For too long, Eska has been the greatest singer you've never heard of. She's performed with a staggering array of talent from Grace Jones to Cinematic Orchestra, Bobby McFerrin to Matthew Herbert - the latter also being the producer of her new, self-titled album along with Dave Okumu and Eska herself. Reflecting her history of flying way above any genre boundaries, the album skims effortlessly through classical, folk, Latin rhythms, Rotary Connection style cosmic soul, experimental soundscapes and, in this song, rugged and rootsy reggae... all capped off with THAT voice.  

Eska "Heroes & Villains" - Boiler Room Debuts

Kakilambe

AFFIRMATION OF MYSELF
by Jesús Papoleto Meléndez
	WHEN I AM Forced, by the complicated circumstances of human nature, to ponder the definition of my life and the possibility of its purpose; that there may in fact of science be a purpose bestowed upon this Spirit of myself as I walk embodied in this hu¬man form; to form a life of meaning from the sand of time before me – I am forced to this inevitable conclusion:
	That I am indeed a poet, and as such compelled to experience the totality of the experience of my feelings; to attempt in earnest the understanding of their complexity, apart and yet united with all other forms which, too, experience their own complexity;
	That I am made in a design to question everything that happens; and to attempt to be so acutely aware of every moment that passes into life as I observe it; and yet not falter in the shadow of my experience of pain; to continually seek and find the joy and miracle rou¬tinely in the daily twirl of life; to discover the extraordinary in the seemingly simple and mundane, and to report it to the peoples of the world;
	That I, whomever I am – whatever is my name in the soul of the Universe – must continue to feel life, and expose my sensibility like skin to the vulnerability of feel¬ings, needing only understand that Poetry is about Empathy – Empathy for all in life; to exercise the odd ability to place oneself in someone else’s shoes in life, and to stroll their walk in the sympathy of imagination; and that, therefore, I must be brave and strong with an intangible weakness;
	So that in the cosmic order of incomprehensible reality, I may come to under¬stand that not everyone understands everything...  That it takes the make-up of ev¬eryone in order to make up the contemporary world; And all the intelligence within it is contained in the memory of the living as inherited from the deceased; That the pre¬sent is composed of the past; and the future is but the androgynous child of their union.
And that if indeed there is a God, It has designed me so, and therefore knows my soul much more profoundly than I or you are capable to understand; thus, I have nothing to explain of myself to you, except to comment on the observations that I make myself.

" Affiramation of Myself" music by Anthony Ackee

(Elena teaches a melody to this quote: from Gleanings of the writings of Bahaullah:  Wert thou to consider this world, and realize how fleeting are the things that pertain unto it, thou wouldst choose to tread no path except the path of service to the Cause of thy Lord. None would have the power to deter thee from celebrating His praise, though all men should arise to oppose thee.)

Wert thou to consider this world

Hello and welcome to the Baha’i Blogcast with me your host, Rainn Wilson.

In this series of podcasts I interview members of the Baha’i Faith and friends from all over the world about their hearts, and minds, and souls, their spiritual journeys, what they’re interested in, and what makes them tick.

In this episode I interview Dr. Joy DeGruy, an internationally renowned researcher, educator, author and presenter living in the United States. We talk about how she became a Baha’i and her research and work creating and developing the concept of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. We also talk about how we can affect change in society, especially when it comes to dismantling racism, and we end our discussion speaking about Joy’s love of fishing.

Here are links to some of the things mentioned in our conversation:

Joy speaks of her admiration for Hooper Dunbar and mentions his book, Forces of Our Time: The Dynamics of Light and Darkness, which can be purchased here on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2mcSOmB

This is a link to the video I summarized where Joy recounts being discriminated against at the grocery store: http://bit.ly/1LRgONL

Here is the quotation Joy recited, a quotation that moves her deeply, from Gleanings from the Writings of Baha’u’llah:

Night hath succeeded day, and day hath succeeded night, and the hours and moments of your lives have come and gone, and yet none of you hath, for one instant, consented to detach himself from that which perisheth. Bestir yourselves, that the brief moments that are still yours may not be dissipated and lost. Even as the swiftness of lightning your days shall pass, and your bodies shall be laid to rest beneath a canopy of dust. What can ye then achieve? How can ye atone for your past failure?

To find out more about Joy and her work, check out her website: joydegruy.com

Be sure to ‘subscribe’ to the Baha’i Blogcast for more weekly episodes on iTunes, Google Play, or Soundcloud.

You can also stream the Blogcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ewoMT8vvoW8NaJG0rcO9n

Thanks for listening!

-Rainn Wilson

Episode 10: Joy DeGruy

A recitation of the poem 'Ain't I A Woman?' by Sojourner Truth. It is interspersed with 'responses' from the Baha'i Writings to the 'questions' posed by her throughout the poem. Author: Hermione C. Pickens. All Rights Reserved.

Ain't I A Woman - The Re - Mix(3)

Supreme Body On The Advancement Of World Peace

quotation from Abdul baha to memorize from ruhi book 13 unit 1, section 1.  the first part can be sung as a chorus between the later part of the verse, but it is presented here  for the purpose of memorization

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Geri Peak

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