Official Video: Wild Soul

There it is! Enjoy David Wade's new video featuring Jasmine Tate.

New Video by David Wade ft. Jasmine Tate (Teaser)

This is a teaser of David Wade's new video featuring Jasmine Tate. The actual video is supposed to come out on the day after Christmas. Enjoy!

A compilation of Aton's works

Here is a compilation of some of Aton's works. In this video you'll get to know more about his style. You may notice that some of these drawings are in their early stages.

Poem: Yon ti Kannot

This is probably my favorite poem of Naomie Labaty. Enjoy!

5 things an aspiring writer needs to know

I thought it will be great to share with you, dear readers, tips I have learned over the years as a reader and writer.

1. First and foremost, details are keys to transferring emotions to readers. "Show, don't tell" is one of the basic thing we learn in writing 101, but it is not easily achieved. I've noticed in books I've read that authors tend to focus greatly on details to convey their message and emotion. Read this following passage from In Praise of The Island Women and Other Crimes by Brenda Flanagan: "A few hours later we were in Philip's boat and Flash was rowing us over the waves, two fishing poles at our feet... I stared at the water, my heart crying blood, my thoughts hot... Flash kept trying to smile away the cut-eyes I was sending him... The sea turned from green to blue as Flash row us away from the shore, and when I thought it was blue enough, I dove into it." Notice how the author cleverly described the moment before the character attempted to kill herself with thoughtful details. The author did not have to tell us point-blank the character was in despair. She told us so through the details.  
2. Reading is a perfect way to overcome a writer's block. I am no psychologist, but reading seems to act as a great engine to get your willpower going. You may notice after reading a book or an article that your thoughts are more easily transformed into words than before. 
3. Don't be afraid to keep it simple. Sometimes, simplicity is the key to writing a masterpiece. Refer to the passage above. The author uses clean and understandable vocabulary words to vividly portray the character's emotion. 
4. Read a copy editing textbook from time to time. When Words Collide is geared toward journalists, but it has vital information for every writer. It helps you in writing crisp and neat pieces. There are other good editing textbooks you can find. The point is to always refresh your memory with writing guidelines. 
5. Exercise. This is one of the best advices I received from Women's Health Magazine. Exercises help stimulate your brain, especially your memory. It keeps your brain active and healthy; therefore, you are able to avoid those times when words escape you and when you experience a writer's block. 

F.E.D.: Between music and architecture

Photo provided by Frantz Eddy Daniel Jr.

Frantz Eddy Daniel Jr., better known as F.E.D., is an emerging Haitian composer. A master in piano and cello, F.E.D. transfers his emotion to these instruments to create pieces, such as “The Quest” and “Pays Lointain” from his first album. 

“It’s not a formula. It’s really something that I feel,” he stated on what triggered him to compose each piece.

Each of these pieces evoke a different sentiment. “The Quest” portrays F.E.D.’s emotion through the process of working on releasing an album.

“There’s a little bit of a difference between inspiration for a song versus inspiration for an album,” added F.E.D., who published his first album almost a year ago. According to him, working on an album is different in terms of scales because at first one needs to find a common theme for the album, and then negotiate how all the songs will tell a story that relates this theme to the audience.

“[For] the first album,... I wanted the piano to have an important place,” explained F.E.D. “[and] I... wanted it to have very elaborate orchestrations.” Having a strong background in piano and being part of an orchestra played a role in this decision.

“A lot of people call my type of music ‘New Age Music’,” he added.

Therefore, the early concept for the album was to combine new age music type sounds with film music style orchestrations. 

F.E.D. just started to put together other compositions for his next album. 

“I’ve been thinking about it for a few months now,” He said. He wanted to find a specific direction for the new album.

“I have a lot of songs that have been written for a year or even ten years ago.”

“What I have right now is an amount of songs that I began to put in a basket.” 

From this basket, he chose the songs that best fit the concept of the album.

“I think I have right now between 10 and 12 songs I’m leaning toward.” Yet, these songs are currently just demos. Once he picks them, he has to refine and record them.

“Sometime even if you have that big basket of songs, some other songs come.” He is currently composing new ones.

Each song takes a different amount of time.

