Tunes Tuesday: Fatoumata Diawara

I think I want to make Tuesdays (or at least one Tuesday per month), a day where I feature artists that I enjoy. This won’t always be new releases but rather TK’s picks. I’ve always been a fan of world music and the many languages and genres performed. Sure, I grew up listening to plenty of West African music and the extensive catalog of Bob Marley as a child (thanks Dad!) but growing up, my favorites were 90s R&B, 90s and early 2000s pop, and dance music. World music for me at a younger age included likes of UK artists Jamelia, Sugababes, and Mis-Teeq/Alesha Dixon with a little bit of Shakira, Marc Anthony or Enrique Iglesias’ Spanish versions of their English language hit singles. Hey, I was still a kid so my concept of world music other than Bob Marley was slightly skewed!

Anyway, my music appreciation first began to change when I got into more Latin artists (pop, rock, etc) such as David Bisbal (LOVE!), Juanes, and Camila. Studying Spanish may have helped with that. Then came the discovery of Putumayo music collections, I started getting into more of these wonderful sounds. Of the many collections, my family and I collectively own, some of my favorites include Latin Reggae, Music from the Chocolate Lands, and Women of Africa.

Speaking of women of Africa, I would like to spotlight a beautiful artist I became familiar with last year. Her name is Fatoumata Diawara. Fatou, as her debut album is called, was born in Cote D'Ivoire to Malian parents . She later moved to France where she had a career as an actress . Music, however, was a passion of hers and led to several performances and the release of her debut album, Fatou in 2011. I came across her while browsing albums in a digital musical store and after previewing the first 2 sound clips, I immediately had to purchase.

Official video of single "Bissa":

I’d describe Fatoumata’s musical style as very soulful and jazzy with rich, soothing vocals and her performance style as very engaging and dynamic. She is not only a great singer but a beautiful guitarist backed by a very talented band. The musicianship of these performances is outstanding. Energetic without being unfocused or over the top, the performances are expressive. Besides her voice and music, she uses her body to express the lyrics and feelings behind the songs. Her dancing is beautiful and a welcome layer of interpretation. It really makes me wish I were in Europe (or have the ability to jet set) to see her perform live. That’s one of my dreams--to see some of my favorite artists in another country. So curious to experience the energy of another culture, another crowd enjoying one of their favorite artists. But in the absence of those resources or a DVD for sale, I am thankful for YouTube! Through YouTube, I’ve had the opportunity to view not only music videos but also to watch her live performances. To say I’ve been mesmerized is an understatement. Forget that there’s a language barrier, rhythm, emotion, and passion are universal!

Here’s a clip of Fatoumata describing her music (interview in English + performance of Clandestin):

Below are a few live performance clips and music videos because I could sing her praises to the moon but you should simply watch!  Seriously, search for her on YouTube, you will NOT be disappointed!

Live performance of "Kelé " in Amsterdam (stunning!)

Alama- live performance

Bakanoba- official music video

NPR feature:

http://www.npr.org/event/music/168491351/fatoumata-diawara-globalfest-2013

Support Fatoumata Diawara and purchase her album “Fatou”.  Available in the U.S on iTunes and Amazon.

I’m a fan and look forward to her next projects and tour dates! Somebody release a DVD! I’ve visited London and cities in France and would love to return as well, especially if it includes a performance by the incredible Fatoumata Diawara!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FatouMusic
Twitter: @FatouDiawara

One love!

The Challenge is ON!

 

I wouldn’t describe myself as competitive by nature but when a positive challenge is presented, please believe I will go for it. By positive challenge, I mean tackling a new project (with some degree of difficulty) that will present a beneficial and healthy impact on my life. With that said, I’m taking on the challenge to better my overall health. Back in late December, I started up with a new nutrition and fitness regimen. That’s right, I did NOT wait until January 1st to take this approach. LOL. So what is the approach? I amped up my workout regimen and seriously evaluated and modified my diet. For me, it’s some parts weight loss, some parts toning, some parts looking amaz and all parts healthy. Having a healthy body just makes you feel good! This great energy then manifests it way into other parts of your life, such as your mindset, attitude, and relationships.

What’s the challenge? Well, my fitness studio is hosting a 21-day challenge for members to tackle their fitness goals. The 21 day end date coincides with Valentine’s Day, so there’s that incentive too for those interested in that aspect, lol.  The official winner will be the one with the greatest total body transformation, though everyone who does this and makes strides on their fitness journey IS a winner. While I was already on this journey to do this anyway, I think 3 weeks of competition (with myself--because we all know we are our greatest competitor) could be another healthy boost.

