The 4th Annual Latin Jazz Show Festival visited Dogwood Dell last month featuring a variety of live Latin entertainment. Headlining was legendary Panamanian Salsa artist “El Gran Meñique, performing with Washington D.C.’s Eddie Ortiz and his La Romana Orchestra. Cuban Master Percussionist Melena, who has performed with Stevie Wonder and been featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno appeared. Richmond’s own Jose Lorenzo and his group Timbason La Original also impressed the crowd.

Featured emcees for the festival were “Sweet Lou” Hidalgo and Miguelito “El Guiro” Lebron, hosts of The Latin Jazz Show, heard every Friday Night in Richmond on WCLM 1450 AM from 6 to 10 pm. Dance presentations were given by Clara Toro’s Salsa 4Life, Tanya Gonzalez’s La Mezcla Que Baila, and David Prado’s Cubariqua Dance Company.

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Gangstagrass Rapper Takes Over TV

Last Saturday, Bronx-based rapper T.O.N.E.z. was in Los Angeles at a gala Emmy ceremony. His song, the theme for FX network series “Justified” was up for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme. The nomination had made a splash by placing a Hip Hop song in a category typically dominated by instrumentals. But perhaps most amazing, T.O.N.E.z. and his band, Gangstagrass, held the number one spot on the Billboard Bluegrass chart – yes, you read that right – with a CD comprised almost completely of rap by T.O.N.E.z. At the end of the night, Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, the pair most known for their work with Prince, took home the honor for the song they wrote for Showtime series Nurse Jackie. But Gangstagrass, who mix bluegrass and country music with rap, continues to experiment, and attract listeners with an unlikely but successful musical fusion. T.O.N.E.z. talked to Urban Views Weekly from New York about the nomination, the diverse success of the band’s current CD, as well as his forthcoming solo release. What follows are T.O.N.E.z. own words.

Getting Started
Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, I’m still here. My older brothers were part of the architects of Hip Hop. One of my brothers is Special K from Treacherous Three. My other brother is T La Rock, the first rapper to be signed to Def Jam. That’s where I come from, and same mother, same father, not stepbrother or homie brother or ‘what’s happening, brother,’ but the real deal, flesh and blood. They were the ones who laid it down. I was just a little guy running around, listening to them.

I been rapping since I was 15 and got a record deal when I was 15. I put out some records and videos through a company called Select Records back in the early 90s. I was part of that golden era of Hip Hop back then. Then I kind of went underground selling tapes with artists like Tech N9ne and Kottonmouth Kings. But now! Ever since I got that “Justified” theme song, that thing has taken me places I thought I never would think about going, like the Emmys.

The Emmy Nod
The Emmy nomination utterly came out of left field because the TV show had only been out 13 weeks. My boy Rench, who formed Gangstagrass, we had a song called “On the Run” and they used it for the commercial to promote the TV show and then they asked us to do the theme song. I guess every song that’s a theme song, it automatically gets sent there. So we had no idea. It blew us away.

No Limits
The way rap music is going now, I know there are a lot of complaints about it, about the lack of passion and the lack of Hip Hop culture in it. But you can’t blame these young guys. They’re 15 or even 20 and they’re making songs based on what they heard five years ago. Maybe they don’t know about Grandmaster Flash or Kurtis Blow. What I’m doing is still keeping that essence of Hip Hop alive and I’m not taking that same path that everyone else is. Everyone else is just making albums and trying to get a radio hit. We took bluegrass country and mixed it with authentic Bronx, New York Hip Hop and we’re winning that way. I think I’m keeping that passion of Hip Hop alive. There are no limits and no boundaries to what can happen with this.

