Cesaria Evora: Queen of Morna

Tribal Immunity Artist of the Week

Genre: Morna, Coldeira, Fado
Origins: Mindelo, Cabo Verde by way of Angola
Similar Artists: Tito Paris, Bau, Lura, Tcheka, Mariza, Mayra Andrade, Maria Alice
Albums: La Diva Aux Pieds Nus (1988), Distino di Belita (1990), Mar Azul (1991), Miss Perfumado (1992), Cesária (1995), Cabo Verde (1997), Café Atlantico (1999), São Vicente di Longe (2001), Voz d'Amor (2003), Rogamar (2006), Radio Mindelo (2008), Nha Sentimento (2009)

Coming from the islands of Cabo Verde, Cesaria Evora has been the center of the Lusophone [Portuguese speaking] music scene for over 20 years. Also known as the Barefoot Diva for performing without shoes, Evora embodies elegance with a voice that needs no translation. Cesaria has such a beautiful and lush contra-alto vocal range, singing of Cabo Verde and Africa while enchanting her audience with songs of love, heartbreak, bliss, and nostalgia. She has influenced a generation of Cape Verdean performers as well as artists from all parts of the continent. Known as the queen of Morna, (a music and dance genre native to Cape Verde) her music has caught the ears and attention of audiences around the world.




For more on Cesaria, check out her website @ http://www.cesaria-evora.com/

by Nana B.

Everyday Health

STAY AWAY FROM ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS
If your body cannot naturally produce the ingredients then it should not be consumed. These are the toxins that keep people from a healthy lifestyle. They also are the reason why most people have a hard time losing weight when they want to. It is also important to limit your intake of genetically modified foods as much as possible. Make sure that you do research on the foods that you consume on a regular basis.




DRINK WATER
Water is the easiest way to cleanse your digestive system. Avoid flavored and vitamin waters when doing a detox or cleanse because these products contain ingredients that may add toxins to your body.




EAT FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
The rawest, the better. Fully cooking vegetables drains the plant of its natural healing properties and nutrients. If you are going to cook vegetables, try to cook for as short a time as possible. To make eating fruits and vegetables a habit, try eating a fresh fruit for breakfast and incorporate a combination of fruits and vegetables into your other meals.



Further Reading:

FDA: Food Ingredients and Colors
Artificial Foods Definition
Artificial Ingredients Trigger Weight Gain
15 Healthiest Fruits
Benefits of Water

CHECK OUT THE TRIBAL IMMUNITY SAMPLE SALE!

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Beauties of Antiquity

Black Woman and Child...

Bleaching, Relaxing... Burning!!!

Many will argue that they bleach or relax their hair because they want to, not because they are trying to be a more accepted member of society, a society that promotes European standards of beauty, including skin color and hair texture. What I find disturbing is that Africans throughout the world have been bleaching and relaxing for the exact same reasons, yet no one wants to admit the deep self-hatred that exists in our community. This blog is not about hurting anyone's feelings or making anyone feel less human for doing what they find to be right, it is about showing those who do make these choices the downside of those choices. These topics must be address because people killing themselves for beauty is not beautiful...

BLEACHING BURNSMany Women and Men who bleach live in tropical locations
[Kenya, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Senegal, etc.]
which lead to higher risks of burning and skin cancer

For most, Sammy Sosa's skin bleaching is comical...

for Africans, it's another story of a brother far gone...

Relaxer Burns...

Your hair and scalp may not look like this
but imagine what toxins have seeped into your scalp from years of relaxing...
...the residue from these chemicals remains under your scalp for life!

PLEASE READ MORE ON THE EFFECTS OF RELAXERS AND BLEACHING PRODUCTS!!!

I leave you with this song...

Food for Thought

So, due to the conveniently, inexpensiveness of McDonald's food, many located in the inner city eat here often, and it does not help that the establishment [with its seriously unhealthy food] markets to black folk excessively... This is capitalism at its extreme worse. The power that the McDonald's corporation has worldwide defeats the purpose of having capitalism... kinda like communism in China... No wonder the U.S. and China are best friends.




At the end of the day, they know that Blacks don't have ownership power so they market to us... We have little mom-&-pop run businesses, therefore we are high on the consumer list and low on the producer list... So don't think that just because we are represented in advertisements and some executive positions that we are gaining acceptance...

