One of my Favorite of Miriam Makeba - Akana Nkomo

“Age is getting to know all the ways the world turns, so that if you cannot turn the world the way you want, you can at least, get out of the way so you won't get run over”

 Miriam Makeba quote

Artsy pics of the week

Sandra Merwin

Ellen Magdalena

Ellen de Groot

Lucio Dalla - Caruso

I love Lucio Dalla's  version as well as Luciano Pavarotti's.
Lucio Dalla's song is about  Enrico Caruso.
I always loved this song, the sadness is as sweet as life.
It is pure poetry.
Enjoy....

Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.
- Anonymous

Lyrics:
Here where the sea sparkles,
and a strong wind blows,
on an old terrace overlooking the gulf of Sorrento,
a man holds a little girl in his arms
after he's been crying.
He clears his throat and sings the song again.

I love you so much;
so very much, you know.
It's a bond, now,
you know, that thaws the blood in the veins.

He looked at the lights, out at sea,
and thought about the nights in America.
But they were only the lamps of fishing boats
and the white of wake.
He felt the pain of the music.
He got up from the piano,
but when he saw the moon come out from behind the clouds
death seemed sweeter to him.
He looked into the little girl's eyes -
those eyes as green as the sea,
then suddenly a tear fell
and he thought he was drowning.

I love you so much;
so very much, you know.
It's a bond, now,
you know, and it thaws the blood in the veins.

The power of opera!
where every drama is a sham;
where, with a little bit of make-up and mimicry,
you can become someone else.
But two eyes that look at you,
so close and so real,
make you forget the script,
confounding your thoughts.
And so everything became insignificant,
including the nights in America.
You look back and see your life
like the wake [of the boats].
Ah yes! Life is ending,
but he wasn't worried about it any more.
Instead he felt happy
and began to sing the song again.

I love you so much;
so very much, you know.
It's a bond, now,
you know, that thaws the blood in the veins.

 Qui dove il mare luccica
e grida forte il vento
su una vecchia terrazza vicina al golfo di Surriento
un uomo abbraccia una ragazza
dopo che aveva pianto
poi si schiarisce la voce e ricomincia il canto:

Te voglio bene assai
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai
che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...

Vide le luci in mezzo al mare
pensò alle notti là in America
ma erano solo le lampare
e la bianca scia d'un'elica
sentì il dolore nella musica
si alzò dal pianoforte
ma quando vide la luna uscire da una nuvola
gli sembrò più dolce anche la morte.
Guardò negli occhi la ragazza
quegli occhi verdi come il mare
poi all'improvviso uscì una lacrima
e lui credette d'affogare.

Te voglio bene assai
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai
che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...

La potenza della lirica
dove ogni dramma è un falso
che con un po' di trucco e con la mimica
puoi diventare un altro
Ma due occhi che ti guardano
così vicini e veri
ti fanno scordare le parole
confondono i pensieri.

Così diventò tutto piccolo
anche le notti là in America
ti volti e vedi la tua vita
come la scia d'un'elica.

Ah si, è la vita che finisce
ma lui non ci pensò poi tanto
anzi si sentiva già felice
e ricominciò il suo canto:

Te voglio bene assai
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai
che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...
Te voglio bene assai
ma tanto tanto bene sai
è una catena ormai
che scioglie il sangue dint'e vene sai...

The Interrupters by Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz Documentary

Watch The Interrupters (Graphic Language) on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

"The film’s main subjects work for an innovative organization, CeaseFire. It was founded by an epidemiologist, Gary Slutkin, who believes that the spread of violence mimics the spread of infectious diseases, and so the treatment should be similar: go after the most infected, and stop the infection at its source. One of the cornerstones of the organization is the “Violence Interrupters” program, created by Tio Hardiman, who heads the program. The Interrupters — who have credibility on the streets because of their own personal histories — intervene in conflicts before they explode into violence." from here

I watched Interrupters on Frontline last night. It is the best documentary I have seen in a long time. I believe that many  American documentaries are  sometimes too Hollywoodish. In  Interrupters, Steve James did it perfectly. It is real, raw, and for real. It is the story of many real people. To be honest, I did cry a lot because the film touched deep down in my story, in my fears, pains and tribulations. Yes, I am not from Chicago but I grew up in some impoverish neighborhoods or  "ghettos or  Cités ". Places where people fight everyday to stay alive inside. Where dreams are curses that alienate your soul. Where people are for real too. When my baby brother died the entire neighborhood, all his friends were present to support our family. They were family, there is beauty, kindness and love in "those" neighborhoods.... The sad part is that violence  is only a tiny fraction of the pain and suffering experienced. This documentary was able to show that violence is just a symptom. 
 The funny thing is that the first time I came to America, I landed to Chicago. I was amazed by everything. It was in summer everything was new and fun. All I cared was about cheap shopping and improving my English.  The second time, it was winter we stayed in a black neighborhood. Well, it was hardcore cold and cold. I could see how difficult it was to live there. But I felt comfortable, it is weird how when you from "those neighborhoods"  any of them feel reassuring in a weird way... Of course , I am happy that our son is not growing up in one and goes to a good school.  However, I frankly hope he gets some of that realness we got from where we from... Thank you to Steve James and Alex Kotlowitz for Interrupters.

