In this post I will change the focus for a minute back to some images I took last spring in Miami.  These are from some studio sessions for Sekajipo and the Jungle’s debut album The Revolution of the Mind-State.  I was so grateful to meet the ultra talented and down to earth brother Sekajipo.  He is truly a Hip Hop force that is a summation of his experiences that manifest in tight banging lyrics, tinged with reggae chats, and one drop beats.  So without further introductions.  I’ll let Sekajipo introduce himself and the players that make up the Jungle.

Check the website http://sekajipoandthejungle.com/

and you can check sekajipo on facebook

And now Sekajipo

My name is Sekajipo Genes of the Reggae Hop ensemble Sekajipo & The Jungle. These photos were taken at 19 ONE studios in Miami, Fl, during one of the final recording sessions of my debut album the RMS (Revolution of The Mind-State). The artists in these shots have all been leaders in a movement of conscious music, art, and humanitarian work not only in South Florida, but throughout the country and world. It was an honor to be counted as one amongst this collaboration and to be embraced as new comer to the local music scene in Miami, Fl. Much love, respect, and God’s blessings to you all. Keep it Revolutionary – Sekajipo Genes

Sekajipo “…If I die aint no need to write me an obituary just ray the music’ll resurrect me from the cemetery.”  When the Lions in the booth, the Jungle comes alive! Nuff Said! “This is a Revolution, We Are the Demonstration Welcome To The Movement, Here’s Your Invitation!”

Welcome to LaGuardia World. Fellow Hip Hop Educator, rocked many shows with this brother, One of the dopiest emcees I know, from the stage to the booth. This brother took the energy to another level on the TMVMT track. The Street Fighter Line was classic!

Omayra La Gitana, a sistren full of spirit and excitement brought her gypsy reggae style vocals to the One World collab track.

Kavayah came through adding some sick bass lines for the TMVMT (The Movement) track.

The “one man band” Kavayah again on acoustic guitar, laying down some solo cuts for One World.

This is THE notebook containing all the RMS lyrics, surviving 5 years of wear and tear its now safely stored away as an accomplished work of art. Ran out of space inside so I started writing the chorus to reggae hop jam “Livin In Amerika” on the back. Every inch of free space counts!

Urban Artist, Painter and Bboy, Junior aka The Rumba King, the man of many trades,  bringing live percussion to the TMVMT and One World Collaboration.

Activist, Poet, Author, and good friend in heart, mind, and soul. Maeva the Artist was the inspiration behind One World, she was during her 1st sermon in church and all I could hear was Angels singing “One World, One Love”. Jammed out at a Starbucks, I took a chance singing the chorus and she did the same on her verse. The rest is history!

Sista Soulflower wrote her verse for TMVMT on the spot in the studio and Raize it UP!. 1 time for the female emcees, favorite line from her “Stay Strapped, Bus Back with L.O.V.E.”

Sean Delaine on drums doin damage to the set! met this brother at a screening on the PATH documentary in Ft. Lauderdale and had to bring him on for this project. Showing love to the future generation of musicians.

Last minute adjustments to my verse for One World. Striving for perfection even until the last minute! “In this battle to see every last one of us unite, music is the one weapon that we bringing to the fight.”

Musician, Emcee, and Engineer Final Second in the booth puttin in work as co-producer and featured artist on TMVMT. “The Youth Is The Movement!” Final is also the talent behind the people’s anthem “Hard Times”, which was later chosen as the first single off the RMS album and used for my first ever music video, with an Original Cut and Haiti Re-Cut available on Youtube.

Me preparing to strum some rhythm guitar on the One World track. 2 years of teaching myself how to play the guitar, never thought it would get to this level. Never be afraid to try something new, you just may be a natural at it! “Im just a man with a guitar and 1 mic, strumming melodies and making the best out of 1 life”

The man with the master plan DJ Brimstone127! My big brother, friend, mentor, and co producer of the TMVMT track takes on the mantle of engineer for this session as well as the majority of the RMS studio recordings. Couldnt have accomplished this project without you bro!

Soaking it all with some of the artists of The One World/TMVMT collboration at 19 ONE studios. Featuring (from right to left) the one man band Kavayah Amyn (on bass, acoustic guitar, percussion) LaGuardia (vocals) Empress of Hip Hop Soulflower Amyn (vocals) DJ Brimstone127 (engineering, vocals) MaevatheArtist (vocals) Love Revolutionary Sekajipo Genes (vocals), Drea Andrea Sylvester (chilling in the studio providing the irie vibes) and Omayra La Gintana Boriqua (vocals) All in the name of 1 Love.

Yep!  It is that time of season again.  The time when the citizens of the wealthy enclave of Urayasu head to the polls to vote for their next mayor.  I don’t know maybe its me, or maybe its my age, but I have become so jaded by the political process.  All these slick glossy images don’t pull me in; however, they do pull in my eye, and are captured with my lens.

It is time to rethink the way we are all impacted by politricks.  To deconstruct the images of the clean, and dirty politician, and see them all for what they are.

Thinking about the city of my birth Miami.

Blue Skies,

Blue Oceans

Blue

I am thankful for my family.

I am thankful for my Floridian roots.

I am thankful for the love that triumphs pain.

I am thankful every day that I can gain new insights.

