I and Am

‘Music was my genuine way to show my gratitude, it came at a stage of my life when I mostly needed it. Remember I was that guy who at age twelve was doing yoga, so I had to have a place to show my anger and discomfort with the society’

These are  words by Jessethemaestro, a rising artist of  Ghanian origin, born in Palermo, Italy.  He’s  currently attracting great success in Italy and further afield due to his unique musical, lyrical and personal expression.

He is very vocal about sensitive topics such as racism, freedom and poverty in Italy and shares with us  his perspective on integration and immigration in Europe, particularly in Italy.

Jesse also leads the "L.I.T MOVEMENT". L.I.T Is an acronym which stands for "Libero In Tutto" (Free in anything). We can safely say that he embodies this philosophy.

I and Am got the opportunity  to glimpse into the world of Jesse as an artist and as a black man living in Italy.

Enjoy these offerings for your listening pleasure.

From I and Am, with love, Peace and blessings.

Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet put it thusly 'That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. The quotation is a profound one that suggests that names themselves do not hold worth nor meaning, and they simply act as labels to distinguish one thing or person from another. In the case of these two starstruck lovers, I'd say yes, but from my own life experience I'd say yes and no. I once met a sailor who  said that when one buys a boat that has already been named, it is bad luck to change the name. He said the soul of the boat was in the name, so it was important to keep the name to preserve its soul.

Yes, names are considered sacred and meaningful in some cultures for various situations. From my cultural background, names are considered to be programmatic, they carry meaning pertaining to what it is that you were born to do. We also have different types of names apart from the first, middle and last names. We have clan names. The names of our fore-bearers who came before us and these names carry a certain power and energy which one can invoke as and when needed. This helps a person to move in the world not only as an individual, but as a collective- an environment. As young children we are taught how to praise sing  'ukuzithutha', which essentially means we are taught to proudly and lovingly  recite our lineage and trace our roots to as far back as one can remember. This knowledge of roots is considered crucial for a sense of identity.  When women marry, they may be called by a new first name and even take the husband's surname, but their clan name is never changed. This is to  keep connected to one's  ancestry at all times. 

In today's episode I was moved to speak a little on names and what they mean to me.

May we be supremely blessed as we embrace the truth of who we are, the truth of our being.

Peace and Blessings, always.

Camagu, Thokozani, Namaste, Jai Guru Dev.

Sometimes in life it may feel like we're being buried, while in actual fact we are being planted. Lately, I find myself contemplating a lot of things, and with the start of the new season, I couldn't help but think about endings and new beginnings. I love new beginnings and I'm a believer in beginner's luck.

The thing about new beginnings is that they are usually preceded by some form of dissolution, some kind of ending and letting go. The process of dissolution at times can be punctuated by pain and confusion, thus it can feel a tad overwhelming.

Currently, for most people (dare I say)  on a global scale, it may look like our collective 'blue skies' are gone, or that the sun isn't going to shine anymore. indeed the current health climate has caused a general air of malaise and we are all looking for some semblance of hope that things will change and improve even if we must accepted that they can never go back to 'normal'. As for me, I know that I'm certainly ready for a new normal. A new beginning.

In today's instalment of I and Am, we delve a little deeper into the nature of endings and new beginnings, keeping in mind that every problem is emblematic of something new wanting to emerge. Here's to more brighter days to come!

Peace and blessings

Camagwini, Thokozani, Namaste.

There was once a time when I approached the unknown or uncharted territory with a certain amount of trepidation, tension and defensiveness. This stemmed from a sense of 'self preservation' I imagine, which was rather tiresome and did not stand me in good stead. After noticing the toll this approach  took on me, I had to find another way, so I came across an approach which was the direct opposite of my original one. I learnt that going into and coming from a more relaxed mode was  far less exhausting and dare I say, more effective than allowing the  the fight or flight instinct  determine my responses. 

