I Stand :: words & music by NkechiA funny thing happened to me this afternoon. After experiencing the joy of listening to a few friends and watching their eyes dance as we talked from morning into afternoon I was struck silent .. for a few minutes .. while I stood looking at the sky, stuck somewhere between a cry and a laugh and an open ended silent how? Within a few minutes of this silence I scrambled for the Voice Notes application on my Blackberry and out this song poured. It poured from my soul as I sang it right into my Blackberry .. Voice Note Number 694 to be exact. Yup, I've been a bit busy, recording song bits and pieces here and there as they come. Using the this feature on my Blackberry as a recording device for the music that flows through my Spirit whne it chooses to come is better than great. Sometime later with help, as usual, I'll get to record this song and play it live to bring it officially to Life. For now I am mesmerized by the grace of these lyrics. They sufficiently express those few momemts of awestruck silence. I pray that despite our action packed lives, we all get a moment to taste a bit of this quiet joy each day :-) Here are the song lyrics. Enjoy! I Stand :: words & music by NkechiI Stand in Awe of U I Stand Humbled by Ur Grace. I Stand Receiving the Miracles The Essence of Ur Name When my eyes are closed and No one’s looking in U and I smile quietly inside Remembering U Came When I Least Expected U 2 U Came When I Least wanted U 2 U Came and Stayed and Stayed and Stayed And Gave and Gave and Gave ‘Till I Couldn’t Stay Away. I Stand in Awe of U I Stand Humbled by Ur Grace. I Stand Receiving the Miracles The Essence of Ur Name Even When Hopes Didn’t Seem 2 be Fulfilled You Quietly Whispered Ur Purpose in my Ear And Now I Exclaim I Hear, I Hear, I Hear U I Stand in Awe of U I Stand Humbled by Ur Grace. I Stand Receiving the Miracles The Essence of Ur Name May 2010 Be Ur Most Blessed Year!  Blessings :-) NKECHIhttp://www.nkechi.comhttp://www.nkechi.com/newsongshttp://www.twitter.com/nkechihttp://astralsoulsongstress.wordpress.com
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 How did I end up at the Four Seasons with the cast of Entourage after a rambling day of getting things done and never quite changing from the skirt over Hanro long-johns combo I started out with in the morning, which after looking long enough resembles an Issey Miyake ensemble, but not quite. After a full day of computer focus with a break to chat over tea with friends, this evening started out with an idea to locate a pair of Adam's Boots for RG. Lately he's been wearing mine and I am not quite sure why this works, save I wear my boots way too big and thankfully they fit him just fine. After the boot search in the Haight-Ashbury district of SF, which included stumbling upon kids from The School of Rock playing Janis Joplin's Piece of My Heart, I grabbed dinner with my piece of heart at a noodle place with a plan to go to the gym and then grab a late night dessert at the Four Seasons. Dinner at this noodle place proved to be too loud to hold normal conversations and almost too loud to twitter even though the food was good enough to eat. We escaped with our eardrums in tact, raced to the gym, and spotted each other on a posterior, anterior and middle deltoid workout which I think was invented in the moment just to torture me. Making it through was a miracle. The gym was strangely filled with other Friday night workout folk whom I believe now may be my people. Once dressed, I quickly changed my focus to our journey upstairs to the Four Seasons for a quite moment with the dessert menu. Apple pie and Chocolate Cake with 2 glasses of grapefruit juice This unique order put us on an interesting timetable as we suddenly became a part of the entourage of people attending the amfAR Benefit. Just as we were leaving I was mysteriously recognized by a new neighbor I had seen for the first time ever early this morning. He reminded me of our chance encounter and before I knew it began to introduce me to mmbers of the show Entourage who attended the benefit. I started to smile when I suddenly realized I had quite a few friends in the mix. One woman asked if I was wearing Angel perfume by Thierry Mugler and I was :-) RG and I made the appropriate introductions and shook the appropriate number of hands and snapped the appropriate number of pictures. The inserted picture is of Drew Altizer, Rex, and yours truly, Nkechi. My bud, Drew Altizer, is SF's top society photgrapher who listened to me paint visions years ago. We talked about our hopes for entourages in the future of our respective creative careers. So far so good, as we are each resident members of the other's entourage. Amazingly that future we spoke of is here and now. Imagine that! So, today was one of those unplanned, beautifuly majestic string of synchronicities that resuted in a full circle perspective on how a day in Life works when we are open. This entire day was in flow, before I even knew it when I waved at my neighbor. A small gesture that proved to be the key that would synch me up to to finding A Four Season's Entourage. Blessings :-) NKECHI http://www.nkechi.com
