hands!
Let me say, I just cut my hair, yet again! I love short hair. It is auburn-colored. I am going to stop using chemical dyes soon and switch to henna dye which is now sold at Whole Foods. I got a cheap $4 dye from Sally’s Beauty (who is Sally?, lol).
SHIRT by American Eagle Outfitters via Plato’s Closet. It is blue and a light-weight sweater material – $4
SKIRT by Mossimo which is a brand only sold at Target via Thrift Store – denim with pockets $3
SANDALS by Kohls – $10
FEATHER EARRINGS from Icing by Claire’s – $1.99
BONE BRACELETS- African street festival – $25
BONE RING- City Buddha in Cleveland Heights, Ohio – $3.95
ANKH RING- Claire’s (in the mall) – $3.75
FINGER NAIL POLISH- Revlon Knockout Color 731 from Walgreen’s – $4; top coat is Matte Magic by China Glaze from Sally’s Beauty Supply – $2.50 on clearance
… these little details won’t matter to the men, but women ask, so there it is!
If you haven’t ever visited this blog, be sure to check out the DETAILS page.
Jambo! I hope you are feeling good today. If you are not, there is still a chance to turn your day around. It starts with you. I suggest using sounds and smells to heighten your senses and lift the vibrations around you. The vibrations around you are the levels of good or bad energy. The higher the vibration, the better off you are. What DO I DO to turn my day around and lift my vibrations? I am glad you asked! My checklist goes like this:
Light some incense- even my friends with asthma use incense. If you are able to find a good brand such as Wild Berry, HEM, or Tulasi- you are in luck. These brands release the longest lasting smells that can linger for hours.
Try having a positive conversation with someone- only talk about the good things that are going on in your life. Try NOT to talk about anything negative and offer no complaints. I love calling my friends that live in other cities. I can have a fresh experience talking to them without having to tell them about anything bad.
Eat a well-balanced meal. I find that eating good food really lifts my spirit. I like spicy fish and veggies, Indian and African dishes, smoothies, coconut ice cream from Trader Joe’s, some meats (not fried). I LOVE GOOD FOOD! Steamed broccoli with garlic and lemon really gives me energy as well as brussel sprouts and kale sauteed in olive oil with garlic and capers. Go green if you are really feeling down.
Get some plants. I find that looking at them lifts my mood. I got some beautiful plants from a garden center. It’s best to go to a real garden center if you are looking for a mature plant (not Wal-Mart or Home Depot). These are my plants:
Golden Pothos- Requires little light and watering only once every 10 days.
Mature Pothos like this look great on top of book shelves.
Sansevieria (aka snake plant) is the easiest house plant to care for, requiring very little attention. This one is very mature.
GOOD MUSIC- if you can find an old album that you really like, listen away! If you want to try something new. Go to YouTube and type in the names of your favorite artists. On the right hand side of the screen, YouTube lists recommendations. A lot of times these recommendations are great! YouTube tries to find other artists that are similar to the one you typed in. I type Sade or Nneka and I get great results. I love 90s music so I type 702 or TLC, and get great results too.
And this brings me to YahZarah! I am so excited to share the music of this wonderful lady. She made her mark performing as a background singer for Erykah Badu (I just learned this). She also sang with a music group called the Foreign Exchange (I remember this). I heard her album The Ballad of Purple St. James and I loved it! The first song is the most inviting. You can use it for various occasions to get a party started! It just makes you want to get up and dance. This is YahZarah:
HAVING A GOOD DAY THE TANTRIC WAY? Check out this video. Pay attention to her altar. Change your day by listening to vibes like this! This made me feel good at a time when I was experiencing a lot of fatigue. I ended up finding it on YouTube by mistake. I watched it 10 times! I was so high. I love it! Furthermore, I am doing research on the Goddess Kali and in this video YahZarah has an image of the Goddess over her altar. Awesome! I admire her movement and confidence. I do not consider her energy strictly sexual. It can be a whole lot of things.
Peace and love,
Queen Duafe for African Essence
P.S. Looking for more information on Tantricism? I found this book to be useful.
