Black Love, 2016
Today I'm reposting last year's Black love message, with three additional songs added to the playlist. These include Gregory Porter's defiant stand against love's failure, No Love Dying, followed by a plea for the approval of one's true love's parents, in Real Good Hands. To help close out the set, there's another Porter favorite, When Love Was King, a lyrical painting of the world we want our children to re-member.
The major lesson I'm learning as time passes is that love really isn't that complicated. It's our ability to create space for its full and healthy expression that's complicated; that includes space for love's giving and receiving. And it's all of that stuff that we've accumulated through the years and now carry with us that takes up that space. I'm clearly still a work in progress... but I do still believe.
Black love is beautiful,
even if a little complicated.
As we continue find our way back to ourselves,
love's spirit always finds its way home.
In celebration of this year's weekend celebrating the timelessness and enduring beauty of Black Love, I pulled together a musical tribute in celebration of the beauty that we are. I hope you enjoy the playlist, and I welcome your comments, and any suggestions of songs that you'd add to the list.
i love our people...
Step into the music: black love music celebration
This year's 24-song playlist...
- Mali Music - Beautiful
- India Arie & Musiq Soulchild - Chocolate High
- Gregory Porter - No Love Dying
- Gregory Porter - Real Good Hands
- l Jarreau - So Good
- Otis Redding - Try a Little Tenderness
- Leela James - Fall for You
- Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You
- India Arie - He Is the Truth
- Ledisi - I Blame You
- Gregory Porter - Be Good (Lion's Song)
- Randy Crawford & Joe Sample - One Day I'll Fly Away
- Raheem DeVaughn - Woman
- Esperenza Spalding - Black Gold
- India Arie - Break the Shell
- Whitney Houston - Greatest Love of All
- India Arie & Akon - I Am Not My Hair
- Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely
- Gregory Porter - Liquid Spirit
- The Isley Brothers - Caravan of Love
- The SOS Band - Tell Me You Still Care
- Earth, Wind & Fire - Reasons
- Gregory Porter - When Love Was King
- Donald Lawrence & The Tri-City Singers - Be Encouraged
October 9th, 2016 - 04:37
Great list, esp. So Good and SOS. May I offer Deneice Williams’ Black Butterfly.
October 14th, 2016 - 20:57
Thanks Una. Much appreciated, and absolutely… I love that song as well.