Welcome to Love's Troubadours, a
Lorraine Hansberry-inspired novel series about people learning and living as they love.Ananda
Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke (www.anandaleeke.com) is the author of the series. Click here to find out how it was made: www.lovestroubadours.com/id7.html.
The first book in the Love's Troubadours'
series is entitled Love's Troubadours - Karma: Book One (iUniverse,
Inc. - August 2007). It tells the story of Karma Francois, a thirtysomething Oakland-born BoHo B.A.P.
(Bohemian Black American Princess) with Louisiana roots and urban debutante flair. The novel begins with Karma's
life in an uproar. Her relationships and the museum curator career that she struggled to form in New York City have crumbled,
leaving no viable options to rebuild. Relocating to Washington, DC, Karma struggles with denial, depression, and debt.
A lack of full-time employment opportunities forces her to craft a gypsy existence as a Jill of Many Trades: yoga teacher,
art consultant, and freelance curator at Howard University Gallery of Art. Unable and unwilling to appreciate these jobs as
gifts, she wallows in a pool of lost identity-and doesn't see a way to keep from drowning. When she looks in the mirror, Karma sees a woman whose choices have dishonored her true character.
Now, for the first time in her life, Karma must learn to see herself for who she really is.
Love's
Troubadours - Karma: Book One is available on Amazon.com for $20.95. To purchase a copy, click on the link below.
“Anacostia,” one of my new favorite web TV shows and sources of inspiration for my second novel, Love’s Troubadours – Symon:
Book Two
Greetings All,
I started watching “Anacostia”, one of my new favorite web TV shows, this week. Anthony Anderson, a writer and producer of the independent film, The
Ties That Bind, created the dramatic series. It contains 10 episodes. I love that the show is set in D.C.
and follows the lives of four friends (three women and one man – a bit different from the “Sex and the City”
formula I adore!). Through the four main characters and the folks who make their lives juicy, you get to see what happens
inside and outside of human relationships. Kudos to Anderson for featuring gay characters in the show. I think
it is important that Black television, movies, literature, and plays show all facets of Black life and relationships.
We are not monolithic (that’s my mantra from my Love’s Troubadoursnovel series which celebrates Black straight, gay, and bisexual characters).
The cast of “Anacostia”
includes a dynamic and talented team of actors and actresses: Walter Maxfield Jones, Tamieka Chavis, Anthony Anderson, Kena
Hodges, Wil Lash, Tia Dae, Jermaine McNeal, Rabon Hutcherson II, Marion Akpan, Pasha Diallo, Kareem Petteway, Kristopher Robin
and James Oxley. See their photo below.
Since I’m just getting into “Anacostia,” I will hold off on sharing my thoughts about the various
characters and episodes. I promise to blog more about the show and how it is inspiring me to complete my second novel,
Love’s Troubadours – Symon: Book Two in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, check out
“Anacostia” and tell me what you think in the comment section below. Also include your favorite characters
and episodes. Be sure to join the show’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/ANACOSTIA-The-Series/121834845549?ref=ts.
Peace and Creativity,
Ananda
PS: I am really anxious to see what happens to the model
as she returns to her career and the woman who is drinking and pushing her husband away!
Buppies, a new web TV show & source of inspiration for my new novel Love’s Troubadours – Symon: Book Two
In November, I discovered “Buppies” (http://buppies.bet.com), BET’s new web TV show that chronicles the life experiences of five Black professionals in Hollywood.
“Buppies” is a blend of comedy and drama. It depicts how twentysomething upwardly mobile Black folks live,
love, dress, work, and deal with issues such as relationship breakups, death, sexual orientation, and pregnancy.
“Buppies” centers around Quinci Allen, a Hollywood Black American Princess (BAP) socialite and publicist. Quinci is dealing with the death of her celebrity father and recent breakup with fiancé
Shaka. As she navigates the landscape of her life’s ups and downs and discovers who she is, Quinci realizes the
importance of her friendships and begins to rely on them as her true family. Her friends are also engaged in similar
journeys of self-discovery.
My thoughts about “Buppies”
So far I like
the story line of the series. I wish the webisodes were longer. They are only three minutes. However, the actors and
producers pack a lot into those three minutes! Check out my social media suggestions on how BET can market “Buppies”
below.
Expand “Buppies” social media presence by launching a Vimeo and YouTube channel so that fans
can see what life is like for the actors behind the scenes. The page should be linked to “Buppies” composer Gary
Gunn’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/user/garygunnmusic.
Create a UStream.tv channel for the actors and producers so they can host weekly live chats.
Launch a video
campaign that encourage fans to make their own videos sharing why they love the show and what characters resemble their lives.
Increase
Twitter followers and Facebook fans.
Offer weekly chats on Twitter or Facebook that feature one or more of the actors
and producers. The conversations could create a series of topics that could be featured during a weekly or monthly blogging
carnival.
Have the actors do audio blogs with Cinchcast or Utterli about their characters on a weekly basis.
Post the blogs on Twitter and Facebook.
Invite bloggers to review the webisodes or a topic discussed on the webisode.
Promote
the show with campaigns on Twitter and Facebook which include some giveaways.