I think my thrift store outfit turned out pretty good! It was priced at $8.00 but I had a 50% off coupon, so for $4, I got this beautiful suit. The skirt is connected to the shirt. The zipper runs up the back and the skirt has a slit which is also in the back. The suit is a vintage item. The label says K.C. Spencer by Chelsea Rousso who was a pretty popular designer in the 90s. Her designs seemed to be more commercial than boutique exclusive. The label says dry clean only, but I actually hand-washed and ironed it myself. I think it held up pretty well. However, I noticed that a lot of black and red dye came out when I washed it. This did not damage the suit. I assume that it had not been washed in water before. Well, I think it looks nice… although next time, I won’t wear that bracelet. The earrings are actually pretty cool (from Icing by Claire’s). I’ve had those shoes for a while but I’m thinking, I probably got them from Marshall’s. Next time, I would wear a solid black sandal.
I was surfing the net and I came across some great websites for women of color. The first website is actually www.womenofcolorfoundation.com. It primarily focuses on African-American, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American women. The foundation facilitates conferences that help with networking, mentoring, and professional development. You may find it of interest.
Then I found some wonderful websites on hair styling. Women of color tend to have the most beautifully textured hair in the world. These websites have exceptional information and pictures on styling ideas for women who choose to wear their hair in its natural state. If you committ to growing your hair the natural way, this is what you can expect.
I found this article to be interesting. I was unaware that this was taking place. The sexual exploitation of brown people continues to plague this world. Why do people have to be treated a certain way because of their skin color! This hurts. I am so tired of feeling this way. Always having to be on guard because of my skin color. God, please!
National Geographic nudity (1896- ), also known as tribal nudity, is where National Geographic shows the bare breasts and penises of brown-skinned people but not those of whites. It has been well-known for this since the 1960s, though the practice goes back to 1896.
Apart from pornography, it is rare for a mass-market American magazine to show the bare breasts or penis of anyone of any race. National Geographic is the main exception. It gets away with it in the name of science, of showing Americans the world as it truly is.
But this love of truth only extends to black and brown people, particularly the “tribal” people of Africa, Australia, the Pacific and Amazonia. In the early 1900s Latina and Arab women also appeared bare-breasted – erotically so. All in all, pretty much the same sort of people who appeared in human…
Thrifting is a great pastime of mine. It is especially fulfilling when I have a 50% off coupon or some form of a discount. I have gotten many worn- once or never worn treasures from the second hand stores. I learned about the whole idea of thrift-ing when I lived in Nashville, Tennessee. Actually, two men took my friend and I out on a Sunday thrifting haul. They drove us all over the city and we spent maybe $30 the whole day for some great stuff. The men were graffiti artists who were very eclectic, but not in a cookie-cutter type of way. They just were not into paying a lot for clothes. I have been doing it ever since.
A lot of people can’t get with wearing used clothes and I understand, but to each his own. I think it is a wonderful challenge and if I was money-rich, I would still not waste cash buying expensive threads. It is just not necessary for me to have a $900 pair of stockings or a $5000 dress. Not ever going to happen for me. I am not even into spending large amounts of cash for wedding attire. As I say in my poetry, “I can walk down the aisle in a $3 dress.” I’m just that type of girl.
So this is a green dress I got for $2.35 at Value World. Well, it was 50% off that price because I had a coupon. The fabric feels great and it looked like it had been slightly worn. I washed and ironed it, which I think may have caused it to change shape a bit. I have to be more careful with that. The sandals are by Chinese Laundry.
I really love to pair earth-toned dresses with this style of sandal. I once found some at Kohl’s. I also think animal-skin printed sandals look great with solid colored clothing. Something like this…
P.S. Looking for some good music? In 2005 an artist named Lina released a CD on the Hidden Beach record label (same as Jill Scott) named The Inner Beauty Movement. It is an amazing CD. Check it out…
This year, I am exploring longer (maxi) skirts for the Spring. I like them in this weather because they protect me from the changing elements that come with the season. For example, where I live, the mornings can be a bit chilly. Then by 1 pm, the weather will warm up. Wearing a lengthier skirt allows you to be prepared for all weather as well as various social situations such as work, lunch dates, or after work shopping. They are more versatile than shorter skirts because they are widely accepted and normally help women to appear more elegant.