Gangstagrass?
Gangstagrass is a combination of the two most, I think, passionate and meaningful genres of music. I know bluegrass and country aren’t the same music, but they [share a history]. There’s a lot of deepness to country music as well as rap, as well as Hip Hop. You take away all the glitz and glamour of rap, and it’s a lot similar. I’m getting bluegrass and country fans saying, ‘I don’t like rap, but I like this.’ I have Hip Hop heads coming and saying, ‘Man, I never heard a bluegrass song in my life, but I dig this.’ The gap that was there just got connected and it’s working. It’s like when Aerosmith and Run DMC got together, it was something so crazy that they never thought it could happen. This is definitely something real powerful.

Working with Rench
I was working with a DJ named DJ JS-1. I was recording some songs with him and he took me to a studio in Queens. Rench just happened to be recording there. We switched numbers. So I was laying down tracks with him for a couple years. It just turned out that the lyrics I laid down in 2005 ended up being in the commercial song for Justified. He said, ‘You mind if I take your lyrics and mix some country beats and chop ‘em up and put some Hip Hop over it and we release a thing called Ganstagrass? Me and Rench are cool. That’s my homie, it’s not just a working thing. I go out and play with his son.

Currently Listening
Coming up I would say I was into of course Michael Jackson. That’s probably even the reason I’m in music. But I listened to everything from the Spinners, DeBarge, The Commodores. My brothers and my mom used to play that stuff, Al Green and all of that. As far as Hip Hop is concerned, the early architects Grandmaster Flash, Furious Five, Kurtis Blow, Fearless 4. Coming into the 90s, I have choice favorites like Public Enemy and 3rd Bass. Currently I’m into everything: Oasis, Alanis Morrisette, Alice in Chains, Dixie Chicks. I’m a fan of music. Jay-Z, Nas, Fifty. Queen too, Jim Morrison, the Doors. I’m into everything.

www.gangstagrass.com

Poetic Justice
Whoever wrote this, if this was John Singleton, I’ll pat him on the back. Janet Jackson and ‘Pac were talking and ‘Pac says, ‘What are you trying to say, my cousin’s music isn’t poetry?’ because his cousin was a rapper. And she said this line, ‘Well, it isn’t if he doesn’t have anything to say.’ That’s powerful stuff. You can make a million songs but if you’re not saying anything, what’s the point? Certain songs just stick with me. Obviously the earlier music had more meaning to it than it does now unfortunately.

As I sat in a packed theatre of the movie “Eat Pray Love” with my pizza, water and a side of guilt, I wondered what clues the universe had for me that day. Earlier I had decided to take myself out on a date. But as much as my spirit told me I needed a break, my mind reminded me that I had responsibilities to family, home, school and work. I had wasted enough time lamenting over my to-do list, which is a fixture in my life, so why should I deserve more “me” time? So what if the walls were closing in on me, I had work to do!

Nevertheless, after seeking permission from family and friends, I silenced the responsibilities screaming at me and put on a pretty sun dress. Not to go to work. Not to run errands or pick up my daughter from school. Not to please my husband. I did it for me and it felt almost as good as the 20 minute steaming hot shower I had taken moments before. As I combed my hair, I looked over at the carpet that needed to be vacuumed and decided, “Not right now.” As I drove to the theatre, I thought about the ten page paper that was already past due and decided, “It will have to wait.” My spirit had an appointment that could not be canceled.

As Julia Roberts gorged on all of the wonderful Italian food in the movie, I treasured every bite of my store-bought pizza. As she fought for focus to meditate, I fought my feelings of guilt. As she transitioned from relationships, my own heart made some major transitions: I felt a release from the shackles that I had placed on myself.

Then, as I left the theatre, the weirdest thing happened: There was a monstrous rumble of thunder followed by a spine-chilling crack of lightening. As I strolled to my car thinking this was a sign of the selfish decision I had made, I didn’t even notice the lady beside me running to her car. She rolled down her window and said with a chuckle, “You must be very brave! As soon as I heard that thunder I ran to my car, but you kept on walking like nothing happened!”

