heckit's blog: September 2012

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Meklit & Quinn

I first heard Meklit Hadero some years ago at a KFOG concert. We got to see her with Quinn DeVeaux at Yoshi’s this past Tuesday. What a treat! The show was largely covers of songs of which I was unfamiliar. The duo had an endearing and playful chemistry. They complemented each other with music, part soul, jazz, folk, was heartfelt and just infectiously delightful. Her clear voice hit on notes in a playful and commanding way, while Quinn’s smoky voice went well with New Orlean’s jazzy notes. It was inspiring to see someone who loves to do what they do and share it with others. As their poster quotes Matthew Forss review: “The music is not rock or folk; it’s just good music with good instrumentation. It’s that simple … and delectable.”

We got to meet the artists afterwards but the best was meeting Meklit’s father who came from Florida with his girlfriend. He was such a happy and proud father.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Nurture

Nurture © Hector Lee, 2012

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
More delightful is your love than wine!

Your name spoken is a spreading perfume—

that is why the maidens love you.

Draw me— We will follow you eagerly!

Bring me, O king, to your chambers.

With you, we rejoice and exult, we extol your love;

it is beyond wine: how rightly you are loved.

Song of Songs 1:2-4

Thursday, September 20, 2012

The Normal Heart

On Wednesday, we went to see Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart at A.C.T. It was a moving drama set in the early 80s when the appearance of AIDS/HIV began to appear among the gay community of NYC. Kramer’s alter-ego Ned is a Cassandra telling the gay community, the medical establishment and politicians to do act on this information, but their tepid and fearful response incends Ned, whose lover and friends are impacted by AIDS. I thought the drama by Kramer, who founded ACT-UP and the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), would be a screed against what individuals and organizations had failed to do in the face of an epidemic, but it was an emotional work because of the impact AIDS had on loving relationships: that with family, with lovers and friends. I was especially moved my the depiction of one character bringing his dying partner back to his mother—a modern day pieta. HIV infections continues to rise among many populations and the take away is that we should fight and scream for that which we truly care about.