Maxi skirts look beautiful as they have the tendency to scream maturity and feminine softness. You should try them!
floral maxi skirt from a local boutique; clearance $10
Sandals from Marshalls for $20
This nail polish is one of my favorites: Spanish Moss by Revlon
Leather bracelets from City Buddha
This is a faux leather wedge sandal that actually feels really good. Got them maybe 3 years ago… they were cheap. They are by Guess… I believe the line was G by Guess
I normally don’t dig floral designs, but this skirt stood out for me. I like it a lot and have been wearing it since 2009. It flows in the wind, making it very “queen-like.” You will love it! I encourage people to spend as less money as possible on clothes. You can have a nice wardrobe for cheap. If you like challenges, try dressing for less. Save your money and buy a passport or passports if you have a family, and travel the world.
Queen Duafe for African Essence
P.S. Need some music? Check out my QueenPlayList for Saturday…
*Note: Depending on the speed of your browser, the photos may appear different. Also, I really appreciate you visiting African Essence! People are asking why they can’t comment and/or like the posts: the thing is, this is a wordpress hosted blog which in this case means that you can comment and like posts if you are logged in to your wordpress account. However, you can comment and follow the blog using your email address. Please do! You can also share the posts on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on those icons at the bottom of each article. I could always use the support.
Ladies and gents, will you sleep or will you preach? Pass this music on.
Janelle Monae and Badoula Oblongata launch project Q.U.E.E.N. – A 21st century musical weapons program a.k.a. the Freedom Movement: disguised as songs, emotion pictures and works of art. Can you dig?!
“even if it makes others uncomfortable, I will love who I am”
Why is this song so great? The LYRICS and the ARTISTIC ANGLE! These two ladies continue to raise the level of CONSCIOUSNESS. Most won’t accept, but many will. I am not surprised to see them together because they both seem to refuse to sell out!
SOME OF THE AWESOME MESSAGES IN THE SONG
It’s hard to stop rebels that time travel.
I can’t believe all of the things they say about me
Walk in the room they throwin’ shade left to right
They be like ooh, she’s servin’ face
And I just tell em, cut me up, and get down
… Badu’s verse and Monae’s ending rap is great! The whole song is so wonderful and uplifting… “here comes the FREEDOM SONG! Testify!” Monae said “give me back my pyramid!”
Many great vocalists settle for small careers in music. I’m with it, but I have to say I wish their music was circulated more than the superficial junk we hear on the radios. I have heard so many great albums where it wasn’t just one song that was good, the whole CD, every lyric and every beat was good! I don’t often get that with mainstream artists. The vibrations in each of these artists music was so high, I got chills down my spine! The music feels so good, I just float away!
This is my list of artists that I recommend you get to know. If you have any to add, please comment. Peace and love.
How I Do by Res… MOST LISTENED TO SONG ON ALBUM: Let Love
Transient by Gaelle… MOST LISTENED TO SONG ON ALBUM: Fade Away
The Once and Future by the Jazzyfatnastees… MOST LISTENED TO: Let It Go
Love Rain Down by Conya Doss… MOST LISTENED TO SONG ON ALBUM: Sign
Although I listen to some songs more than others, when I say every song is good, I mean EVERY song on each of these albums is good! It’s real emotions and real music. It doesn’t even matter when the album came out because they are all FRESH TO DEATH! It doesn’t stop there, they have other albums that are great too so go on Amazon and search if you are interested.
Queen Duafe for African Essence
P.S. Need a book to read? I recommend African Holistic Health byLlaila O. Afrika. This a good companion to have at home, so you may need to buy it if you believe that herbs heal… they do, I am a witness.
For what you know is right, when it really matters
4. You Believe
You have the ability to make a difference
5. You Care
About the well being of others ahead of yourself
6. You Tell the Truth
No matter how painful
7. You Forgive
With an open heart
8. Kindness
Is more important than your reputation
This post was written by Aaron Aslin. Aaron is an entrepreneur, amateur philosopher, and blogger. He uses his background in marketing to bring people to ideas that inspire, motivate, and create purpose in their lives. You can follow him @aaronaslin and facebook.com/aaronaslin
Make sure you click on the links and pictures to visit their websites and see some of their great performances/videos. The world needs more women like them who are beautiful, stylish, and who respect themselves.
Earth & Ether 