She was right; I had been brave and maybe this was the universe confirming my choice to put me first for a change. Not only that, but the movie helped to reinforce the importance of controlling the mind. There are times when following your heart can put you in danger, but there are also times when doing so can be your saving grace. Finding a balance between the two is the secret to happiness. As it turned out, I was able to enjoy my “date” and get everything done on my to-do list. The icing on the cake was my appetite for putting myself first that evening!

Perfetto!

The college lifestyle consists of furthering your education and learning to survive off less in hopes that the sacrifices you make today will lead to greater success tomorrow. Going off to college can be a time full of excitement but also a time of great stress because of the financial challenges that lie ahead. The realization of success after college graduation is often sabotaged by the poor choices made throughout an individual’s college experience. During the first years of an individual’s college experience, she will heavily depend on her parents to subsidize living expenses. However, this is a great time for parents to cut the apron strings and teach their children how to position themselves for success by respecting the boundaries of living within a budget. Before students return to school, both parent and child should sit down together and develop a realistic budget that includes a comprehensive list of the anticipated expenses for the upcoming school year. Parents must stand their ground and be very clear about how much they are willing to contribute to offset the student’s living expenses. Here are a few ways for the college-bound student to take the initial steps of developing financial independence:

(1) Open a bank account. This will not only help to establish your financial identity but also allow you to exercise your basic money management skills including balancing a checking account, saving money, tracking expenses, etc.

(2) Establish a budget. An effective budget requires that you do more than write down a laundry list of expenses and subtract them from your income. A budget should be used as a strategic road map to help you reach your goals. Every month you should establish a goal such as saving specific dollar amount or setting aside money to pay for tuition and books. The next step is to adjust your spending habits to meet your goals.

(3) Keep miscellaneous spending within limits. This requires that you adhere to the boundaries that have been established by your budget. Learn how to plan for the things you want and enjoy doing instead of just living for the moment.

(4) Establish a positive credit history. Learn to use credit responsibly. Do not use credit as a way to supplement your income and do not borrow more than you can pay back in a reasonable amount of time. The consequences of making poor decisions will follow you beyond graduation day and can potentially delay the success that you have worked so hard to achieve.

Jaynee Sasso is a Speaker, Author and Financial Life Coach. For more info, visit www.FaithfulAssistants.com. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter @CommonCentsWay.

Nearly 1,600 participants came out last week for the 2nd annual Anthem Moonlight Ride, marking a new entry record for this second year event. The Anthem Moonlight Ride is a family friendly bike ride under the full moon. It began at Sports Backers Stadium, which was also the site for the post-ride party with food, drinks, and a live concert by Farm Vegas. More than 100 riders registered for the Best Costume contest and the Tacky Light contest. Prizes were awarded in both the group and individual and duo categories. First place for best costume was awarded to Cliff and Joyce Frank. The VCU Pauley Heart Center was the official event charity of the Anthem Moonlight Ride.

www.sportsbackers.org

For thousands of college students in the Richmond area, it’s about time to return to classes and friends, and answer the question, “What did you do this summer?” For a world-travelling group of Virginia State University students, telling an exciting story will be a snap, thanks to a recent service learning trip to Rabat, Morocco in North Africa, where the students worked in an orphanage and a children’s hospital providing English instruction to Moroccan children and teens.

Building Skills
Omar Adams, a Senior majoring in English at VSU worked at Lalla Meryem Orphanage helping care for infants and teaching English. Omar has an older sister and sometimes he babysits for family members. But working with infants changing diapers, and feeding and bathing children was new for him. “That was quite an experience,” he admits. Omar, who has taken Arabic language classes for three semesters says, “The whole time, I was practicing my Arabic. A lot of people spoke English and you can get around with your French. But if you knew Arabic, it was really appreciated. You could see the glow in their eyes when you actually tried their language.”

Kevin Ealy, a Senior Psychology major, worked at the East-West Foundation Center in Rabat. “My assignment was to volunteer as an English teacher,” Kevin says. “I was teaching students from the Congo, some people from the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, just all over the southern part of Africa. It was good experience for us to go over there and get practice so that we can improve our own language or speak it more proficiently. I really appreciate [VSU] offering that kind of program.”