I am thankful for the friends I have known and the friends that I will know.

A snap election has been ordered here in Japan after the new prime minister Kan took over a few weeks ago.  The election will take place on July, 11th 2010.  Only two weeks of campaigning are allowed.  At least that saves our ears from the endless loudspeakers that roam the neighborhoods asking us to vote for their politrickster.  Another good point is that there is a lot less money wasted on the campaigning than the pornographic amounts wasted back in the states.

The best thing for me as a photographer are the political posters.  I just love to have fun with them.  They are up all over the place and are put up on specially erected boards that each party has an assigned space.  I love to get in there with my lens and abstract, pervert the already perverted message that the politicians are trying to portray.

They have no real power.  Only the illusion of real power because “we the people” have given in to them.  The people are not ready for real change, because real change will mean heartaches.  Therefore in the meantime, as the humidity and the heat rise so does the foul stench of politics.  In return I will strive to take such ugliness and turn it into an expression.

Don’t give in to the politricksters illusions.  Go out and fight the real fight.

The sun has dipped eternally behind the horizon. It has dipped so far down that I spotted falling snowflakes in Chiba, Japan today.  Since the weather is cold, almost to the point of freeing I have decided that I must create my own sunshine.  My wind wanders to my home sitting there at the rock bottom of the map, basking in all the beauty that is Miami.  Open up that sun and send those warming rays of light over to Tokyo.  We all need that sunshine.

The mercury dropped today to mimic the falling petals of the cherry blossoms.  I guess you can say I have a bit of spring fever, waiting and wanting the warmer weather to return.  So, for those of you who want spring to brighten your day, enjoy the last of the flowers.

Fall, Falling, Fallen . . .

Sometimes if feels that I am standing on the edge of a mist that shrouds everything in mystery.  I do not know where to step, and where that step will lead me.  However, this is no reason to fret.  Take a deep breath and let the spirit wind of the most high enter into your consciousness.  Do not be afraid.  Your lost roots can be rediscovered.  The present is where you stand at any given point in time, and the future, no one knows.

step, Step, STEP

trod, Trod, TROD

soon come

The weather was gorgeous yesterday.  The sun shone brightly in the sky and it seems like my entire neighborhood headed to the park to bask in the sun and soak up the cherry blossoms.  As we walked arounf the park I couldn’t help but remember that the only reason we have this lovely park is because of the godzilla sized power lines that run the entire length of the park.

So there we are enjoying the “great outdoors” with fragments of the urban world invading our space.  But like I have said to others before, it is better to have some open space in the city, rather than none at all.  So if you can, get out there and enjoy the few urban natural spaces.  Let them be a place where community can come together and pursue peaceful pleasures.

Its that time of year again.  When hopefully the weather warms the days lengthen and the Cherry blossom trees bloom in their passing beauty.  I was fortunate to be out in Chiba yesterday and got to view some of the blossoms, because today the wind is absolutely howling.

Walking around watching the spring madness i couldn’t help think to myself the connection we should all feel with the changing seasons.  It is perfectly natural, in our DNA as humans, to appreciate the spring.  The rebirth of the land from the seemingly endless death of winter.

Here in Japan the reverence for the first flowers comes out at times more like lunacy rather than appreciation.  People gather under the trees and drink themselves into oblivion.  All the camera otaku (nerds or geeks) get their macro, zoom and other gadgets out to get that perfect picture.  Don’t get me wrong I love the spring and the changing seasons, but I love to photography and immerse myself in the frenzy of appreciation.  That spectacle is thrilling.   Enjoy the spring madness.

After a spinning set in mid town in Miami a few weeks ago, both my brother and I wanted to get a little warmness into our stomachs, so we headed to Eight Street to La Carreta.  For those of you that don’t know La Carreta is a Cuban joint in the heart of little Havana that is open 24 hours.  The food is heavy, delicious and available with all kinds of fixings.

Brimstone ordered a Plantain soup, and I a black bean with Cuban bread.  A quick prayer to give thanks for the food and we dug in.

So if it is late night and you’ve got the stomach for some good grub, head over to La Carreta grab a fresh juice and some munchies for your soul.

It is still maddeningly unusually cold for almost April here in Tokyo.  I still am using three blankets to keep warm. I keep looking though my pics to warm me up and I came across this one I shot accidentally outside my grandmother’s house.  I sums it up for me.  Clear skies and warmth that bundle you up and let you be free.

Here I am in Tokyo, under a pile a blankets awaiting a spring that does not seem to come.  Day after day the weather is cold, or the skies open and icy rain falls from the heavens.  I am not sure why, but I do know that even on a day like today I would love to sit in the bleachers on a faceless soccer field and just let my heart bask in the glory that the Most High provides with the sun.  But, for now, I will bundle up, wrap a scarf around my neck and wait for those cherry blossoms to open, or will they?

Brimstone127 and I went over to hook up with the Brass King at Above Ground Music Studio for a rehearsal for an upcoming gig in two weeks or so.  It was fab to hook up with the Brass King and chill in a studio surrounded by all things hip hop including wall to wall vinyl.  Good word sound vibrations for all.

I spent my first day running around the North end of Miami with my brother.  Fighting off the jet lag, I managed to get a few clicks in.