Feeding Your Focus by BIO Connect

As the universe would have it I receive an invitation to an event and remembered to read the email a few hours before the RSVP deadline. However this event was an event to top all events I’ve attended thus far in 2017 and here’s why.

Not only was Bio Connect launching their website after about a year of going strong. I also found that a small conference room filled with smart intellectuals and a phenomenal speaker was exactly what I needed to release my winter brain from its deep slumber. It was the night I got my brain into "Formation", as it were. We were ready to BloomInsideOut and tap into our own greatness. 

The speaker Nokuthula Luthuli, also known as Nox, of Bloom Marketing, had a phenomenal workshop prepared for us. Now having come from Womens’ month in August and with all the women issues faced this year, one could have expected her to go on and on about how Femicide, since its the buzz word these days. No not Nox! She took her passion, flair and finesse for public speaking and made us realise we should be focusing on “where” we see ourselves going and how we were going to get there. Now I have heard talks about how you get to your “there” and who you need to take along to get there but this time Nox dived head first into her intuition and thoroughly researched how we can feed the focus so that we never lose our touch in business and in life.

“You were born to achieve, to release your inner power…fulfill your uniqueness” says Nox.  Sharing pointers like: “What do you want and have a proper list ladies. Then ask yourself what is distracting you…” Ladies left with plenty homework to do as we all hopped into our cars to conquer what’s left of what has felt like a year that has been dragging on for more than it needs to.  

I definitely had to be very hard with myself and write a list of things I needed to focus on. But mostly restructure what I need to do to get “there”. Ladies I hope to see you at the next Bio Connect. I know I won’t be missing it. Unless I had date night of course.

For details on our next Bio Connect workshop read more here: www.bloominsideout.co.za

I am ready for your love

I am ready for you to breathe the same air as me. To be kind and inspiring with me. To be emotional and throwing bricks with me. I am ready for the laughs and gossip sessions where we asses why people are so stupid.

I am ready for the compliments and pleads of love and extra kisses. I am ready for the jam sessions in the car and harmonies. I need you like the dessert needs water. I need you for the spell of skin lightening on my cocoa butter skin.

I need a calendar. I need a strategist. I need head of logistics. I need my year planner. Consortium buyer. I am ready to family and familiar with you. I am ready to decorate and frighten the neighbours’ kids with ya.

I need a shield and evade the rains of terror. I’m ready for your manhood to mess up my womanhood. Whoever you are I’m ready for my ass to be black all over you. For my tears to be the fuel to correct all the wrongs in (our) world.

I’m ready for your view. I’m ready for the dimensions of submission and nurturing and catering and satisfaction-ary love. Do I even make sense to you. Some guy said to me I’m random today. I wanted to ask him: “So do you want a medal bitch”?

Get it real and keep it real. I’m OK with you being the love of my life, are you? 

I am a Phoenix

Just yesterday I was admiring how the screen directors of the Harry Potter movie were able to depict the phoenix. The awe I got when I understood what it looked like to have this animal explode into nothing and up from the ashes. We all have those moments. When life explodes and up from the dirt one has to dust oneself up and go.

I was trapped in one of my dark and hard places. Where I don’t want to see or interact with anyone. Luckily I have friends; my friends made it their effort that as much as depression had sucked me in, I had to keep breathing. Every time they called I was either dragging my body around waiting for the day to end or I was sleeping. I hid in the flat and I slept so much my bones started to ache. I didn’t want to open the curtains to see daylight. Because that meant people were going at their dreams and I was the only one defeated in life. I sat there with no ambition or goal to even live.

Then I realised that as the days went by I keep betraying the driven woman in me and placing the weak woman first. The weak me needed to pack her bags and leave. I know that there are plenty commitments that had me drained. But also feeling like there was no actual value I was adding to people around me in the spaces I am placed in, started to choke the very essence of me. I yearned for the heavy blanket of worthlessness to fall off and for the real me to enjoy the sunlight that is my calling in life. I wanted for so long to be one with it. A friend of mine was saying to me but you looked like you were having a blast on Social Media. I think as human beings we can fake so well on Social Media that people assume it’s the real deal. Social Media is not the real thing. It’s selling a fairytale for most people. So while I sold my story those around me, lapped it up like a thirsty dog drinking water on a hot day.

