My mom is a huge Al Green fan. And in the quest for the familiar in London, I'm becoming a bigger fan as well. As I listen to him on my pandora station or at Starbucks (yitidy for Starbucks cards), I get transported to that free summer concert I saw him at, to home during the weekends, to my fake memories of hearing his music blast on the block circa 1974. Classic soul, New Jack Swing, R&B, and Jazz vocalists do it to me. It makes me yearn for home while easing my homesickness.
Studying at SOAS has given me a greater appreciation for American culture, and by American I mean more specifically Black American culture. Being away from it and outside of it makes me actually delve more into Black music, style, lit, history. Yeah at Amherst I'm a Black Studies major, but its like I've taken us for granted...
Sometimes I'll hear that the US is a cultural wasteland, devoid of any real creativity, etc... Meanwhile the music they listen too, the predominant fashion aesthetic, and more comes from Black American creativity. It boggles the mind. How did US (Black) culture become the faux "world culture"?
Who would've thought that pandora, the NYTimes and Black gossip blogs would increase my appreciation of Blackosity. Negrophilia, the correct term is a little unseemly to me.
It's Valentime's Day (a nod to by gbk brethern back home in NYC) and London is trying its best to be the most romantic city in the world. Sorry London, Paris got there first. I saw lovely floral arrangements riding the Tube. My girls and I went out to our own Valentine's Day dinner at Nando's a really popular Portugese restaurant. chain. Think the British equvalent of Chili's. And although I wasn't home listening to "Let's get Married" by Rev. Al with a Valentine. I can't think of a better way to have spent the day.
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