Saturday, January 27, 2024

A00061 - Cloud 9 on MLK Day

 Today is MLK Day in the United States.  It is also Martin Luther King's actual birthday, and it is also the day I chose to retire from the City Attorney's Office for the City of Richmond.  I chose Martin Luther King's birthday for my retirement day so that I would always remember my retirement day by remembering Martin's most famous speech, -- the "I Have A Dream" speech



by remembering how Martin stirred the crowd on August 28, 1963, with this thundering conclusion

"And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring. And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!" 

and by adopting Martin's last words in the speech as my own retirement motto:

"Free at last!  Free at Last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Usually to commemorate my "Freedom" day, I like to go to Encinitas and meditate on the meaning of the day at the Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Garden. However, this year, for reasons personal and professional, I have ventured to the Philippine island of Siargao 


which is home to the surfing mecca known as Cloud 9.  

As I walked along the pier that ventures out into the ocean waters where the waves are generated so powerfully, I could only reflect on this Freedom Day with great appreciation and to contemplate a trailblazing song that won Motown it's first ever Grammy Award some 55 years ago. 


Despite the hardships, sometimes Cloud Nine can be achieved.

Happy MLK Day everyone,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
General Luna, Siargao, Philippines
January 15, 2024



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Friday, January 5, 2024

Alphabetical and Numerical Listings (1-60)

   Alphabetical Listings

A Meditation on John Coltrane A00048

A Musical Meditation on Rumi A00038

A Tale of Two Memorial Services A00051

Ahmad Jamal, R.I.P. A00029

Amazing Grace A00044

Art Laboe, R. I. P. A00017

Barrett Strong, R.I.P. A00023

Blue-Eyed Soul Singer Bobby Caldwell, R. I. P. A00028

Book of the Month for February 2023: Autobiography of a Yogi: The Yogi and the Dream Weaver A00045

Book of the Month for December 2022: Cloud Empires: John Perry Barlow A00020

Burt Bacharach: The Victorville Years A00025

Dakota Staton: A Hidden Gem of History A00032

Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas in August A00014

Elza Soares, The Brazilian Voice of the Millennium A00030

Freshlyground A00060

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song A00024

Hallelujah Revisited A00026

In Celebration of Coltrane: The Real Ambassadors and the Monterey Jazz Festival of 1962 A00016

In Praise of Omar A00056

Irene Cara, R. I. P. A00019

James Caan, Amherst College Memories and the Theme from Brian's Song A00013

Jim Seals and Summer Breeze A00010

Jim Seals' Diamond Girl A00011

La Vida Es Sueno A00006

Mary Ellin Barrett, R.I.P. A00015

Meditations on Rumi: The Music of Shujaat Khan A00002

Meklit Hadero A00004

Music from the Barrio A00055

Must See TV for August 2023: PBS: Independent Lens: Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary A00035

Must See TV for January 2023: PBS: American Masters: Roberta Flack A00022

My Tribute A00033

Native American Indian Heritage Month A00018

Owamni and Yoasobi  A00050

Robbie Robertson, Native Son and the Leader of The Band, R.I.P. A00042

Roger Whittaker, Anglo-Kenyan Singer of "The Last Farewell", R.I.P.  A00047

Samara Joy A00027

Sara Tavares, R.I.P. A00058

Shuhada' Sadaqat, R.I.P., and Welcome to the Realm of the Ancestors A00037

Sidney Poitier, R.I.P. A00005

Songs for Native American Heritage Month A00001

Summer of Soul: Oh Happy Day! and Precious Lord, Take My Hand A00008

The Golden Time of Day A00009

The Healing Power of Soul Music A00039

The Healing Power of Soul Music: A Divine Addendum A00040

The Immortal Life of Art Laboe A00054

The Integration of Country Music A00052

The Lasting Legacy of Madame Butterfly A00031

The Magical Wonder of Route 66 A00036

The Memorial Service: Shaman's Call A00043

The Memorial Service: The Guiding Scripture A00046

The Nearness of You A00007

The Songbird of Asia A00057

The 'Spiritual Wonder" of Van Gogh's Starry Night A00034

The Weekend Theme Song A00053

Thom Bell, R.I.P. A00021

Tio Feco y El Rey A00003

Unborn Child A00012

Vincent van Gogh Masterworks by Rosalind Ormiston A00041

Wild World A00049 

Zahara, R.I.P. A00059

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Numerical Listings 


A00001 Songs for Native American Heritage

A00002 Meditations on Rumi: The Music of Shujaat

A00003 Tio Feco y El Rey

A00004 Meklit Hadero

A00005 Sidney Poitier, R.I.P.

A00006 La Vida Es Sueno

A00007 The Nearness of You

A00008 Summer of Soul: Oh Happy Day! and Precious Lord, Take My Hand

A00009 The Golden Time of Day

A00010 Jim Seals and Summer Breeze

A00011 Jim Seals' Diamond Girl

A00012 Unborn Child

A00013 James Caan, Amherst College Memories and the Theme from Brian's Song

A00014 Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas in August

A00015 Mary Ellin Barrett, R.I.P.