SELF- SUFFICIENCY!

OmegaD.

Music Sampling: Wale

Wale: "My Sweetie"... Sampled from Bunny Mack "Let Me Love You"

Wale "Pretty Girls"... Sampled from Backyard Band: "Pretty Girls"

DC in Snow

It's not a winter wonderland after the 8th inch...and it's still snowing...

Would much rather be here...

Op-Ed: Saving Our Children???

With most tragedies in the African world, of course it does not come to a shock for many of us when people other than ourselves get involved, especially in the case of Caucasians adopting children from third world countries. This has been the case for many countries and now it is especially the case for Haiti. I have so many issues with this I really do not know where to begin, so I will proceed with a list of arguments:

1. THE DEPENDENCY THEORY
Most supporters of international adoption will argue that a child may have a better life in a developed country, away from the civil wars, famine, and other devastations that have occurred in the child's homeland. For many, this is a way to save the downtrodden youth of the third world and supposedly give them a better life. So, as whites continue to believe that they are the dominant race, they then have this belief that they are the saving grace of 'little' poor people, but what they fail to realize is that after they have adopted these children, the country their child came from continues to be in turmoil. If one was to believe in the development of a nation and its people, or if one wanted world peace and prosperity for all, then why do they choose to take a child away from all that they know instead of just donating the money so that the child and his/her family can live in a more stable situation. In most instances, people give their children up for adoption, not because they want to, but beacause they cannot afford to. So this of course puts a person considering adoption in a position where they can (a) provide donations and assistance to the family, or (b) adopt the child and be on their marry way. In most cases, they choose (b).

Questions: IF IT'S NOT A RACE THING WHY DON'T I SEE ANY BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE ADOPTING CHILDREN FROM RUSSIA? WHY DO WE ONLY SEE UPPER/MIDDLE CLASS WHITES AS SAVING GRACES?...This is a device to keep oppressed people in a situation where they are defenseless and seem sub-human.

2. RAISING A KINKY-HEAD
With the adoption of a child that is not of your phenotype comes the dilemma of trying the tame the aspects of the child that are a part of their identity. Not saying that combing a child's hair is a major problem [now that you have online blogs to help], but what happens to these children as they get older and have no one that looks like them in their family? On a whole, the African world suffers from a deep identity crisis and it is no help to our cause for us to also have to deal with the fact that some of 'our' children were forced in that situation, nor does it help the child have a grasp of their true identity in this world. At the end of the day, what questions will this child ask as they get older? Will they not want to know about their birth parents and what they are doing? Will you tell them that their parents died from disease, civil war or from natural causes? Will you explain to them that you were their only saving grace.

3. THE PROBLEM...
The problem in the third world does not exist because people of color want it to be that way. In most, if not all cases, these people are suffering due to the actions of formal colonial [European] and imperialist nations. So now you have people from these vampire-like nations who are going to the same countries whose problems exist because of the West. Then you have these adopters [not adoptive parents] taking children to the lands of their oppressors, or former oppressors. Many of these African countries are ruled by those who are as dark as its people, but most of these rulers are backed by the same countries in which these adoptive parents live.

IMAGES ARE VERY POWERFUL...

You see these poor children and mother, and you think to yourself "these Africans are so defenseless, they have so many children with no father around". Then African woman equals poor with children, then ultimately equals sadness.

THEN YOU SEE...

In the news, when we see these pictures, most think "hey, they look so happy". Whiteness helping blackness then ultimately equals happiness...


Look at the picture of Madonna above... the great white hope, looking at these cute little poor children, wondering how they could be so poor, yet so beautiful...

by OmegaDivine

Recent IMF News in the Caribbean

IMF Executive Board Approves $114 Million in Aid the Haiti

Press Release No. 10/17
January 27, 2010

"The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund today completed the sixth and final review under Haiti’s Extended Credit Facility and approved an SDR 65.5 million (equivalent to about US$102 million) augmentation to the facility, that will help Haiti cope with the aftermath of the massive and disastrous earthquake that struck the country on January 12, 2010. With the approval of this additional financing, a total of US$114 million will be disbursed by the end of this week, constituting the largest amount made available so far to the Haitian authorities after the earthquake..." [To Read more click here]

This loan comes after the devestating earthquake in Haiti and is claimed to be beneficial to Haiti's growth. When the earhquake hit the IMF promised to relieve Haiti of its over 100 million dollar debt, but we all should know that a promise is a comfort to a fool. I would only hope to see a statement that the IMF has relieved the previous debt, but one can only hope...