“One song may come completely finished in your head,” he explained. Meanwhile, other songs take longer to compose. For instance, a song may take more than a year for him to be fully satisfied with it.

However, since F.E.D. is a self-funded artist, he needs to work within a certain amount of time to balance his budget between studio time, other musicians, and all the other aspects of producing and releasing an album. 

“You try to do the best job that you can within a certain amount of time,” explained F.E.D., a perfectionist.

Aside from being a musician, F.E.D. also devotes his time to architecture. 

“Even though I’ve been playing music forever, you could say that it’s in an early stage of my solo musical career,” said F.E.D.  Because of this early stage of his career, being a full time musician is not financially ideal for him. 

In the meantime, F.E.D. admits having a love and hate relationship with architecture.

“I can go for three months of the year, and I’m completely in love with architecture.” During this time, he would barely touch the piano. 

F.E.D.'s  interest in piano started during his childhood. When he accompanied his father, a civil engineer, to his office, he recalled passing the time with the architects.

“For some reason, I just liked being there,” he stated.

Later on, he went to college to study civil engineering, but then switched to architecture. 

Nowadays, he works with a partner as self-employed architects.

“We look for projects and propose design for people,” he stated.

Naomie Labaty on Her Cultural Shows and Her Writing

Photo provided by Naomie Labaty

In 2009, Naomie Labaty and her friend, Angeline Bell, founded Boukan Night, a show where established and upcoming writers could share their work. Yet, what started as a small poetic venue turned into a hot spot for Wednesday nights, not only among Haitians but  among other people with a love for good music and sublime poetry.
"It evolved into a big thing to preserve [the Haitian] culture in Miami especially with non-Haitians and [Haitian-Americans]," Labaty further explained.
Many eminent artists, including Beethova Obas, Joel Widmael, Mikaben and King Kino, came to perform at Boukan Night. They all had something positive to say about this weekly event. Steve Brunache, who was already a fan of Labaty's work, was more than happy to perform at Boukan Night.
"It was a very good show," remembered Labaty. "People asked for more."
Labaty talked about the impact Brunache had on Haitians and the patriotic feeling he brought to the crowd.
Moreover, Stevy Mahy from Guadeloupe also performed at Boukan Night on June 14, 2012.
Labaty and Bell also collaborated with Ayiti Deploge for one of the most attended Boukan Night.
"There was no place to move," said Labaty. She also added that Boukan Night is always well-attended.
"We are [startled] every time by the crowd," She expressed.
Aside from the quality of the show, the small entrance fee also keeps people coming.
"Most of the time, it's only $10," Labaty asserted. They wanted to make it affordable for college and high school students, their targeted audience.
Labaty's television show on Island TV, Plezi Soley, is among the most watched show in South Florida.
"The show makes you feel connected to people," she explained as she becomes a popular figure in South Florida.
The show was previously named Island Entertainment, but she boldly changed it to Plezi Soley to better embrace her Caribbean and her Haitian roots.
Yesterday (Tuesday November 13), Labaty debuted her new radio show on WSRF 1580AM, a Haitian-American radio station.
"It's what I always wanted to do," said Labaty. It will be a 2-hour long show with a discussion component for the first hour and a music session for the second hour.
When it comes to her writing, the CD compilation of her best work is still in production.
"As time passes, I write new poems that I want to include, and quality takes time," she explained.
One of her newest poem is posted on her blog, Anthology of a Heartbreak.
"I think I was going through something when I wrote this poem," she disclosed. "[But] when I write, I try to be less personal. I create illusions, tragedies and transform them into work."
***

P.S. Boukan Night's latest event featuring Boukman Eksperyans is tonight at 8 p.m. Click here to be directed to the official facebook page.

Inspiring Lives with Dr. Shellie

Photo provided by Dr. Shellie Hipsky

Dr. Shellie Hipsky is one busy woman! She juggles motherhood between her career as an educator/professor and her career as an inspiring author/talk show host.
Her show, Inspiring Lives with Dr. Shellie, hit the air this fall on NBC's Pittsburgh Cable News Channel on Monday at 7:30 p.m. The show features guests like Mariama Mounir Camara-Petrolawicz, the co-founder and CEO of There Is No Limit Foundation who takes the batiks created in her homeland of Guinea and puts them on the runway of NY Fashion Week. Moreover, Dawn Diaz with Milagros Day Worldwide has survived two generations of domestic violence and now helps others find their own dreams and goals.
Justin Brown is the executive director of The Education Partnership in Pittsburgh. He has raised over 40 million dollars worth of supplies and resources for the low socio-economic schools. He also works with the school where Hipsky was once the assistant principal.