The reason for this blog post is to say, one doesn’t need to stay down for too long. I was always sure that my dark whole would have to change soon. I knew that there bills to be paid and life had to resume and the only way I could press the resume button was to change something around me, so I went out and bought new linen. There it was, my little change was my emancipation.

The Scary Grey Bearded God

People have thrown all kinds of images of God over the years. We even have cross in jewellery to symbolise a myriad of ways of how our devotion can be fashioned out. I have no problem with that. My biggest problem at the present moment is not even how we represent God and mostly on the portrayal of God being this big grey bearded man sitting on a gold arm chair ready to zap humans at any moment.

Now I have been in the church since I walked in a church with my mom, I in her belly and she accepting Jesus Christ as her lord and saviour, about eight years later I would do the same. You might say I was rather young to be doing that, committing to such at my age however he is all I had and still is this is my reality. The reason I brought my narrative through is so that you would know a bit of background. But he was never and never has been scary or draconian. He is referred to as a “jealous” God in the bible but he also says; “test me and see that I am not good” and “ask and you shall receive”. The bible (if I may use it as a referral here) also says his mercies are new every morning.

But let us take away all the things that make us assume warm and fuzzy feelings about him, or the debate that why do bad things happen to good people. If we are to look at ourselves and see that as much as our lives are hard we still have what we have and he has not zapped us or thrown balls of fire to burn us all up then surely he can’t be a nasty God? I have used scenarios and words very carefully in this post because I know who I am talking about and I have the assurance of his existence. I am saying we have gone for too long torturing ourselves with all the Sunday school stories adults created to scare us of God. His power and magnitude is something to be feared and revered but not he, his love is real and unconditional. There it is that is all of it.

Wicked Winning Woman

We never needed more women in industries in fact we never needed to be recognised by others. We needed to support each other and be happy for each other at any point in time. That saying ‘not everyone is going to be happy for you’ is commonly said in female circles and not male circles, go figure.

Having had a conversation with a friend this morning I felt compelled to write this because it is important we see where we are getting it wrong. We are getting it wrong when we are holding grudges and being jealous towards those who are doing better than us. Holding bitterness and not being strong enough to stand in the sun with a friend and say I will stand with you for your “glory” while I wait for mine. So speaking frankly in this post I would be correct in saying that we don’t do that. We don’t want to stand with another sister while she shines for how many times she shines.

I would like to say that many of the lessons we learn we learn from the female figures around us. My figure is my mother. My mother has under gone many transformations to get to her 50 something self and still she just gets on with it. But she taught me loyalty and honesty at a very young age. She stayed in a job for more than 20 years and she endured, even when others said go get better she said this is better for all the people in my life. Those people where her kids, boss, friends, church mates, family you name it. She understood that a blessing came when she knew how to bless others. So from a young age I learnt that waiting for the blessing won’t really bother me if I am supporting another. And if you get distracted enough in supporting other people you won’t have time to be jealous.

There is only one step and then we would have arrived, that is to be happy with others, before your time and after your time. Give yourself the blessing of supporting others before your turn. Not everything is about you and how you will get there. You will get there via others and you need to accept that. You can’t reach anywhere without reaching outside of yourself.

Stalker

I am so proud of South Africa lately especially when it comes to keeping up to date with new series. I am on twitter and constantly I see what folk abroad are interested in or are viewing. I was actually introduced to this series by a colleague’s friend who had come into the office. This lady and I were talking about South Africa and our different professions and interests when she said; “I suggest you watch Stalker it’s so cool it seems right up your alley”.

After watching a few jaw dropping episodes I remember immediately thinking this is happening to so many woman in South Africa. Also I remember very well saying to myself that, my little sister has to watch this, in fact I am going to force her. I am adamant that this an extremely transparent look at present day society and how much the internet and our smart and savvy phones have exposed us to even more dangerous situations.

You watch as each episode dives into the hardest scariest situation a victim could ever go through. I feel like the awareness has reached its peak internationally. We have the likes of Angelina Jolie, Emma Watson and others campaigning that more people need to support the drive of protecting our women and girls. The articles we read during awareness months turn our stomachs but illustration and visuals like the series Stalker are a constant reminder that we facing a tragic epidemic. We need to step it up and watch for tell-tell signs, which is exactly what the detectives go through in this series.