Cultivating Global Citizens
An increasing number of universities are offering education abroad programs to provide students hands-on knowledge of other cultures. This year, VSU received a federal grant to develop a program that will enhance its Arabic language program by providing an overseas service opportunity for students. Participants return with more than souvenirs and snapshots.

Dr. Maxine Sample, Professor of English and Director of International Education at VSU accompanied students to Morocco. “Having an immersion experience like this I think is very important to students developing a certain amount of cross cultural competence,” Dr. Sample says. “When you go into another country, suddenly you have to look at everything through the lens of the people who live in that culture. It’s a good opportunity for our students to learn what it means to be a global citizen. Part of your education is not just about what you can learn from a book or the classroom. It’s also getting what you can get by being engaged directly with other cultures. That’s something they can take with them for the rest of their lives.”

Planning Tomorrow’s Journeys
In preparation for the trip, students studied Morocco and its culture on campus. Then they spent two and a half weeks in Morocco with community agencies assigned to them. The combined classroom study and service projects earned each student six credit hours. The program is designed to strengthen leadership and help make many participants strong candidates for international careers.

But safety takes top priority. To coordinate these programs, VSU sends faculty to evaluate sites for security long in advance of trips and also works closely with Cross Cultural Solutions, a non-profit international volunteer service provider.

“When you’re looking at study abroad destinations,” Dr. Sample says, “it’s important for someone from the university to go there, be on the grounds, see it, gauge the level of security and see what kind of experiences the students will have. We want them to be in an enriching learning environment, but we also want them to be in a safe environment.”

Similar VSU study abroad trips this year included travel to Mexico and Costa Rica. Dr. Sample says VSU wants to offer students passports to the world: “Virginia State University is very serious about making sure that our students have a certain level of global competence when they graduate – that they understand what it means to be a global citizen and that they understand that real education is not just confined to a textbook. There are many lessons that students can learn by being engaged with people from cultures across the globe.”

www.vsu.edu
www.crossculturalsolutions.org

The financial pressures of today place an even greater burden on our seniors as they are the least likely to have the time, energy and resources to fully recover from an economic meltdown. For many, the idea that our “Golden Years” will be filled with freedom from the financial constraints of our past seems to be a distant dream. Many seniors are facing the brutal effects of rising healthcare costs, depletion of their retirement nest eggs, sometimes even homelessness and what appears to be an irreversible state of poverty for the remainder of their lives. According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 41 percent of America’s lowest income earners will run short of money ten years into retirement and 29 percent of the next-to-highest income earners will run short within 20 years.

We can no longer afford to proceed with our financial lives as usual. Many of the seniors that I have counseled over the years never expected to be rich in their latter years, but they surely didn’t expect to be challenged by providing for their most basic needs. Often they are hesitant to ask for help from their adult children because their children are making desperate attempts to overcome their own financial struggles and stave off experiencing the fate of their parents. However, families must band together to successfully overcome the challenges that lie ahead. Deciding to put the wellbeing of the family first and learning to work together is the remedy for this hour.

It’s time to sit down together and answer the question, “How are we prepared to work together to ensure our future success?” The mindset that “Things will somehow just work out” is not an acceptable attitude as we see the suffering endured by so many seniors and the legacy of poverty they leave behind. This depletion of resources means that there is less available for future generations to build upon, which may mean we can expect to see a new wave of people adding to the population of the working poor. The concept of personal money management is in danger of becoming focused on how to meet your most basic needs and no longer about the building of wealth. Yet building wealth is crucial in breaking the cycle of poverty.

Your whole family can take the following steps:
• Commit to wise financial choices today in order to improve your family’s financial
position tomorrow.
• Start saving in preparation for your future.
• Help your ageing loved ones preserve assets for the benefit of the next generation.
• Create a family plan that works to the benefit of everyone. Consult a financial advisor if possible.