Words of the Artist | Momodou Ceesay

Here is the radical book by Momodou Ceesay. A story about an artist struggling with the world and wanting to have an audience with God. 

Far from being a religious book this is a radical look at the way in which leaders of the world are busy turning their eyes to the truth.

Here is an artist from the Gambia, who trained in the States and speaks perfect French from the Sorbonne in Paris. He is a man now in his sixties and who has so much knowledge and life experience within his being. His voice is clear and forceful. His words from the book have been spoken at Action Aid meetings and follow a clear message of human rights and human betrayals. Here is a voice of reason and echoes the thoughts and issues of our troubled world of today.

This is a book to be read and houses 36 prints by the artist. 

Here is the link:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Knees-Before-These-Mighty-Heavens/dp/1578640660/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277737909&sr=8-1

* N.B. The price has just jumped up from £9.99 to over £20....Amazon is not the best place to buy this book. I think Momodou should have a few book launches and sell the book directly.

What is exciting about this book and it's illustrations is that it comes from an intelligent African man, who speaks the language of the masses. Momodou speaks out for all the Africans on the Continent in a language that we can all understand. 

Opera | The Rebellion

Let us look at Opera as a form of rebellion as the tartan kilt was used by the Massai in Kenya and rebel ethnic groups in southern parts of South Africa in opposition to British/English occupation.

Opera is all about the voice. The loudest voice ever. The Opera is sung in languages unfamiliar to the audiences listening and subtitles are given alongside the show in order to inform the listening what is being said and performed. Write Operas in your local languages, your tribal voices, your ethnic group tones.

Nigeria would be a classic place to start as it has numerous States and far too few are properly represented as the major 4 ethnic groups take the lion's share. It would be marvellous if the Buseni Tribe (Biseni) of Ijaw State, Nigeria were to write an Opera for Nigeria's 50th Birthday and have them perform the Opera at the Royal Opera House in London, England.

An alternative would be the Hamar or Hammere tribe in South Western Ethiopia. One of the smallest tribes in Ethiopia. It would be wonderful to write an Opera and have the Ethiopian Opera Company tour the show and premier at the familiar Milan Opera House in Italy. That would be ideal in regards to the ugly history of the past.

Our beautiful young Nigerian friend, PepperJoJo recently was awarded a 1st Degree from Birmingham University in England for her dissertation on 'HipHop in the Igbo Language' and, unbeknown to our little beauty, through her hard work she has created an academic, architectural blueprint for true rebellion to take place throughout a Continent. We applaud her efforts and wish her well in the Design & Fashion School in London. Well done PepperJoJo from this African site and all sites on Africa world wide.... XxX

AfroCaribbean Opera | World Tour

Gates to Intent

We need more education.

What is your intent?

We need more love.

What is your intent?

We need more understanding.

What is your intent?

We need more clean water.

What is your intent?

We need more money.

What is your intent?

We need to ask the right questions.

What is your intent?

Intend to be brilliant.

Today.

Tomorrow and forever and ever.

Awomen, Amen.

JP. 2010
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So.....What is my intent today?

What do I intend to do on this very day? Well maybe we can change a few things around a little...just maybe.

I understand we have wonderful singers on the Continent of Africa and throughout the Caribbean. Why don't we ask for an Opera to be written and created and performed worldwide.

Let us start at the Milan Opera House and move to Paris and then London and finally ending up in Sydney. Let us put pressure on the main vein of high culture. I, personally know that Prince Baba Tunde Epega loves Opera and he spoke on an LA radio interview as having been to an Opera in Lagos last time he was there.

Let us make the impossible....POSSIBLE.

The idea is to find those that write..not words but notes from the many countries of Africa and the Caribbean. To find those that sing and love to listen and sing. We need to have an all black cast from Africa and the Caribbean. We must find those that write music.

Write not about 'Slavery' or such that those listening, dressing up in their monkey-suits and paying $200 plus for their comfortable seats, so they may think less of the AfroCaribbean but write about love, lust, envy and success of a Continent and the magic of the Islands. Write about positivity and shine through the words written, in song and play through the positive notes written. Once created and appreciated the Africans and the Caribbean's will create an Opera Renaissance globally. This should be our approach to the world. As leaders rather than followers.

Who can write music and would like to write an Opera?

Who can sing?

Who would like to sing an Opera?

Artists awake, awaken yourselves to the possibilities of all those on your side...rather than be excluded.

What is my intent?

Well, today I just thought it may be a good idea for my blog to suggest otherwise and see what happens?

Why not and tomorrow we will find the best Opera Singers throughout Africa and the Caribbean....Why Not? There are plenty.

We need to be in contact with Masman, Peter Minshall of Trinidad. Let us look at the mask once more. An unveil a positive different cultural face to the world.

This will be successful. World wide and the world will ask for more Operas to be written and so write more. But ensure that every Capital City within Africa and the Caribbean are ready for others to descend and return with their touring Opera Company so start to build Opera Houses from Accra to Nairobi. Cairo to Jo'Burg.

Opera is a commodity like GOLD, DIAMONDS, PLATINUM, COBALT or OIL.

Listen to the voices and see the true VALUE.

African and Caribbean Architects awake and think of building an Opera House for your Capital.