So how am I doing this? Well I’m choosing a fitness system where I work out intensely a minimum of 4 days a week, including strength training with a trainer/wellness coach. Burpees aren’t my best friend but I have a feeling I better start showing them love :-) I’m also focusing on nutrition. The lure of junk food is everywhere but there’s no shortage of nutritious AND delicious options out there. I’ll share some of my favorite meals and snacks in future posts but I will say it does take a little research. By research, I mean Google...as in it’s totally doable! The first step in any of this mental and being READY! You can do it!

 

And with that...let the challenge begin!!

 

Weekly round up: Polar vortex, Burpees, and garlic gloves?!

For the week of January 19-25, 2014

This has been an interesting week. This weekend was a holiday weekend (observance of Dr. King’s birthday), so it meant a nice 3 days. By nice, I literally mean nice because it was very mild outside. Little did we know, a weather monster called the polar vortex would strike again.

So I’m trying to get more prepared with my healthy lifestyle transition because, as we know, a failure to plan often equals a plan for failure. I will not fail. So I dug out some old magazines with recipes, visited the supermarche (I just love French words!) for lots of produce, and set up my fitness plan. Sounds good right? Right...except

image from dreamstime.com

The polar vortex had other plans! Tuesday, I was all amped to go to work and then hit up my new favorite lunch crunch class (30 minutes of high intensity) but there was snow in the forecast and everything was closed. Plus the temperatures were to rapidly drop to some crazy numbers like 15 with wind chills of -4. Yeah, that can’t be real life in the DMV. Could it?! I digress. Fortunately, the instructor/trainer/health extraordinaire where I’ve recently been training is awesome and supplied me with a home workout. The workout included lunge jumps, planks, and burpees among other torture workouts. Oh how far I’m coming along. If someone had told me to do burpees previously, I would’ve 1) blank stared followed by 2) glared and then 3) groaned. But alas, I’m getting stronger and can feel summertime approaching (or maybe that’s just the heat in my place blasting). So burpees it was. Rather than my usual Top 40s/reggaeton/island mix, I decided this called for some Ultimate Dance Divas. Yeah! Take it away, Deb!

 

Fast forward to Thursday and dinner time. I mean when we're dealing with subzero temperatures and snow, what else is there to do but cook? After already powering through a superfood vegetable soup masterpiece on Tuesday (I wish I thought to take a photo, next time!)  and a great greens smoothie (yums but again no photo!), it was now time for some Turkey Bolognese, the quick version recipe. Just to preface, I have made this dish before but this was a new recipe and the speedy, healthy version. Anyway, so among other veggies, the dish calls for 2 garlic cloves, so I put what I think to be 2 with my other ingredients and keep it moving. Before long, all ingredients are combined and it’s cooking. But something just doesn’t smell right.  Even if you don't cook often, the nose knows.  Trust me.  I smell garlic but I also knew that the batch of yellow onions I had was strong. I’m wondering “what is the deal?” but proceed on. I even added lots more tomato paste, trying to even out the flavor. But to no avail. The taste was just not there. I even added traditional (plain) spaghetti sauce. What in the world is wrong with this dish?! At this point, I’m thoroughly frustrated and disgusted and about to throw the whole thing away. This dish was a FAIL of epic proportions. My sister comes in from work and tries some (after also adding ingredients) and is like “meh” and “when you’re hungry, anything tastes good.” Gee thanks! LOL So as I recount the ingredients, she says “you used 2 cloves, the small pieces, right?” and it hits me. I thought a clove was the whole white bud. I mean I peeled it but I thought all the tiny pieces counted as one clove!!! Oh MY. As we laughed hysterically at my fail moment, it all clicks. Here I was swearing to never use fresh spices again when the problem was I misunderstood the terminology. The dish failed but as with any mistake, a lesson was learned. Moral of the story, don’t give up because of one bump in the road or in this case...because of too many cloves in the Bolognese! It’s OK, you can laugh. I still am!

 

 

 <-----NOT a garlic clove!  

 <----------these individual pieces are a garlic cloves

 

 

P.S.  I didn't let that stop me because today (Saturday), I prepared a lovely dish of grilled chicken, coucous and vegetable medley and leafy greens.  Yum!  Moral of the story?  Life is all about trial, error, triumps and a little bit of laughter.  Oh and yes, I will NEVER forget what a garlic clove is ever!

Until next time, my friends!

Let's Move!

So I just concluded my first two weeks of going full throttle with fitness.  I wanted to make this a high priority for 2014, though I technically began on December 29, 2013.  The first couple weeks are the hardest because you feel some changes to starting to occur but they're not fully visible and evident to the eye. 