Now relaxing is not necessarily an easy thing for some of us. I have learnt and continue to still learn how to consciously remain in a state of relaxation in the face of difficulties. Relaxing as a spiritual practice did not sound at first like an effective way of being, until I really allowed myself to give it a chance. To this day, I have not regretted yielding to this piece of invaluable advice, to just relax.

In this episode of I and Am, we look a little more closely to the method behind the madness of Relaxation as a spiritual practice. May it meet you where you are. Peace and Blessings.

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Camagu!

Every once in a while the universe gives us an opportunity to meet people who leave an indelible mark in one's worldview. People who inspire you and spark or shift something in you.

A few years  ago, I had such an opportunity to meet and converse with an incredible soul in the body of Ima Iduwozee, Dancer, Writer,  Choreographer amongst many things.

Our conversation was so refreshing and inspiring I have decided to share that talk with you. There is always a chance that it will find resonance.

Wishing you a lovely week further.

Peace and richest blessings to you.

Some conversations are timeless and have an everlasting impact and effect. In this I and Am instalment , we take a moment to reflect on past interviews that inspired  and we revisit a conversation with M.anifest- Hip-Hop artist extraordinaire, entrepreneur and public speaker from Accra, Ghana, once named by The Guardian as the foremost rapper on the African continent. He shares his take on loyalty to self, representing,  immigration, the love of Hip-Hop and so much more. Join I and Am in this inspiring conversation from yesteryear, courtesy of Planet Earth Planet Rap (PEPR) our international Hip-Hop segment on Chuck D's And you don't stop radio show.

May there always be sources of inspiration for us all to draw from especially in these times we currently are facing.

Peace and Blessings, from Am, with love. 

It's been a minute since I and Am went on hiatus, and it is a great pleasure to finally return after a  rather long period of reflecting. I think we can all agree that the last year has been a year of a great many changes, some of them made out of our own volition while others were out of necessity. After all is said and done, we are  considerably fortunate to still be here living to tell the tale. It is with deep gratitude that I and Am shares new offerings in the form of 'Notes to Self' as well as still hosting the regular lively conversations that we love and appreciate. 

May we look forward to better and happier times as a collective, and may we experience healing in every area of our lives. May we successfully weather the storms that  this time brings and finally, may this year be filled with wonderful surprises for us all.

Peace and blessings.

It is said that words have a great power, a simple line can make a positive or negative difference to someone and can have the capacity to change a life. I've always been interested in words, be they written or spoken. I never quite paid attention to the words I used to speak to myself until I came across the concept of affirmations. Most of the time when we think of the word 'affirmation', we associate it with positivity and goodness, seldom do we consider  the power that the  negative statements we say to ourselves have. In today's instalment of Notes to Self on I and Am, I am reminded of my younger years and the power of words and belief. May we be mindful of the words we let in and live by. 

Peace and Blessings.

Maya Angelou put it ever so succinctly: 'Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you cannot practice any other virtues consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage. Incidentally  I've been reading the wonderful wizard of Oz with my youngest son, and the Lion who is seeking courage is told by the great  Oz  that courage is always inside one, so he must drink up some concoction and be filled with courage.  Of course we never truly know how much courage we have until we are faced with adversity. May we all find our inner courage in these changing and sometimes trying times.

Peace and Blessings.  

Transcendence, one of my most favourite words. I like the idea of rising above, for often times I've found myself in a particular circumstance where there was no alternative either than to rise above the situation. In a culture where avoidance is common, we can find ourselves dreading the prospects of having to 'work through our stuff' as well as going through things to get to beyond them. On my journey, I've found inspiration from those who've walked the path before me and I continue to do so even now. This perhaps is the reason I love quotes as much as I do, they serve as reminders of what is possible, as messages from beyond about how to proceed in the moment. I've come to find my inspirational quotes to be invaluable and in this instalment of I and Am- note to self, I share a few of my most treasured gems. Thankfully.

Peace and Blessings.