With amazing lead actors like Dylan McDermott, Maggie Q, Mariana Klaveno, Elisabeth Rohm, Victor Rasuk who play characters who work for a very busy detectives unit that investigate crimes surrounding stalking. You see the details and also the magnitude but also the effects that stalking has on people. The story line does come full circle when it points us to a serious case within the unit but I won’t spoil it for you all. All I can say is, watched it and if it’s of any interest finish the first season.

Neopitso Ft Ab Crazy – We On

It’s the first time in a long time that I have been able to listen to a rapper and actually hear them, let alone have it make sense. Neo Pitso and Ab Crazy brought their A-game. “We On” is their new release. Neo Pitso has been dubbed Australia’s best kept secret and now he is making that international move by going global with his music. 

Neo Pitso who resides in Australia has, recently announced the release of his new single “We On”. In his single he expresses his unique rhyme flow and boisterous lyrics. His lyrics speak of patiently waiting; hinting that this man has been hungry to get to the top but his rise has been one hell of an incline. With a catchphrase “obsessed with success” he is going for gold, “I keep telling them I am coming for all this”.

Neo Pitso had performed with the biggest international names in Hip Hop such as Nas, The Game, Rick Ross and Bone Thugs & Harmony when they toured Australia. Neo Pitso embodies everything a great artist should posses; it's only a matter of time before his name is on everyone's lips. 

For more information be sure to visit http://www.neopitso.com. 

Visit soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/neopitso/we-on-ft-ab-crazy

Social Media:

Facebook: Neo Pitso

Twitter: @TheOnlyNeo

Instagram: @TheOnlyNeo

Soundcloud: Neo Pitso 

Empire

I really hope this series goes all the way to the top and clenches a few awards as they have just been awarded a second season. There are not a lot of shows that can combine African American music history with in a script and still cast musicians that are actors, or at least from my opinion. Empire is about a family business and who will get to take over the family business when the father is no longer there.

The cast is a perfect fit. When Taraji P Henson (Cookie) was approached for the role in this series, she unintentionally stated that the script needed Terence Howard (Lucious Lyon). As it were they are working together and are a force to be reckoned with.  This family of five is facing a power shift as Lucios is dying but before he dies he wants one of his sons to take over the family business, Empire. So all three sons are being tested in varies ways. However it can’t be said that they all started on the same starting line.

The three sons have their own lives and own dynamics to deal with. The eldest Trai Byers (Andre Lyon) is not musical he opted to study and has been handling the books within the business since his university years. He is also married to a blonde white woman, Kaitlin Doubleday (Rhonda Lyon) which makes his ex con mother’s blood boil. The second son Jussie Smollett (Jamal Lyon) is gay and has been shunned by his father all his life. He has decided to lie low in amongst the family drama, until his mother returned and changed all that. The youngest son played by Bryshere Gray (Hakeem Lyon) is the spoilt brat. On his first encounter with Cookie, after she is released from prison, gets a beating of his life. This relationship is going to need some working on but blood is thicker than water so let’s wait and see.

With Lucious having a young new partner the gloves are occasionally on between Miss Cookie and this new leading lady in his life. However Cookie has a great grip on Lucious because of the fact that the company was started on the money she made from drugs. She makes sure he never forgets it.

Several familiar faces feature as cameo roles such as Malik Yoba, Tasha Smith and Naomi Campbell just to mention a few. Without giving too much away the cast has an interesting mixture of talented actors and musicians. I will be watching this series closely to see how well they do in the unpredictable market they find themselves in.

DHL taking Rugby to new heights.

Meet the rugby ball that’s travelled the African continent one country at a time. Ndumiso and Songi are show casing the ball all over the African continent. Africans all over may have seen three Land Rovers wiz right past them as they made it into villages and cities documenting this explosive land called Africa.

Tanzania, Gabone, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya and many others have gotten the opportunity of touching the yellow and red “DHL delivers Africa as one” ball. 1 ball, 1 continent, 45 countries, 50 000kms. From dusty streets to controlled highways, from the hills and valleys of the luscious continent of Africa, this ball will explore the richest continent on the planet, through culture language food and atmosphere the team will have plenty to write home about. A once in a life time experience, watch the team as they ride through Africa on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vET5h38Aikw

https://www.youtube.com/user/DHLAfrica

Connect with them on:

Twitter.com/dhlafrica

Facebook.com/dhlafrica

www.africaasone.com

First time failure.

