The Power of Music

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.
Bob Marley (1945 - 1981)

This blog entry is dedicated to musical artists that have touched my life. In my mind artists are the powerful ones in society. Afterall, by creating music they have gained the ability to evoke all kinds of emotions, thoughts, reactions and actions from those listening. My mood and thought process is often rapidly altered by a song and I absolutely love to dance..even though everyone knows white girls havent got the groove :). This is all due to one person expressing themselves through word and song. To me its amazing the feelings and memories that a song/album can create. I am one who loves all sorts of music. I pride myself in being diverse in my musical tastes. Heres my a few of my favorites:

Hip Hop: This is my all time favorite type of music (much to my classical pianist uncle's dismay!). I love concious or underground rap....someone who can tell a story or spread a message. Let's start with Talib Kweli, one of my favorites. Lyrically gifted and I can listen to his albums front to back. Love him and of course Eminem, Kayne and Tupac are also up there. Tupac being the most influential with so much to say before his tragic murder. I can thank a certain someone for turning me on to him :). Others I love are the Roots, Common, BEP (the OLD STUFF!), Nas, K-OS, Akon, Jay-Z, Busta, Tribe called Quest, Bubbasparx, Snoop, DRE, Missy, Jurassic 5, lil kim...I am sure I'm forgetting a ton...













R&B: This is where my ladies come into play. Alicia Keys and Lauren Hill are my favorite female artists. Amazing voices, soul and songs! There's nothing like a talented woman belting it out. Also like Erykah Badu and John Legend.

Reggae: BOB MARLEY of course! Sean Paul is top ten for me, who else makes you want to dance immediately when you hear their track come on? I love it.

Oldies: ok, I grew up listening to oldies and as much as I loved all of them only a few have stuck with me today (sorry to say Abba and Deep Purple dont make the list anymore!). My first and current love is JJ Cale. He was influential on Eric Clapton (who I adore almost as much) and many others and has the most chilled out voice. I never get sick of him. Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Guess Who, Beegees and the Beetles also get frequent air time at my place.

Folk: Not sure if this is the right category but I LOVE Ben harper as well as Tegan and Sara. Im a new fan of Ben which began when my sis, some friends and I saw him in concert in van this May. He is lyrically gifted and definately connects with the crowd. Xavier Rudd is amazing...able to play the guitar, drums with his feet, digerido (sp?) and sing simultaneously!

Country: Ok, everyone knows that this is the ONLY kind of music I tend to dislike (besides really heavy metal) BUT I do really enjoy Corb Lund. Another old country star I absolutely adore is Johnny Cash. It all started with my grandfather's passion for his music and now Im a huge fan. Theres something to be said for someone who can tell a great story through a song.

Global Music: I really like the sound of Indian music. Although I have been exposed and would love to hear more I dont actually own any cds besides tantra tunes which is a great modern mix. Sergio Medez is great Brazilian flava and African drumming/ and music is top of the list for me. I was introduced to Outlandish and Jamie Cullum in Europe and definately recommend them both.

Blues: Everyone who knows me knows that I love Blues on Whyte in Edmonton. I really enjoy listening to the blues and of course the most well known blues artist of all time is BB King. I think I purchased his cd first when I was in junior high.

Punk: Last but not least I have to pay tribute to my high school days. I no longer listen to or keep up with the current punk scene but still enjoy the old stuff. Bad Religion was my fav. I enjoy Offspring, MXPX, all the Fat Records cds, the Smalls (leading to Corb Lund), Pennywise, Blink 182 and Greendday. I still own about 10 NOFX cds, although they dont get much airtime!

Alright, so theres my rant on music. Just my humble opinion of some of the greats. Oh I forgot one of the more influential bands of my life: Candywheel! Happy Halloween!

P.S, Had to update this as I forgot a few very influential artists/groups. Firstly SUBLIME! How could I forget them?? Amazing. Others: Thievery Corporation, Jack Johnson, Lagwagon, Fugees, Usher, Timberland & Missy (together and separate), People Under the Stairs, Kardinal, Ginuwine and Bone Thugs. Ok, I think thats it for today!