Moon Mami Writes

So two days ago I found out that singer Teena Marie died and my world was just devastated. I think I may be more harshly affected by her passing then when MJ died, mainly because she inspired me so much as an artist. She was a songwriter, an incredible vocalist and was a very strong woman on top of all of that. There are so many things she accomplished that I don't even think people associate with her. She is the recording artist who brought to creation the law that record companies can't bind an artist by contract and not put out any of their music after she sued Motown when she was on their label early in her career. Of course, she is one of the only white women to have longevity as an R & B and soul singer and to be so fully embraced culturally. I think that is significant given how race and class obsessed we are as a culture. Teena Marie snagged me as a fan as early as I can remember. I remember being 6 years-old and grooving to her duets with Rick James and listen...

the MJ glove that comes with the Michael Jackson Experience Wii game A remarkable thing happened. I managed to have an incredible Christmas holiday with my sister, daughter and her dad despite the craziness going on in our world right now. To even begin with the craziness, I would have to start with before Christmas. On Thursday, may great-aunt died. My mother got the news in the  harshest way possible-- via voicemail in a message that said "Kaye, I'm calling to tell you your Auntie is dead." No lie. While the news was shared in such a harsh manner, the details of her death-- finding out she had cancer and no one in the family had shared that with us prior to her passing, was even worse. Finding the meaning in it all has been my challenge ever since. But the Christmas spirit was not to be thwarted on our house. My spouse has the Christmas spirit all up, through and around him. He is Christmas spirit incarnate. While typically laid-back and unassuming, my partn...