A00016 In Celebration of Coltrane: The Real Ambassadors and the Monterey Jazz Festival of 1962

A00017 Art Laboe, R. I. P.

A00018 Native American Indian Heritage Month

A00019 Irene Cara, R. I. P.

A00020 Book of the Month for December 2022: Cloud Empires: John Perry Barlow

A00021 Thom Bell, R.I.P.

A00022 Must See TV for January 2023: PBS: American Masters: Roberta Flack

A00023 Barrett Strong, R.I.P.

A00024 Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song

A00025 Burt Bacharach: The Victorville Years

A00026 Hallelujah Revisited

A00027 Samara Joy

A00028 Blue-Eyed Soul Singer Bobby Caldwell, R. I. P.

A00029 Ahmad Jamal, R.I.P.

A00030 Elza Soares, The Brazilian Voice of the Millennium

A00031 The Lasting Legacy of Madame Butterfly

A00032 Dakota Staton: A Hidden Gem of History

A00033 My Tribute

A00034 The 'Spiritual Wonder" of Van Gogh's Starry Night

A00035 Must See TV for August 2023: PBS: Independent Lens: Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

A00036 The Magical Wonder of Route 66

A00037 Shuhada' Sadaqat, R.I.P., and Welcome to the Realm of the Ancestors

A00038 A Musical Meditation on Rumi

A00039 The Healing Power of Soul Music

A00040 The Healing Power of Soul Music: A Divine Addendum

A00041 Vincent van Gogh Masterworks by Rosalind Ormiston

A00042 Robbie Robertson, Native Son and the Leader of The Band, R.I.P.

A00043 The Memorial Service: Shaman's Call

A00044 Amazing Grace

A00045 Book of the Month for February 2023: Autobiography of a Yogi: The Yogi and the Dream Weaver

A00046 The Memorial Service: The Guiding Scripture

A00047 Roger Whittaker, Anglo-Kenyan Singer of "The Last Farewell", R.I.P.

A00048 A Meditation on John Coltrane

A00049 Wild World

A00050 Owamni and Yoasobi

A00051 A Tale of Two Memorial Services

A00052 The Integration of Country Music

A00053 The Weekend Theme Song

A00054 The Immortal Life of Art Laboe

A00055 Music from the Barrio

A00056 In Praise of Omar

A00057 The Songbird of Asia

A00058 Sara Tavares, R.I.P.

A00059 Zahara, R.I.P.

A00060 Freshlyground

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A00060 - Freshlyground

Listening to Zahara and Brenda Fassie, brought back fond memories of my 2007 journey to South Africa and hearing an infectious song by an interracial group named Freshlyground



This interracial group seemed to me to be what the future South Africa would be all about ... a rainbow nation fusing black and white together into a new nation of racial harmony.  I was especially enchanted by their earworm hit "Doo Be Doo"


This experiment seemed to reach its peak with the 2010 theme song for the World Cup that was held in South Africa.  Teaming up with Shakira the "Waka Waka" song was heard around the world and brought new prominence to Freshlyground


Sadly, the promise of the 2007 South Africa has not been fulfilled, 


but the memories of what might have been and what could be, are still fondly held.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California 
December 23, 2023

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com <skipjen2865@aol.com>
To: 
Sent: Monday, December 18, 2023 at 07:46:01 AM PST
Subject: Zahara, R. I. P.



I recently became acquainted with a young South African singer by the name of Zahara.  


Zahara recently passed away


Not since the great Brenda Fassie has there been a South African with such a voice and impact on the people. Please listen to Umfazi


and Nyamezela



and Izolo


and Phendula 


to hear the artistry of this musical icon. 

Unfortunately, like the great Brenda "MaBrrr" Fassie, Zahara has also left too soon  

But for millions, she will always live in our hearts

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins

P.S. Both Zahara and Brenda Fassie were favorites of Nelson Mandela.  But Brenda was a powerful voice during the early days of the Democratic Republic of South Africa


and her signature Vulindlela still resonates 


just as it did for Nelson Mandela in 2001

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A00059 - Zahara, R.I.P.

I recently became acquainted with a young South African singer by the name of Zahara.  



Zahara recently passed away


Not since the great Brenda Fassie has there been a South African with such a voice and impact on the people. Please listen to Umfazi


and Nyamezela



and Izolo


and Phendula 


to hear the artistry of this musical icon. 

Unfortunately, like the great Brenda "MaBrrr" Fassie, Zahara has also left too soon  

But for millions, she will always live in our hearts

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
December 18, 2023

P.S. Both Zahara and Brenda Fassie were favorites of Nelson Mandela.  But Brenda was a powerful voice during the early days of the Democratic Republic of South Africa


and her signature Vulindlela still resonates 


just as it did for Nelson Mandela in 2001

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Thursday, January 4, 2024

A00058 - Sara Tavares, R.I.P.

 

All too frequently, a beautiful songbird leaves this plane of existence all too soon. 


And when that happens, we are left with the songbird's songs and we wish that the songbird was still here.  I invite you to listen to the following songs by Sara Tavares and meditate on the fragility of life but the eternal beauty of song

Balance



Nha Cretcheu



Eu Sei



Peace, 

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
December 15, 2023

December 15, 2023
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