Walking the fine line between light and dark

This is a tribute to all the great story tellers who had come before us and all those who continue to enlighten and inspire lightness.

There are two basic ways to tell a story. 

One is to live it. The other is to tell it. 

It is an art to be able to live and tell.


There is a place for holy grounds, godly leaders and ministries for the many who seek solace and guidance. As with songs, art and poetry they hold vast informations and they serve as spaces of contemplation for enlightenment. These are the cup bearers; And then there are those who(for a time) are called to walk the fine line balancing between shadow and light in order to bridge the gap into the pits of despair. Artistes(performers, painters, composers and writers) are as such creatures that navigate the two realms summoned by an inner compassion to suffer the testing and documentation of this long winding life journey. When there are no instructions manual to life, perhaps the closest thing we have are live artistes as walking, talking testimonies to the omnipresence.

If storages(museums, universities) and stories bear the elixir of life then its creators represent the alchemy process that produces the potion. Some people will only take the potion if they see the alchemy process with their very own eyes. In many cases the faithless absolutely require this 'live' connection in order to overcome their loss of trust.

The point here is that there are those who are inspired by a beacon of light while others will only ever trust another who is walking the same path of redemption.

Life is full of contradictions and so are the scholars who dare represent these polarities. If you seek answers in art and spiritual forms you will find that artistes write, paint and sing both stories of sufferings and tales of joyous celebrations in mix assortments. And likewise, all scriptures are riddled with dualities. In the Holy Bible, the Old Testament sets the law and then the man(son of God), Jesus came to fulfill it in the New Testament. The contradiction of the two testaments confuse many, whilst those who have walked the line understood.

It is indeed a blessing and a burden to walk this path and I will never wish it upon anyone who isn't up for the task. He/she will suffer much judgment and opinions from both sides. It is a road paved with heartaches and many times, doubts. It takes great focus and unbreakable commune with the holy spirit to not get lost along this road. And most of all, it takes enormous strength and the ability to stand alone in confidence to overcome persecutions, oftentimes by your closest ones.

But yeah... There are those who walk in the light and there are the enlightened ones who are guided from within the shadows. I have come to appreciate the intricate balance that both ministries play. Most of the younger ministries will misunderstand the importance of that balance but the matured who comprehends this will just have to be patient with their counterparts.

Deceased rap artiste, Tupac Shakur once said, "You've got to enter into somebody's world in order to lead them out." It is an absolute mastery to be able to walk into the dark whilst at all times holding on to the faith that the light will lead you back out. Tupac knows this and so does Jesus. I commend those who walk this path or otherwise. What matters most is that we all keep our eyes on the light always.

Peace be.

(Reposted from colorfulblac.blogspot.com.au)

Trippin' down the 80's (with Bobz)

I was with a breakdance crew in the mid-80's. It was a time of great development for me in terms of philosophical and musical directions.

In the early days, out of pure boredom we use to teach ourselves to do flips and somersaults after school, out in Birdwood Square, Highgate. It was pretty much what I did with my crew everyday without fail, so we mastered the moves quickly and soon we were bored again. As hyperactive teenagers go, we were sooner looking out for new stimulation again, and that was when Berry Gordy's "The Last Dragon" hit the cinemas and got us on our feet again. Our introduction to routine dances soon extended to community centre performances and unbeknown to us, the dancing bug has begun spreading.

So, when breakdancing finally landed Down Under in the 80's, my crew(Turbo Mix) spruced up our act and rocked up to Forrest Chase, Murray St.(before it was a mall) to battle on massive pieces of cardboard boxes. We honestly had no idea what we were doing back then except for what we learned from the movie, 'Breakdance 1 & 2 - The Electric Boogaloo'. However, we quickly gained much valued street credibility by incorporating our martial arts/gymnast agility into the art of breaking. (There was a lot of rascism and fights back then and it is true to say that dance help to ease off a lot of our youthful passion and energy.)

It was at that time, that a teacher from our high school realized and channeled our talent by managing and promoting us for paid gigs. I remembered that our first stint was at the Sheraton Hotel ballroom - we were a hit! From there, as I continued dancing, I began taking up modelling stints for private functions at(Rumours, Gobble's, Chicago's & discos throughout the metro. Things happen and before I knew it I started promoting myself as one of the event organizers and had wine glasses and cigarettes hanging off me. I experience plenty and learned swiftly. From the wheeling dealing that was happening around me, I can see clearly that life in the entertainment business is a musical chair charade of cons and counter-cons with players dancing like vultures around each other. It was a dizzying dance.

Somehow, I was blessed with good sense, and so sooner than I had started, before I even begun having fun with the offerings, I became totally bored of the whole fakings and makings of the industry.

Coincidentally, that's when the ol' music bug caught up with me. I recall sitting alone as a little boy strumming on my guitar contentedly - days where there was no one to impress, no show offs to perform and no schedule to keep to. I quit my failing relationships, quit my job, quit the glitz, quit it all and ended up simply with a guitar on James St. in Northbridge outside the Wespac bank.

Thinking back, that decade was a whirlwind with temptations of fame and fortune. And boy! Was I glad that I gave up showbiz and got on with the business of making soul music. But yeah! The 80's were unforgettable!