To give you some background, I'm someone who enjoys exercising.  Crazy right?  I like the gym and taking classes at fitness studios.  However, where the mind might have been willing, the schedule and other considerations were not always so flexible.  I typically have an ebb and flow where I get all into it and then slack a bit and resume and repeat.  Usually this coincides with the seasons.  However, this time, I decided that I want to take back control from all these other factors and just move towards overall better health.  I believe there are three keys to success when engaging in a healthier lifestyle:  exercise, nutrition, and mindset.  Everyone knows about the first two but mindset may be the most important of all because if you're not mentally prepared and *ready* to make the commitment, it will be so easy to slip and then fall completely off the wagon.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I finally have the mindset to take control, live fully, and aim to be ready to conquer.  You've gotta see it to believe it!

So how did I jump start the exercise portion?  By going cardio-heavy and working out 4 days a week.  The goal is no less than 3 days, no more than 5 days for now.  A little rigorous, but hey, you've gotta go full out.  The key is to find stuff you enjoy.  I love Zumba fitness because I like the combination of dance + cardio + the international party feel.  So both weeks were filled with that.  I also like a solid treadmill run to either accompany another workout or as a standalone.  Strength and toning is also key and I tried a session that felt good and left my muscles sore (a good thing!).  In these winter months, that will likely be the routine. 

If you're wanting to exercise and are ready to commit to getting fit, do it.  There's never a wrong time.  Take baby steps.  After you've gotta crawl before you can walk but just get moving.  Stay tuned for my progress updates on fitness and my attempts at recipes and cleaning up the nutrition side.

2014: The Year of Ready

 

 

Something about saying that year just seems different. I know, I know. The coolness factor of saying a two-thousand year has been out since...2000 or 2010, right? But for me personally, this year truly feels different, like the year of something exciting. And it’s not just because this is the year of the World Cup in Brazil. Yay! It’s something greater, like I feel that I can finally just break out free from all of the invisible chains. The cynics out there would probably say I’m still under the illusion of “January/New Year/resolution” thinking but I beg to differ! You see, for me some of my excitement over 2014 stems from experiences in 2013. Allow me to explain…

Last year was a bit of a rollercoaster in some ways. I experienced highs and lows. I had some new experiences, reconnected with some people, and towards the end gained new determination and clarity of goals.  On the flip side, I saw friendships weaken and practically dissolve. I experienced some stressful times that I had to manage though the aspects of which were beyond my control. At times, I felt betrayed, used, alone, frustrated, and just tired. But through all of that are lessons. When it comes to people, we are all subject to change. I’ve learned that you just have to let it be. Life is all about timing. We have to be ready for friendships, relationships, love, opportunity, and change in general. Sometimes in order to say hello to the next phase, you have to say goodbye to the old and be ready. That doesn’t mean close yourself off in fear of feeling pain. Life is also about experience. Personally, I took some chances and dove in 100% and quite frankly failed. But so what? Would you rather be guarded and live 50% or give 100% effort, love, etc.? I know which one I’d choose. Again, experience and timing. Sometimes things happen the way they do because they are preparing you for something better. If that’s the case you’ve got to be READY.

Speaking of ready, people who know me well know that I’ve always *wanted* to travel. Well after years (and I mean years) of European dreamin’, I finally did it! Talk about a highlight! London! Paris! Nice! Monaco! Are you kidding me? For someone who’s never even been to California, I got on a 7+ hour flight to London. Seriously?! It may sound cliche but the trip was very eye-opening. Not in the sense of experiencing different cultures but in terms of how far I’ve come in terms of personal growth. I toured things on my own, muddled through currency exchanges and semi-language barriers. Now I want to travel to even more places! I highly recommend going abroad. I will write a separate post about my travels because I’m just that excited still!

Anyway, the low of heartache and the high of global travel and the determination to make this my year, I honestly feel ready to run free, let my voice be heard, and shine BRIGHT! So follow me on my journey towards better health, happiness, living purposefully and everything in between. I’m stepping up my Twitter game (@ImSoResilient) and finally getting into this decade w/all the social media.  And yes, I WILL be consistently blogging this year.  Get excited :-)

What will 2014 bring? That new opportunity you’ve been craving? Getting into the best shape of your life? New friendships? The love of your life? Something wonderful you’re not even expecting? Nobody can truly say but optimistically speaking, will you truly be ready?

 

Cheers!  Happy New Year!  To quote Zumba's new slogan, guilt is so 2013.  Indulge in 2014!