Sade- Paradise »
Sade- Paradise from ikeepmoving.com on Vimeo.
My father introduced me to her music when i worked with him. The first song I ever heard from her was “Hang on to your love”. It wasn’t until her Love Deluxe album did I start to really pay attention to her music. by this point I had her whole catalog and bought her “best of” CD, just for ” Please send me someone to love”. I saw her Lovers Rock tour in 2001 and when I heard the new rendition of “Paradise” I wanted to grab my chair and fling it into the crowd because it was so punk rock. I love her music but this version of paradise gets me amped up.
Chaka Khan… and what's going on here »
Chaka Khan- Stay from Steven Lopez on Vimeo.
Since I was a young boy I was always attracted to her hair. It always seemed to express her energy. My aunt always played her music which made me very familiar with her stuff. When I think about who she is… I go back into time when she influenced me the most. This woman has power when she sings. That is why I chose her as the third installment of the “After Midnight” series. I didn’t want to use one of her more popular songs (I like them in fact) so I chose Stay. It’s not too slow and i think it adds variety to the songs I have chosen so far.
The series title has 2 meanings. First the literal one; I start the paintings usually at 2 AM and finish at around 4:30AM. With all the stuff I do during the day, I surprise myself that I can keep going. The Second meaning tells the story of the night euphoria. A surprise concert, for the lucky few who get to see a time capsule of talent under the stage lights for one night only. And it only happens after midnight.
I chose to do different angles of me painting. This proved difficult for me because it’s like trying to do math problems and sing a song at the same time. When I positioned my camera for a third angle I thought I hit record… but I didin’t. So what you are seeing is about 2 hours of footage with one (what I think is crucial) final hour missing.
Amerykah »
How can such a big voice come from such a petite frame? Erykah Badu has had my ears since her first album. I remember in the summer of 1997 listening to her music. I had come off of long term relationship and it seemed like her music cradled my heart. I couldn’t tell if it was the summer heat or the melodies of her music that made me feel warm inside. Her album became the soundtrack to my life during that time. You know when that happens, you can’t help but reminisce about those days that once were. Surprisingly, her album releases have been parallel to all my break-ups except for this last one. With such an emotional charge from me to her music, it is only right that I homage to her and her music. Thank you E Badu.
I’ve gotten responses to this live painting stuff. I’m gonna be doing a series of female singers that I really like. Same color combos, lyrics in the background etc… My only concern is that some of the girls that I like (Alicia Keys, India Arie) do not have fast tempo music. That’s some thing that I need when I’m painting. Chaka Khan and Nina Simone I’m considering. Sade is for sure in the series. In the mean time…check out this new video
Erykah Badu- Amerykahn Promise from Steven Lopez on Vimeo.
Hate On Me »
Im a big fan of Jill Scott. Her first album is always being played. What drew me to her was the refreshing sound that was missing from the radio. She had come from the place that so many people lack or hold dearly, love. In fact, her aura seems to be personified by how she dresses and holds herself. And to top it off she can write the words to the songs she sings. That means a lot to me. Her second album helped me overcome some of own challenges. Her words in the song family reunion helped me mend my own family ties, amen. It was at that point that I need to give something back to her. Read this post. It’s been a while since I’ve done a portrait of her. I like this look as I think it’s very fitting to her song. It’s also a testament to many peoples lives. But remember, we don’t fight hate with hate, That never got us anywhere… ever.
Jill Scott- Hate On Me from Steven Lopez on Vimeo.
