Video Light

Back from Itiopia encore

Had a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone!

Hari Kunzru tells it like it is...

I get great pleasure from writing, but not always, or even usually. Writing a novel is largely an exercise in psychological discipline – trying to balance your project on your chin while negotiating a minefield of depression and freak-out. Beginning is daunting; being in the middle makes you feel like Sisyphus; ending sometimes comes with the disappointment that this finite collection of words is all that remains of your infinitely rich idea. Along the way, there are the pitfalls of self-disgust, boredom, disorientation and a lingering sense of inadequacy, occasionally alternating with episodes of hysterical self-congratulation as you fleetingly believe you've nailed that particular sentence and are surely destined to join the ranks of the immortals, only to be confronted the next morning with an appalling farrago of clichés that no sane human could read without vomiting. But when you're in the zone, spinning words like plates, there's a deep sense of satisfaction and, yes, enjoyment…

Never been a fan of Radiohead...

...but I likes this.Thanks to J Kelly Nestruck's blog.

"I was pain in the ass, maybe"

I'm writing about reggae in Ethiopia at the moment. Here are a few choice examples:

I've got sunshine...

...on a cloudy day. Seeing as all I'm doing these days is sitting in front of a computer, I tend to try and find bright spots any way I can!

Down with daggering...

Well, looks like it's not just NeYo that has a prob with "Rampin' Shop". I wonder if the ban on all things daggering related will apply to tunes like 2008 smash "Lollipop"?

p.s. Woulda embedded the vid, but the horrible font titles they've introduced on embedded youtube videos really bother me. I'm not a design expert or anything, but it's really awful--especially on blogs where people have taken the time to make their layouts look good. Boo!

UPDATE: dancehall.mobi just posted the official word from the Jamaica broadcasting commission.

Abby Lakew, awahdishallo!

I've loved these tunes ever since I heard 'em blasting from some bus driver's horrible soundsystem. She's pretty cute too.

But most importanly of all...

I appear in the Mirror with two of my favourite people--people who happen to be experts on tobogganing! If you take a look at this, take specific note of the lovely hat I am sporting. It was made by mother-of-experts, crochet-all-star and generally fabulous Maggie!

Bus a style...

The above clip is part one of a rough version of the film I'll be discussing on Saturday as part of Le Festival International du Film Ethnographique du Québec. "Temporary Sanity: The Skerritt Bwoy Story" is being shown on Saturday as part of a group of films starting at 4:45pm. Here's the location info:

Centre d'essai, Centre étudiant / Pavillon J.-A.-DeSève
Université de Montréal
2332 boul. Édouard-Montpetit, 6e étage
(Métro Édouard-Montpetit ou autobus 51)

It's good timing, actually, since I just wrote a piece about Passa Passa, a big dance in Kingston and my piece focused on dancing as much as anything.

I'm talking about dancehall this weekend at what looks like an amazing film festival

I was pretty honoured to be asked to come and talk. I'll post more about the film I'm discussing later...

Mavado nah play...

I've been thinking about the weird, born-to-be-on-a-soundtrack-to-a-flick-with-lots-of-guns-and-dudes-wearing-dark-sunglasses nature of some dancehall tunes over the past while. In the Pitchfork end of the year wrap up, I called this type o' thing "cinematic dancehall". Wayne Marshall, of wayneandwax fame, posted a bunch of dancehall meets action movie youtubes a minute ago, but I think this one (thanks to Seen) takes the cake (for the moment). Also, just reviewed Mavado's new record earlier today, so the Gully God's been on my mind.

Only he can get away with this...

Was listening to this a little loud last night and had my downstairs neighbours banging on the floor. It was worth it. C. Hamilton is the Fader cover boy this month...

Nuff said.

Again, I'm behind the times...

But I am absolutely taken by the stuff they're calling "funky house". So flippin' wicked. And cool dance moves...big step up from the Rolex Sweep. Way to go British folks! Keep it up!

Viva 2009!

As I was lolligagging through my blogs, I found Wayne had posted DJ Earworm's mashup of the top 25 or 2008. The strange sweet melancholy of the resulting track seems to me quite emblematic of the past year. 2008 was a bit of a mixed bag for this girl (always is), but I'm excited about the new year (always am). Anyhow, I'm off to indulge in one of my favourite things--copious amounts of spicy wat and injera. A great way to kick off any year (or month, or week...).