I adore the cast of “Buppies” which stars Tatyana Ali as Quinci. Ali is one of my favorite actress from
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Young and the Restless.” She is a singer, activist, and graduate
of Harvard University.
Quinci’s ex-fiance Shaka McCarthy, a corporate attorney and rapper, is played by Ernest Waddell, a Brooklyn-born
actor with childhood roots in Bowie, Maryland (a P.G. County homeboy!). Waddell is a graduate of New York University’s
Tisch School of the Arts. As a NYU student, he worked on “As the World Turns” and HBO’s “The
Wire.”
Robin Thede, an actress, comedian, writer, entertainment correspondent, host and radio personality, and Northwestern
University graduate, plays Priscilla “Prissy” Belle, one of Quinci’s best girlfriends. Prissy is a
magazine editor with a celebrity attitude who is dating Eliot David, a sports agent with a closet full of secrets that involve
his relationship with another man.
Preston Davis, an actor and native of Los Angeles, brings the character Eliot to life. Davis is a graduate of
Louisiana State University, has a recurring role on HBO’s “Entourage,” and is starring in the upcoming films,
“The Brotherhood V: Alumni” and “The Prankster.”
Chante Frierson breathes “keep it real” life into Quinci’s other best girlfriend Kourtney Bellows,
a woman who considers being a music industry heiress a profession. Frierson’s acting career began with recurring
roles on NBC’s “A Different World” and the Broadway production of “Rent.” She recently
appeared in the San Diego Musical Theater production of “Dreamgirls.” Click here to learn more about the cast
of “Buppies”: http://buppies.bet.com/cast.
Filmmaker Julian Breece wrote and directed the series. Breece and his producing partner, Aaliyah Williams co-produced
“Buppies” through Game Theory Films and in partnership with Tatyana Ali and her sister Anastasia’s company
HazraH Entertainment.
Gary Gunn, a fellow Howardite and composer with D.C. roots, created an amazing soundtrack for ”Buppies.”
Click here to listen to the soundtrack: http://www.garygunnmusic.com/filmtv_buppies.html.
“Buppies” has become a source of inspiration for my next novel Love’s Troubadours – Symon:
Book Two. Book Two tells the story of Symon Allure, the last person you meet in my debut novel Love’s
Troubadours – Karma: Book One (www.lovestroubadours.com). Symon is a thirtysomething Brooklyn-born African American man with an eclectic background and striking resemblance
to actor Courtney Vance. His eclectic background includes working class Afro-Cuban roots dipped in the southern culture
of Richmond, Virginia, and a professional persona that mirrors Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois’ Talented Tenth. Symon earned
his BA and MBA in finance from Howard University’s School of Business. He is also a proud member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity, Inc. He works as an investment banker in Washington, D.C. and enjoys a buppie lifestyle
with his 15th Street bachelor pad home and BMW. The novel opens with flashbacks from Symon’s childhood in
1968 and moments from his freshmen year at Morehouse College. It takes you on a journey of Symon’s dating experiences
which lay the groundwork for a major life transformation that helps him discover his identity as one of Love’s Troubadours.
I hope your holiday season has been a joyous one so far! I recently uploaded several videos from my December
6th book release party that celebrated my new book That Which Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery.
See the list of links below.
Celebrate Author Ananda Leeke's Official Book Release Party on 12.6.09 4pm in DC & Watch Countdown Video
Greetings All!
I hope your Thanksgiving was filled with fabulous food, fun, and family moments that
fill your heart with joy, gratitude, and love.
Join me in celebrating Day 1 of the That Which Awakens Me
Book Release Party Countdown. Click here to watch a video that features me reading an excerpt from Chapter 5 of
my new book ThatWhich Awakens Me: A Creative Woman’s Poetic Memoir of Self-Discovery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGatYbGLH9w. It discusses my writing life. For more information, visit www.anandaleeke.com. The book is available on Amazon.com.
If you are in D.C. on December 6, come on by the official book release party
from 4pm to 5pm at SHAKTI MindBody Studio www.shaktimindbodystudio.com, 1302 9th Street, N.W, Washington D.C. The Chinatown Metro (walk 3 blocks north on 7th Street) and Mt. Vernon Street Metro
(walk 1 block South on 7th Street) are located near SHAKTI.
Judy Weathers, my Ameriprise Financial financial advisor
will provide a gift certificate for a free consultation to individuals who purchase copies of That Which Awakens Me and
Love’s Troubadours – Karma: Book One (my debut novel about a yoga teacher in D.C. (www.lovestroubadours.com). The book party will be videotaped by Matt Leeke of Majik Productions, Inc. Many thanks to my yoga teacher Faith Hunter
(www.faithhunteryoga.com) and her SHAKTI business partner Ieshia Ali for hosting the book party!
Thank you for your positive energy and
support!
Peace, Creativity, Compassion, Gratitude, and Blessings,
Ananda teaches Pink October Yoga online classes for Breast Cancer Awarness Month
Happy Early October!
