Sade: The Lover's Songbird

I love Sade. It's ironic how she's more popular in the U.S. than in her hometown of London. Few international artists are able to gain the type of fame Sade has done in the U.S. She is a wonderful performer! There's nothing like seeing artists perform with a live band. I remember listening to Sade with my father and we used to watch her live shows on VHS too. Sometimes, hearing Sade reminds me of those moments with him.

Sade exudes sexiness without even trying. Her sexiness is subtle but still at the forefront. I love that! Unfortunately, I couldn't afford to see her when she did her tour last year and I was very disappointed. Hopefully, I'll have another chance to see her in the future. The performance above is at a concert she did in the U.K. in 1983. The name of the song is called "Is It A Crime." The performance below is one she did in 1993 in San Diego of the song "Keep Looking". Enjoy!

An Image of History From the Chicago Stylebook

This is one of the most prolific pictures I have ever had the pleasure of viewing. It encapsulates Black life in Chicago circa 1940's. The name of the picture is "Sunday's Best" but the photographer is unknown. These five young men exude style, swagger and the precociousness of childhood. The young man in the middle is the balancing point of the photograph that separates the left side of young men from the right side. He also seems to be the oldest and the tallest and his stature is what attracts your eye to the photograph. He is the center piece of the photograph and rightfully so.

The young men on the right look like they are brothers, maybe even twins. The first young man looks bored or exhausted from whatever may have went on before the picture was taken, probably church (we all know how Black people are in church for twenty hours on Sunday). The second young man on the right looks disinterested with what is going on including the taking of this picture.

The first young man on the left has so much attitude and I love his knickerbockers! The second young man on the left has on such a stylish suit complete with a handkerchief and his glasses makes him look distinguished beyond his years. All five of these young men contribute some element of beauty to this photograph. Last but not least, I wonder whose car they were sitting on!

Dead Men on the Wall

I had to go on a tour of the Massachusetts Historical Society yesterday. All I saw was pictures of dead ass white men and women on the wall circa the colonial years. I wish it was just as many dead ass black men and women on the wall but my history wasn't important enough to preserve. I can only imagine how different African-American history would be if more of our history had been deemed worthy enough to save just as meticulously as our white counterparts. One can only imagine.