True Love For The Culture Album Release Party

Listen To The True Love For The Culture Compilation Here

What do you create when you combine one of the loves of my brief Life, Tigi Nii, with her own undying devotion and love for the people particularly the young people? You create a brief, yet potent compilation of artists who have come together out of their mutual love, respect, and admiration for the youth to give voice to messages that were felt might enrich their souls and stimulate their minds.

The plan for the project is that it will be distributed both locally and nationally directly to youth and organizations that work with youth in a mission to spread the message in the music. The website listed above features not only each of the tracks included on the compilation, but also the method of contacting Tigi in order to obtain FREE copies of the compilation CD and its associated chapbook for your organization. The chapbook includes the lyrics to these magnificent compositions as well as bios of the feature artists and a closing message from each artist to the youth.

On Saturday, August 25th, the release party will be held at Mercury Café located at 1505 W. Chicago Ave. at 7:30 pm. The project will feature Zenif Be.P, Camil Williams, Tekhen, Karega Ani, Veronica Bohanan, and e.nina.jay. In addition to the poets and MC's already featured on the project, the release party will feature the highly talented all female live band, Molly Sue Africa. Now I was only blessed to have a single rehearsal date with these sisters, but the way they pulled together the improvisation of my backing track for this session was nothing short of marvelous.

For those who have never heard me reference myself as such, I am the artist featuring as Tekhen on the track with Karega Ani, a brilliant artist out of Detroit, and if I must make a modest claim, the track is something extraordinary. If you are in the Chicago area, check in to this event for some dynamic performances and find out how you can assist with sending this injection of love out to the heart of youth where it is sorely needed.

Peace!

Mikey------------------------------Tekhen-----------------------The AOMuse

Dance: The Cure For What Ails You

Summertime in Chicago is known for many things. Increased traffic as folks who stowed their convertibles for a harsh winter now bring them back to compete for lanes on Lake Shore Drive. The unusual notion that you are simultaneously delighted and disgusted at the daily beach report which outlays the level of bacteria that is present in Lake Michigan and determines the beach going behavior of a careful few. And never to be ignored, forgotten, or disparaged are the profuse number of neighborhood festivals held throughout Chicagoland.

If you have been aware enough to attend any of those festivals that are held in Chicago's downtown area, you may have come across an ingenious little event known to we Chicago natives as the Summer Dance. A festival brought about to celebrate low cost Sangrias, live bands from every musical genre, and the joy of people dancing on a hardwood dance floor with just enough alcohol in the blood to prevent you from talking yourself out of a good time.

I was once quoted as saying that we could cause a movement of peace across the planet if we promoted this concept worldwide. Pretentious attitudes tend to melt away when a crowd of onlookers are worked into a rhyrhmic frenzy during a jam session by the Chicago Afrobeat Project, Funkadesi, or Kokolo. There is also no shortage opportunities to learn to move with other styles to which you are not yet accustomed. If you are a brave soul, come out to Grant Park, throw back one of those $5 Sangrias and find your way to the dance floor. You may find kindred soul in rhythm such as myself. As the old mystic aphorism goes, it is only when you lose yourself (in the rhythm, some forget that part) that you will find yourself again.

I must graciously thank Ms. Ashera and Ms. Elise for attending this year's festivities with me. They were very capable of handling themselves on the floor since I occasionally become quite intense. I must also offer my thanks to that sister with the short cropped cut who rocked a tank top and a full length blue jean skirt whose Ebon complexion evoked all sorts of emotions in me beyond the dance floor. I am quite sorry the excitement caused me to miss your name. I experienced a physical rapport with you in that moment that was unable to be matched for the remainder of the evening. Respect!