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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

My, my, my, Johnny Legend!


New music from John Legend featuring Andre 3000 entitled, “Green Light”. This song just makes me dance and yearn for some summer loving. “Green Light” is slanted to be off of John Legend’s third album.


For more news and updates on John Legend, check out his Myspace: www.myspace.com/johnlegend

Monday, June 16, 2008

Fly song of the week!


What’s playing right now? N.E.R.D’s Spaz, the second single off their Seeing Sounds album, which dropped last Tuesday. You know you heard bits of this song in that Zune music commercial, rings a bell right?


If you haven’t picked up Seeing Sounds, what are you waiting for?

Fly Girl of the Week: Sissieretta Jones (1869-1933)

Sissieretta Jones was a world-famous soprano, and the first African American to perform at Carnegie Hall. Touring internationally in the late 1800s and early 1900s, she sang both classical opera and performed in musical comedies with her own troupe.


Born Matilda Sissieretta Joyner on January 5, 1869, in Portsmouth, Virginia, she was the child of Jeremiah Joyner, a pastor, and Henrietta Joyner, a singer in the church choir. After moving with her family to Rhode Island when she was six, Sissieretta began singing in the church choir, which was directed by her father. When only fourteen, she married David Richard Jones, who became her first manager. Later, she formally studied voice at the Providence Academy of Music, the New England Conservatory, and the Boston Conservatory.


Following her New York City debut in 1888, she was nicknamed “the Black Patti” after being compared to the Italian prima donna Adelina Patti, well-known at the time. The nickname stayed with her throughout her 30-plus year career, although she preferred to be called Madame Jones. During the 1880s, she performed at Madison Square Garden, multiple times at the White House, and became the most highly paid African American performer of her day. In the 1890s, she formed Black Patti’s Troubadours, taking advantage of the popularity of black musical comedies, originally called “coon shows.” Jones sang opera selections and spirituals at the end of the show, rather than closing with the typical cakewalk.


The group was one of the most popular shows on American stage, touring throughout the United States; the careers of numerous black performers were launched by their initial appearances with the Black Patti troupe. African Americans began to see the black musical comedies as reflecting negatively on their race, and the group’s tours wound down, with a 1915 last performance at New York City’s Lafayette Theater. Jones moved back to Providence, Rhode Island and cared for her mother and her two adopted children.


Her husband’s gambling and lavish misuse of their money had led Jones to divorce him in 1899. In spite of her many years of high earnings, toward the end of her life Jones needed to rely on financial assistance from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Sissieretta Jones died of cancer on June 24, 1933 at the Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, Rhode Island.

Taken from:www.blackpast.org

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Armour Beauty: High-end fashion meets Rock n' Roll


Rock and roll, man, roll and rock! Armour Beauty beautifully blends Rock n’ Roll and high-end fashion. If you ever wanted to channel your inner rock star but never had the guts to get on a stage, you can now rock a fierce red (Barracuda), a totally wearable black (Femme Fatale) or a vampy purple with a touch of shimmer (After Hours).

Rocker chick, model and former Lunachick frontwoman, Theo Kogan and her friend, makeup artist and purse designer, Allison Burns were tired of wearing lip-glosses that were made with all-natural products but lacked color. With Armour Beauty, these ladies are reinventing lip-glosses by creating a line that’s filled with color, made with all natural ingredients (avocado butter, mango seed butter, olive butter, avocado oil, grape seed oil, shea butter and vitamin E), long lasting and eco-friendly. Say roll out, to those boring bare shades.

Armour Beauty has two different collections, the shimmer collection and the opaque collection. In this 14-shade collection each gloss is named after Theo and Allison’s inspirations in music and classic pop culture. There’s a beige named after Andy Warhol’s girl, Edie Sedgwick, a mauve rose named after the late Princess Diana and light pink named Kashmir that pays homage to Led Zepplin.

With shades that can work for the day or night there is finally a lip-gloss line that provides style and substance with a touch of Rock n’ Roll. Your inner rock star will thank you as well as your lips! Get kissed here: http://www.armourbeauty.com/.

Tell them Fly Girl sent you!

PS. My favorite shade is After Hours, it’s a deep purple shade that sparkles. You can wear it during the hot summer day or for a rockin’ summer night. It’s a thicker gloss than others but it long-lasting. Plus it smells great!

Artist Spotlight: Presenting Ayo, Interview with an International rising star


Ayo is in Paris conducting an interview in the states. The free spirited, gypsy Ayo is excited about bringing her sound to the United States. With her new self-titled album just released last month in Europe and a near due date for the United States; Ayo feels her universal sound will translate to the states.

Ayo’s music is a reflection of her background, born to a Romanian mother and Nigerian farther; her style is a mixture of soul, reggae and African. Ayo gained an interest in music at early age, at six she played the violin, then turned to the piano and then she later taught herself how to play the guitar. Penning her first song at the age of 15 to help her cope with her traumatic childhood, Ayo always wrote personal and reflective songs.