I was thinking as I applied concealer under my eye bags that I have finally mastered the art of applying concealer. When did I get here, I asked myself? Judging by how well the concealer looked I thought it took me a while but I am good at it now.

The reason behind the concealer is largely because I need it to hide the eye bags that have been developing for the last two years. Let’s be honest wearing glasses all the time makes you look like an intelligent geek but does nothing for ones esteem. I really am comfortable in my own skin but being behind these intense lenses makes me cringe. I then have the glasses sit in such a way that presses hard on my face so that I have indentations and marks on where the spectacles sit.

So concealer it was. I took the step the bold step a while ago but found myself not being able to apply it properly. Until I noticed that I am now doing a splendid job at it. Then I realised that when doing it the first time I was not such a pro. In fact it took me some time. Just like anything. I remember the first time I rode a bike and how it took me three days to learn.

We fail before we win. It’s just the fact of the matter. I was listening to Oprah give a talk on Philanthropy via Youtube. She spoke of how many times she had to do it before she thought she had it right and even then she didn’t really have it right but she had learnt step by step how to correct her previous mistakes. We just get better in time. We expand ourselves with every new dream and goal set. Achievement is not about the other person. An achievement is about you and did you exceed your own expectation. 

Tresor Mount Everest Ft AKA.

From the start Tresor has had his eyes set on making jams that will stick in your mind. He has just recently released Mont Everest Ft Aka. One can clearly hear that Tresor has stuck to his original sound. Composer, Producer and Song Writer in this project it is clear to see that Tresor is a multi talented musician which is not a first as Tresor has previously worked with the likes of Zahara and Beatenburg. His guitar skill and happy-go-marry beat fit perfectly in this new track.

When I first pressed play the beat took me to my childhood memories of the 80’s&90’s with tracks from Brenda Fassie’s “Wedding Day” and Soul Brothers “Mama ka Sibongile”. Making me bop as I held the earphones closer to my ears.  

Lyrics like “kissing till our lips went numb” make you want to find your significant other and just kiss all day long. The song is simplistic and full of care free lyrics of wild and passionate love. “You should be queen of my kingdom” Aka’s first line on the track also declares undying love with a possessive undertone. This catchy track that is moulded perfectly with possessive lyrical composition will surely be on my playlist this summer.

Take a listen by clicking here: https://soundcloud.com/tresorofficial/mount-everest-feat-aka

Tresor on Social Media:
Twitter: tresorofficial
Instagram: tresorofficial
Facebook: TRESOR Official

Thank you 20-4-me

Lulu Dikana, the South African songstress passed away and I became numbed because I was asking myself how can life end so soon. A few days later a great friend of mine reminded me that this has been my best year by far. When she explained why I saw it for what it was. I have been laughing from the belly out, all year long. Sure there were those confused moments, we all have them, but mostly I had to give thanks to God for all the great things he brought my way. So thank you Amelia Perumal for reminding me of our Father’s greatness.

God came and swept me off my feet this year. I was so doubtful having left a two months job that I had received after I got retrenched. I was very frail and to be honest I wasn’t eating much due to the fact that when I have no income I never draw myself to making a meal. Instead I plough all my efforts to getting out of this bad situation. I had come to the end of me when I came into studio for a voice over and spoke to my old boss and we got talking. He employed me and in March 2014 the adventure began. I was converted to the “Happy” team.

Family was excited to see me happy again but nervous because when I work, I work nonstop. My mother and I didn’t create a schedule but instead she gave me the family car and said to me I must go do all the things I was made to do. That I should make my mark while I have the time and opportunity too. Needless to say family time hasn’t been more prevalent in my life than this year. My cousin got a baby and my niece was born 6 days after my birthday. I chose to see that as my gift from God. Images of her and I are all over my social media. She is beautiful. My sister made mom and I proud and is changing schools next year. I can honestly say family has been my happy soft spot to land on. I am blessed.

My friends. Where do I even begin to express the joy I get from my angels and bugs. The calibers of people I chose are the kind that make you laugh and make you forget all the worries of life. Some of my old friends and I started new ventures. Some of my new friends created a new definition of fun. There were Social Media friends who became my family and those people who had too much to say, you are loved and appreciated as well. To my friends new and old you have been my greatest source of refuge, wisdom, laughter but mostly love.

