Music Is Life

Tag: blog

  • Review & Reflect

    Title of Blog Post # 1 

    Class Disparity & The Price of Survival

    The author of this post did a great job of connecting the struggles of everyday people in society. As I read this post the song titled Evil is Going on came to my mind immediately. This song would be a really good addition to the authors position because the economic disparities are so visible that it leaves one to wonder if the “upper class” is just laughing in our faces. Casual rides to space while many on the planet live by subsistence demonstrates that evil is going on. This post strikes the chords of Afro-Pessimism as it speaks to the systematic dehumanization in which society has put luxury over basic needs.

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    The quote about Monday not being so different from a Tuesday was equally as powerful and it embodies the spirit of Afro-Pessimism in which the grind of day to day life is constant. The only thing that changes are the names they’ve chosen to describe the day of the week. It’s the same Evil day playing out from sunrise to sunset disguising itself with different vowels and consonants. As it pertains to feedback this song is important because it speaks about a season of Evil that has seemed to surround us perpetually. The author says “Suffering keeps Suffering” and the fact that Evil is Going Onward is undeniable. Who has waged the war against us? Is it true that I shall only eat my bread through the sweat of my brow? Genesis has declared it. Ever since we fell into this dimension where the chief musician of the Holiest place became a creeping thing. 

    Title of Blog Post #2

    The Weight I didn’t ask for

    The woes of this author’s life really felt personal to me. I too come from a family that migrated to the Land of Milk and Honey for a better life. As I read this post I was reminded of the song Titled Born under a Bad Sign. I believe it’s a good addition to the authors post because it’s rich with cultural memory and Identity. The author speaks about constantly being on the go and not getting a chance to slow down. Even when laying in bed the pressures of high expectations where there. being robbed of sleep speaks to the resilience black cultural life. Is it a generational curse or was the author just born under a bad sign? This story is the story of the Diaspora and what World Citizenship means. 

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    The song Born under a bad sign could really elaborate on the authors plight because the songwriters speaks about being down since he begin to crawl. He goes on to say that if it wasn’t for bad luck he wouldn’t have no luck at all. The pressures of being the one who carries the family after a huge sacrifice is a really heavy weight to carry. The verse that says my life has been one big fight speaks to the author directly and this is why I think this song is a perfect depiction of the heaviness of cultural resistance.

  • God is Standing By

    I really enjoyed this song because it is filled with hope, strength and faith. The level of racism that is being exerted from the ruling class is really a lot to stomach. lately I’ve been feeling like I’m just in place of limbo but this song soothingly reminded me that God is standing by my side at all times. In the beginning of the song the melody is calm and then later on it feels like the song becomes more militant. I felt like I was in the crowd jubilating. The message is clear and direct. No matter what is going on God is right there by my side regardless of the trouble and the strife that surrounds us. The class warfare that’s being waged against people who are deemed to be second class citizens is unbearable at times but as I listen to this song I’m reminded that these are old social problems that have always existed. We always get through it and this song is has a wonderful message of hope. Black Existentialism is the Blues Theory term that was evoked during this listening.

    Jack of Diamonds

    This song was really cool and as I listened to it I realized that I’ve been playing the Jack of Daimonds for the majority of my life, I wouldn’t have put any other way. I’m an Aries so naturally I’m a risk taker. Since I was about 7 years old I felt like I was dealt a bad hand but I’ve had to make the most the cards that were dealt to me. I really like how the artists melody was chaotic throughout the whole song. He went on to say that in every situation he came up against the Jack of Diamonds was in his hands. The Jack of Diamonds represents courage and initiative, a hero, and willingness to take risks. I’ve lived through 2 hurricanes that took the roof of our home in the Caribbean both times and we really didn’t have the 15 cents to turn into a dollar. Fema failed us and we had to collect firewood to cook a meal after catching some fish and those times prepared me for all the tough times that life decides to throw at me. Bring it on! The lyrics in the song repetitively reminded me that no matter what situation was presented to me I faced it with courage no matter the end result and I am still here. Cultural memory and Identity is the Blues Theory term that was evoked during this listening.

    Sinner’s Prayer 

    This song is so universal in my opinion, it speaks to the tough economic times that I’ve been facing due to the Macro economy. The lyrics and melody embodied a tone of lamentation. Tough times can fall on anyone suddenly and you naturally ask yourself what did you do wrong to anyone, so the sinners prayer to God makes this song so powerful because at one point or the other we’ve all faced economic hardship and the remaining question is why of God why? Ray Charles said that he used to have plenty money, the finest clothes in town and then bad luck and trouble overtook him and he proceeded to cry out to the lord to please have mercy on him. This verse was so real to me because things can get so tough that you can’t even remember when you bought yourself a nice t-shirt just to be able to look good and feel good on a nice spring day. The question of why bad luck has befallen me definitely makes me question who did I wrong. Is it karma because that entity sure comes at the wrong time. But the cause of my suffering is something that will remain a mystery until I surrender to the process and see what lesson God is trying to teach me this time. This song is a hit in my book and I’m a true music lover. The Blues Theory that was evoked during this listening was the Blues Aesthetic. 

    I’d like to share this song with you all because it also embodies how I’ve been feeling lately. It’s  titled Sitting in Limbo by Jimmy Cliff. Its really Bluesy, enjoy!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjU8L6go1VA