i know....another post... :) had to post a song i love from Rosario Flores...  :)

oh yea my positive thinking worked... happy work week  :)

Besos,
AVIANA

How exquisite is this music piece????...

I first heard it not too long ago when I was practicing at a music school and this girl was practicing it in the room next to me.  I asked who was it by...this music piece is by Yiruma..a composer from South Korea.  He performs to sold out crowds all over.  I'm an instant fan.

Listen to this masterpiece.  Go check out his website...www.yiruma.com

Love and Air,
AVIANA

Hello,
I hope you are all well.  Last night and this weekend was and is a most wonderful celebration as New York has voted to allow same-sex marriages.  I am so proud to be a New Yorker.

However, I am proud to be of Haitian & Dominican descent.  I decided some time ago that my reasons to be AVIANA was no longer simply because of my love of music, creating and performing.  I want to help people through my art as a performer/artist.  I want people to be inspired to want to live their lives to the fullest.  To follow their dreams....In addition...I want people to turn their attention to Haiti and help Haiti rise...through education, sustainable living....out of poverty....into the sun. 

Haiti is not my cause, it's my blood.  Without Haiti, there would be no "me." 

I want people to turn their attention to a special organization named "EDEYO" which translates to "help them."  This wonderful foundation has done so much for Haiti in particular for the betterment of their future through education of children.  Here is a video shot by one of the founding directors as she shows the devastation of the Haitian earthquake to one of its schools.  EDEYO is run solely by "volunteers."  Not one person is paid. 

Please check out EDEYO at www.edeyo.org and see how you can help.

Peace,
AVIANA

love love love this band!...311...never mind the lead singer is hot....and married with child  :(

i will love love love a phone call today!...staying positive!  :)

Besos,
AVIANA

Hi!  How are you??  Good I hope!  :)

I'm writing at 12:57am now...why??  because i'm nocturnal for no damn reason..it's not like i'm actually doing anything that deserves me being up at this hour...except hoping for a phone call tomorrow for some good news...

I just read a blog post by a fellow dancer friend of mine who is living the life now in Turkey dancing it up.  Reading about her background in college and her aspirations back then.  It got me thinking about me in college.  How I so wanted to fit in and but could not and did not no matter how much I tried and despite being on the Cheer/Dance team.

If I could go back and re-do it all over again, as long as I got the College body back....i say that's a fair exchange..  :)

I would major, in languages, art, and music.  That's what I loved but could not do due to my parents restraints....it's tough being an only child to Caribbean immigrant parents.  I would love to learn Spanish fully, and French despite French being my native tongue, i've lost alot...I would focus on my loves and not focus on fitting in or badly fulfilling my parents dreams which affected me for the better or for worse.  I wont' say how many years since I left my college days but long enough. 

I don't miss the desire to fit in from my much younger years.  I do miss those tight jeans I could wear.....sigh....

I am trying to fulfill my dreams now....as a performer....the languages thing will have to come at some point....

follow your dreams, be confident in you...don't worry about fitting in....you'll just end up with a bunch of corns..yes i did say corns....you'll have the long aching desire that will haunt you forever, trust me....don't live life haunted...

it's interesting how everythin i do now is out of the "norm" and people love it...but it took time for me to get to that point internally......but i've got school loans to pay back....the collateral damage for my parents' dreams that i never fulfilled because my mind and spirit was not made for that....parents should really pay attention to their children and see what their dreams are and where their talents lay.....nurture ...don't ignore and create a manufactured act...no one relates to them and they eventually dissipate.....i'm still dealing with some issues but hey...i'm not done growing up......and i'm not done reaching for my dreams... :)

Here's a clip of a tv show on MTV called "My Life as Liz"....i watched a few episodes a few months ago and was hooked instantly..but alas i could only watch a few episodes because I don't own a tv......Liz is a cool artsy girl from texas who deals with high school pretty well...and not worried about others and follows her dreams...and ok to be "weird"... :)  i think i got hooked when she said to a girl who was so worried about being liked and being prom queen and was upset.....and said...."it's just high school.".......i loved that line and i thought it was so profound....there are bigger things out there....you and your dreams...you are not defined by a moment.....  anyhow...to me i thought this was a cool show.....here's a clip of the show....have fun... :)

Happy Sunday!

I  hope you guys had a great weekend!  I'm hoping for a better week so I'm gonna stay positive.
Lately, I've been so involved in my flamenco more than I have with bellydancing.  I started both at the exact same time...maybe 1 month apart.  I'm gearing up for some performances and I need to take my flamenco AND bellydancing to another level.  It's so hard with my schedule to keep true to both and more at the same time.  I hate how life throws us things that keep us from getting what we really want...or i should say...life makes it harder to get what we want. 

Nesrin Topakapi was a dancer famous in the 1980s.  Her dance is pure art.  She opened a school in Germany in the 1990s.  Not sure what she is doing now.   Please watch this clip of this lovely dancer. 

Anyhow, watching this video of the great Nesrin Topkapi from Turkey has got me yearning to go back and do more. 

Besos,
AVIANA

Sandra Carrasco....from Madrid, Spain...Thank you for waking me up from my Friday afternoon funk....and help me get back into gear with my rehearsals for my upcoming shows, continue with my music and dancing dreams.....

Arde Corazon...Burning Heart

Have a good weekend all. 

Besos,
AVIANA

a new day it is today....positive news from the work front is what i'm hoping for today.......
i had a depressing discussion with my teacher/mentor, Marija Temo, last night....she has seen my positive vibe sucked out of me...in particular because of some musicians in the DC scene....and the task of getting musicians and positive people who genuinely want to experiment and try something new.....this is highly unusual for me to be this way.....i have exactly 30 days until my co-headlining performance on July 17.....

The show is all i can think of as i think of wardrobe, musicians, the set, the musical arrangements, musicians, promotions, venue, crew stuff...and more......and of course there's the work thing, personal life and all.....phew...

i woke up with a headache.....

My desire to be a positive person has returned for the millionth time....i want to be someone that everyone smiles about when they think of them or see them.....so here's to a new day...

anyhow i'm leaving you with this video of 2 guitarists i've tracked for some years now...the amazing Rodrigo y Gabriela....enjoy :)

Love and Air,
AVIANA

Yesterday was not a good day for me work-wise...must keep trudging along and hope tomorrow and next week are better days for me in the work field....i hate it that i do a job that i hate...that does nothing for me except pay for my bills...which i'm so grateful for ...when the paychecks come...i work as a contractor.....but i hate it that it affects the way i live my life and how i feel about myself....

i had some issues in my passion...music...with a couple of musicians yesterday...but i'm making lemonade out of lemons....so i'm gonna keep pushing...it's my dreams, my life....i won't sit and do nothing.....

anyhow....here is a 15 year old music wonder named Birdy...she's a pianist and singer....and here she is doing a cover of "The XX's" wonderful song called Shelter.....oh yea...you must check out The XX....they are awesome....

have a good one.....

Love and Air,
AVIANA

introducing my baby brother...  Jeffry Leroy...

he produced this movie, got all the actors and more involved...this is a trailer....and that's him acting in the clip below!...gotta give it up for the young brothers out there doing their thing....many people just wish for their dreams to come true....others like my brother and myself (hehe..) take action and take control..no wishing here...just doing....excuses for not doing what you want only get you to sitting and wishing and regretting...go out and make it happen..it's your dreams...your regrets...no one else cares about your dreams but you....and that is more than enough reason to go out there and at least TRY to make it happen

oh yea.....aunty is a reknown Haitian poet and performs spoken word....

yep the performance artistic bug runs in the family...  :)

Besos! :)
AVIANA