Opera Architectural Project Next Week...with Berend van der Lans....as an overseer....check him out on Twitter....or see his website:

Archiafrika |  http://www.archiafrika.org/

The Cure for Malaria

Neem (Azadirachta indica) is a tree in the mahogany family Meliaceae. It is one of two species in the genus Azadirachta, and is native to India, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,Malaysia and Pakistan, growing in tropical and semi-tropical regions. Other vernacular names include Neem (Hindi, Urdu and Bengali), Nimm (Punjabi), Arya Veppu (Malayalam), Azad Dirakht (Persian), Nimba (Sanskrit and Marathi), DogonYaro (in some Nigerian languages), Margosa, Neeb (Arabic), Nimtree, Vepu, Vempu, Vepa (Telugu), Bevu (Kannada), Kohomba (Sinhala), Vembu (Tamil), Tamar (Burmese), sầu đâu, xoan Ấn Độ (Vietnamese), Paraiso (Spanish), and Indian Lilac (English). In East Africa it is also known as Muarubaini (Swahili), which means the tree of the 40, as it is said to treat 40 different diseases.

Neem is a fast-growing tree that can reach a height of 15–20 m (about 50–65 feet), rarely to 35–40 m (115–131 feet). It is evergreen, but in severe drought it may shed most or nearly all of its leaves. The branches are wide spread. The fairly dense crown is roundish or oval and may reach the diameter of 15–20 m in old, free-standing specimens. 


This is the 'Sacred Tree'. The tree loved beyond all others. This is the "Tree of Life".

The Neem tree has long been the prevention of malaria in Africa.  It acts a disinfectant for the liver, where malaria develops.  In the presence of the Neem, malaria is not given the opportunity to develop and is ultimately broken down.  The Neem is the most common tree in West Africa and a branch with some leaves is readily available to boil as tea.  It is suggested that it is taken once a week, as excess can weaken the liver.

Doctors will say that there is no vaccination for the disease, but actually there does exist a homeopathic vaccination.   Newton Labs has tincture that should be taken at least one month before travel.....

If you should get the disease, there is a Chinese herb called artesunate, also readily available at most pharmacists in West Africa. 

Dreaming About Bees

Bee Dreaming

Dream about the bees!

Not the birds but the bees.

The African and Caribbean bees!

Muddles has bees up the chimney stack.

The Queen has come and is in the house.

The reality is here! Joy is in the air...

Dream about the bees!

Busy buzzing, busy being bees, buzz, buzz.

Just Dream!

Muddles African Caribbean bees are in the house:

Wise old owl is Tessa, the unpredictable genius.

The hive is forming and the soldiers working.

The Queen has arrived. The Queen is in the house.

Dream about the bees! 

Dream about the bees and their honey-cane plantation.

The honey is slowly dripping on the firebacks today.

Natural sugar for the household, for efforts made.

Dreaming the dreams of the equal insect

and the idea of the greater good.

Dreaming the dream of equality,

stupidity and the natural order of things.

We see things differently but clearly at Muddles.

The African Caribbean Dream will be realised.

Joy is in the mix and part of the messy Muddles.

The dream has been dreamt now.

All we need to do, is simply to wake UP!

JP 2010

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Love to Tessa Pollitt of "The Slits": The greatest bass player and human loveliness of all time. X

TONY THE TERRORIST

                                                                  Tony the Terrorist

Tony the Terrorist,

the new King of the Jews.

Making them do things.

Bad things, terrible things.

Things unbecoming of Jews.

Tony the Terrorist,

the new King of the Jews.

Has them killing children.

Starving populations.

Becoming a natural disaster.

Tony the Terrorist,

the new King of the Jews.

Cares less about others

And more about land.

Unpromised with hate.

Tony the Terrorist,

the new King of the Jews.

Smiles as he kills.

Chuckles as he waves,

in a New World order.

JP, 2010

Please take a read of the £2 billion Gas Reserves Found off the Coast of Gaza. My British Gas bills went through the roof this month...now I know why. Cheers Tony the Terrorist!

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/46534,news-comment,news-politics,will-palestinians-ever-benefit-from-gas-reserves-off-the-gaza-coast

Pedestal People

Put me on a pedestal, raise me up as high as Admiral Nelson.
Put me on a pedestal. Let me have a word in Nelson's shell-like.
Put me on a pedestal. Let me whisper in the ear of the Admiral. The Victory is ours. Put me on pedestal and raise me to the sky.
Put me on a pedestal.

Let us look down at our Victory Ship. Our message in a bottle.
A Member of the Empire created this ship. A decent member of the Commonwealth has had his day. This Black British: Englishman of Nigerian decent: This Nigerian/British living in the United Kingdom......

This Englishman. This Artist has spoken. Put Yinka on a pedestal and raise him to the heights.


The Voodoo Flags are flying in the Victory Ship today.
Put us on a pedestal. Raise us as high as high can be.
Put us on a pedestal. Put us on the map.

Yinka put me on a pedestal when I was on Facebook; "Too-Busy To-Work" and he told me to do this as an art piece. He put me on a pedestal so put him on pedestal. He is a 'Pedestal Person' like you, like me!

He sails in and sails out like a tidal wave. Put him on a pedestal...our Sail Out King. Put him on a pedestal. I too want to be a Sail Out, just like our King.

Every aspect of this work is so considered. Too considered. Too commercial. Do you think Disney could have done better? Hardly. This is the Creation of the Yinka; our Sail Out King.

Sail In: Sail Out.
Hail to the Yinka. Our Sail Out King!!
Long Live the Yinka. Long Live Our King!!

Slavery. Injustice. Social Inequality. It is done and dusted now.

Never to make us think any more. Ever never ever about such things or times...again!

Amen.

Joe Pollitt, 2010