HOME AT LAST - PART 3

Oooops!!!

Founding a new band with Alexander, Malte and Daniel focusing on original music exposing racial injustice was a good thing. It intensified the personal relationships we've nurtured over the years and gave us the chance to discuss the challenges of systematic racism with people who wouldn't have dared to approach the subject before the murder of George Floyd. 

And it gave people the chance to show their humanity by coming together to raise their voices against discrimination on every level, as well as supporting the movement with their presence at demonstrations and making donations to equal rights organizations.

My time in Germany was not only filled with serious endeavors, I had more fun than one can imagine visiting friends and eating myself from a size 12 when I arrived to a 14+ when I left. My friends really showed out making sure I was housed, fed, clothed and happy. 

February

August

Let's flip the pages back a little. As I said in an earlier blog, I started out in Hamburg visiting my newly wedded friends Love and Gregory. Shortly after my first concert which should have been in Hamburg was canceled. Next on the schedule was Weyhe, so I packed my bag and went to rehearse and perform with the gospel choir directed by Elisabeth Geppert. 

Luckily for us the lock-down had not yet been initiated, we had a full house and the concert went really well - except for the moment that I fell from the stairs in the middle of my favorite reggae gospel. Embarrassed but not hurt I sprang to my feet with the help of several choir members and continued the show.

HOME AT LAST - PART 2

Solidarity Demonstrations in Germany

Oldenburg demonstrators take social distancing seriously.

The OEins live “window concert” was the first of a series of interesting events during my quarantine in Germany. 

Parallel to the unrelenting news about COVID-19 infections and death counts, yet another unarmed black man – George Floyd – was murdered by the police. Not only our nation, but nations around the world were angered and appalled by the clearly visible and intentional murder. 

8 Minutes and 46 Seconds - The Killing of George Floyd

Mass demonstrations against police violence played out all over the world, while racist politicians invoked support from the right wing conservative media in denying systematic racism, trying to villanize George Floyd and attempting to discredit the black lives matter “movement”. 
Trump Economic Advisor Denies Systematic Racism Because Whites Voted for Obama

While in Germany I joined demonstrations against racism in America and voiced my opinion every chance I got. Protests led to interviews and interviews lead to intense conversations with friends and colleagues who wanted to know the truth about America. 

Interview with Al-Yasha Anderson

Some of my German friends were shocked and appalled by the violence against blacks they were witnessing on t.v. Some were totally surprised that the America they worshiped was not the role model they learned to respect and others didn't care one way or another. 

My closest friends voiced their concerns for my family in New York and some even joined me in protesting. Interviews and performances were distributed on social media and my dear friends Alexander Goretzki, Daniel Haltaufderheide, Malte Hahn and I founded a band called EMPRESS AND THE PRIVILEGED WHITES.

HOME AT LAST - PART 1

NOTHING HAPPENS THE WAY I PLAN IT!

It's always the same. I get a great idea as to what I want to write in my next Blog. However, when I start writing it turns out to be completely different. For example, today's blog was meant to be a thank you and a tribute to all the wonderful people who helped and supported me while I was stranded in Germany.
Then I had an incredibly stimulating conversation with Rey (as we always do) and decided to video our conversation and post it as an interview. 

After we made the video I took a short cruise on my FB page and found lots of great stuff that friends wanted to post to my time line. I got distracted again.

Now I think I should just go back to the beginning of this years adventure in Germany and bring you up to date.

I arrived in Hamburg a week early so I could visit one of my best friends – Love Newkirk, and join her wedding celebration which I knew would be the fantastic party that it was. Good food, good music, good people and best of all ecstatically happy newly weds! 

My first scheduled concert at "Horst Haus am See" were I'd performed a benefit concert for "Erziehungshilfe-Hamburg e.V." last year was cancelled due to COVID 19. After spending some quality time with my bestie, I left to perform my next concert in Weyhe, Bremen with the Gospel Chor Weyhe led by Elisabeth Geppert. 

It was a wonderful concert that was well visited, well received and well reviewed. And very happily I was not injured when I fell from the pulpit stairs wearing my newly acquired obviously too high pale gold boots. That's another story.

I then headed to Oldenburg because I had planed a series of concerts with my band „Empress, Yeti and the M&M's“, as well as several vocal workshops and private parties. 

As I normally do, I went directly to my friend Cornelia's house. Cornelia is usually out of town around that time and has always been gracious enough to hand over the keys to the castle so I can have my privacy when I'm in town. I was looking forward to spending a weekend with her as she passed through Oldenburg on the way to her next vacation.

However, reports about COVID 19 started to spread, countries were locking down and tRump threatened to block Americans from coming home if they didn't arrive by March 13. I reconfirmed my concert series and decided to remain in Germany.

Having been fed a consistent diet of „fake news“ by the press and contracting diarrhea from the numerous lies told by the „president“ I found myself caught in the travel ban and stuck in Germany without an income or roof over my head. The rest of the story is simply amazing.

The first thing I did was let everyone know I was stranded. Because of the travel ban, I had lots of free time and conceded to strict distancing and mask wearing regulations when meeting people. I was willing to go through any restrictions necessary to facilitate the opportunity to meet with dear friends.

Here's how Alexander Goretzki and I managed to make a little music in the first week of the shut down.

Window concert with me andAlexander