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Most recently I have found myself mercilessly domesticated and cooking .. a lot. As in breakfast lunch and dinner for me and mine. I am delighted to say that for some reason unknown to my naked eye, I am ecstatically delighted about this. Who knew? Who knew that the thinking about, the planning, the preparing, the coking and the serving would bring my Spirit such delight. Since Monday 10/26/09 I have been starting at least one song a day. Yes, at least one song starter a day. Up until today I had been blessed with at least a melodic hook and lyric. Today after drawing a few blanks, enough to twitter about it, I made a simple breakfast. Apples sliced and yogurt. I arranged this meal on a plate and before I knew it, 3 rhythm based melodies emerged one after another. No lyrics, just the rhythm and the melodic baseline. Could there be a correlation between cooking, the serving =, and the receiving of melodic content from the Great Downloader in the Sky? Well, I’ve learned to leave the pondering of such BIG questions to those more equipped with time and space to pursue the answer. My job now is to harness this newfound energy source and dive even more into the delights of cooking for me and mine and serving the delicious melody infused delights to … whomever’s coming to dinner. Are you? Tonight’s dinner consisted of artichokes still steaming and whole grain pasta stir fried with porcini mushrooms, peas, sundried tomatoes, olive oil and a few cooked shrimp. No we are off to finally see Michael Jackson’s This Is It. I think for now this really Is it. Cooking + Service = Music. Blessings :-) Nkechi Cooking plus Service equals Music November 4, 2009 http://astralsoulsongstress.wordpress.com/2009/11/04/cooking-plus-service-equals-music
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TONIGHT was a good night of re-stepping out in the rare form of “girl with guitar” after having soaked in the Presence of a gaggle of gal pals. Gals who have been delicately placed in my Life by a host of Angels. After leaving my crew I sauntered to The Barge in Sausalito to “watch” a few friends make music. Meanwhile I was missing RG. As a singer/songwriter I bask in the essence of missing those whom I dearly love. So there I said it, I love RG. Now this love is the inspiration I need to finish the song I started writing today titled “Your Grace is So Significant.” Your Grace, Your Place, Your Presence, in My World.
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* Sat, August 1, 2009
* Singer/Songwriter's Lounge @ World Carnaval
@ The Den at Fox Theater Oakland, 1807 Telegraph Avenue Oakland CA U.S.A.
7:00 pm Michael Jackson Video & Music Hour
8:00 pm Singer/Songwriter's Lounge
8:30 pm NKECHI :: Astral Soul Songstress sings and plays her Ovation guitar
I feel somethang coming over me. A settling in, a good settling in of sorts. I guess today is just as good a day as any to settle in and let in all the good I’ve been accumulating lately. Right now my belly is full on fettucini with clams from a cafe in Sausalito and my eyes are feasting on a bunch of happy souls enjoying a fellow musical artist doing her thang. Sing-ang her jazzy thang. Nice. Watching the listeners smile through their discomfort of walking in front of everyone to fill up the tip jar…is exhilarating. I am amused and pleasantly delighted that this IS my life. Listening, learning, yearning, being, growing,singing and settling in 
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Blessings!
"Just when the Caterpillar thought the world was ending
it transformed into a Butterfly." Proverb
YES! It HAS been a While. And YES Nothing's Changed :-) Except that Life is More Full and I Know NOW More than Ever That We Are All Blessed No Matter What Our Circumstances! After woodshedding hom alone to sharpen my chops writing lots of songs, I am blessed to be awakening to a new era of my Muse in Song, Stage, and Screen and YES I am anxious to share these Blessings with U. For starters on May 25th I experienced Narada Michael Walden's Fundraiser event at Davies Symphone Hall. The line up and atmosphere was mystifying. Narada and Sting's vision and generosity of talent and their passion for conscious causes was attractively evident. Looking forward to keeping this hope, dream, and vision alive with them and all who are coming to recognize our need to pursue World Peace in our Life Time! YAYY!
