After 11 amazing years, Organic-Soul Tuesdays will be closing its doors. Shout out to our amazing team, edens lounge and the art community. Its just time. We will transition into a new event. We will be hosting a farewell Organic Soul later this month. Stay Tuned for details! Thank you all for being so supportive and amazing!

This video is as amazing as the song itself!  Just when we burned the groove off her “Beautiful Dreamer” track, she hits us with this magic.  Amazing!  Check it out

Ever since November, every store in the mall, elevator and radio station has been blasting holiday music.  It can drive you nuts.  But what about the classics?  Do yotu really get tired of Donny Hathaway singin “This  Christmas”?  Stevie’s “Someday at Christmas?” – Not the kid.  Whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanza or just enjoy being off from work, the holidays are a good time of year.  Celebrate your family, friends and the spirit of giving.  And use this dope mix of Soulful Christmas tracks to do it.  Shout out to Dj DIVA for putting this together!

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Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire - Nat King Cole
This Christmas - Donnie Hathaway
Christmas Aint Christmas Without The One You Love - The O'Jays
It Feels Like Christmas - Al Green
Santa Claus Go To The Ghetto - James Brown
Soulful Christmas - James Brown
All I Want For Christmas - Mariah Carey
I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - Jackson 5
Sleigh Ride - TLC
Christmas in Hollis - Run DMC
Santa Baby - Eartha Kitt
Winter Wonderland - Ray Charles
My Favorite Things - The Supremes
Do You Hear What I Hear - Vanessa Williams
Little Drummer Boy - The Temptations
Someday At Christmas - Stevie Wonder
Silver Bells - Diana Ross & The Supremes
Let It Snow - Brian McKnight & Boyz II Men
Give Love On Christmas Day - Jackson 5
Last Christmas - Wham
Christmas Without My Girl - Gerald Levert
Every Year, Every Christmas - Luther Vandross
Carol of The Bells - Destiny's Child
Have Yourself A Merry Christmas - Luther Vandross

Download it here: http://organicsoultuesdays.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/SoulChristmas%201.mp3

Man every few months a song jumps out the speakers at me and get stuck on repeat.  My current jam is “Can’t Look Down”  by my good friend Anthony David.  Anthony has been hard at work cranking out album after album and at this point hehas created an awesome body of work.  His latest album “Love out Loud” may be my favorite album of his to date.  AD writes straightforward songs reminiscent of Bill Withers but not retro. A fresh approach that feels familiar.  That said, my favorite track (right now) off his album is “Can’t Look Down”  – No need to describe it just peep it for yourself — Enjoy!

An epic millennium-starting event: BlackOut Studios’ Organic Soul Tuesdays was born the Tuesday after July’s Jazzy Summer Nights. It was 2001, before Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, ipods and even myspace.

When OST began in 2001 my cellphone was just a phone-wait, I didn’t have one yet as I was making fun of all my friends that was gonna get radiation in their brain. I was proud of my dial-up internet, the occasional cutting-off of which did not leave me feeling like I couldn’t breathe. I could cover my gas expenses by gladly transporting a couple of comrades who would give a few dollars as a donation. We would have said “Kanye who?” as we took our childhood icon Michael Jackson for granted, and people still bothered to re-purchase their favorite CDs that had gotten scratched up. Our own beloved Fertile Ground made better ambassadors to the world from Baltimore than the Wire (premiering years later).

One monumental unforgettable event that year was the 9/11 falling of the twin towers in NYC, incidentally an event the Tuesday after OST had to take a hiatus to find a new home (originally Club Intellects on Calvert) due to the clubowner’s legal issues. And the world, the music industry, the US dollar and my post-collegiate life have never been the same since.

Now that we have witnessed the “post-racial” inauguration of the US’s first admittedly black president, with a funny foreign name, and people officially spend more time online than with their children (is this me?) what is Organic Soul still doing? We have inspired spin-offs from New England to England and one BET episode and more importantly inspired the launching of artistic careers and breathed fresh air and confidence into a heartbroken but intensely talented City. We have been a landing pad for amazingness on tour, a patient space for new experiments and THE best hangout spot for those 21-40 who don’t hate people. How do we thrive in a confused music business world where traditional gatekeepers like major labels have been luckily pushed aside by greater access to advanced technology by independent artists, but EVERYTHING has scattered with the anarchy of a lack of quality control provided by the authority of those gatekeepers. Blame it on piracy and the worldwide economic chaos. I listen to bands and producers lament and try to figure out their next moves and new dreams. I don’t know if my children’s children will attend OST but I hope to outlive autotune and non-IQ music. OST intends to be a liaison between the ancient ritual of people gathering around live music and the need to brand/tweet/go viral/be a better, more interesting artist. We will have fun serving artists with development and showcase opportunities and serving the area’s people’s ears and spirits one glorious Tuesday at a time.

