Barbera Byfield is a down to earth and super caring fan from Boston, Massachusetts.

Members of the band met her a year ago at their Foxboro, Ma. show. Barbera brought her beautiful kids along to what would be their first AD celebration & made the group homemade cupcakes!

One year later, the group performed at the Mohegan Sun Casino with an MTV film crew in tow filming a MADE episode. Barbera hearing that the band was starving recommended the delicious restaurant Bobby’s Burger Place, within the casino. After the group sat and ate, she politely asked if she could join them and the group agreed.

She said, “I loved seeing the group perform the first time but the second time was even better!”

Her warmth and great sense of music was clear after talking to her for a while and before long it was time to get some sleep before traveling to the next city. Barbera’s caring nature was again evident as she sent the group away with organic, vegan cupcakes for their long road trip ahead. Barbera Byfield is our fan of the month! Thanks for all you do!

Our group is about curing the ill’s of the black community. But you can’t cure what hasn’t been diagnosed. That’s why we strive to expose the problem, so we all can fight effectively against it.(The following article is originally from the Africas a country website) This amazing site tends to address social distortions of the beautiful continent of Africa using sarcasm. (ie: their site title-Africa is a country, which of course, Africa is NOT a country, but a continent filled with many countries!) But TV often refers to the continent as a country, one of the many destructive distortions about African people which also harms us (blacks) of African decent.  Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta hit a new record of 2.9 million viewers for it’s premiere episode recently.  Atlanta Housewives in Africa by Neelika Jayawardane

It’s too bad that America sees Atlanta, black women, and maybe even women in general through the lens of The ‘Real Housewives’ franchise.

When the first episodes of Atlanta aired, my upstate NY hairstylist gasped and gawped about the wealth and glam. Oh, the hair! the BET-ho short dresses! (and the token white girl!)

I had to reply, with that special brand of irony that educators cultivate: “Lovey, I think you’ve probably never seen rich black women before.”

So I did my part to defend the Atlanta women.

But now, they are planning a trip to South Africa (free, of course). This week was the prep episode, including one of them calling the president of Ghana for advice for a trip to SA. (Serious.)

Here’s a bit of recap from Entertainment Weekly:

Phaedra is the new Countess (just one with a sense of humor and rhythm). She’s organizing

a trip to South Africa for the women and she wants everyone to come. (“I wouldn’t go to the damn trash ca

n with them,” NeNe sniffed to Cynthia. They haven’t told her yet the trip is free.) In preparation, Phaedra dragged Kandi’s enormous thighs to an African dance class. “When I think of Africa, I just think of…” said Kandi. ”Naked women with their breasts out,” Phaedra cut in, handling her chest. “Jangy jangy jangy jangy!”

On Radio and TV Talk:

Phaedra and Kandi took part in a joyous African dance class so Kandi can lose some weight (So nice that African traditions, too, are now getting used for weight loss and body obsession, much like yoga—a practice meant to help us go of our attachment to our transient physical selves—has been adopted by OCD white women throughout the US to further draw attention to their physical and sexual selves). But there’s even more:

Phaedra Parks (or the producers) also use this episode to teach audiences a little about the continent the ladies are about to visit, and so that she can “immerse herself in culture”. Parks takes Kandi to, an Atlanta-based history museum about the African-American history. The pair then giggle over a “pec-tastic” slave statue and Sheree peeks under the loincloth, rather than paying attention to the tour guide.

Kandi can’t come up with one adjective to describe what she thinks when she hears “Africa.” Phaedra, however, is not at a loss for descriptions: Africa is, in the mighty Atlantan’s hands, the location of “naked women with their breasts out.”

Finally, Sheree, too, is invited to go to South Africa. “I would not pass up the experience,” Sheree delights. “We can put our grown panties on.” Phaedra’s response: “Hopefully, Africa will elevate us to college-level fights.”

NeNe, sadly, will not be going to Africa, despite the temptations of loincloths, “grown panties”, and the opportunity to elevate fights to the “college-level”.
Reuters.com tells us:

[NeNe] told Cynthia she wouldn’t go to a trash can with them. Prompting Sheree’s only real contribution to this episode, “I don’t think the b**** has ever been abroad. I don’t think she has any stamps on her passport. Get some damn culture!”

Indeed.

Oh, South Africa. I’m sorry that this is what you’ve got coming.

What’s your thoughts? ]]> http://arresteddevelopmentmusic.com/atl-housewives/feed/ 2 http://arresteddevelopmentmusic.com/living-music-video/ http://arresteddevelopmentmusic.com/living-music-video/#comments Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:12:38 +0000 speech http://arresteddevelopmentmusic.com/?p=1398

For screening dates (Click Here)

Starring Speech (Arrested Development) & Yolanda Thomas, Kindred the Family Soul, & Dr. Sherry L. Blake.

JJ boogie will be recording engineer & the Podium (Speech’s Studio) will be the location on this next project.