THIS FRIDAY May 29th, I am delighted to be hosting Volume 2 :: The BUTTERFLY EFFECT VIP+PIV Soiree a food, music, & passion discussion party at San Francisco's 5A5 Steak Lounge to raise awareness for causes, charities and existing businesses founded by VIPs (Very Innovative People) and PIVs (Passionate Interesting Visionaries) with Hearts for Sustainability and bringing Socio-Economic change to Africa and the World.
I am so Grateful for Opportunities like this to Mix and Mingle for Such Good Causes! Hope U Can Stop By!
"If one flap of a butterfly wing can make an impact on the other side of the globe, so can our little BIG party in the US make an impact on the continent of Africa."
Join Me THIS FRIDAY 5/29 @ 5A5 Steak Lounge For Our Soiree
Music + MUSE + Food + GOOD + Discussion + PASSION
= Volume 2 : The BUTTERFLY EFFECT VIP + PIV Soiree
A Bountiful Evening of Beautiful Surprises benefitting rep & under the baobab tree
VIP + PIV = Very Innovative Person + Passionate Interesting Visionary
ARE You a VIP or PIV or Both? Come Out and Let Us Know!
Advance Donation $20 | $26 At the Door
(Includes Some Food & Drink)
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/64921
And Through PayPal
http://thebutterflyeffectsoiree.eventbrite.com
Space is very limited. Your Ticket is Your RSVP.
Or reply to this e-mail for any special requests. All Visionaries and Hopefuls Welcome!
DETAILS:
Hosted Food by 5A5 Steak Lounge, 5pm - 8pm http://www.5a5stk.com
Guest VIP | PIVs offering Soundbites 6pm, 7pm, & 8pm
to Stimulate Ideas and Spark Lively Inspired Discussions Throughout
Live Vocals by NKECHI, 6:30pm & 8:30pm, http://www.nkechi.com
DJ Music before, after, & in between
Sponsored By The Emeruwa Music Foundation
Friday, May 29th, 2009 5pm - 9pm
5A5 Steak Lounge
200 Jackson St, SF, 94111
TICKETS:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/64921
PAYPAL TICKETS:
http://thebutterflyeffectsoiree.eventbrite.com
ABOUT THE CAUSES:
rep
rep is a line of business of a US-based consulting organization whose mission is to repurpose existing businesses to impact the communities in which they reside both spiritually and socio-economically. rep runs business transformation Ventures in South Africa (Cape Town and Johannesburg), India (Chennai), Indonesia (Jakarta), and other locations around the world. The impact of transformed client businesses is often profound, but is as varied as the businesses are individual. rep also has a Community Track, which seeks to transform communities by launching reproducible small businesses and teaching essential skills in emerging economies. The community track currently focuses on providing low-cost housing for the extremely poor in rural India. http://repurpose.biz
under the boab tree
Under the Boab Tree's mission is to develop a completely sustainable community in one of the world's most impoverished regions. Education is the first step to teaching the children of the community how to read, write, eat, and develop a sustainable economy and ecology. http://www.underthebaobabtree.org
The Emeruwa Music Foundation and her roster of corporate sponsors donate the proceeds from their events to organizations that serve to enrich and enhance the lives of men, women, and children in Africa.
Join me at any time between 5 pm - 10 pm and you'll be in for a bounty of beautiful blessed surprises! Buy a ticket or two just to help support the causes! Click through for more details on this bountifully fun awareness and fundraising event http://www.nkechi.com/thebutterfly.cfm
Please RSVP or send a special note! Space is limited.
Hope 2 See U Soon in Person or in Spirit!
Blessings :-)
NKECHI
http://www.nkechi.com
Astral Soul Songstress
Alternative Singer/Songwriter
If you are receiving this e-mail it is because you and I met somewhere,
sometime, someplace, some way and I personally placed you on this list.
