Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Post V (6/5/11 Weekend Con't/ People's Fair & Drumming Circle& pics)

 This is a continuation from Post IV, so if you get confused, just read the previous post!

Saturday (6/4/11)
A whole new day.  Today was the day for the Peoples Fair, and another opportunity to sell some cd’s.  Mary from Bayard had invited me, which again was a big Blessing. 

Now check this.  I was at the laundry matt early in the morning because they wake us at 5:30 and we gotta be gone by like 8 or something.  So I’m at the matt hecka early washin’ a load, burnin’ cds, and transposin’ a poem from audio to paper, because my memory is shot.  Anyway, I step outside to smoke a square and rehearse a few pieces in the parking lot.  I’m in my zone reciting this new piece I had found and been working on.  And there’s this cat, Ivan/Tragic who is there smoking a square as well.  Now what trips me out is that he’s listening, but I don’t even know he is.  I butchered the end of the poem, but he says, “that was deep as hell man, I ain’t heard no shit like that in a minuete.”   So we get to choppin’ it up and he tells me his story about how he is an ex-banger/dealer who now does motivational speaking.  Tragic is a good dude from what I gathered.  I got his number and will probably hit him up sometime this week to see what the business is.  It just tripped me out, because I never got a compliment like that off some humbug shit—Denver is nuts, I love it!!

So I got all my cd’s ready and headed to the fair.  Now the fair was cool, found Mary and the booth with no problem, hell Mary even bought me lunch—it’s a reason she’s named Mary…lol.  But anyway, the fair was packed, and once again, I was feeling nervous as hell.  See Mary had invited me to perform and do my thing, which was a blessing, but there was no mic, we were sandwiched between two stages, people would either be amazed, pay me no mind, or have me arrested….lol.  So I chill for a good bit, then tell Mary I’m going to go for a walk to calm myself.  I now know what a panic attack is all about…that stuff is scary when you’re sober.  I take a walk, talk to some people, smoke a square, get a bit of confidence about me, and head back to the table.  I tell Mary, I think it’s time to do some poetry—she supports me fully, I Love Me Some Mary!!!!!

I stepped to the front of the booth, and began to spit Acapella, during a quiet time between two stages.  People looked at me at first like I was crazy, but I persisted on.  (Hell, that ain’t the first time someone looked at me crazy—and I doubt it’ll be the last….lol)  So I kept performing, but people lost interest about a quarter of the way through.  It was cool though, I didn’t get any sales, but I did it.  I was brave enough to try it.  I kinda knew from walking around that it was the wrong environment, but I’m gaining my good craziness back—and that felt great!!  The other great thing that happened Saturday was, I went down to one of the music stages, and got a flyer from this guitarist.  Now dude was a artist so I hit him with my story and let him know that I got cd’s and the white brotha bought one.  That was PEACE!!!  It got me feeling good and stuff, so I did get some hope.  He said he would call me about maybe doing a show or something, but I haven’t heard from him, but its cool though—I give Thanks to The Most High for that!!!

I ended up leaving the fair, and hooking up with my God-send, her daughter, and her friends daughter.  We walked and talked  all up and down 16th Street Mall.  We saw the musicians, got to know each other, and the Queen got herself and her daughter’s friend a journal.  It was a peace evening, a peace walk, and a peace time.

Now Saturday night I was pretty depressed and bummed out, but coming back to the shelter man, the brothas here uplifted me at dinner.  I have hooked up with some elder brothers who have been down some roads and been helpin' me out.  So when they saw me Saturday night, they just looked me out, and lifted my spirits.  So I was able to put the bad things in perspective and put stuff behind me.  I went to bed feeling pretty good about myself.

Sunday(6/5/11)
Now today was the last day of the People’s Fair, which to me was a bit of a bust financially, but other than that, it was a cool spot, good people (Mary, LaShawn, and the Bayard folks) and good music; plus it was free, so the Fair is all peace in my book.  So the plan for today was go to McDonald's to help one of the brothas out here, then hit the fair, then hit the 16th Street Mall (to play sax, and maybe get some donations as a street artist) then go to the drumming circle at 5 points. 

The day started off well, got up got dressed, was running a bit late, but it was peace.  brotha out.  However, when I got there, he had already headed out—dern, sorry for him, but I had to keep it movin’.  It was around 7am when I got back to the shelter and saw my elder brother who was heading to a church to get some breakfast.  I wasn’t doing anything and had some time to kill so I walked with him (Hezikyha, I believe is his name) up to the church.  Now the great thing about this brotha, is that he is like me—he got a drinking problem.  The other great thing, is that he realizes it and is working hard as hell to stop.  Yesterday he went to a AA meeting, which was great, and today was like day 1 sober—he made it all the way through.  We walked and talked, saw some other brothas we knew from the shelter walking the opposite direction, and stopped and spoke.  My lil’ African brotha from Ethopia—Manny, was one, we finally exchanged numbers, then Hezikyha and I kept it moving.  We got to the church, ate, and then bounced.  I told him my next stop was the Fair, and he said he’d come down there with me. 