More Resources:
Jubilee Debt Campaign: Haiti

IMF Approves $1.27 Billion Loan for Jamaica

"The IMF approved a $1.27 billion loan to support Jamaica’s plan to recover from mounting government debt, weak economic growth, and the effects of the global economic crisis, the international organization announced on February 4...." [To read more of this article click here.]

There are 2.8 million people living in Jamaica, and the International Monetary Fund claims this loan will be beneficial to the growth of the Jamaican economy. To truly understand the history of international organizations in Jamaica please read more. I also recommend that you watch the documentary Life and Debt [featured on the Tribal Immunity blog last week] to have a better grasp as to why Jamaica is one of the poorest country's in the Caribbean.

"How the IMF Wrecked Jamaica" is also a pretty informative article about Jamaica's relationship with the IMF on socialistworker.org.

by OmegaD.

Beauties of Antiquity

Celia Cruz and Alison Hinds

Celebrating a Legend

On this day 65 years ago, a prophet was born in the small farming town of 9 mile, located in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica. Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley's music and activism has inspired revolutionaries alike, not to mention his impact on the spread of Rastafari throughout the world. We at Tribal Immunity owe our existence to men and women like Marley. Many know him as a singer, but for those who respect him, he is an uncle, brother, father, a prophet. His music is always there to give comfort to the downtrodden, even in these times. So today, we dedicate our blog to a man who gave hope to millions of Africans, and as we listen to our music today, let us play one of his songs… He’ll be listening with us…

The Wailers with the Jackson crew

Walkin' with style

Bob Marley: Music Evolution

Discography

The Wailers

[1965] The Wailing Wailers
[1970] Soul Rebels
[1971] Soul Revolution [Part I&II]
[1971]The Best of The Wailers
[1973] Catch a Fire
[1973] Burnin'
[1974] Rasta Revolution

Bob Marley & the Wailers

[1974] Natty Dread
[1976] Rastaman Vibration
[1977] Exodus
[1978] Kaya
[1978] Babylon by Bus
[1979] Survival
[1980] Uprising
[1983] Confrontation

Life and Debt

by OmegaDivine

• Release date: April 2001
  
• Directed by: Stephanie Black
  
• Narration Written by: Jamaica Kincaid
  
• Music by: Mutabaruka
  

When thinking of underdevelopment most people think of sub-Saharan Africa and fail to realize that the connection between African people extends through more than religion and art. The economic disparities of African people throughout the world are due to many different factors, and the documentary Life and Debt focuses on how the International Monetary Fund turned a self-reliant independent nation upside-down.

Many people know Jamaica for its tourism industry and the beautiful arts and people, but little know of the hardships that exist on a day to day basis on the island. Life and Debt is a phenomenal film that tells the story of what people in all third world countries go through on a regular basis. With the beautiful use of music, personal interviews from Jamaicans and members of the international community, Life and Debt helps its audience to understand why the majority of Jamaicans, though so vibrant and historically important, are suffering under the vampire that is globalization...it also may explain why so many are willing to give up their lives on the island and immigrate to the U.S. and Europe.



For more info on the Film and Original Soundtrack: http://www.lifeanddebt.org/

True Love = African Love

by Nana B.

African love is a love that is defined by our culture without the constraints of Eurocentricity. Is love to the African man and woman the urgency expressed in touch or is it the raw rhetoric used to express our feelings for each other? The lack of conversation surrounding our own perception of love in the African community is serving as a major disadvantage to the growth and health of our people. We look to movies such as The Notebook and Titanic as the models of everlasting love. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet represents for many of us the ultimate sacrifice for love. This is a problem that grows with the advancement of technology and the media within our reach.

The love between a Somali woman and Somali man in Mogadishu, the cross continental relationship of an Ethiopian man and Ghanaian woman, the love shared between a Jamaican man and Gullah woman differs extremely from what we are shown on the silver screens of western nations. Love and Basketball and Love Jones are not the ultimate portrayals of African love. They don’t even come close. The love shared between Teacake and Janie in Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God should not be end-all of what love is supposed to be for African people.

