All posts tagged: music

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ James Tillman

“If I could sum up my travel style and sense of adventure in one iconic album, it would have to be A Tribe Called Quest’s debut, People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. Classic, funky, fresh and intelligent! Out of all the traveling I have been fortunate and blessed to do, I have been most at peace and happy when I have the pleasurable company of like-minded family and friends. This album makes the listener feel like they’ve been picked up by a rowdy group of friends to tag along as they traverse the globe, cracking jokes on each other and getting into some trouble here and there, but also sharing in profound moments of personal and collective growth from the journey.  A type of mellow, feel-good wandering comes to mind every time I listen to this, which is exactly how I’d ideally like to travel. Traveling alone is a nice reprise as well, but I’ve realized that there’s something especially spiritual about a collective traveling together with a unified purpose in mind. I have had some great …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ George Abi-Hanna

Travel for inspiration, such a beautiful phenomenon, to escape the mundanity of routine and inject one’s self with positive experiences from around the world. A voluntary timeless blood transfusion that delivers on many intangible levels. For musicians, that’s the never ending pilgrimage for musical influence, leading some to claim a home away from home.  Growing up in Lebanon during turbulent times, travel was reactionary. Plucking families like dandelions seeking a safe haven away from political turmoil. That “somewhere” evolved into Brooklyn for me. A beautiful borough with raw character, sharing inspiration beyond its borders, which reminded me of Beirut. Walking down either’s streets you get a sense of immense creative energy seeking an outlet. Graffiti covered walls incubating bands tucked away in packed alley bars. A comparable music scene in Lebanon giving Arabic rock and hip hop a platform where Arab artists can express themselves. A sense of sonic unity that Brooklyn taught me to appreciate. This journey for clarity has bought things full circle for me.  Now I find inspiration in seeing the work …

KO-Austin City Limits-Jetsetterproblems.com

Say Yes To Austin City Limits!

Being a kindred “analogue girl in a digital world” like Texas native, Erykah Badu, visiting Austin struck a chord with me since it’s a city that literally revolves around music boasting festivals eleven months out of the year. Last October, I flew out to Austin City Limits, aka ACL, and highly recommend a pilgrimage for fellow music lovers alike. Here’s why! TWO THREE-DAY WEEKEND OPTIONS IN A PHENOMENAL CITY ACL has two separate weekends for concertgoers to choose from with dates typically falling around Columbus Day. This is a huge bonus for crowd control and the line-ups for both weekends are synonymous with the exception of a few acts. Options allow for purchasing either: early bird specials, which are three-day passes issued prior to line-up announcements for $225, regular three-day passes at $250 or single day passes at $100 each. I chose the latter since my main focus was seeing Outkast who kicked off the first night of the weekend I attended. I spent the rest of my time soaking up Austin, which translated to …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Cesarin Mateo

“Music and old classic films have a major influence on how I shoot and edit. It is what made me love photography to begin with. The two coexist within each other, one cannot live without the other… When I decided to travel to Rome on my own, all I had was my music and the classic films I have watched to visually guide me through the city, as well as a map. What made it more of an epic trip was waking up one early morning right when the sun was rising to explore the empty streets of Rome. Nothing is more beautiful and incredibly inspiring than to be in a place where there is so much history and having that all to yourself. Moments like these, that are the most simple and mundane, are what I typically find to be the most gratifying.” – Cesarin Mateo   022/100 of #100DaysofConfessions Instagram Project

Confessions Of A Jetsetter w/ David Jones

It seems like each time I have the opportunity to travel abroad and immerse myself in a different culture, Louisiana finds me there. Every time, without fail. It’s in those moments that I’m once again reminded at how absolutely magical this place is that I call home. She holds the title of “Sportsman’s Paradise”, “Festival Capital of America” and even “The Happiest State”, but Louisiana is so much more than Bourbon Street and LSU Football… She’s as diverse and full of flavor as the gumbo we’re famous for serving up, with every cultural & ethnic group imaginable represented in contributing to all that Louisiana is today. From the food, the music, the gorgeous nature found all around and the warm Southern hospitality, it’s impossible to keep the collective soul of this place from entering your own. As a “born & raised” Louisiana musician currently living in New Orleans, I’m always trying to push the envelope to communicate sound and sight and feeling to others about this her, and I think I’ll close this off with …

Why I Thought All Camels Were From Brooklyn

I’ve been lucky enough to have had camels be a major mode of transport for some of my adventures thus far and I’ve gotta say, they are some pretty badass animals! In general, camels are super laidback to the point of comatose, unless of course provoked which takes a bit of effort to do! Even then, their attitudes are still calm but with a gangster lean as in they’ll simply just lean over, spit on you and keep it moving…leave the gun, take the cannoli, Godfather style! Not to worry, a spitfire reaction as described above is rare. Camels are generally lovers, not fighters and are particularly known for their loyalty, patience and endurance. Their loyalty runs so deep, they never forget where home is and can easily find their ways back to the exact spots they were raised and if domesticated, to the exact people who reared them similarly to Mohammed bin Shouishan al-Sabaii’s heartwarming story from earlier this year. Camels are all about spreading love to their crew (just like the Brooklyn way) and openly express affection by …