Category Archives: TenaciousM Art and Culture

Feb13

E&B World Music Showcase – Gotan Project

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I was dining with friends at a restaurant in Chicago when I first heard Gotan Project. The restaurant had a Colombian-styled menu and atmosphere to match. A couple of tracks in and I was hooked. Enjoy!gotan_logo

Gotan Project is a musical group based in Paris, consisting of musicians Eduardo Makaroff (Argentine), Philippe Cohen Solal (French) and Christoph H. Müller (Swiss, former member of Touch El Arab).

Gotan Project formed in 1999. Their first release was “Vuelvo Al Sur/El Capitalismo Foráneo” in 2000, followed by the album La Revancha del Tango in 2001. Their music involves tango, but also uses elements such as samples, beats, and breaks. Live material was also broadcast on Gilles Peterson’s world music show Worldwide on BBC Radio 1 in May 2004. Philippe Cohen Solal has also released a DJ set: Inspiración Espiración – A Gotan Project DJ Set Selected & Mixed by Philippe Cohen Solal (2004). This album is a compilation of classic tangos from the likes of Aníbal Troilo, Ástor Piazzolla and Gotan Project remixes. The album also includes a bonus CD with the track “La Cruz del Sur” – which was meant to be included on La Revancha del Tango, but did not make the cut in 2001.

Eduardo Makaroff arrived in France in the early 90s to develop Argentine tango music, he performed with his band “Mano a Mano”. Christoph Müller and Philippe Cohen Solal formed a duo called Boys from Brazil.

The name of the trio is a play on the name of a famous tango compilation album that featured several American classical musicians who came together to record a tango album, originally released in 1982. This album, called the Tango Project, includes a rendition of Carlos Gardel’s and Alfredo Le Pera’s “Por Una Cabeza” which had been featured in movies such as Schindler’s List, Scent of a Woman and True Lies.

Credit: Wikipedia

Feb12

“Colored Entrance” – Gordon Parks Black History Photo

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Gordon Parks For Colored Photo

This photo of a finely dressed black mother and daughter — standing below a “Colored Entrance” sign at a bus station in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1956 — was taken by Gordon Parks, one of the seminal figures of twentieth century photography. A humanitarian with a deep commitment to social justice, Parks left behind a body of work that documents race relations, poverty, civil rights and urban life.

Feb11

Donna Karan Resort 2014 Collection

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When asked about the inspiration for her Resort 2014 Collection, Donna Karan was quoted to say that it was all about the “L” word – and then listed several: long, lean, languid, luxurious, light. These adjectives definitely sum up the collection well.

Aside from the occasional stripe and polka dot, solid colors dominated, mostly in neutral shades with pops of red. Bare shoulders, boxy blazers, effortless and gorgeous draping were key characteristics as well. I personally am looking forward to Spring. Do you have any favorites? Enjoy!

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Feb8

American Black History Month Celebration…WITH A PARISIAN TWIST

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The Supremes in Paris

The Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown’s acts. They toured the world, becoming almost as popular as they were in the U.S. By 1965, they were international stars. You can watch a fun video of The Supremes (trying to avoid traffic) singing “Where Did Our Love Go?” in the streets of Paris (circa 1965) here.

By 1967, Berry Gordy renamed the group “Diana Ross & The Supremes” and in 1968, they went on a record-breaking European tour and taped a television special for France’s M6 that was solely for French audiences. Highlights included a rocking medley of their hits that opened the show. (There’s even a part of the interview when the girls tell the host their ages – only 23 years old at the time – and Ross responds to the host in French.)

Wikipedia/Youtube

Feb8

Lupita Nyong’o is Fun & Edgy for Vogue Italia’s February 2014 Issue

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I absolutely love me some Lupita Nyong’o (Actress, “12 Years a Slave”)! Her ascent to the top of the sartorial sphere has been an amazing transition to watch. Check out her latest spread for the February issue of Vogue Italia, shot by Tony Munro. In it Nyong’o sizzles in some of Spring 2014′s hottest looks. And in case you’re not on the Lupi-train yet, maybe this fun and edgy editorial for Vogue Italia Magazine would convince you.

Showing her excited yet edgy side, Lupita has been featured in the issues’ February 2014 fashion editorial styled by Patti Wilson. If for some bizarre and very unlikely reason acting doesn’t pan out for Lupita, modeling is so her forté.

Lupita Nyong’o 1

Feb7

Rachel Roy Fall 2014 RTW Collection

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Rachel Roy is a bad girl!! She marked on the 10th anniversary of her label, giving us more tailored styles and less of her usual relaxed pieces. Roy said, “I designed what I wanted and needed and what I thought would work.” I’m loving the way she mixed materials, with graphic prints and presented it with exquisite charm. So many amazing looks. Enjoy the collection!

Credit: Style Pantry
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Feb6

The Chi-Lites – Over The Hump Old School Sound Check

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Happy Thursday! For those of you who have never heard the Chi-Lites, enjoy! For those of you who have, here’s to reminiscing…

In the late 1950s, the Chanteurs (Record, Robert Squirrel Lester, and Clarence Johnson) teamed up with Marshall Thompson and Creadel “Red” Jones of the Desideros to form the Hi-lites. Wishing to add a tribute to their home town of Chicago, they changed their name to “Marshall and the Chi-Lites” in 1964. Johnson left later that year, and their name was subsequently shortened to The Chi-Lites.