Dr. Shellie Hipsky with her guest Dawn Diaz

Hipsky deeply connects with many of the guests through humanitarian work. Gertrude Matshe who works with HIV positive orphans in Zimbabwe, has distributed LuvMyWoobie.com blankets in Zimbabwe, and Hipsky has done the samee in the Pittsburgh homeless shelters. She is now co-teaching with Matshe at Robert Morris University since Matshe is RMU's International Rooney Scholar.
Hipsky describes her guests as all having a "tremendous impact" on her. As previously mentioned, she is very involved in the work of some of them, including Roy Juarez (Homeless By Choice), Matshe (Africa Alive), and Sally Powers (Treasure House Fashions) who have all joined her in her work in the homeless shelters. Moreover, Alicia Kozakiewicz, the first cyber predator kidnapping survivor, has worked in collaboration with Hipsky by working together on the National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Dr. Hipsky with Andrea Kopach at the WPXI studio. 

Hipsky is also the vice president and co-founder of The Learning Mountain, an online tool for children learning to read. This company has now reached an international audience with customers from Europe and Africa. Kozakiewicz and Hipsky used this connection to host a national poster contest to see what safe looks like.
This Monday, November 12, Hipsky will be welcoming Powers as a guest. She is the president and founder of Treasure House Fashions, a non-profit organization aiming at empowering women by reselling fashionable clothes at great discounts. Power's organization has helped over 60 foundations.
Recently, Hipsky and her RMU students collaborated with Powers (who donated clothes, jewelries and shoes), Ashley Thompson's Elliven Spa (which did the makeovers), the Inspiring Lives Team, Dragonfly Studios to take the photographs of the single mothers with their children at the Adagio Healthy Start House for homeless mothers.
She then served as the MC for a successful Treasure House Fashions runway fashion show fundraiser.
Her mission for the talk show is to encourage her viewers to rise above challenges and to find ways to reach out to others through her guests. Her gratitude giving segment of the show co-hosted with Jennifer Hain features products that vie a portion of their proceeds to valuable causes.
Inspiring Lives with Dr. Shellie is also broadcasted on the Manhattan Media Network on Sundays at 10 p.m. and the chats have gone global with comments from Australia to Germany. The Triple Launch Party to showcase Inspiring Lives with Dr. Shellie featured over 400 Entrepreneurs and Professionals from EPN and was hosted by Dreams in Heels PR in NYC. We hope that you will tune in soon.
Here is a list of the remaining scheduled episodes with the dates and times.

Airdate PCNC MON at 7:30	MNN/Web SUN at 10PM	TOPICS	FEATURED GUEST
Nov 12	Nov 25	Divorce	Sally Powers & Nan Cohen
Nov 19	Dec 2	Domestic Violence	Maria Wall & Joel Jaro
Nov 26	Dec 9	Organ Transplant	Fer & Allie Iglesias, and Dr. Shellie’s Dad Dr. Jacobs
Dec 3	Dec 16	Parental Kidnapping	Scott Berne & Jill Zabinski-Berne
Dec 10	Dec 23	Super Mom	Dr. Summer Knight
Dec 17	Dec 30	Education	Justin Brown & Linda Hippert

You can also check the TV show on facebook by clicking here.

Haitian Sitcom

Gilbert Mirambeau will be the head writer for the first Haitian sitcom in 30 years. Nonetheless, the project is currently in need of funding. Click here to visit the website for more information, and BACK the project. In order for the sitcom to be produced, at least $42, 000 is needed by Sunday November 11.

Something Like a Mixtape: Pre-review

Based on my first impression of David Wade's mixtape, I encourage everyone to download the full album. It's free! It will be released on facebook tomorrow, Sunday September 30th. Click here to be directed to the facebook page, which has more information.