In response to the horrors of civil wars, slavery, and colonialism, we have often been forced to suppress and hide our emotions as means of survival and defense. The fight to keep our identities (languages and names) has always been tied to the fight to protect and provide for our families, and for over four centuries these basic human rights have be devastated by the European [and Arab] imperialism.

Don’t get it twisted, we are meant for each other, yet we have convinced ourselves that the African population [worldwide] is not large enough to continue our legacy. We refuse to confront and heal the wounds of the past, which has turned into the reality that many of us don’t want to bring African children into the world out of fear, shame, ignorance, and selfishness. We don’t want to speak of the pain of rape and abuse (verbal and physical) inflicted upon our men and women for over four centuries, nor do we want to examine the European roots of this violation and its evolution in our community, where we now see African men and women picking up where master and mistress left off.

This is not a F*** the white man/woman article, this is an article that wants to examine why we f*** the white man/woman… Why do we hate anything that reminds us of ourselves? I believe that African women and African men are meant for each other historically, biologically, physically, and psychologically, and spiritually. But in an attempt to conform and move past the pains of slavery and colonization, we have managed to convince ourselves that color doesn’t matter. This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed in our homes, amongst our people, within our novels and movies, and ultimately all throughout the global African community

I am not here to define what African love is but I am here to be the catalyst of a revolution taking place in the hearts of Africans world-wide. What is your take on what African love is or should be? Once you have a firm understanding of your own perception of African love, talk about it. Our words are our most powerful weapon in a world bent on the destruction of all things pure and untouched by the “wonders” of modern globalization, a world focused on the destruction of tradition and culture, a world that is against the advancement of African people.

We have so many love stories that have yet to be written. Even throughout all of the chaos, throughout all of the jubilation…African love has never (and will never) cease to exist.

True Love = Pure Love = African love

Nasio Fontaine: Conscious Contributions

Tribal Immunity Artist of the Week

By Omega Divine

Genres: Reggae [Conscious]
Origins: the Commonwealth of Dominica
Influences: Joseph Hill, Burning Spear, Jacob Miller, Bob Marley and Cadence musicians Chubby and the Midnight Groovers
Albums:
• Reggae Power [1994]
• Wolf Catcher [1997]
• Revolution [1999]
• Living in the Positive [2003]
• Universal Cry [2006]
• Rise Up [2007]

Nasio Fontaine is one musician who is not given enough credit for his contributions to the World of Reggae music. A true talent and inspiration, Fontaine has recorded about six albums and uses his gift and strong faith as a form of resistance. His music definitely speaks for itself, and as a grassroots artist, he has a raw talent that is missing in a lot of contemporary artist's music. Many argue that Fontaine sometimes copies Bob Marley's unforgettable stage presence, but nonetheless he has proven critics wrong with his unique talents and socially conscious lyrics. We hope to see more from Nasio...

For more on Nasio check out his webpage @ www.nasioreggae.com

Omega Divine's Picks: Coconut Oil and Shea Butter

Skin and Hair Care

These are just a few items that I find to be very useful for the hair and skin, especially during these cold winter months. Just remember that when you but these items that you should use the purest form possible, because some hair and skin products may be too harsh or lead to even worst conditions for your hair and skin.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of the best natural nutrition for hair. It helps in healthy growth of hair providing them a shinny complexion. Regular massage of the head with coconut oil ensures that your scalp is free of dandruff, lice, and lice eggs, even if your scalp is dry. Coconut oil is extensively used in the Indian sub-continent for hair care. It is an excellent conditioner and helps in the re-growth of damaged hair. It also provides the essential proteins required for nourishing damaged hair. [Organic Facts]

Shea Butter

Shea Butter is only found in the tropics of Africa. It is extracted from the nuts of the Shea-Karite tree which begins to bear fruit after about 15 years; and can take up to 30 years to bear a quality crop of nuts with a high content of irremovable fatty acid. It is this irremovable fatty acid that gives Shea Butter its unique healing properties and makes it far superior to cocoa butter and other vegetable butters... Most Shea Butter comes from West Africa. Although a more soft and smoother variety from East Africa is beginning to appear on the market. [Treasured Locks]

Uses: works for fading scars, eczema, burns, rashes, severely dry skin, dark spots, skin discolorations, chapped lips, stretch marks, wrinkles, etc.