So what you doing this Tuesday?

Bmore legendz Groove Stu! will be in the building this Tuesday!!  A rare intimate experience to celebrate their latest release, “Artofficial Substance”

Refusing to play it safe and succumb to trends, GS instead chose to trust their instincts and follow the spirit guiding their artistry; an artistry rooted in the tradition of musical acts that strived to make timeless music that inspires and uplifts. Drawing from their diverse individual and collective influences, GS has crafted a sound that authentically combines soul, funk, rock, jazz, pop and hip hop into a colorful blend that can only be classified under Good Music.

The album’s first two singles, “Take A Chance” and “Thing Called Love”, set to hit airwaves in August, showcases  the group’s penchant for lush harmonies and infectious rhythm and melody. “We wanted this album to provide a balance to sounds and messages being oversaturated on today’s radio formats,” says the group. “This is a record for those who miss the way music made you feel back in the day.”

Check them out at Groovestu.com

August 30th, 2012 – By Victoria Uwumarogie (Madamenoire.com)

We’ve talked many a time about people we used to jam to in the music industry who didn’t go as far and become as big of staples in said industry as we thought they would. To put it less than nicely, they fell off. It could have been that their sound just wasn’t all that, or that their look wasn’t HOT enough (no crotch shots, no love) for the mainstream, but you won’t find these people with near as many fans as say a Drake or a Rihanna has today. Not to say that they didn’t have their share of success, but c’mon, where are they now?

Source: widescreenwallpapers.org

Amerie

After Amerie dropped her debut album, All I Have, the future looked incredibly bright for the Korean and African American singer. She had a different look, a different voice, and a great personality. And once she dropped “One Thing,” the lead single for her second album (Touch), which hit number eight on the Billboard Hot 100, I assumed more and more doors were going to open for the singer. But while she had Beyonce’s producers for her second album, she didn’t have Bey’s success. Though Touch did reach gold status, it wasn’t enough for her label, Columbia Records. She was dropped in 2007. Since then, Amerie released another album, In Love and War, which didn’t sell well at all thanks to a lack of radio support. She has hopes to release a new album, under the name Ameriie, and she’s given herself a big makeover by chopping off her hair and slimming down her nose.

Source: theurbandaily.com

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Maimouna aka Mumu Fresh has done it again!  Inspiring us with dope visuals to compliment her equally dope music.  This latest offering is the official music video for one of my favorite tracks off the album “Meet me in Brazil!  Enjoy #Salute

Your weekly breakdown of the live entertainment spots in DC this week.

If you know just a little bit about me, then you know that I’m a huge fan of my favorite fruit…WATERMELON!!  This Friday, August 3rd, come join me and some of my favorite artists as we celebrate National Watermelon Day at Sankofa Video & Books Cafe (2714 Georgia Ave NW, Washington DC).  Here are some highlights of previous Watermelon Day shows!

It’s absolutely free, and will feature the incredible artistic talents of Christylez Bacon, Shelly Bell, Komplex, Mary Bowman, 2 Deep, Mama D and many more, while being hosted by “The Host with the Most” Droopy Anderson.  There will be FREE Watermelon and it will be your first opportunity to buy my new, limited edition mp3 player loaded with every song I’ve ever recorded.

Bring the family! and bring some fun, watermelon related whatever! SEE YOU THERE!

for more DC poetry and music events click here.

Organic Soul has been around for more than 10 years.  In that time we have had hundreds of features, some decent, some good and some great.  I honestly feel like Nila Kay will be one of the Great ones. A colorful songwriter and entertaining performer, Nila is a true breath of fresh air.  Her single “Serial Love”  (See Below) is lively piece that reminds me of Cree Summers’s “Street Faerie” (A rare but brilliant album released in 1999).   Nila’s quirky charisma comes across infectiously over the funky backdrop and crisp horn lines.  Brilliant.  But don’t take my word for it, come out to Organic Soul Tuesdays July 31st and see her perform liveat Eden’s Lounge!   You can also check her out online at Nilamusic.com