My job has become my professional passion. I have longed for a place where I can grow and shine. I wanted a space where my voice was heard and appreciated. Work did that and more. I have interacted with amazing human beings and seen amazing places. 2015 will have me enjoy more of this and I actually cannot wait. Social Media, my other friend, has always excited me. In 2014 I made incredible friends from Social Media, but also called on plenty people off Social Media to help me with expert advice. To everyone who liked, replied and inboxed, may my father in Heaven bless you this festive season until we meet again.

To those of you who had time to read my blog entries and other posts I have this to say; you have kept me going. May you never grow weary of doing good. Exercise kindness and love because it has been the greatest gift you have given me. Have a good rest, return and blossom in all that you do in 2015. With all the love I have to give, yours in soul Silindile Mbali Ndlovu.

Other dimensions of mom

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of driving to the rural parts of Kwa-Zulu Natal to go fetch my uncle and cousins. We then drove to Mntubatuba to a funeral. I called it a privilege because I got to transport my family and support them at a time they needed me most. What happened during this 14 hour travel will forever change my life.

I turned 27 in August of 2014. I love revealing my age because I feel I look great for someone my age, even if that greatness is enjoyed by me and only me. So when my mother suggested she take my uncle to this family funeral I felt obliged to say I will drive them, but little did I know it would be a 14 hour adventure. In the car there was plenty to catch up on.

My uncle is very old school so when women of his family/clan are around him you are not allowed to wear pants its skirts and dresses only. So I oblige every time, this over the years has made him realise that I am not a city girl raised without respect but instead have ounces of respect especially for him. This time I draped my physical frame in a grey dress and wore a little black vest underneath so that nothing was plunging and disrespecting any of the elders around me. We caught up on the village gossip and were well on our way, all in one accord to support each other in grieving.

On our return at which point neither my mother nor uncle had any intuition of driving and giving me a well deserved break. My mom yelled from the back seat “Mbali ayi usukhulile” for a moment there I heard something else. So I asked her to repeat herself. What my mother had said was that I have grown up. It took her an interesting drive into the middle of rural nowhere to realise the length and depth of how grown she is and to then realise how grown I was.

I keep telling people I know of how great my mom is and I believe these are my grooming years as I watch her do her bit in society and in the family. One day I will look back and see four pairs of foot prints; God’s, my moms, mine and my sister’s. And we will be in eternity but for now we embrace our separate callings in life as much as they are hardly worlds apart they one in the same. We are history makers born of the most dynamic mother ever.

Privilege Being Misunderstood

The token of privilege and what it means says that you are given an advantage. An opportunity someone else was dying to have. I understood the words; “you are so privileged” as noting that I not deserving, throughout my life.

I grew up in a beautiful wealthy suburb called Westville in Durban. I still live there in fact but I live alone and my mom still lives there with my younger sister. A few things have turned for us in the recent years. When I was born mom was a domestic worker. She was a single parent and up till this day I have understand mom’s life to be that of single parenting. So she had me and the couple she worked for at the time, took it upon themselves to help her raise me the best way possible. This meant I was sent to great schools. I went to for swimming lessons as a toddler and I enjoyed the best experiences when it came to life. I was different compared to my family members like my cousins and I knew it. I felt it.

Every now and again I would have situational changes in my life that meant more money or more time invested in me. Continuously mom had the help she needed especially if it was about my academics. Academically I was not strong and so I battled with Maths. People within the church circles and the circles of friendship with my mom and family would say you are privileged and don’t forget that. As if the privilege didn’t come with the heavy responsibility of doing well and not failing. I would watch my mom deep in thought as she would attempt to give me an arousing speech on how to succeed. Her call to action was always based on the premises that if you didn’t want to be a domestic servant, go to school and finish school.

Privilege is something that falls on the laps of a few. Most people’s parents work two jobs to make sure their children go to school and have the best of the best. My mother did that too but for food and clothes. Being privileged doesn’t take away having to prove yourself and having to strive for better and for more. It doesn’t exempt you from feeling like a burden when you ask for help or advice. It doesn’t stop you from feeling inferior when you are walking in the midst of wealthy people who can smell poverty from you. Privilege just opens the door and you as the person still need to step through the door and see what are the possibilities that lie on the other side of the door labelled “Privilege”. I really wish people would offer help and encourage whoever is being helped strive for better.

