Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Final Stand

Final Stand
SRL 2013
Still waters
rivers incarnate
I admired your youth
But I knew of an ancient soul
that carried in to you
I was in fear but also intrigued
in the sentiment it was eclipsed
by time
there was a natural rhythm
to it all
I knew you felt it like all the times before
and before that moment's the slip
time only fades
I turned each other
that bends in my heart
that cant immobilize for another
architecture of life
what will these words really mean in the end?
because I will never be truly resolute
in it all i go on knowing
that,
I am physically and spiritually fit so why would I be susceptible
to anything that is weak?
you tell me share the same reflection
you a yang to my yin
your right no one ever really wins
and as time goes on in spite of me despite
what you know there was something that lingered
and triggered me to this madness
muses in the midnight
I screamed your name
secrecys of sensuality
you know I can't forgive
you know know I cant and I wont
it's better to leave it left unsaid
 

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

SPRING/SUMMER FASHION REVIEW 2013

My annual picks and favorites for summers trend ans styles will be upcoming soon! so keep checking In.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Logik The Saint- A Diamond in the Rough.

Logic refers to both the study of modes of reasoning. Logik is used in most intellectual activities.
Logik The Saint is the youngest MC of the group Krooked Fam representing Santa Cruz and Watsonville, California. The 831 local music scene.

I met up with Logik The Saint at the beginning of the year on a late friday afternoon. Logik is actually an alumni from Barrios Unidos. Barrios Unidos have always been supportive of the local youth in cultivating their talents . I met Logik last year in March of 2012, when I first interviwed Krooked Fam for Music for Melancholy. In his youth his delivery has a wise message he has an acumen for words and logically strings them together to deliver a verbal assualt. It all begun for Logik The Saint when he saw his older brother rapping it encompassed his attention. So he began to pursue his passion and recorded his first song at 14 years old. "For me it was a form of self expression both to release positive and negative energy."he said. " Music for me was an avenue where I could express that." In 2010 Barrios Unidos had asked him to perform at a Non-Violence Peace rally in the wake of the death of Tyler Tenorio and related incidences that were related incidences in Santa Cruz County. " I am, really down to support the cause and lend my talents to the community."Logik The Saint  I am for one very impressed that he is willing to lend his efforts and talents and is one of the many artists'willing to be gracious to do so.

As time went on he started to rap and doing collaborations with other artists' " I first met Menyo of ( Krooked Fam) then he introduced me to L.P. aka Lorenzo Figeoroa and the first song we recorded to gether was a joint called " Snatched Up."  They liked how eachother's styles flowed together and this formed the group Logik The Saint, L.P., Menyo, Hec-Dog, and the newest member to round out the roster Rubba Tung which comprises KROOKED FAM. As far as his solo project which I am excited for aptly titled " Tears of A Nation" which he articulated to me has a underground and socially concious vibe.

In our conversations we touched upoun how music has become very much watered down, without substance. I did not see it this way before Logik had pointed it out " Music, has become nothing more than product placement generating machine." " Getting artist's to promote material goods to the masses." Logik The Saint said. I feel him on that and that is very dissapointing for people who have a true raw and inate talent they are not recognized mfor their efforts or talents.

He hopes to shed light  on this and he puts alot of thought and effort in his music. His music has meaning " I like to test the art of lyricism." Logik said. As of recent Logik the Saint participated in the 1st Annual Central Coast Producers Battle about two months ago held at the Blue Lagoon in downtown Santa Cruz,California. He also performed at vvarious venues such as Boccis' Cellar, The Blue Lagoon, The Bargetto Winery, Zeldas, and the Main Stage at The CATALYST CLUB which I can tell he is very proud of and I am very proud of him. I really wanted to know as our interview neared wrapping up which was more of his focus MCing or Producing? " Well Mcing, will always be at the forefront but ive been dabbling in producing." Logik The Saint said. He produced the beat for " The dude that did it" Featuring L.P. and Rubba Tung. You can also check out their nect date The Bootleggers Ball at Zeldas in the Capitola Village on March 22nd, 2013. Also there is KROOKED FAM apparel now available too. Get in the iknow of Logik the Saint he will be bringing a new facet to the music game in 2013.
photo credit :OceanHouse Productions
SRL 2013.

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Etienne David Franc ***Exclusive



 Etienne David Franc for MusicforMelancholy

By: Sonia Raquel Limas

Etienne David Franc hails from New York, New York. He is an artist I truly sought after since the summer of 2012.We finally found some time to convene during the holidays to talk about music and his upcoming projects. Etienne David Franc was born in Manhattan. He has always had music all around him ever since he was young. His parents instilled great music in his life, while growing up in New York and in the New Jersey area, music such as Thelonius Monk, John Coltrane, R&B, Funk, Soul, Disco, Classic and Folk. All this music was very much a part of the wealth of his formative years. From the beginning Etienne had a vast knowledge of music. An interesting fact is he grew up during the birth of Hip Hop.

“ I remember I would go into the record shops in New York and I would run into some of the members of the Rock Steady Crew and they would show me their album covers with their graffiti art.” Etienne said. To be at the burgeoning of hip hop seeing KRS 1 and Rakim in the cipher circles must of have had an influence for him to pursue his career in music.

Etienne’s stomping grounds as a teenager was in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The sounds that enveloped the streets at the time were Ska, Punk, Reggae, Dancehall, and Hip Hop. Around this time, he dropped out of high school and started experimenting with drugs. He started hanging out more and pursued his love of music. In the mid 90’s, he   and a few friends decided to move to Santa Cruz, California. When he arrived in Santa Cruz, he expanded his creative forces and began performing at such venues at Palookaville and Red Room. Around this point he met Gabriel Rene’ and their friendship and musical collaboration began.

