Congo Technical Difficulties...

Sorry. I did write a couple of entries, but saved them as drafts and now cannot figure out how to post a draft. Sigh. What gives? I must go now, but the days keep getting better. On Saturday I am in the studio with Lexxus and a few of the artists to work on my own stuff. Next week we record material for the project. Will try to get back to the blog this weekend......Be well. Holla.

Vibin' at the Workshop in Kinshasa

Oh my my my....we had the hottest cipher this afternoon at the cultural center. There were 6 dancers and about 19 or 20 emcees and singers. It started out lukewarm and kinda' slow. I stopped it and took some time out to talk about gettin' open. We talked about what it's like to get open. After that we started up again with the singers singing the same melody and a steady collective finger snap. Ahhh. Then the finger snap turned into a beatbox, followed by a 'soul clap' that shook the room like foot-stompin' church service. People started to get open and they did not want to stop. It was sooo hot. I was jet lagged before the cipher, but energized fully afterwards. I pointed out the fact that we achieved that high without 1-spending any money and 2-without beer, alcohol, weed or any other mood altering substances (the puffers found that funny lol!). I wanted to point it out because I know that in a real cipher, the cipher itself is mood-altering. It's meditational and creates the space for one to go into a trance.....the cipher here in Kinshasa was definitely powerful....I am so looking forward to tomorrow's workshops.

Not much time to blog today, but I wanted to check in...

In Kinshasa...

So we are here in the DRC. To say that the vibe at the airport in Kinshasa was intense would be an understatement. Michael Forde, the dancer I brought from Step Afrika, got caught up in customs. I got caught up in the crowd surrounding the baggage carousel and quickly realize that luggage needs to be scoped out immediately. The two brothers they sent from the embassy were there with a sign, but also meeting another guy who was not affiliated with our trip. The Public Affairs Officer here is incredibly passionate about this project so we both left our dinner with her family fired up. (Oh, can I mention she can cook like nobody's business.)

Anyway, it's day one (well technically day two) in Kinshasa. We've been told by a few locals 'don't trust nobody', but I don't think it's because you cannot trust "anybody", but more so because Michael smiles almost as much as me. Plus, both of us find it difficult to hide our enthusiasm. We are officially excited! Don't get it twisted now. Michael is straight Brooklyn in many ways. So much so I was a little nervous when the custom officers took him to a little room for what I knew was going to be some sort of bribe scenario---but he's also really kind. And his love for Africa just pours from his skin. I know I have my eyes wide open and I'm not as chatty in the hotel as I would normally be, but I feel good about being here even though we are here to confront a really horrendous issue---women are being used as war weapons. Please google and read about the problem here and/or go to Youtube. Everyone knows about the problem, but no one is talking about it.

When we rode by the hospital that Dikembe Mutombo built and then by the stadium that Muhammad Ali fought in when Don King produced 'the rumble in the jungle' I sighed deeply. I am so grateful for the opportunity to do the kind of work that I do. I wake up each day knowing for sure that I am living out my destiny. It is an incredible feeling to know that for sure. I never have to question it anymore.

We meet the artists tomorrow. I already know it's gonna' be hot. I watched TRACE TV after a really good night's sleep. I also watched some of the local music video channels and channel O. I danced by myself in the room. I opened the curtains and sang. I spit a freestyle before putting on my lip gloss.....I looked to the sky and closed my eyes as I spoke my affirmations aloud.

"I am open to the possibility of being a catalyst for change and transformation. I am a student and always willing to learn. I do my work with every ounce of my being. I pour my heart and my soul into everything that I do. I trust the universe to support me and my vision. I am audacious and stepping into a new pair of shoes---I wear these shoes boldly as I surrender to God's purpose for my life........Hip Hop Worldwide! Yes!"

Give Thanks.

All right. I am going to practice my french as I wait for the other folks on the van. Stay tuned for more postings. Feel free to comment and asks questions if you like. (The computer is a little slow so I'll go back for typos later...sorry.) Toni.

About the Lyrical Embassy

“Lyrics were once recited in open courtyards for Royal Families to do everything from comprehending the words of God, to learning the daily news. In time, such recitations were brought forth on parchment paper and unrolled by different family groups with anticipation of the news to come. We speculate that this practice helped promote the skill of reading, writing, and language comprehension. It also enforced the idea that words have power and that language and lyrics often serves as the glue used to build community. Such practices developed easily into the role of Ambassadorship with a constant reminder that one must never underestimate the role of diplomacy.

Today, however such a craft has lost sight of land. Many of our modern contemporaries find themselves cursing like drunken sailors in the abyss of the middle of the ocean, helpless and hopeful that if they cannot find land safely, may we still find them strong and courageous, and worthy of note. Music videos put such artists on the faces of dollar bills, records, and posters to be received by all the worlds communities. In the 1990's with America's Strong Dollar policy and exporting power, this pirate music found its way into the hearts and minds of the world's families. Synonymously, pirating of the music became rampant here in America and the corporations that commodified this craft without social responsibility received lessons in lyrical karma…” An excerpt from the Book of the Lyrical Ambassadors.