It was around 9ish, when I grabbed my sax and we headed down to the fair.  Now my elder brotha, is also a character, got the gift of gab like Jesus must have had.  We get to the fair grounds and he’s asking the event people about the hiring for clean up jobs.  It felt like we were talking a foreign language to the folks because they just didn’t get it, but we motivated on.  We were walking by this stage, where this gospel jazz band was getting ready to perform.  Now my elder brother being the kind of person he is, put me on out there, because the band was composed mainly of horns (trumpet, saxes, trombone and flute.)  Now this other elder brother Frederick who plays sax says, “lemme hear what you got man”.  So I’m all like, I don’t really play….blah, blah blah, but between Frederick and Hezikyha, I was made to pull out my sax and toot what little skills I got.  I don’t think Frederick was impressed or nothing, but the brotha gave me the opportunit1y and his number, so I’ll hit him up just to see.  We stayed to listen, and I mean those brothers got down!!  Brother Frederick said they didn’t do well because their heads wasn’t into it, but if you heard the performance they gave, the brothers were AWESOME!!!

After that we headed to the Bayard booth to see Mary and LaShawn.  Things were peace at the booth.  Hezikyha didn’t stay long, he introduced himself to Mary and stuff, but later he motivated on to continue his day.  I hung around at the Fair a little bit longer than originally planned, partly because I was scared to go down to 16th street mall and toot the horn for pay.

See my God-send had suggested on Saturday, that I go to the mall and try spittin’ with some brothers who were drumming.  I actually ran into a brotha I met a few weeks earlier, at the mall on Saturday, and he put me up on game.  So when Sunday came, I was down for whatever.  Now when I left the fair and was headed down to the mall, I didn’t hear musicians like I had the day before.  However I was looking for a good spot.  I was told that I couldn’t stay in a spot for longer than an hour.  So I eventually found a spot, didn’t see any police, pulled out the horn and started to toot.  Man,  my opinion of my sound was that I did a terrible job….but I did it.  I actually had three people come by and hit me off.  I was scared and nervous as hell, but I did it.  I only stayed and played for about a hour, but I think I made just enough to get a pack of squares.  So yea, 16th st mall, I will definitely be back.  I didn’t do any poetry, but the sax will be getting better, I plan on that.  I may not ever be a great street performer, or make enough to live off of it, but I feel comfortable enough to keep trying.  I saw some of the brothers I met here at the shelter, and they are so very encouraging, that is a wonderful thing.  I am humbled and honored that the Most High has put it on them to bless me in that way.  I know that all things are possible through the power of the Most High!!

So I packed up the sax and began to walk back up the mall.  I stopped to write some poetry, smoke a square and peep this performer who was made up to be a statue.  She was taking donations, and performing, but it was all makeup and standing—impersonation of a statue—it was dope, and she was getting mad donations!!  But a part of me thinks that we do this not really for the donations, we do it for our art man.  I also met a brotha who be-boxed for a quarter…he hit me with a dope beat-box, and I hit him with some change—gotta support hip hop.  I hit the statue impersonator with something too.  So yea 16th St. Mall is cool….I just gotta keep my eyes open for the cops, so they won’t mess with me, brotha don’t wanna get a ticket.
As I was heading out, I hooked up with another shelter brother who plays piano.  See Denver has these pianos up and down the mall that anyone can stop and play.  So we stopped by this white guy that was playing, and chatted with him for a bit.  Now the white boy was good, my brotha from the shelter is good too, but not like the white boy….i don’t’ think.  Anyway, a couple came by and we had a niiiicccceee little conversation.  It was fun at this point, my fear, and anxiety was gone, I did what I had to do, and wanted to do—I was peace.  So I chatted it up for a bit, then headed to 5 Points for the drumming circle.

Now the drumming circle at 5 Points is peace, because it reminds me a lot of Auburn Ave., in Atlanta.  All my peoples were there, and they’re nice, welcoming, and have food—praise the Most High.  The last time I attended the circle, I played bones mostly and pinged a bit on the xylophone.  However, today, I jumped on it, grabbed a drum and did my thing.  This was the 1st time I’d ever drummed before in my life.  It was fun fun fun!!!!  My hand hurts a bit, but I think I drummed better than I played the sax….lol. But as always the circle was good….reconnected with some kings and queens from the community, so it was peace as always—GIVE THANKS TO THE MOST HIGH FOR THE COMMUNITY!!!   And they had the beans….Now when I went last week, that was the 1st experience I had with the beans, and they were bomb…this week no different….BOMB. 
And the drumming circle was dope.  The energy that I got from the circle was amazing.  The different rhythms, and connections, and ….. I can’t put it into words….you just need to come through 5 Points on a Sunday after 2pm and drum with us.
Its 12:25….and I’m getting sleepy.  This weekend was a roller-coaster….I climbed, I fell, and climbed again.  I give thanks for the weekend, it’s peaks, valleys, twists, turns and loops.  The Most High has watched over me with great kindness and caring.  I will continue to walk the path that The Most High has given to me, I will continue to Give Thanks, and spread the joy, knowledge, and understanding that the Most High provides me with. 
In ending, I Give Thanks, and will continue as long as the Most High provides breath….Give Thanks.

Drumming Circle Pics
Yes we get the kids in the drumming circle..it's all about family
















See this is my definition of community, who says the brotha's don't work with the kids...c'mon people, we got positive blackness in Denver!!!

No comments:

Post a Comment