I am launching Pink October Yoga, an online yoga class series for
computer users, on October 6, 13, 20, and 27 from 8:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Stickam.com to honor Breast Cancer Awareness
Month and my grandmothers Frederica Stanley Roberts Leeke (1915 – 1996) and Dorothy Mae Johnson Gartin (1912 –
present). Click here to take the class with a live stream and web chat discussions: www.stickam.com/anandaleeke. If you miss the live class, don’t panic. You will be able to watch a recording of the show. To learn more
about breast cancer, visit The National Women’s Health Center’s Breast Cancer web site: http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastcancer.
My grandmother Frederica died of breast cancer in June 1996. My grandmother Dorothy learned she had breast
cancer at the age of 95 in 2008. The news of my grandmother Dorothy’s her breast cancer made me want to do something
for people impacted by breast cancer in my local community.
So I started the first annual Frederica Stanley Roberts Leeke and Dorothy Mae Johnson Gartin Breast Cancer
Awareness Yoga Weekend in Malcolm X – Meridian Hill Park in Washington, D.C. This year I am teaching two classes
on October 24 and 25 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for the Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend. Click here for more
information: http://yoga.meetup.com/584. If you are in the D.C. area, please join me for a kind and gentle yoga class dedicated to individuals impacted
by breast cancer.
Has Artist/Author Ananda Leeke's work made a difference
in your life this year? If yes, then click on the PayPal button above
and make a donation to Kiamsha.com, LLC, Leeke's healing arts company. PayPal offers Visa, MasterCard, and American Express
secured payment options.It also offers a PayPal card that you can use for other purchases. Many thanks
in advance for your gift. It is greatly appreciated!
Kiamsha.com, LLC promotes creativity through coaching
and expressive arts, teaches contemplative practices (i.e. yoga, Reiki healing touch, meditation, breathing exercises, journaling,
affirmations, and prayer), and builds community that awakens your soul and transforms your life.
AKOMA is a Ghanaian Andinkra symbol that represents the heart and
means keep an open heart filled with compassion.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud It
is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil,
but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
WHAT IS LOVE'S
TROUBADOURS?
Love's Troubadoursis a healing fiction series that features stories told by people who are learning and living as they
love. The healing fiction series is deeply rooted in the storytelling traditions of the West African griot and troubadours
of the French Middle Ages. To learn more about these traditions, read the sections below.
Senegalese Griot, 1890
WHAT IS A GRIOT?
A griot is a West African poet, storyteller, historian, advisor, arbitrator, and wandering musician
who serves as a repository of oral history tradition. Griots are walking history books who memorize traditional songs
and teachings, folktales, cultural history, and family relationships. This information is passed down through generations. Griots
also marry them with current events and chance incidents to create praise songs and stories with wisdom teachings, comic relief
and satire, political commentary, and gossip. Today, griots live in Senegal, Mali, Gambia, and Guinea. They are present among
the Wolof, Serer, Mande, Malinke, Bambara, Fula, Tukuloor, Wolof, and Mauritanian people. There are several African names
for griots including jeli (a word that means "blood in the Manika language that is derived from ; northern Mande areas),
jali (southern Mande areas), guewel (Wolof), gawlo (Pulaar, a Fula language), and igiiw (Hassaniyya, an Arabic language).
WHAT IS A TROUBADOUR?
Troubadour is derived from an Old French word "trobador" which comes
from the verb "trobar" that means to invent or compose. When you put it all together, troubadour refers to a composer
and performer of lyric poetry. The French Middle Ages (1100-1350) gave birth to the troubadour tradition in the eleventh century.
The tradition defined troubadour lyric as poetical, rhetorical, and musical fiction. They dealt mainly with themes of courtly
love, chivalry, nature, life, and death. Most troubadour lyrics were metaphysical, intellectual, and formulaic. They also
included many genres including alba (morning song - the song of a lover as dawn approaches, often with a watchman warning
of the approach of a lady's jealous husband), canso or canço (the love song, usually consisting of five or six
stanzas), dansa or balada (a dance song with a refrain) ensenhamen (a long didactic poem, usually not divided into stanzas,
teaching a moral or practical lesson), enuig (a poem expressing indignation or feelings of insult), escondig (a lover's
apology), partimen (a poetical exchange between two or more poets in which one is presented with a dilemma by another and
responds), planh (a lament, especially on the death of some important figure), salut d'amor (a love letter addressed to
another, not always one's lover), and tenso (a poetical debate which was usually an exchange between two poets, but could
be fictional).
ODO NNYEW FIE KWAN is a Ghanaian Andinkra symbol that means the power of love.
Copyright 2009-2012 by Madelyn C. Leeke. All rights reserved.
The
slogans "Love's Troubadours"; "Be love, love light, and live as the spirit of life"; "YOGA is Your
Opportunity to Graciously Accept yourself"; "Honey I'm OM"; "OM on My Mind"; "Our Womanist Spirit";
"BAP Living"; "Black American Princess...BAP Being At Peace"; "Sisterhood, the Blog"; “Ananda
Leeke TV”; “The Ananda Leeke Radio Show”; and "That Which Awakens Me" are the intellectual property of
Kiamsha.com, LLC. They may not be used without the prior consent or licensing by Kiamsha.com, LLC.