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Blessings!
"Just when the Caterpillar thought the world was ending
it transformed into a Butterfly." Proverb
A reminder to Join Me this Wednesday April 1st from 5 pm - 12 am for "Vol 1 :: The Butterfly Effect Fundraiser Party" @ Project One Gallery, 251 Rhode I sland, SF, CA 94103.
Music + MUSE + Art + HEART + Food + GOOD + Fashion + PASSION
= "Vol 1 :: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT Fundraiser Party"
A Bountiful Evening of Beautiful Surprises to benefit abused women and girls in the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) through V-Day and midwives in Uganda through OneMama
Our event sponsors have been generous to make this an evening to remember! A real gourmet meal by Radio Africa & Kitchen, goodie bags by Benefit Cosmetics, photos by Ross Pelton Photography, refreshments by Adina World, fashions by Buffalo Exchange, hair by Paul Mitchell, raffle prizes by Gold's Gym, and giveaways all at Project One Gallery. With only three more days to go, we've opened up another small round of tickets, so get your tickets today from BrownPaperTickets or EventBrite! Space is limited. RSVP by replying to this e-mail for any special requests.
Join us any time between 5 pm - 12 am and you'll be in for a beautiful surprise! Buy a ticket or two just to help support the cause! Click through for more details on this bountiful and fun fundraising event http://www.nkechi.com/thebutterfly.cfm
5 pm Doors Open w/ DJ Arisafari and live drumming by Ronny Northrop
6 pm Meal Hosted by Radio Africa & Kitchen; Refreshments by Adina World
7 pm Fashion Show VINYL by CCSF with DJ Mama Bear
8 pm Live Music by NKECHI LIVE! Band; 2nd Set 9:30 pm
10 pm Closing out the evening DJ Voodoochop spinning until ...
Reply to RSVP or send a special note! Space is limited.
Hope 2 See U Soon in Person or in Spirit!
Blessings :-)
NKECHI
http://www.nkechi.com
Astral Soul Songstress
For the full press release please go http://www.nkechi.com/pressreleases.cfm
If you are receiving this e-mail it is because you and I met somewhere,
sometime, someplace, some way and I personally placed you on this list.
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 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Bay Area Acoustic Soul Songstress NKECHI hosts "Vol 1 :: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT Fundraiser Party" for Women in Africa CONTACTS: Media Contact: Evone Garcia (United to Stop Violence Against Women and Girls); evoneg@yahoo.com ; Sponsor & Donations Contact: Nkechi (Host & Creator of The Butterfly Effect Party) thebutterflyeffect@nkechi.comWHAT: Bay Area Acoustic Soul Songstress NKECHI, Evone Garcia, and Radio Africa & Kitchen present "VOL 1: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT Fundraiser Party" on Wednesday April 1st, 5pm - 12am at Project One SF Gallery & Lounge. "The Butterfly Effect" Fundraiser Party is a soulfully artistic and fashionable, art, fashion, food, dj and live music event created by NKECHI to raise funds for charities that benefit men, women, and children in Africa. The charity focus for this party is VDay.org and OneMama.org. Evone Garcia, a long time V-Day Organizer as well as Radio Africa & Kitchen, a nomadic African restaurant with sustainable products and methods are rallying in support of this event. FULL PRESS RELEASE http://www.nkechi.com/pressreleases.cfm"If one flap of a butterfly wing can make an impact on the other side of the globe, so can our little BIG party in the US make an impact on the continent of Africa." Doors Open at 5pm Food Sponsored by Radio Africa & Kitchen 6pm - 8pm http://www.radioafricakitchen.com/ Fashion Show by the Fashion Department of CCSF at 7pm. Live Music By NKECHI LIVE! Band at 8pm & 9:30pm. http://www.nkechi.com/Special DJs Arisafari, Mama Bear & Voodoochop spinning before, after & in between Goodie Bags Sponsored by Benefit Cosmetics http://www.benefitcosmetics.com/And More Event Partners donating gifts for raffle prizes DATE: Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 TIME: 5pm-12am WHERE: Project One SF Gallery & Lounge, 251 Rhode Island, San Francisco, CA 94103 TICKETS: Advance Tickets $20 (includes food) ; $10 More at the Door Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/60529Eventbrite.com http://thebutterflyeffect.eventbrite.com/ABOUT THE CHARITIES: V-Day. Until the Violence Stops. Violence against women and girls in the family, in a relationship, at school, on the street, in the workplace, during war still occurs regularly in