Stay tune for the official mixtape review! ;)

Guardabascio gets awarded for his book

Photo provided by Luca Guardabascio

Luca Guardabascio is praised for his latest book, Ancora Un'estate o Un'estate Ancora, for which he received multiple awards. But, Guardabascio is not stopping here. He is already working on multiple projects, including two documentaries and another book.
"I am editing two documentaries about Christianity," stated Guardabascio. The first one, titled Angela Volpini: Dove Posarono I Suoi Piedi, recounts the story of a young girl whom the virgin Mary appeared to and spoke to to help Italy come out of all of the problem caused by World War II. The virgin Mary told the girl: " I came to teach you the way to be happy on this Earth."
The second documentary recounts the story of Francesca Lancelloti who had the holly spirit inside of her and performed several miracles.
"She came from her little town in Basilicata region, Opido Lucano and went to Rome to help people in the name of God," related Guardabascio.
"We filmed part of the documentary that go on Rai 2 in a special named TG2 dossier called, Saint Michael and Francesca: In the Name of God," he said.
Guardabascio is also working on a horror story with another writer named Stefano Stanzione. The book, Johnny Carnage: The Sadness of the Devil, will be part of a trilogy a
Lastly, Guardabascio will be showing some of his short films in the Palestrina Movie Club Film Festival. There will also be a presentation of his book.

Wild Soul by David Wade

New song released by David Wade featuring another great artist, Jasmine Tate. Click here to listen to "Wild Soul." Don't forget that the mix tape will be released on the 30th.

Get to know the rapper through his lyrics

On September 30, 2012, David Wade will release his newest mix tape, "Something like a Mixtape." For now, you can download his two singles on his website.

This blithe rapper has a lot of upcoming plans. He is currently working on an independent label and will be touring for the spring. Visit his youtube channel  for more songs, including free style raps!!! 

Back this Project!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/688365300/the-art-of-saving-how-to-create-your-money-masterp

Please visit this site and support Evan Wright.

David Wade: The path to God

Photo provided by David Wade

"I was born in Washington, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburgh," said David Wade. "It's a  pretty ghetto part, but it's my city. I love it."
Growing up in Washington, Pa turned Wade into the artist he is today. There, he began writing poetry, fell in love with rap and produced his first mix tape.

He reminisced one of his earliest memories in this adored neighborhood when he transfered his father's biblical accounts into comic books. Then in 7th grade, Wade indulged in poetry.
"Shortly after that is when everybody started rapping," he recounted. " I knew it was something I would be good at because it combines storytelling and poetry."
He tried rapping and instantly became good at it, piquing his schoolmates interest. One of his best friends, Adam, who was a more experienced rapper, mentored him.
"He helped me develop my draft," revealed Wade, who also turned to the Late Registration album of Kanye West for inspiration.
"I used to sleep listening to it and thinking I could make great music like this one day."
Determined to follow his dream, Wade, along with Adam and his brother, Scott, formed a group called Shottas (a Jamaica word for gangster).
They purchased soundtracks from Radio shak and made the living room of Wade's mother their studio to record their first mix tape.
"[It] was a shout out mix tape," he recalled.
"All my friends were coming over. It was our voice, our story, what were were experiencing in that part of our life."
"It was so memorable because we made it and printed all of those CDs on my mom's computer. We played it outside in the project."
"One of our friends' older brother had a really nice car, and we played [the mix tape]. Everybody from the neighborhood came out and [sang along]. I didn't even know they knew the lyrics. That was my first mix tape experience. It's crazy to see where I came from."
Wade went on to produce another mix tape when he moved to Ohio. It was his first solo mix tape, marking the beginning of his career.
"I wanted to become the best rapper in the world," he stated. "That was my dream." After graduating high school, Wade went to New York University to study dramatic writing. There he found people who shared his passion for music and who helped him fulfilled his dream.
"My friends hooked me up with some amazing beat-makers, producers and engineers."
His popularity as an underground rapper started growing. He even had a sold-out show in Union Square.
"I started an independent label. I had committed people working for me. I was recording my first album in a multimillion dollar studio."
He was a rising star, but on April 2010, he brusquely changed his path.
"One night I was tripping on [magic mushrooms] and started hearing demonic voices telling me to kill myself," he vividly remembered. "The only thing I could say was 'Jesus.' [After that], the voices were silenced, and I felt protected. I ended up butt naked in a field after this crazy spiritual battle, and when I came down from tripping, I didn't know if what I just experience was real or not. The next day, I decided to stop doing drugs and to start reading the bible to see if what I heard in church was real."
"I read through the scriptures , and I was convinced he was who he said he was. He is God."
"He was all I needed as well," he added. "It was like a process. [I was] meeting God through the bible." This new discovery urged him to become a disciple of God.
"I had a crazy opportunity, and in the middle of it, I decided to start following God."
"It was a hard thing to do, but I left that stuff to find my new identity and find who I was before pursuing these things so that I can do it from the right perspective."
As a result, rapping became a way for Wade to convey the message of God.
He wants to be a positive role model. His goal is to continue being the best rapper that he can be without the drugs and the sex.
"I'm just a guy writing about my story. I came from the bottom and rose to the top. I started following Jesus and left all of the glamour."

