Drum Roll!!! and she shall be called...

Late last year when I went to my local guitar shop with the hope of buying an electro acoustic guitar to add to my Blue Vintage acoustic guitar, I was looking for something affordable that plays and sounds really well (I am still a guitar student; I picked up the instrument a year ago.)

The Shop assistant asked what I was looking as he took me round to showing me a selection of guitars within my price range. He took down a natural wood colour one and handed it to me to have a feel and play. As I started to strum & pluck, something caught my attention

The minute I laid my eyes on her, I had to have her.



I gave the guitar in my hands back to the shop assistant and walked straight to this lovely Pink Stagg electro acoustic guitar.... it was offered as a second hand sale and thankfully affordable.

I brought it home and my fiancé (now husband) said, what is this? (Still doesn't understand whyt I would go for pink! ;-o)

After a few rehearsals, I knew she had to be a girl (nothing to do with colour) for one, every gig I have taken her to, she gets all the attention and I get absolutely none. Which is good because then I am able to play with little or no pressure.

Yesterday, I decided to name her. After much thought I decided to follow the African community/family naming tradition by looking to the social network community of FACEBOOK and TWITTER. I declared my status a 'NAME MY PINK GUITAR DAY'

Over the Top (I know) but eh, why not ;)

At around 9PM I 'closed' the voting lines and started to count the entries; below are the submissions.

Barbie
Morenike
Jane
Pink Panther
Pink Lady
Pink drink
Raise your pinky
Lanre
Queen Nefertiti
Angel
Angeli
Twilight
Hot Stuff
Pucksy
Lady
Stella
Oluwatobiloba
Strings attached
Lassie
Jimi Hendrix
Fola
Jewel
Tiffany
Hephzibah
Pink strings
Pink Rock
Plonky
Plinky
Rudolph
Queen
L’Oreal

Thirty one in all!!! my guitar is definitely African, specifically Nigerian. HA! For those who don't know, it is not unusual for Nigerians to have several names. The other day a friend told me she had just been to a naming ceremony and the baby girl had 21 names (YEP! you heard that right 21!)

So, I went through the list above and got rid of names like; Pink strings, Strings attached, Pink Rock, Plonky, Hot stuff, Plinky, Lassie, Rudolph, Pucksy.. just because;
1) the last thing I want on my hands is a bullied guitar and
2) I wanted a name that means something; we are Africans you see and names has to have meanings)

I also got rid of names like L’Oreal, Pink Panther and Twilight because as far as I am concerned, they aren't original enough.

The next to go was Lanre and Jimi Hendrix just because;
1) this guitar already competes with me when it comes to attention so, it won't be taking my names (my middle name is Jimi) and
2) Being named after the Legendry Jimi Hendrix will be too much pressure for my lil' pink guitar to deal with.

After sifting through the lot, I was left with the following names;

Morenike
Queen Nefertiti
Stella
Angel
Fola
Jane
Oluwatobiloba (Tobi for short)

I had seven names to choose from and I just couldn't make up my mind or give a good reason why I would choose one above the other so I reckoned seven is a pretty good number; perfection, for those who are into numerology et al.

I think all seven names describe in one way or another what this pink guitar means to me (it really does) so this is what I'll do.. depending on how we feel on a particular day we may decide to go for all names or one.

SO tonight the 19th of January 2011, my guitar shall be called; Morenike, Fola, Oluwatobiloba, Angel, Stella, Jane, Queen Nefertiti by Stagg



Thanks to everyone who helped name her....

What's in a name you ask; another day, another blog I say!

and....Below is myself and Morenike in action (isn't she gorgeous?)

Why didn't I think of that?

I came across singer songwriter Regina Skeptor a few days ago. To say I am wowed by her body of work would be an understatement.

First song that caught my attention was 'Call' same song was featured in the movie - The Chronicles of Nania; Prince Caspian

I went straight on to itunes and bought her new album - Live in London (she recorded 23 of her songs at the Hammersmith Apollo Theatre) let's just say this album is all I have played for the past few days!

I kept going back to Track 16 'Laughing with' over and over again and each time i listened I come away thinking, why didn't I think of that?

Aren't the words below so true?


No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say, "We've got some bad new, sir"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God

My thoughts?

Faith, Confusion, Doubt, Freedom, sincerity, ..... are some of the ingredients of a good song and when you hear it, you know it!

More than Music

A few days ago I watched Chrisette Michele being interviewed as she promoted her newest record "Let Freedom Reign" When asked what her motivation was her response for some reason stuck with me.

"Find your face in hsitory"

Sometimes as a creative person, you feel alone in your pursuit of what you think or know is your purpose and you have to look to history to get the much needed fire in your bones; so I started searching and looking to be inspired and came upon two amazing (in my opinion) people who resonated with me. Well, i say came upon not because they've been hiding or anything but have you read a note you've always read a book or a bible verse you have always read an a line jumps out at ya like it's just been inked in right there and then for you?


Well.... that's what this past few days have been like for me.

It all started with my Amazon order arriving in the post - Nina Simone, The Legend - DVD



If you are a Nina Simone fan, you'd need to watch this documentary because it's a very personal and honest protrayal of an artist who understood that her gift was way beyond music and eventhough she did sacrifice a lot (as seen in the first few minutes of the doc) for the sake of her art, I don't think she would have wanted it any other way.

A dear friend gave us a pair of tickets to see Fela - The musical at the National Theatre. (Something about Southbank makes me go AAAAAAAAAAH)




Anyhowly, I had read a few reviews prior, most of them were positive and even one journalist's comment about feeling bullied by the participatory element of the show made me all the more exceited about going to see FELA!