“My musical taste was influenced by my father. He had a big collection of vinyl with records from everybody from Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and Donny Hathaway. He was also a part time DJ, so music was always in the house.”

Her father was pretty dope about allowing Ayo to drop out of school at 18 to peruse her signing career. “He really thought I could make it as a singer, he recorded my fist demo with me and he has always supported me,” Ayo states.

Ayo then moved to London and later to Paris. While in Paris, she would sing in cafés and lounges, which allowed her musical talent to get noticed by a broader audience. “I love performing in front of small, intimate crowds who truly feel and enjoy my music. Everything is from my heart and I just write about what I know and the different experiences I went thru.” She started to have her own solo concerts and by 2002 she opened for singers Omar and Cody Chesnut and inked a deal with Polydor Records.

With the new birth of her son Nile, she had plenty of new material so she recorded her first album Joyful in January 2006 in the New York Sony studio. The whole disc was recorded in just five day under live conditions, with a group of musicians organized by her producer, Jay Newland.

While she enjoys Paris, Ayo is excited to tour in the states. “The music industry is very different in the states. In France, everything is more slow and chill, the music industry in the States is so swift, especially New York,” Ayo states.

With a sound that transcends from across the pond, Ayo is sure to strike a chord with music lovers in the states.

Ayo will perform at Rams Head Live, June 17 and 9:30 Club on June 20.

Watch Ayo’svideo for ‘Down on My Knees’, a favorite from her album, Joyful.


Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Fly song of the week!

Crystal, Cole Rose and Skye are Sophia Fresh!
Every week, I post a new song as The Fly Girl Guide song of the week. Check out this week’s song, “Super Bad” by T-Pain’s all girl group, Sophia Fresh featuring Cee-Lo. It is definitely a summer hit! I’m McLovin!

Their song is playing right now! Fly or Not Fly?

Got My Drink N' My Two Step: Banana Daiquiri

Wow, it is too hot outside! I don’t know if it is even a good idea to have a drink in this heat but it’s fruity and it should cool you down. Try the Banana Daiquiri!

Banana Daiquiri

Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 inch of slice of banana
1 dash of maraschino liqueur
1 ounce of light Puerto Rican rum
1 scoop of shaved or crushed ice

Blend in a blender. Strain through a medium mesh strainer into chilled stem glass.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

New Music!

Please don’t sleep on Lloyd! His sophomore CD, Street Love was one of my favorite albums released last year and I even saw him in concert.

He’s back with a banger for the summer, “Girls Around The World” featuring Lil’ Wayne. Check the vid below:



Solange is really trying to do the solo career thing again. Watch her new video for, “I Decided.”



I also love her new song, “Sandcastle Disco” she has a different sound than her big sis, Beyonce. Listen to “Sandcastle Disco” here.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Get Loose with Dru Hill

Being from Baltimore, I just had to post new music from one of my favorite groups, Dru Hill. Sisqo, Jazz, Nokio, and new member Tao are back with “Get Loose” as their new single.

It definitely has a 90’s R&B feel, I’m reminiscing of The Rude Boys, Jodeci, Xscape and Blackstreet.

Do we love it? Leave a comment and let’s see if Dru Hill has a chance of making a comeback!



Also, remember when they when they had a huge hissy fit live on the popular Baltimore radio station, 92Q? Click here if you never seen the clip. Comedy indeed!

Obama makes history, claims nomination; Clinton plots her next move

Yesterday, Sen. Barack Obama claimed the Democratic presidential nomination following an impressive battle with Sen. Hillary Clinton.

A victory in the Montana Democratic primary, Sen. Obama captured the 2,118 delegates needed to secure the nomination at the party’s convention in August. When the polls closed in Montana and South Dakota, the Obama campaign also snagged the endorsement of 26.5 superdelegates.

The Washington Post states the Obama nomination as, “an historic achievement that for the fist time will place an African American at the top of a major political party’s ticket.”

In his speech, Obama graciously thanks America for believing in change:

"You chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears, but to your greatest hopes and highest aspirations," Obama declared in his speech in St. Paul. "Tonight, we mark the end of one historic journey with the beginning of another- a journey that will bring a new and better day to America. Because of you, tonight, I can stand before you and say that I will be the Democratic nominee for your president of the United States."




( SOURCES: NY Times, CNN )

( PHOTO: Reuters / Getty Images )

Monday, June 2, 2008

Got My Drink N' My Two Step: LEMON BASIL TEHITO


Chill out on a hot summer day, try the Lemon Basil Tehito, a fresh alternative to a mojito.

7 fresh basil leaves
3 lemon wedges
Splash simple syrup
1 ounce 100 percent agave silver tequila
Splash Cointreau
Club soda

In a tumbler, muddle together 6 of the basil leaves, 2 lemon wedges and a splash of simple syrup.Add ice, tequila and Cointreau, then stir. Top off with club soda.

Granish with the remaining basil leaf and lemon wedge.

Alternatively, this drink can be served as a martini. Follow the recipe, but make it in a cocktail shaker, pour the drink into a martini glass, then top off with club soda and garnish.