Best Part of Oscar Night February 25, 2008
The Best Part of Oscar Night by far was the performance by Jamia Simone Nash and Impact Repertory Theatre from Harlem with a song called Raise It Up from the soundtrack/film August Rush.
The trailer for August Rush really hadn’t evoked significant interest in seeing the movie but after the choir’s performance last night, I’m a believer. August Rush is the story of a young boy who is abandoned at birth and later discovers that he is a musical prodigy. Rush uses his gift in hopes that his parents will return to him.
The song Raise it Up, which was written by three young African American males was nominated for Best Original Song. Although it didn’t win, the exposure to the local choir, song writers and 11 year old Jamia Simone Nash, will surely elevate all their careers.
You might remember Jamia as the little girl who sang a fierce version Alicia Keys “Fallin” on several talk shows. She also appeared on a dedication to MJB on the Essence Awards and on My Wife and Kids as Franklin’s (piano prodigy) little sister Aretha.
Check out the music video below.
LYRICS - Thanks Mariah!
No father figure in the house
and i’m wonderin’ how i’m gonna work it out
oh my friends keep on tellin’ me how i don’t need that man but they don’t really understand
there’s far too many presures in reality but dealing with the pain and stress and poverty
and i gotta be myself because there’s nobody else for me (ohhhh)
(heading there with me)sometimes it takes a different kind of love to raise a child
(so don’t give up)so don’t give up
(when presures come down)sometimes it takes a different kind of dream to make you smile
(so raise it up)so raise
(hang in there with me)sometimes we need another helping hand to show the ways
(so don’t give up) so don’t give up
(when presures come down)sometimes it seems inpossible and that’s why we pray
(so raise it up) we raise
[HOPE] seems to be nothing left for me mommas gone daddy didnt wanna be and now im all by myself wonderin where is love or
should i just give up
life falls down on me, cuts into my soul but i know i got the strength to make it throgh it all cause im still standin tall
breaking throgh this wall im gonna give my all
[HOPE] feelin like a motherless child hankered into my soul its bringing me down cant find my smile on a face of a
motherless child
im gonna break down these walls gonna give it my all ya know
yeah yeah yeah yeahhhh
(hang in there with me)sometimes it takes a different kind of love to raise a child
(so dont give up)so dont give up
(when pressures come down)sometimes it takes a different kind of dream to make a smile
(so raise it up) so raise it up
(hang in there with me) raise it up
sometimes it takes another helping hand to show you the way
(so dont give up, when presures come down)
[HOPE] sometimes it seems impossible thats why we pray
SO RAISE IT UP
Every year Wayne County Community College District (WC3D) hosts a Passort to Africa event. This year’s gala was held on Saturday, February 9, 2008. I was there to support a friend and vendor who was selling her books.
My personal take and ramblings about last night’s Grammy Award Ceremony…
Mos Def made a special appearance at the 
Johannesburg, South Africa…they also said that they are scheduled to perform during the 2010
I discovered
diversity committee gave the welcome and extended the invitation for three members of the Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts to lead the audience in the national black anthem, Life Every Voice and Sing. The entire choir would later sing two Negro spirituals.