Hip Hop 4 Haiti

The frigid night couldn’t quell a heartfelt crowd from attending the Harlem National Black Theater’s “Hip Hop 4 Haiti” fundraiser on January 30, 2010.

Beatboxers, emcees (a talented group which even included some under the age of 13), DJs, and a variety of other Harlem community members gathered at the theater to raise spirits and funds. One performing emcee proclaimed the show as “not a funeral, but a celebration.”

Hosted by Staten Island emcee NYOIL (New York’s Original International Lover), the New York City branch of the 32-city event hoped to raise $10,000 to aid in the aftermath of the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

The suggested donation was $20 per person.

Many of the performers and attendees had ties to relatives and friends in Haiti. Ephniko, an emcee with a shock of dredlocks and an easygoing nature, said his wife was Haitian and had family and friends who survived the disaster. “I’ve got several shows in New York lined up this week, so I thought I’d join in on this fundraiser,” he said. Originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, Ephniko has participated in other Haiti fundraisers in Miami, Florida, where he now resides.



Above is a photo of singer Kofi Black. Black often smiled as we talked, explaining that he sings everything from R&B to rock. "I'm fortunate enough to have known the host of Hip Hop 4 Haiti, NYOIL, when I was younger--he was my track coach," Black said. He has attended many other Haiti fundraising events in and around the city--and was actually going to head out to Jersey for another fundraiser immediately after Hip Hop 4 Haiti.

Kofi Black came onstage and his voice was as rich as his personality--beautiful and belting--he sang a capella and stunned the crowd.

The National Black Theater is located on 5th Avenue and 125th St in Harlem. It is one of the many black community centers in the neighborhood, according to Nubia, a volunteer from Susie’s Hotsauce which sponsored the event.

Although Nubia is not directly involved with the theatre, she says she “heard through the grapevine, radio, and organizations within the community” about Hip Hop 4 Haiti. Nubia lives in Harlem and spoke about the strength of community within the neighborhood. “Harlem has a lot of townhall meeting organization,” she said, “We are good at bringing people together for love and support.”

The significance of community in Harlem is widespread, according to the Mayor of Harlem, Dr. Delois Blakely. Dressed in traditional African attire, the elderly Dr. Blakely graciously greeted guests at the event and welcomed newcomers to the Harlem community.



12-year-old Emcee Nini Ali with Dr. Delois Blakely and another young emcee, posing for the press.

As Ambassador of Goodwill to Africa, Dr. Blakely travels internationally and attends United Nations conferences to speak out against social and economic injustice. She is also known as the QUEEN MOTHER and exudes a calm demeanor, wisdom engraved in her kind, soft face.

Dr. Blakely's past holds remarkable life experiences and achievements. Among many other accomplishments, Dr. Blakely received two Masters of Education degrees--one from Harvard and one from Columbia Univeristy--was a Fulbright Scholar in Tanzania and Nigeria in the 1980s, and is constantly traveling to and from various African countries on diplomatic and social duties.

Dr. Blakely is also the first woman to hold the office of Harlem mayor.

The hopeful spirit crossed age barriers, as a confident twelve-year-old spoken word emcee named Nini Ali declared onstage that it was “an honor to be here for such a worthy cause.” Her words of hope in her poem “Hip Hop and Me” were edifying to the audience: “It’s designed to make you think free / emcees will enlighten me,” pushing the importance of education.


Nini Ali: "The rhymes I sing aren't for some record deal--but for a college degree"



Optimism permeated the event, as performers onstage encouraged Haitian pride in the audience: “Can I borrow that [Haitian] flag please? I feel naked without it,” shouted an emcee. Continued cheers of “Haiti will rise!” fueled the crowd’s energy.

Photo article

http://www.nyunews.com/staff/lecia_bushak/#/life/2010/01/25/26top5/?ref=ajax

There's another article up there from yesterday which I wrote about Peter Rostovsky (Painting teacher) and his gallery show opening at Art in General (Soho) and Sara Meltzer Gallery (Chelsea). If you go to NYU / live in NYC you should check it out!

"There was also a work-ethic in the poem that I liked, something that suggested writing poems (or stories, or essays) had as much in common with sweeping the floor as with mythy moments of revelation. There's a place in 'A Raisin in the Sun' where a character cries out: "I want to fly! I want to touch the sun!" to which his wife replies, "First eat your eggs."

-Stephen King "On Writing"

Thomas Frontini

I was looking through some old brochures that I had collected while interning at Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and came across a Cleveland artist named Thomas Frontini.

With a BFA from Cleveland Institute of Art and an MFA from Ohio State, Frontini's work has showcased in L.A., New York and Hong Kong.

Most of his paintings are oil on panel but his earlier works from the 90's are mostly oil on linen.






I liked this one a lot because of its compositional elements.



The following paintings are from his 1996 oil on linen collection.





The lady on wheels reminded me of a scene from Philip Pullman's series "The Golden Compass".



The eerie last few paintings I've chosen give me the creeps as good non-cheezy fantastical paintings should. Frontini's painting technique is clean but soft, contributing to an unnaturally solid/tangible feel; almost as if the viewer knows that these objects and people should not exist--they are almost mirages--yet here they are standing before them in a very well-painted manner.







Find more of this Cleveland artist's work at: http://www.thomasfrontini.com/index.cfm

Happy New Year

This semester I'm Features Deputy Editor for Washington Square News.
http://nyunews.com/staff/lecia_bushak/

Instead of covering an artist who I don't know personally, today I'd like to dedicate a post to my favorite artist Justin Harney (favorite next to Trisha Previte, of course, both of whom are dear friends of mine). He has recently completed two giant murals on the walls of his bedroom in Cleveland, using only interior paint. His graffiti-style painting is pretty incredible and he is talented in pencil-drawing and is currently apprenticing at a tattoo shop, but if you'd like any wall-mural or graffiti-style artwork done, this is the man to contact.