New video released by Aton

On June 28, Aton released his fist video for his first single, “Get Down,” which was directed by a Dominican video production company, called A.C. Video. Aton filmed “Get Down” in Altos de Chavon, his university, with the students as the extras. This made him the first Haitian and the first student to do so in his institution.

The single itself was released in March 2012. 

“People always teased me because I write only serious songs,” explained Aton. This urged him to write this mix of house and hip hop song. 

“I imagined myself having fun with friends, and I wrote it based on that,” he added.

As mentioned before, “Get Down” is the first single from Aton’s album, which he is currently producing. He already recorded three other singles: “Night Nurse,” “Tout Moun Sou Bras” and “Pa Ret Sou Li.” The album will be a mix of hip hop with reggae and funk.

Aton is currently promoting “Get Down” in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Visit the link below to watch the video. 

Get Down by Aton

The official blog of the retail jungle

You can now follow Evan Wright online by subscribing to his blog, Cost Combat. It is indeed the official blog to learn about the retail jungle and tactics to not fall into traps.

Gilbert Mirambeau: "Art in its raw form can't be handled by the human brain"

Photo provided by Gilbert Mirambeau

Writing is second nature to Gilbert Mirambeau. In fact, he spends most of his free time writing. He enjoys going to the movies, hanging out with his friends and cooking a good vegetarian meal, but at this point in his life, his mind is very focused. 

He plans to become one of the contemporary writers that is studied, and with the dedication he has, he is one step away from actualizing this dream.

Everything related to culture interests him and strengthens his exclusive mentality. 

Born and raised in Haiti, writing gradually became a part of Gilbert's life in high school until it became a compulsive need to vomit a divine thing (as he describes it) on paper.
It all started with him being excruciatingly bored and probably annoyed at the French literature that he was forced to read and memorize while at St. Louis de Gonzague in Haiti. As a way to rebel against this educational system, he started writing poems.
For the longest time, it was just a habit until he discovered The Battle of the Titans and fell in love with Greek mythology.
The way that the characters were contrived definitely got his attention. It inspired him to write, create astonishing characters and take on other literature genres aside from poetry.
He only started writing professionally 3 years ago. Although not specified, something happened. He attended several workshops and became even more dedicated to writing.
Although he is an avid reader, Gilbert tries to not be influenced by other writers and create his own masterpiece.
"I want to sketch my own path," he explained. He defines his writing not as a gift but rather as a message that he is compelled to share with his readers. He attests that a divine thing comes to him in the form of an image and he projects that image in his writing.
He decodes that picture and brilliantly pulls the senses of his readers towards every last bit of details that composes the whole picture. Because of that, his writing tends to be very graphic. The quote in the title of this blog post ("Art in its raw form can't be handled by the human brain") describes that powerful step that he goes through before editing and polishing his works.
However, behind the sweat, the bashing and the smell of his words lay a simple yet unique man with a systematic plan to impact his society. He admitted that he has always been an outcast with a constant need to pick apart society as a whole and isolate himself from shallow attitudes that cripple our mentality. Hence, his writing is his weapon against all entities that are destroying our daily life. His piece, Les Miens, deals with this issue of self vs. society.
Moreover, as an activist, he needed an extensive medium to pass along his message. This quest guided him towards playwriting.
"When you assist a play, it is more in your face," he said. "The actor is living the character for an hour and a half in your face. It is so believable that you grasp everything- the emotions, the tears and even the breath."
He once hired a cast and crew and presented a play in Montreal with family members, friends and professional actors in attendance. It was a way for him to test the market, and he received many positive criticisms for his play.
Writing takes more than just the willingness to write, and Gilbert understands that. Now, he is in the process of moving back to Haiti to present his play. This will also help him reconnect with the people of Haiti (outside of Port-au-Prince) and draw inspiration.
Eventually, he will travel the world, especially Europe where the theatrical culture is at his highest, and tour his plays.
He has four major projects that he is working on. The first one, My Last Orgasm, depicts a mentally challenged, old woman looking for herself; the second one addresses the issue of skin color and loveless marriages; the third one, 4 H 53, is related to the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and his last project centers around the life of a restavek in an urban family.
To know more about Gilbert, please visit his blog. Do not forget to translate the page in English if you do not speak French nor Creole.