Same Moonlight for Our Dreams...

Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass

I am in love with this book,Words Set Me Free: The Story of Young Frederick Douglass.
Our  third grader has a poster report this month. It was not easy to find a non-fiction story at his ready level. We were in the library for 3 hours!!! We picked  books on Gandhi and Einstein  because let's be honest, I did not want to go there...I really tried to avoid slavery!!However this book is so well written and the illustrations are amazing. The author and illustrator did perfectly delivered this story with grace, compassion and pride.
So we  really loved  the story of young Frederick Douglas. First, it is a true and beautiful story.  Second,  it  did encourage our son to write and believe that "words can set him free". Finally,  as parents we had to confront our discomforts about slavery and race discrimination. I wished we had access to story like that when I was a kid...
I also love this story because it is an eloquent and subtle way to teach children that nothing in life comes easily. Finally, it is encouraging me to write children books one day about being immigrant, specially when our son asks if he is African, African American, or French American or just American...
Thousands of thanks to the author Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrator James E Ransome for this book.
Thank you!!!
It is a perfect gift for African American History Month...
Same Moonlight for our Dreams

Artsy Peeks of the week

Black Raven Wash 5x7 by poordogfarm

Home by Claire Elan

Winsome by Donna Zhang

Tamia - Officially Missing You (LIVE)

 This song  is  for my baby brother...We did listen to Tamia  on the way to the airport this past  November.
I did not want  him to leave, I wanted him to stay with me a little longer.. I acted  as a big sister but I wanted to cry. I wanted to freeze time, I wanted to pause time just long enough to be ready to let him go.. .Now he is gone for real and I am missing him...
Well mourning  a loved one is painful...
But it is still the Same Moonlight for our Dreams.
Dawudi je t'aime!!!

"David Nkunzumwami est mort tragiquement en France, le Burundi a perdu un vrai patriote"by Gratien Rukindikiza

I would like to thank Gratien Rukindikiza for this touching article about my brother. Thank you!!!

DAVID NKUNZUMWAMI EST MORT TRAGIQUEMENT EN FRANCE, LE BURUNDI A PERDU UN VRAI PATRIOTE

Par Gratien Rukindikiza

 Burundi news, le 29/12/2011

Il y a des citoyens qui ont des qualités humaines, intellectuelles et patriotiques que les autres peuvent ignorer. Les plus valeureux ne sont pas ceux qui sont connus.

Il y a des morts qui emportent l'espoir et qui privent un pays d'un futur chef, capable de relever un pays. Ce sont des héros que nous ignorons et qui ignoraient même leur capacité de leur vivant.

Un jeune diplômé d'une grande école de commerce mort tragiquement, quelle  perte!

Le jeune David Nkunzumwami né le 21 novembre 1987 est mort le 10 décembre 2011 à Saint Denis, dans la région parisienne. Une douleur pour sa famille, ses amis et tous ceux qui le connaissaient. Une douleur pour le Burundi.

Qu'avait-il de plus pour mériter une telle place?

Personnellement, j'avais discuté plusieurs fois avec David. Je me suis toujours posé  la question sur son niveau intellectuel, politique et patriotique. Un garçon capable de formuler ses idées, d'avancer des solutions innovantes pour la question burundaise, d'avoir une vision apaisée sur la situation burundaise au point de captiver mon attention et mon admiration, je ne les rencontre pas souvent. Discuter de la politique avec David était une façon de se ressourcer comme jadis, quand nous fréquentions des cercles de discussions politiques dans les années 80.

A travers David, un espoir naissait. J'avais cru en lui, ce jeune nouvellement diplômé était le futur sauveur du Burundi, le futur pour incarner le futur, la réconciliation des Burundais. J'avais dit à un ami que j'ai rencontré un futur Rwagasore ou Ngendandumwe.

La mort a pris le dessus sur l'espoir. Le bon Dieu a emporté le sien sans laisser cette chance au Burundi qui a besoin des David.

En allant à son enterrement, j'ai accompagné le David, un homme physique mort. J'ai aussi accompagné l'espoir  au cimetière, le grand patriote. La douleur était double; double car il s'agissait de la mort d'une personne mais aussi parce que cette mort emportait un espoir. Physiquement, nous sommes des mortels et nous avons une petite place. De son vivant, l'homme incarne des idées qui font sa valeur. Le corps physique meurt mais les idées restent et la grandeur de l'homme reste vivante, incarnée par ses idées. David est mort mais ses idées restent vivantes à travers ses amis, ceux qui l'ont côtoyé. Espérons que le Burundi aura plusieurs David qui sauveront son peuple.

Que David se repose en paix.