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Saturday, February 25, 2012

Carpe Diem – Seizing the Moment with the Riposte of Karyn White



 

By: Kevin L. Nichols


Songbird, Karyn White, will descend on The Rrazz Room March 1-3, 2012.  Most know her as a platinum selling artist with ballads such as Superwoman and Love Saw It, featuring Kenny “BabyFace” Edmonds.  Many know her by her high powered marriage with her now ex-husband, songwriter and producer, Terry Lewis.  However, the majority of us do not know where she has been and what she has been up to since her last CD (Make Him Do Right – Warner Brothers) in 1994…that is until now.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Ms. White as she prepares for her return to the spotlight and shares her beautiful voice with the Bay Area.  Since 1994, Ms. White has focused her attention on her family, raising her daughter, who is now a freshman at Howard University, and her adopted son.  The life of a traveling musician would not have been conducive to her family life, so she chose to invest in it this way, by being home.  She has lived in Blackhawk, Sacramento – where she did some interior design work, and Los Angeles. 

Upon her return to the industry, Karyn has faced challenges because of her long hiatus.  I asked her what advice could she give to stay-at-home mothers who have chosen to leave their high powered careers to raise their children and she had this to say, “Carpe Diem (the title of her new album), seizing the moment…I believe in following the spiritual voice of God…There’s a season for everything…” and ultimately if you are getting slack from companies saying that “you have been gone to long,” you have to do it yourself.

Since the metamorphoses of the record industry, which involved traditional sales of LPs, CDs, hundreds of thousand dollar videos, etc., Karyn loves the influx of new media and social media.  She says, “Warner Brothers spent millions for people to know Karyn White, but now Karyn White can own herself…I don’t need a label…I love that I can take control of my own career…my destiny through God.”  Her fans are right there, they provide input on album covers, what songs she should sing during shows, and are even working to get her a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

I asked her about the passing of Whitney Houston and her influence in her life and career.  She said, “Whitney was the bar!” “She was the package!” While reminiscing, she recalled that they were both pregnant during the same time and Bobbi Christina and her daughter Angela are about the same age.

Karyn White will be accompanied by her live band, which will feature musicians who have performed with Prince, Sheila E., Lionel Richie, and Jennifer Hudson.  Her voice is richer, stronger, and better.  Karyn said that her new album is retro, kind of like how Raphael Saadiq does it, “the way he does it… is brilliant.  He is today, yesterday, he’s the future…(regarding her album) it’s just soul!”

For ticket information, please visit http://bit.ly/xT3DTr and check out her latest single Soul Sista http://bit.ly/wBGwCD



Kevin L. Nichols is the President & CEO of KLN Publishing, LLC
He is also a social media consultant based out of San Francisco. 
For more information, please visit www.klnconsultinggroup.com



Copyright 2012   KLN Publishing, LLC   All rights reserved.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Instead of the Snow, How About the Sun this Winter?


By: Kevin L. Nichols


When Bay Area residents think of winter time, we often think of going to the snow.  However, this year, we are experiencing a drought with little rain and very little snow in the Sierra.  Although the ski-resorts have snow making machines, it is difficult to produce enough to make it worth skiers’ while by making an extended stay vacation out of making the trek up there.  If going to the snow is not practical this season, where else can families go to have some fun and get away?  How about taking a trip to the San Diego area to visit LEGOLAND ® USA and stay at the Grand Pacific Palisades Resort nearby? 


 Recently, LEGOLAND ® opened its new Star Wars ®  exhibit, which features 7 scenes from the epic Star Wars ®  movie series.  The first scene is the Battle of Naboo in Episode I.  The second is the Geonosis arena, in which Padmé Amidala, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker fight the clones in Episode II, Attach of the Clones.  Next is Episode III, the Clone Wars, featuring the battles that occurred on two planets Kashyyyk and Mustafar.  Then, Episode IV, the original Star Wars, ® on Tatooine where Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO and R2-D2 can be spotted in this desert planet.  The Empire Strikes Back in Episode V, where the fierce battle takes place on icy Hoth.  But the Jedi Returns in Episode VI, where the Battle of Endor takes place.  The final scene is from the animated series The Clone Wars on the planet Christophsis.  Everything from sound to the selection and careful crafting of the 2,000 Lego models was developed in concert with Lucas film, Ltd.





The Grand Pacific Palisades Resort is a gorgeous and immaculate destination with 5 star amenities.  It has a majestic approach and the staff is welcoming and courteous.  Nestled on a hill adjacent to LEGOLAND ®, the Grand Pacific offers free shuttle service to and from the theme park. 




The Grand Pacific literally is like a home away from home.  Not only is it a hotel, but the resort portion offers timeshare condominiums where families can have a living room, dinning room, full kitchens with refrigerators (and freezers), dish washers, cups, glasses, plates, cooking and eating utensils, and complimentary high quality coffee, popcorn, and other snacks.  They also have tons of closet space, including an iron, ironing board, and mini-push vacuum cleaners to pick up lint and other unwanted dirt or sand that may find its way on the ground. 

 
The condominiums also have separate quarters for the master bedroom and a massive bathroom with two entry points so that occupants can access both via the master and living room.  Moreover, the bathroom has both a full glass shower and bathtub and a enormous counter for storing toiletry items.  If someone is using the bathroom, there is a separate counter in the master bedroom for washing hands. 


There are separate televisions in the master bedroom and the living room so that parents can watch their favorite tasteless reality TV shows, while their children watch cartoons, music videos, or sports simultaneously.  The living room has a sofa bed for the children to sleep in as well.  At night, if you are lucky, you can catch the fireworks from LEGOLAND ®  and make it either a romantic night for the adults, or fun for the children.


Finally, the Grand Pacific has meeting space for conferences, a gym, and an awesome swimming pool area with a private area and grill that can be reserved.  The pool overlooks the Carlsbad area and the beautiful San Diego coastline.  Nearby, there are delicious and eclectic restaurants and the famous Carlsbad Premium Outlets for your shopping interests.  Overall, the Grand Pacific Palisades Resort is the perfect place to satisfy the family’s need for an entertaining vacation (primarily for the children) at LEGOLAND ® and shopping, swimming, and relaxation for the adults. 





Copyright 2012   KLN Publishing, LLC   All rights reserved.