During this time Etienne was honing his producing skills and ventured into that avenue of music. He attended Cabrillo College and worked at Zachary’s Restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz. Etienne discovered sobriety and became sober in 19999. Nine months later, Etienne auditioned for the band OPM, which was a fusion of Hip Hop, Ska, and Funk. OPM toured a big leg of Europe Spain, Italy, and Germany. OPM also opened for Everlast and they were featured on “ Tops of The Pops;” a popular T.V. program in the U.K.

When he returned to the states, he started to play in the band Soulstice that featured; Gabriel Rene’, Mei Lwun Yee, Andy Caldwell, and Gina Rene’. I listened to all of their LP’S and I recommended all of them.

Etienne decided to move down to Southern California and pursue his goals as an artist.
Etienne auditioned for the Singer Aimee Allen, who was signed to Elektra Records. He toured with her for a year. After the tour, there was a musical hiatus and gigs started to stall out. Etienne said, “ I felt at the time I just didn’t feel creatively connected, I had a job and I had just been promoted, but my heart gravitated towards my creative side.”

In 2008 Etienne moved back to Santa Cruz. Around this time I attended Etienne and Gina’s shows at the former Asana Tea House in Down Town Santa Cruz. What I saw was a natural respect for the art and that’s what kept me coming back to all their shows.

Etienne’s long-standing creative relationship with the Rene’ Family turned into an opportunity to collaborate with Chris Rene. He became his touring bassist traveled with him across the country last summer. In March of 2012 he appeared along with Chris Rene’ on the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

In November of 2012, I went to see Afro Beat Box at Moe’s Alley in Santa Cruz, CA. Afro Beat Box is an eclectic collective of artist’s such as: Sambada’, AZA, BlyndSyte, Flor De Cana, and Gina & Etienne. The idea was to encompass these great artists because of the root of their music has African origins. Sounds of; Funk, R&B, Cuban Son, Turkish, Hip Hop, Beat Boxing and Afro-Brazilian. These eclectic variations of sound formed into Afro Beat Box and I highly recommend checking out their next performance.

After interviewing Etienne I got the essence of who he is as an artist. I view him as an artist’s artist. I am impressed by how he understands all the dynamics of the creative process and he does it with “Alma” meaning soul in Spanish. Each Time, I have attended his performances; he has shown me generosity and puts on a stellar show. I hope this gives my friends and family of Music For Melancholy a better insight into Etienne’s music. I am very excited for what 2013 will bring creatively for me and Etienne.

Etienne David Franc’s most recent project is The GAME LP released on November 26th, 2012 with his band Check In The Dark his band since 2005.

Thank You,
Sonia Raquel Limas –January 2013

www.facebook.com./EtienneDfrancKostar
www.facebook.com/EtienneDavidFranc

Sunday, December 9, 2012

heART

This video is so Courageous to me it is my good friend Jasmine Rosemary Schlafke and my sister of poetry please check it out!

M4M.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

MY BIO

Sonia was raised in Santa Cruz , Ca 45 minutes south of the South Bay Area. APoet,writer, and music blogger. Her music ties first began when she was 18 years old working at BMG Music Distribution from 2001-2004 working with such artists' as Alicia Keys, Blu Cantrell and Usher.Promoting such projects as 8701 and Songs in A minor at BMG. In 2010, she was a contributing music editor for West Coast Magazine and introduced artists in her cutting edge articles.She cultivated her marketing and business skills which she has parlayed into her own music blog Music For Melancholywith it's inception in February of 2012. Sonia has interviewed and promoted local 831 artists but hopes to expand her roster of artists in all genres of music. Her goal is to become a sound engineer/producer and work in the film and music industry.

her musical influences are Sade, Tupac, John Lennon, Chris Martin, Kurt Cobain, Amy winehouse, Bob Marley ,Gina Rene'and Marvin Gaye.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

SKYFALL

The Bond films franchise has chosen the artist to cover the 007 theme song and clearly a good one ADELE.
Good business call on the franchise and Rick Rubin and XL Entertainment this solidifies her placement in cinematic and music history. Adele whom I share a birthday with has sung from beyond her years I still for some crazy reason not bought 21 bought I did buy 19 the song that caught the strings of my soul was "Chasing Pavements" In where she declares " Should I give up/ Or just keep chasing pavements/ Even if it leads no where" I was going through a similar situation at the time but I chose to keep chasing pavement lol!
Adele has maintained her placement in the Billboards top 100  in the 4th slot since the release of her Sophmore album 21 with the release date of Feburary 4th, 2010 she has now surpassed Micheal Jackson's Thriller and with the release of Sky Fall it will open the ears and wallets of new fans. So to any artist up an coming you might want to ask Adele how to stay relevant, because I think and feel at the end of the day after all the party music fades we want to hear about whats real and she can clearly put that into effect. I will always be saddened that we did not get to hear a bond song from Miss Amy Winehouse she was approached to do so but her producer The ingenious Mark Ronson could not get her away from her distractions of drugs and alcohol. I feel her haunting contralto and her old soul earthiness would of been perfect for the bond song we will never hear what could of been. I really do love Adele and Amy Winehouse their Anglo Soul which the U.K. has always borrowed from the U.S. only to revise to their style and make it better! along with SADE and I wouldn't mind moving over there. I think they (london) pioneers and shifts music like no other country really has and these are artists that I feel a kinship with.
SRL 2012