blackgirl on mars: notes on a life in copenhagen (or how my alienation brings me closer to people).

Darn, can't get my poster to print properly! Well, it's for my reading next Friday, May 15th at Det Poetiske Bureau, Griffenfeldsgade 52--just in cause you're in the hood. Starts at 5pm and there will be a viewing of Charlotte Troldahl's documentary on The Calabash Literary Festival, a reading from Lennox Raphael and then I'll perform some stuff with, fingers crossed, the accompaniment of Deadato Sequir. It will be a Caribbean-themed event, with rum, reggae and rawkus. The day after I'll be performing with Shine at Christiania's Børneteatret, where we'll have Bingo night and just plain old fun and creativity. This past Saturday was a blast. Blågårdsgade had a street party and it was amazing. There were bands (Shine played there); djs; food; drink and general good vibes. Folks were out enjoying the Sun and each other. V and I got there around 5 and met up with some others and well, yeah, it was dope. What made it even cooler was that Blågårdsgade generall...

Last night, after a day of fine weather, the heavens brewed and eventually burst. With a spectacular lightning show accompanied by thunderous drum rolls, I cycled home in the rain and allowed myself to be baptized by the elements. I cycled along the lakes after a brief meeting with my, well, I guess you can call her business partner because she and I are not only in the midst of putting a show together in May, but from the sound of it, there will be many more events to spring from this partnership. Life is good. Busy but good. Saturday I threw a "Happy Spring" party in honor of someone who has recently gotten engaged to a Dane, so that she could meet some cool people. The party ended up having a lot of New Yorkers, and can I just say that my wooden floor was shaking? I kid you not. Folks were doing the electric slide, the hustle, old school hip hop was blasting from my blown-out speakers and I think I may have even burst out with the wop--but ANYWAY, it was a really good part...

The Calabash International Literary Festival is on my list of things "to do", much like Yari Yari ( Jayne Cortez directed a documentary: Black Women Writers Dissecting Globalization about this). The Calabash Literary Festival has a lot of things going for it. First of all, it's in Jamaica. And as anyone else who has been to Jamaica, will tell you, Jamaica is a special place. I'm not just talking blue water and white sand beaches either. Although I've never been to an African country, Jamaica is the only place I've ever been to where I felt close to this continent. There is something in the air, something in the spirit of the people I met with that testifies to the endurance of the human spirit. It's music is a great example of this spirit--it's devouring of Western music, only to be regurgitated, back out into the world for all the Universe's sons and daughters to vibe to. From Jackie Mittoo and other Studio One recordings to dub and dancehal...