#MYORSUMMER Surprise

I am a fan of lovely clothing and amazing accessories. I can appreciate it on any person. It is important to me that I be comfortable but to also look good. I need to be confident in what I am wearing every time and my clothing does that for most of me.

I got an inbox a few weeks back from Oakridge. Stating that they thought I was stylish. At first my feeling was that this was a prank. I then emailed back and forth looking for any tell, tell signs that would show me that it was a in fact a joke. Eventually I realised that I was wrong. I then got my first delivery.

Weird how every great thing has its perfect timing. I was sick the day I got the Oakridge Diary. Needless to say it was delivered and I was confused, because it felt like a book. I opened the packaging and there was the most amazing journal. All nicely packaged and all for me. I then got another message and I soon found myself shopping online for my next great look.  The excitement of browsing for new looks was one of a kind. Like a child on Christmas morning. 

I wore the separate items in different occasions and found myself continuously answering questions about where I got my clothes from. Oakridge was the first response on my lips. My experience with them has been nothing but a superb. Quick deliveries. Quick email responses and a very easy and accessible way to get clothing online. I find myself in the Oakridge clothing section of Mr Price quiet often lately. This year’s range is perfect for summer. I can’t wait to do more shopping this season.

Keeping it real

I do a lot of encouraging. I support a lot of people, not financially but emotionally. I do quite a bit of listening. I say a bit because I always interject so I must still learn to master the smart skill of letting people speak. I write blogs to motivate not just you the reader but myself.  What I just learnt is an introspection rather than a motivation. I am keeping it real in this blog.

My greatest gift given to me and also that I give to others is love. This year has been a journey of introspection and reconciliation. But for the first time this year I exploded. I verbally went wild. I checked the dates in the month, trying to establish if it was not hormonal. I tried eating but I was not filling up the vacuum. It was a very small request by family, a small errand that sent me straight to crazy land. Sadly the recipients of my madness were my family. The feeling after is worse than a hangover.

I couldn’t finish my tea in the office. I cannot, not go back to very loud and up tight conversation I had in my head. As much as it was a point I was raising within my family structure. I just used the worse settings to address it. All the ways and words could have been much better. In essence I was out of line.

Now that I have put my family and others in a very interesting position I must realise that I need to control the way I address things when I feel violated. I must also realise that I must treat myself with kindness and in that way I will know how to treat others with kindness. We will never be fine with a hostile environment and we will never grow in one, so let’s not remain in hostility lets learn to ask for forgiveness and move on.  There is plenty more harm that I did in this relationship that needs fixing but I will have to start rebuilding what I broke, and not the other way around. I must call it and I must address it. This blog is just a perfect example to show how human I am. We all are but we must take responsibility what we do. It’s extremely difficult to watch the trail of damage your own words have made under the wrath of your anger.

Mend my dear heart

Mend my dear heart

Mend at every corner there will be a better car parked than the one you’re in.

Mend my heart there will be a good looking roaming eye kinda fella, you not his first stay away from him.

Mend my heart I could have promised you that it was going to be OK but it won’t you will always want more, you are a heart. You just want what that other girl has. That will never be enough.

Mend my heart you will have a family one day. It will be nothing like the mixed one you had. It will be what you make of it.

Mend my heart those Facebook and twitter feeds are not always true, some of the happiness they preach about is put on. You are no different, FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT. Or don’t fake it at all.

Mend my broken heart, he will always say he’s here but when you need to be fed his ship will sail. There are other lands he must see. More sights to sort after.

Mend my poor heart some will come to steal your joy, you will give it away anyway, very often, the well that you collect strength from will still be there, it’s not going anywhere.

Mend heart of mine mend, the bible is your tour guide. Mend because the book holds the gems of life drape your day with them daily you will be the best dressed every time all the time.

Mend heart one day all this will make sense, I promise you it will.

What you need to do is be the best you, you can be. Wounds will be reminders. Failures will be lessons and you must see the forest for the trees. Never forget who you are. You come from the abundance of nothing and have made it regardless.

Prodigal Road Winding Down

It’s not often you get to sit down at an album launch, get a cup of tea or coffee, close your eyes and vanish to another world. Where you are not expecting any returns on investments because your only investment was time. The night of Prodigal Road EP launch became a night filled with sound, lyrics, storytelling and harmonic notes.

