The Imaginary boys

There's a group of guys here that call themselves 'Three Imaginary boys', although technically there's five (sometimes six) of them. They're all friends from UWI, from the mid-90s. They all DJ the coolest blend of indie, Brit-pop, shoe-gazing music that you'll ever here on this side of the planet.

Most people here don't even know that kind of music even exists.

It's one of the imaginary boys' birthday today, so we all went to Drink Bar and limed last night. There was another DJ there last night playing disco and hip-hop. After he finished, the imaginary boys set-up and started to spin. The place soon emptied out (some folks were busy requesting soca of all things) and it was just a handful of us (the usual suspects) that stayed back to dance and sing along to whatever songs we knew.

Maybe it's the guys themselves and their love for music, maybe it's seeing how each one has a different taste and musical selection, maybe it's hearing all that music (most of it I don't know, but am always enlightened by hearing something new and refreshing), maybe it's just being around old friends and just enjoying the moment.

But man, what a great time it is whenever the imaginary boys spin.

Thanks Darren, Marc, Vin, Kemal, Vijay and Gerard for making music come alive and opening my ears to new sounds.

Forgiveness

The hardest thing to do in this life is to forgive. To forgive others, to forgive ourselves is something not easily understood.

I say that here even though I myself am now starting to understand what forgiveness really means.

We always heard that we must forgive others as Jesus forgives, as God forgives.

But we've never really been able to truly discern why we must forgive.

When we don't forgive, we hold onto thoughts and feelings that are not healthy for us in both the short and long run. When you harbor bitterness happiness docks somewhere else.

Have we ever noticed that when we hold ill-feeling towards someone, we've giving that other person power over us, over our thoughts and actions. By extension, that person whom we feel has wronged us now has control over our lives. We live our lives harboring hatred, which can restrict our mental and physical growth. All sort of illnesses can develop within us.

But if we forgive and let go, truly let go and let God be in charge, and I mean truly in charge, we're able to breathe new life into our minds and bodies, we can learn from our experiences, good and bad. And we can grow as a person.

But if we don't forgive, waiting for the other party to suffer, wishing them evil, then, all we're doing is taking a bitter pill unto ourselves hoping the other party will die.

Holding onto a bad situation doesn't make it any better, nor does holding onto bad memories or hateful thoughts doesn't make it any more legitimate. No matter how long we do it for, and no matter how we twist the facts of the case. Whether we're right or we're wrong, there comes a time we have to let things go.

I think, but I could be wrong, but I think when we forgive, we heal ourselves in the process.

I know it sounds strange, but it's true.

Last week sunday night, I saw 'The Passion of the Christ' for the first time, and as Jesus was being nailed to the cross, he shouted out 'Father, forgive them'.

I don't know any human who would wish their wrongdoers nothing but vengeance in a case like that. Do you? But here was Jesus asking for God to forgive his murderers.

Now, if Jesus who was murdered by a mob of his own people, if he could ask for forgiveness of their sings, then whom am I to withhold my own forgiveness towards others.

Who are we to not forgive?

The human condition

So I know I've spoken on a few posts about my newfound love for football. I take a lil sweat with a group of guys on sundays.

Every week it changes, some new faces, a few strangers but it's always a decent game.

One guy in particular - Dirk, who's a friend of a few of my friends, comes often. He had a bacteria that almost paralyzed his nervous system, so he can't really run nor walk too fast.

But yesterday it was just six of us, so he started out in goal and ended up as a forward. He even scored a few goals.

Nobody tackled him, but he did run and gallop towards the ball a few times. And we all watched, almost as if we were his physical therapists and he was undergoing a muscle training session to rebuild his legs and his muscle memory.

Last week, he said the doctor told him there's a possibility that he may stay this way for good. We told him not to take it on, that there's also a possibility that he will get better! We told him to think positive and who cares what other folks think. Just focus on getting better.

It was great to see him run yesterday.

Ain't the human spirit something?!

Eric Whitacre: A virtual choir 2,000 voices strong | Video on TED.com

Eric Whitacre: A virtual choir 2,000 voices strong | Video on TED.com

APRILFEST 2011

So, in a rather surprise turn of events, we - THe SONic REVIVal PROJect, got picked to open this year's APRILFEST at Pier 1.

Now APRILFEST is one of three shows put on by 95.1 Radio Station. It features mainly 'tribute bands'. It always bothers me to an extent that so many thousands of people would come to hear a tribute band but would not support a local band putting on a smaller gig in a pub for instance.

Now, I'm not a fan of cover bands (although my first band was a Thrash Metal cover band, but then again, I was 16 at the time). And that being said I'm not a fan of Tribute bands either.

But, a gig is a gig. So we agreed to open the show. During soundcheck the bands were all nice guys and time for to play the show the crowd response was rather receptive and friendly to us playing our originals mixed in with a few covers.

Not what I expected at all. I thought we were sitting ducks ready to be heckled off-stage by a crowd that just wanted to hear cover after cover from these tribute bands.

Walking through the crowd after our performance was the real highlight for me. Tons of folks stopped us, asked to take pictures with us, said they really enjoyed the set. Some even said we were the best band and should've closed the show.

Me personally, I don't think people would've stayed back to hear a local band, but still, it was nice to hear that from some people.

That was very humbling and gratifying to hear. We reached out to an audience who only listen to a station that plays mostly 80s' music. Now I like the 80s. But I couldn't listen to it all the time.

There's so much more great music out there that deserves airplay. Starting with more local underground content. Inasmuch as 95.1 does play local music, it's only for an hour and a half on a thursday night starting from 10PM. People do listen to it, but for sure we need more legislation to get radio stations like 95.1 to play more local content during Prime Time hours.

Canada for example has Cancon. Canadian content on radio stations must be at least 40%! and yet still, underground indie artists argue that most of that 40% belongs to Celine Dion, Bryan Adams and Michael Buble!

Yet, still after that show last night, I can't help but feel a 'lil lighter and hopeful about the state of affairs in TNT. I do hope legislation passes to get more local content on radio. I do hope local underground original bands get more airplay and gigs in bigger venues.

I hope more and more trinis open their minds to original music.

I hope.