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Planet

Photo provided by Dr. Shellie Hipsky

Ordinary People, Extraordinary Planet is Dr. Shellie Hipsky's latest book, which focuses on a dozen of interviews with people who have overcome challenges in their life and are able to inspire others through those challenges.
Hipsky began writing this book while promoting her fourth book, Mentoring Magic, with her cowriter, Dr. Claudia Bavaro. She was at the Ray Leonard's radio show, which is broadcasted in 75 countries and is also named "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Planet." Leonard introduced her to Clarel Radicella, the woman who inspired Hipsky to write this book.
"I was supposed to talk with Clarel about marketing my book," said Hipsky. "As we began to talk, her life story fascinated me, and I started writing her story."

Photo provided by Dr. Shellie Hipsky

Racidella was a mother of three who was diagnosed with AVM and a brain aneurysm, and founded mindyourbiz.org. She had helped a lot of people and in her own way made a great impact on her surrounding before passing away from cancer in July of 2011. She is survived by her three children, and Hipsky had a chance to write her story, which keeps her legacy alive.
"I think people will be uplifted," said Hipsky about what the readers would think of this book. 25 percent of the revenue of this book goes to the charities featured in the book and the Homeless Children's Education Fund, an initiative dear to Hipsky's heart, which she has raised over $35, 000 to support.
In her own way, Hipsky is a living, breathing image of her own book. Because of the academic challenges she faced in high school, she realized that there needed to be a different way of teaching, and decided to dedicate her life to teaching others about this new way.
Her three previous books, Arts Alive! Textbook, The Drama Discovery Curriculum and Differentiated Literacy and Language Arts Strategies for the Elementary Classroom focus on the goal of educating and how to teach using creativity and meeting the needs of the students.
"Every child has a gift to give to the world, and teaching can help with that," explained Hipsky. Her mission to globally entertain, educate and inspire sums up this goal.
Aside from writing books and articles (approximately 100), Hipsky also teaches at Robert Morris University. She does multiple public speaking, such as at  Pepperdine University and the University of Oxford in England. With her foundation as an Associate Professor of Education, Dr. Shellie Hipsky is a co-owner of a wonderful (soon to be launched) e-story book company for young children, Learning Mountain.
Most Importantly, Hipsky will soon be hosting a talk show, "Inspiring Lives with Dr. Shellie Hipsky." One of her first guests will be Alicia Kozakiewicz, a woman who was abducted at 13 years old after chatting with a stranger on Yahoo chat room. Kozakiewicz is now working at Carnegie Mellon University and teaching teenagers around the country about internet safety. 
To learn more about Hipsky's inspirational life and work, please visit her website at http://www.shelliehipsky.com/ and her Amazon author page at http://www.amazon.com/Shellie-Hipsky/e/B002P8TLY6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Cost Combat "Retail Boot Camp" Class"

On Thursday January 19th, 2012, Evan Wright will be leading a free seminar at the Sewickley public library to teach about the basics of retail spending and saving. Please attend it if you are in the Pittsburgh area because this class could be very helpful to you.
"What I want to do is give an overview of the whole process," said Wright. "I'm thinking on doing other classes focusing on different sections of the book."
Please click here to know more about the seminar.