Cheer You Up Part 2

The sound quality is not great, but this is still BRILLIANT.  I defy you not to feel good when this is on.

And when the coronavirus crisis ends, you can celebrate to this.  And it WILL end.  We WILL win.  We WILL NOT BE DEFEATED!

See also:  This Should Cheer You Up (Bobby McFerrin). 

See also:  Bob Marley, Three Little Birds. 

Stay well.  Stay safe. 

Please share.  Thanks. 

Tribute to Gil Scott Heron - Message to the Messengers

A tribute to Gil Scott Heron, Message to the Messengers: Mi Revalushanary Frenz will be held at The Drum in Birmingham, UK, on 27th October as part of their Black History Month programme.

Gil Scott Heron was one of the most talented and outspoken spoken word artists of ANY generation. His words, with drums or with jazz accompaniment, forecast some of the issues we are facing today. See below for videos of the classic "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised".

Click here for more details of this and other BHM UK2 2011 events.



Click here for another hard-hitting version.

See below for a video of Gil Scott Heron talking about this piece.



This blog contains hundreds of Black history resources. If you type “Black history” into the search box, you can access them.

Please leave your comments below.

Chicago African Festival of the Arts

The African Festival of the Arts in Chicago celebrates the arts of the African Diaspora. 2-5 September 2011.

For details of this and more events, see Black History/Cultural Events.

Below is a video about the African Festival of the Arts.

Black History International

This year, with the election of President Obama, we have more to celebrate than usual. Check out this article about Black History International.

It includes

• Harriet Tubman


• Harriet Jacobs


• Rosa Parks


• Malcom X

African and African American freedom fighters, writers, entertainers and more.

President Obama is aware of the history of Kenya and how it affected his family. To read more, visit Obama's Inauguration.

Check it out: Black History International.

Elvis Costello and Smokey Robinson

Channel surfing the other day, I came across a programme in which Elvis Costello was interviewing Smokey Robinson on stage at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem. Two music legends in conversation.

It was a magical moment. Smokey told the story of when he met Ray Charles for the first time and Charles helped him out of a difficult situation. In fact, it would have been a disaster had it not been for Charles's intervention. Read all about it at Celebrating the Legend that Is Motown.

Smokey also talked about working with Marvin Gaye and how he "Marvinised" every song he sang - he made every song his own.

In this Black History Month/African Heritage Month, we may be very aware of the suffering we have endured and our fight for survival. It's also important to remember and celebrate the good times.

Then I saw the end credits. And who produced this TV gem? Among others, David Furnish and Sir Elton John.