I have never been to the 'shrine' (Fela's club) before; not that I would have been allowed to go if I wanted to ( I can just imagine my paraent's face if I even had the gutts to ask for permission to visit; not even for research purpose) LOLOLOL!! but I imagine as I sat in the Olivier theatre (NT) a minute percentage of what the 'Shrine' must have felt like.

It was political, passionate, fun... i mean I have never been to a musical or play where I am asked to stand up and wiggle my waist! YEP! I left the theatre feeling proud and more than anything else inspired to be the best that I can be with the gift heaven has blessed me with.

Fela and Nina came to realise earlier on in their career that music was only the vehicle, for them, it definately was much more than music. Both started out not deliberatly setting out to change the world but what they did set out to do was be themselves - Original

Years after they've passed; people like myself are still being inspired by them ;)

First 20 songs ...

I haven't blogged in a while, been busy getting married YAY!! I am sure blogs and writing would reflect this new status of mine ;)

A friend recently asked (via her FB status) to put our MP3, iphone, Ipods etc etc on shuffle mode and write down the first 20 songs that come up.

Here's mine...

1. Fall in Love - Erykah Badu

2. Find my way - Duayne Tryumf

3. Like a dream - Chrisette Michele

4. Dreaming wide awake - Lizz Wright

5. Be that easy - Sade

6. I am one - Chrisette Michele

7. Grains - India Arie

8. Healing - India Arie

9. Wanna be starting something - MJ

10. Tell him - Lauryn Hill

11. Say you will - Kanye West

12. Shower - Karl Nova

13. Still in control - Kirk Franklin

14. Peace - Akala

15. Part of my life - India Arie

16. Light my fire - Jonas Rendbo

17. Tornado - Jonas

18. Make the bus - Janelle Monae

19. Notebook - Chrisette Michele

20. I would like to call it beauty - Corrine Bailey Rae

What does your music collection say about you, get into the shuffle mode and be pleasantly surprised.

Telling our Stories

Nigeria celebrated 50 years of independence a few days ago; once Nigeria comes up in a conversation the stories you hear are most times negative. I however like it when the Nigerian story is told by Nigerians so i was excited to see this BBC 'My Country' documentary.

Nigerian broadcaster and journalist Funmi Iyanda takes us through this documentary telling the Lagos story through everyday people; market women, children, okada (motorcycle taxi) drivers and politicians..

Grab your cuppa and enjoy the three part 30 minute feature below ;)

Part 1- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gRGXXvimSg

Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw1v1_nzTxY

Part 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97JNm5aiIQk

THE RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL - Brennan Manning

A few pages into this book, the paragraph below caught my attention.

We secretly admit that the call of Jesus is too demanding, that surrender to the Spirit is beyond our reach. We start acting like everyone else. Life takes on a joyless, empty quality.

We begin to resemble the leading character in Eugene O'Neil's play - The Great God Brown;

"Why am I afraid to dance, I who love music and rhythm and grace and song and laughter? why am I afraid to live, I who love life and the beauty of flesh and the living colours of the earth and sky and the sea? Why am I afraid to love, I who love love?"


I haven't been able to go beyond this page since yesterday....

I am listening to...

Fall In - Esperanza Spalding

Strength, Courage & Wisdom - India Arie

57821 - Janelle Monáe

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Go Do - Jónsi

I still believe - Karl Nova

Dreaming Wide Awake - Lizz Wright

Sing Dorothy - Michaela: Birth of a Poet

Golden Train - Justin Nozuka

Superstar - Lauryn Hill


BE iNSPIRED....

Keeping up with the Joneses

“Peer Pressure doesn’t just end after your teens, it morphs into keeping up with the Joneses” Karl Nova

I remember growing up wearing Cortina sandals to school (it’s the school sandals made by Bata the shoe maker) If you know anything about this brand it’s that it lasts forever…. literally. When I asked my mum to get me a new pair at the beginning of a new school term, she asked me to show her my old shoe. I showed her all the scratch marks from kicking stones and the pavement hoping to get her to buy me a new pair. She asked me to put the shoe on, of course the flipping thing fitted perfectly so she asked my dad to help me renew the polish and get it ready for the new term and as you would expect I was not a happy bunny.

Everyone will be wearing new shoes and
I am stuck with these old banger???!!!!!

Day one of new school term, I came up with the loveliest of ideas when I discovered that my friend’s mum, like my mum did not buy her a new pair of school shoes. I swapped mine with hers, which was cool since we wore the same shoe size, the only thing was hers was black and mine was brown; my bright idea was that my parents would surely not watch their precious daughter wear two different colored sandals to school; or would they?

I told my dad my well thought out story when he picked me from school later that afternoon; something along the lines of….
‘… Well, I put my sandals in my locker when we went for PE and when we returned someone had stolen one of mine and left theirs”
“Hmmm…” he responded.
When we got home, he sat me down and stooped to my level (eyeball to eyeball) and gently explained to me that since I was careless enough to loose one leg of my sandals and clever enough to find another size that fits perfectly, there was no need to get me any new sandals! Huh? ***** Blank stare****
When I returned to school the next day, my friend had on a new pair of sandals while I had on my black and brown pair. I wore those shoes for the rest of the term too!

I think I learnt a vital lesson from walking around the school in my brown and black pair of Cortina sandals, my parents’ spending pattern will not and cannot be influenced by my peer pressure to conform. I also leant that you can be your own person in the midst of a crowd because three months of wearing my crazy pair of sandals and sticking out like a sore thumb did not kill me… thanks dad!

It’s ok to be different……..
It’s alright to move at your own pace……..