With tracks like “With Or Without You” and “Walls”, this Durban trio have lyrical prowess like no other. Nailing notes whilst being perfectly at home on stage. This band has taken their time. A journey well travelled, at age 12, Marc Skarda knew that his calling was in music. He has been a part of a few well known industry movers and shakers, even touring the states with Tree63, music has always been a part of his life. Michelle and Bryce became the perfect fit in making a dream into a reality. This trio has poured months into making their sound a sound to be reckoned with.

Vocalist Michelle’s radiance is revealed throughout her performance. Showing nothing but joy and satisfaction her harmonies take the sound to another level. With stories being told in each song, one gets to hear the reason why they had to live, battle the beast called insecurity, defy challenging obstacles and eventually arrived to what now seems like a dream come true. Bryce is multitalented musician who plays guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums and more he featured occasionally on the night as the back-up vocals.

The nostalgia of being in your living room enjoying a jam session returned. Prodigal Road sculptured their repertoire. Making one feel like old friends catching up over a cup of tea. The night was short lived and their fans including me, cannot wait for their next performance.

My love letter to you my girl

I was tweeting and came across a tweet saying let me write myself a love letter. It was one of the formidable women I am following. So after a few tweets I realised that as much as a love letter should and would normally come from a lover, surely the word LOVE is universal so this is for all the lovely woman out there. Not forgetting to say Hloni thank you for the idea. I didn’t write this about one woman I wrote for every woman that will read it. I also wrote it for those who think love can only come for the man you are with. I also write it because I believe someone will rise from this letter and realise they were always designed in love because the one who made them is love.

Dear Masterpiece,

I LOVE YOU!

That’s all that I initially wanted to say however I feel I should say more. After realising I come from a legion of great outstanding woman of the Gatsheni clan who have taught me that Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. I have seen a Person in you and I LOVE that person.

I love that in my pain you are there to comfort me. You have kind words to encourage me, you feed me and until my stomach and my spirit are content, and then you cover me. In your home you allow my head to lie down. In my confusion you talk me through my angst. Trauma and misery, you open your spiritual being to mend and stitch me together. I LOVE YOU!

During the times that were funny you laughed with me. Told me hilarious childhood stories and anecdotes of your upbringing that happened to be similar to mine. You took pictures with me and hailed me as BEAUTIFUL. You CARED that the idea of me thinking my skin was not perfect was rubbish. You exhausted at great depth why I was fussing over things that don’t need attention. A friend, a sister, a soldier you nudge me in the right direction. The pitty party only last for a night because in the morning you are ready to exploit new avenues. The ideas bounce freely out of you on how GREAT I am. I LOVE YOU.

Do you not know that I hang on every WORD you say? I wait to see your SMILE and I long to see the HAIRSTYLE you texted and said you had changed. Do you not know that I need your fashion ideas on what next to fill in my wardrobe with or did you think we do that to just pass time? YOU were designed for ME and I for you. Sadly the “others” taught us to be savages against each other. But I want to see you SUCCEED. I want to see you be promoted out of where you are into something NEW. I want to babysit your KIDS one day while you and your PARTNER go out on a date. You DESERVE to be HAPPY.

So every morning you open your eyes and God’s glory unfolds. I wouldn’t be COMPLETE without you around. I would not have a PURPOSE to be a part of or involved in if it weren’t for you. You are my GIRL and I LOVE YOU!

STOP!

So it has been a while. This is purely because I have been busy reading other peoples blogs, reading books, trying out my hand at working out other traits in me. I have returned to music again so I am writing and singing at church. That for me will always be in the top three things I must do with my time.

That being said, the buzz on social networks has also kept me on a high always lovely to connect with a complete stranger. Family gatherings have been the highlight of my life these past few months. How my dad’s family has come to be so involved with me and how we have rallied around each other’s different ventures. I feel super blessed that the sibling rivalry our parents once had has taught us better and that we have stopped being so unkind.

I also learnt that the value of learning and stopping to gather the lesson. That we call things hard only because we are afraid of figuring out things. Of iron sharpening iron and of being real about obstacles that are in our lives. So learn to stop. Learn to let go and learn to let others new and exciting things come in.