"I Wonder" Wednesdays: Jump Up in the Air and Stay There

i know you want to...jump up in the air and stay there... -Erykah Badu

so, i, like many others, have been desperately awaiting the release of Erykah's New Amerykah Pt. 2: Return of the Ankh (March 30).  and lord knows i lust after me some Bilal (throw in some Hail Mary's for that one; i know i was wrong).  but i wonder...can i really tolerate Lil Wayne on a Badu cd?

at any rate...enjoy...

The Sun is in Your Hands, Player...

this is a song that makes me spill out all my guts...~Bilal, "Sometimes"

i saw Bilal in concert last night.  great concerts always inspire me.  i get lost in them.  for moments in time, i am moved, inspired, awestruck, and most importantly, i am not dichotomous.  i am my full self.

all of these feelings were hightened during Bilal's performance.  this man gets FREE.

a little background:  i've been trying to see Bilal in concert for YEARS now.  i finally had a ticket to one of his shows a couple of years ago and ended up not being able to go due to health reasons.  there i was, sittin' at home on a beautiful summer evening with a ticket to a Bilal concert, watchin' a Law & Order marathon instead.  luh me some Law & Order, but it ain't Bilal.

anyway, he finally booked another local show, and i got to see him.  his voice is insanity.  i already knew this, but i hadn't witnessed the control he has.  and really control is a poor description since his voice is likely led by the will of his spirit, as it pleases.  so that's probably the very opposite of control.  at any rate, it was flawless in its roller coaster-like transitions through octaves and tempos.  and aside from the sheer beauty of his voice (and his speckled face--i can't front.  i objectify.  and i've got a weakness for freckles), his committment to expression is timeless.  the kind of freedom i'm striving for in my work.  and i'm getting closer (an inch is closer even in a span of miles).  but artists like Bilal and performances like his remind me that i've come so far and i've got so far to go (pun intended for the pleasure of fans) (*edit: a good friend pointed out that this reference is actually D'Angelo.  it sounded like Bilal in my head.  eh, well).

inspiration is a glorious blessing.

be.  fly.
rhythm


*photo isn't from last night.