Record was the group’s primary songwriter, though he frequently collaborated with others, such as Barbara Acklin. Their major hits came in 1971 and 1972, “Have You Seen Her” and “Oh Girl”, the latter a #1 single on the Billboard Hot 100 on 27 May 1972. Other transatlantic chart hits followed, although the output became more fragmented as the group’s personnel came and went. Bass singer Jones left in 1973, and was replaced in quick succession by Stanley Anderson, Willie Kensey, and then Doc Roberson. Shortly thereafter, Eugene Record left, and David Scott and Danny Johnson entered. More personnel changes ensued, when Johnson was replaced by Vandy Hampton in 1977. The Chi-lites cut some tracks for the Inphasion label in 1979, that appeared on an obscure album for the Excello label. Credit: Wikipedia

Feb5

Wine and Chocolate: Perfect Pairing!

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Chocolate and Wine Parings 2

Pair wine with chocolate for a match made in heaven, and red wine and chocolate are a great pair. With all those deep, dark chocolate flavors right in a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine seems like a natural match for an intensely-flavored, dark chocolate dessert.

But are the two perfect together? Maybe not, according to Sara Schneider, Sunset wine editor. “Along with those sweet-seeming chocolate flavors and dark berries and plums, good (young) Cabernet Sauvignon has a backbone of tannin that can suddenly taste harsh and astringent when you put it with chocolate, especially if the chocolate is quite sweet. Merlot, on the other hand, tends to have softer, rounder tannins under its cocoa and mocha layers; it’s often a more seamless partner for chocolate. Consider Zinfandel too. It’s a variety that often goes way beyond “hints of chocolate” to practically being chocolate coated–and it rarely has the tannin level of Cab and Merlot (Bordeaux varieties).”

Remember these tips when pairing:
• The chocolate shouldn’t be sweeter than the wine.

• The darker the chocolate, the more likely it will be to taste good with red wine (partly because chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao has less sugar).

• The darker chocolates, with deep-roasted flavors, pair well with wines with dark, toasty flavors themselves.

• Port-style and sweet late-harvest reds tend to be the best matches for chocolate desserts.

An Ideal Couple
Here are some favorite chocolate desserts with suggestions for the perfect wine partner.

• The flavors of Warm Chocolate Souffle Cakes with Raspberry Sauce explode when paired with a late-harvest Sauvignon Blanc or a late-harvest Chenin Blanc.

• A sweet sparkling roséadds extra sparkle to Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake.

• A tawny Port or an orange Muscat are the perfect match for Bourbon Pecan Tart with Chocolate Drizzle.

• Give Chocolate-Chip Shortcakes with Berries and Dark Chocolate Sauce a try with a late-harvest Zinfandel.

Taste the Magic
Indulge in a chocolate bar that tells you exactly which wine to drink with it, a wine-flavored chocolate sauce, or an actual dine-in chocolate and wine experience.

• Try a new line of quality chocolate introduced at the San Diego Fancy Food Show in January 2008. Brix: Chocolate For Wine Lovers are milk and dark chocolate bricks specially designed to complement the various varietals of wine. Click here to watch Dr. Nick Proia, owner of Brix, as he shares the inspiring and entertaining story of Brix’s creation as well as how to identify a quality chocolate.

• Get saucy with two wine-flavored chocolate sauces from Caramoomel, Wine Lovers Dark Chocolate Sauce with Merlot and Wine Lovers White Chocolate Sauce with Riesling. Both are smooth, silky, and perfect for a drizzle on ice cream, cake, or fresh fruit.

Feb5

Muhammad Ali Asks Questions

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Celebrating Black History Month…

Muhammad Ali is a role model for me. He reminds me that confidence is often misconstrued as arrogance. He has a courage of purpose that is unforgiving. I realize that there are times when others want me to “dim my light” to make them comfortable with me. And like Muhammad Ali, I believe that to do so makes me a phony of the worst kind… a phony to myself.

“I am an expression of the divine, just like a peach is, just like a fish is. I have a right to be this way…I can’t apologize for that, nor can I change it, nor do I want to… We will never have to be other than who we are in order to be successful…We realize that we are as ourselves unlimited and our experiences valid. It is for the rest of the world to recognize this, if they choose.” -Alice Walker, The Color Purple

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.; January 17, 1942) is an American former professional boxer, generally considered among the greatest heavyweights in the sport’s history. A controversial and polarizing figure during his early career, Ali is today widely regarded for not only the skills he displayed in the ring but also the values he exemplified outside of it: religious freedom, racial justice and the triumph of principle over expedience. He is one of the most recognized sports figures of the past 100 years, crowned “Sportsman of the Century” by Sports Illustrated and “Sports Personality of the Century” by the BBC.

Born Cassius Clay, at the age of 22 he won the world heavyweight championship in 1964 from Sonny Liston in a stunning upset. Shortly after that bout, Ali joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name. He subsequently converted to Sunni Islam in 1975.

In 1967, three years after winning the heavyweight title, Ali refused to be conscripted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to the Vietnam War. He was eventually arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges and stripped of his boxing title. He did not fight again for nearly four years—losing a time of peak performance in an athlete’s career. Ali’s appeal worked its way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, where in 1971 his conviction was overturned. Ali’s actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation. Ali remains the only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion; he won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978.

Feb3

28 Reasons to Hug a Black Guy

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In honor of Black History Month, here are 28 reasons to hug a Black guy today! Gotta love SNL! Besides, my team lost the Super Bowl… I truly needed some levity!