It's a Wrap 2006! Hello 2 double 07. Last year 2006 was filled with excitement and anticipation and success for me. A lot of connecting. Just stuff showing up all over the place. I AM SO GRATEFUL! I started 2006 with the intention of inhaling as much about multimedia as I possibly could. I had another radio interview on KKUP Radio Station down in San Jose on a show called "Echoes of Africa" where I once again presented the music (written and composed by the children who's parents are either living with or died of HIV and AIDS related diseases and other vulnerable children. The organization is called Ntengwe for Community Development. Once again it was an honor to be representing the organization I spent time with in Zimbabwe. I presented my 3rd Episode of Planetary Liberation at Dolby Digital lavatories in San Francisco. Learned a lot from just hanging out in the multimedia vib. Met lots of cool people along the way.

Completed 3 of 12 episodes on my African/African American Diaspora presentation. And started editing episodes 3 through 6 simultaneously...Don't ask why...It's just the way things started showing up inspite of some of the technical difficulties I experienced.

The year started with me taking a long look at all the footage I have that was shot in Africa and repeatedly looking at and trying to decide what footage represents the messages I'm conveying. Shot some good stuff from the hood (Oakland/Berkeley). Especially a lot of music. Things jumped off with the TKO Project, featuring Kelly Tukumba Orphan, American born young woman who studied at the University in Zimbabwe, came back here and formed a band with other Zimbabwean musicians and Americans. The Great Oliver Mtukudzi and the Black Spirits, Zimbabwe's largest music maker made his annual stop at Yoshi's Jazz Club in Oakland's own Jack London Square where they "Tore the Roof Right Off the Mother". Oliver's shows are not to be missed. You get two shows in one...their performance on stage as well as the Zimbabweans dancing in the audience. I also got good footage featuring, Dr. Jackie Hairston, Arranger, Composer; Sistah Linda Johnson, choreographer; and other great singers and musicians. I later caught the TKO Project performing at another function honoring Dr. Jackie in Oakland.

Flipping the script to the political side of things, I've got good footage of our California Congressman Ron Dellums (in the running for Mayor of Oakland) giving a speech at a local union hall to a group of union members and volunteer supporters (including me) campaigning for his colleague Sandre Swanson who was in the race for the 16th District Assembly Seat. In his speech Dellums said he would win and why. (smile) A profound speech it was! The energy that surrounds that man is incredible.

And he did, by the way, win...And also, by the way, I was at his Black & White Inaugural Ball on January 8, 2007 with the camera in hand...Happy New Year to me, huh! Saw some familiar faces from the black side of Hollywood. I did have an opportunity to speak with the beautiful Kellita Smith, actress on the Bernie Mac Show (she plays Bernie Mac's wife, Wanda; Actor, Richard Gant who is actually a bay area native (Berkeley). A lot of us know Richard Gant from Eddie Murphy's Nutty Professor II where he plays the father of a character played by Janet Jackson. How do I know him? We go way back...I was his student back during my college days back in the 70's. The best is yet to come with all the editing I'm doing. Production is still ongoing.

Thanks for being apart of my journey and the best to all of you.

It's a wrap 2006...Whad Up 2 Double 07!
Profound Peace
Out
D2