Ogun Holder
Bio
Author. Blogger. Podcaster. Musician. Minister. Dad. Boyfriend.
Not necessarily in that order. linktr.ee/revogun
Stories (7/0)
My Duet With Chick Corea
This week we lost another living legend. Armando Anthony Corea aka Chick Corea, one of jazz piano’s giants, passed away at the age of 79. Winner of 23 Grammys, he played for other jazz legends such as Herbie Mann, Stan Getz and Miles Davis, and that was before embarking on an epic solo career. He most notably helped to usher in the jazz fusion era, and was still a prolific performer and composer. He won his 23rd Grammy last year for Best Latin Jazz Album.
By Ogun Holder3 years ago in Beat
Remembering Mamba
I’m a one-sport guy. Well, one-and-a-half really. I’ll tune in for the final rounds of major tennis opens. But basketball is my jam. I may or may not have thrown money out the window for a few years subscribing to NBA League Pass. And full confession, when I say I’m a one-sport guy, a watch-one-sport guy is much more honest. It’s a bit inexplicable my obsession with basketball, given the fact I was born in Barbados where cricket and football (aka soccer for you Americans) reigned supreme. Regardless, I fell in love with the game, and that affinity has only deepened over the decades. The sport created one-named global superstars: Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Jordan, LeBron, and of course, the Black Mamba, Kobe.
By Ogun Holder4 years ago in Humans
I Have A Dream, And Now I Have Hope
Allow me to set the scene: The steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC, on an unseasonably warm February night. Not just any night, but two nights before my wedding. Jennifer and I decided to kill time on the mall after we arrived at Reagan National Airport to pick up her college best friend, only to discover the flight was running a couple hours late. It was 1999 and cell phones were not the ubiquitous appendages they are now so no heads up about the delay. We evidently didn’t call the airline for a flight status check, which led to my favorite pre-wedding memory.
By Ogun Holder4 years ago in Humans
Unpacking (And Packing-Up) Christmas
My Christmas paraphernalia is still out. I usually give it a week into the new year before I start thinking about undecorating. By then, well actually before New Year’s, I’m thoroughly fried on Christmas music, Christmas movies, and Christmas food, with the exception of eggnog which calls me to marshall every last ounce of my will power to stop drinking because that’s some tasty shit any time of year and thank you sweet baby Jesus the stores stop carrying it otherwise I’d probably most likely be still swilling that creamy goodness. I think I’ve made my feelings on eggnog crystal clear. Not taking down any decorations for at least a week also gets me through Epiphany. It’s when some faith traditions observe the visit of the Three Wise Men bringing gifts to the baby Jesus. In Latin American and some European countries it’s called Three Kings Day (Dia de Los Reyes) and it’s sometimes an even bigger celebration than Christmas Day.
By Ogun Holder4 years ago in Humans
You Won't Believe What I’m Not Doing In 2021!
You probably thought I was kidding at the end of my last post when I said this would be the title for this article. I was. I was trying to be funny…ending the article the same way it started: poking fun at clickbait headlines. Then, as I sat listening to my muse for inspiration and the idea of a 2020 reflection came to me, well, you can probably guess where this is going.
By Ogun Holder4 years ago in Humans
7 Reasons Why 6 Life Hacks Are 5 Too Many
You have to love those clickbait headlines. The kinds that leverage our insatiable need to quell the angst of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) with our succumbing to grind culture’s maxim of saving time to do more. Although, to be fair, I really am super curious about the single decision that ended the trajectory of Julia Stiles’ brilliant career. And confession time: after months of wondering, I finally found out how one injury dashed the Olympic dreams of an extremely attractive pole vaulter. We men can be such predictably sexist neanderthals.
By Ogun Holder4 years ago in Humans