This weekend is going to be an EPIC one for me – it’s Lollapalooza weekend in Chicago! Every year one of my best friends (and his lovely girlfriend) comes to stay with us, and we indulge in three days of music festival fun. Lollapalooza is big, fun, diverse, and an event to be experienced. I…
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Catching Up With Patra! The Queen Of The Pack is BACK
Picture this. 1994. A young Afrobella is living in Trinidad, still in high school, and watching videos on BET and MTV every day. One day the video for Patra’s Romantic Call comes on the television. “My property is my property!” declares a stunningly beautiful black woman with thick braids sprouting from her head like a…
Welcome to Chicago, City Target!
For months now I’ve been peeping in the windows and wondering what the new Target at the corner of State Street and Madison would be like. I’ve been living in Chicago for a mere three years and didn’t have the privilege of knowing and loving the legendary, historic Louis Sullivan designed Carson Pirie Scott building…
Makeup Artist Maria Barreda On Making Your Makeup Last
When I was headed to New Orleans, I knew I was traveling with a photographer (that’d be Chuck AKA @Chuckstr), I knew I’d be going to some high profile events (hello, Essence Music Fest!) and I’d be doing a photo shoot while in town (hello, Igigi). I also knew it would be like ninth circle…
Igigi in New Orleans
New Orleans is like no other city in the world. Steamy, sultry, decadent and delicious, you can feel the history of the city everywhere. It’s in the architecture, the streetcars, the famous food items everyone’s clamoring for. It’s a magical city. Right after Essence Festival weekend, we found some time to escape, explore, and do…
What I Learned From a Man Named Wyatt and a Horse Named Elvis
Sometimes it takes getting out of your comfort zone to remind you who you really are. Arizona is out of my comfort zone in general – it’s desert and mountains and terrain the likes of which you don’t see often if you’re from the Caribbean. It’s dry and hot and the air is thin. Hi,…
Miraval Is My Happy Place
Sometimes you need to get out of the rat race. Out of the hustle and bustle of your day to day. Out of the city, and into the great outdoors, to a place where you can breathe fresh air, appreciate nature, and reconnect with yourself. So often we need to have these kinds of experiences,…
An Interview with Phylicia Rashad – On Theatre, Television and Twitter
When you hear the warm, familiar voice in your ear you can’t help but be transported. You may want to say “Mrs. Huxtable!” or even worse, “Mom!” But don’t get it twisted. The voice on the other end of the phone is Phylicia Rashad, legendary actress of stage and screen. She is not your mama…
Afrobella on The Stream
The one thing I’ve been reluctant to do thus far has been television, and as I admitted recently, I realized I’ve been getting in my own way. I will admit, there’s something about the medium of TV that intimidates me. But tomorrow, I’m facing my fears and appearing on a live, Emmy Award nominated news…
Nothing But Natural Beauty at the Essence Music Festival!
I went to New Orleans with two missions in mind. #1 – to thoroughly soak up and enjoy the splendor of my first ever Essence Music Festival! And #2 – to capture the many stunning natural hairstyles I was bound to encounter during three amazing days of culture and music! Together with Chuck Olu-Alabi (AKA…