Africa, Asia and the Middle East with impunity. V-Day works to end this violence by partnering directly with women's organizations in these regions who are working to end violence against women and girls in all its forms changing minds, changing laws, changing lives. V-Day's Spotlight this year is the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) http://newsite.vday.org/drcongo OneMama. We are all OneMama on OneMother Earth. One Mama ties Uganda's communities together through sustainable health, family, and financial education in order for its people to overcome poverty and thrive. By specifically supporting the midwives at the center of these communities, OneMama empowers women, raises awareness, and makes positive change. OneMama is the nurturer, the protector, and the source of life for those in need. OneMama's mission is to bring prosperity and health to people all over the world by empowering women as caregivers, mothers, businesswomen and agents of change for their rural communities. We are all OneMama on OneMother earth. http://www.onemama.org/ABOUT THE MUSICAL PERFORMING ARTIST AND HOST: NKECHI (pronounced nnn-KAY-chee) http://www.nkechi.com/ is an alternative acoustic soul singer/songwriter whose evocative voice, lyrics, and melodies explore a wide range of musical territory, including indie alternative pop, folk, world, & soul all in her signature sound and style. NKECHI performs as a solo musical artist, a live vocalist with djs, a live emcee/host and as lead vocalist/songwriter of her self-titled band NKECHI LIVE! A Full Tilt Jam Band Experience. NKECHI has performed at venues such as Cafe DuNord, the Make Out Room, 12 Galaxies, Red Devil Lounge, the Make Out Room, El Rio, Hotel Utah, Rockit Room, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, and many more venues and festivals around the bay area and east coast. NKECHI is a proud member of WomenROCK!, a Bay Area music, art and activist collective, which was formed with a vision to support female musicians and to use their music to bring awareness to charitable causes while reaching the listener in a way that entertains and educates. NKECHI aka "Astral Soul Songstress" hosts and produces Alternative Live Music Shows and Events alongside an aggressive performance schedule for causes in which she believes. ( http://www.nkechi.com/biographies.cfm) Her mission is to bring intuitive and creative live music productions into out-of-the-box environments as a tool to inspire, enhance, and bring creativity, consciousness, and connection to upscale parties all over the world. NKECHI is an experienced entertainment personality, who plans, develops and emcees Live Music Shows designed to meet the funds and consciousness raising needs of the charities she supports. NKECHI is gifted in her ability to improvise words and music which specifically speaks to highlight and raise compassion in the midst of her performing environments. “Vol1 :: The Butterfly Effect Fundraiser Party" is an upscale fashionably artful musical evening helping to raise awareness on behalf of a group of organizations that serve to better the lives of men, women, and children in Africa. NKECHI says "I thrive on creating live music in the moment which inspires a heightened perspective for worthy causes. Being that I am an African, I wanted to focus this time around on bringing awareness to issues concerning women from Africa. From that thought OneMama and V-Day suddenly appeared as inspirational causes that are affecting change over there from here, hence The Butterfly Effect. If one flap of a butterfly wing can make an impact on the other side of the globe, so can our little BIG party in the U.S. make an impact on the continent of Africa.” NKECHI is collaborating with long term V-Day supporter and organizer Evone Garcia and Radio Africa & Kitchen founder Chef Eskender Aseged, to create an evening to be more than remembered.
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How did I end up at the Four Seasons with the cast of Entourage after a rambling day of getting things done and never quite changing from the skirt over Hanro long-johns combo I started out with in the morning, which after looking long enough resembles an Issey Miyake ensemble, but not quite. After a full day of computer focus with a break to chat over tea with friends, this evening started out with an idea to locate a pair of Adam's Boots for RG. Lately he's been wearing mine and I am not quite sure why this works, save I wear my boots way too big and thankfully they fit him just fine.
