<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Gugu Mbatha-Raw – The Dithering of a District Diva</title> <atom:link href="http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/tag/gugu-mbatha-raw/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva</link> <description>Chasing God + Purpose</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2022 06:19:46 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.26</generator> <image> <url>http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/03/cropped-District-Diva-Brooke-Obie-1-32x32.jpg</url> <title>Gugu Mbatha-Raw – The Dithering of a District Diva</title> <link>http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height> </image> <item> <title>Here’s Why You Need to Watch ‘Beyond the Lights’ on Netflix TONIGHT</title> <link>http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/heres-why-you-need-to-watch-beyond-the-lights-on-netflix-tonight/</link> <comments>http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/heres-why-you-need-to-watch-beyond-the-lights-on-netflix-tonight/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2015 09:07:56 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Brooke Obie]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[At the Theater with a Diva]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#DamnNoni]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Beyond the Lights Movie]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cynthia Erivo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fly Before You Fall]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gina Prince Bythewood]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gugu Mbatha-Raw]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kaz]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nate Parker]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Noni]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.districtdiva.com/?p=3640</guid> <description><![CDATA[TONIGHT, July 25, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. EST / 4:30 PST, Beyond the Lights writer and director Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees) will be hosting a Beyond the Lights live-tweet as we all watch together on Netflix (or just buy it here). Here’s why you should join in: Without question, Beyond the]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/heres-why-you-need-to-watch-beyond-the-lights-on-netflix-tonight/beyond-the-lights-movie-620x300/" rel="attachment wp-att-3782"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3782" src="http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/Beyond-the-Lights-Movie-620x300-300x145.jpg" alt="Beyond-the-Lights-Movie-" width="300" height="145" srcset="http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/Beyond-the-Lights-Movie-620x300-300x145.jpg 300w, http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/Beyond-the-Lights-Movie-620x300.jpg 620w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p>TONIGHT, July 25, 2015, at 7:30 p.m. EST / 4:30 PST, <em>Beyond the Lights </em>writer and director Gina Prince-Bythewood (<em>Love & Basketball</em>, <em>The Secret Life of Bees</em>) will be hosting a <em>Beyond the Lights </em>live-tweet as we all watch together on Netflix (or just <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="buy it here" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RFG788E/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00RFG788E&linkCode=as2&tag=theditofadisd-20&linkId=YVMXEGY2VVWDFFVK" target="_blank">buy it here</a></strong></span>). Here’s why you should join in:</p> <p>Without question, <em>Beyond the Lights</em> was the most underrated movie of 2014. This beautiful love story about a Rihanna-esque pop star on the verge of suicide has it all: heart-melting romance, suspense, drama, action, <em>superb</em> acting, a solid storyline, bountiful tear-jerking moments and the sweet satisfaction of watching two people fall completely in love. So why didn’t we make it #1 at the box office last year??</p> <p>I’m kicking myself for being so ridiculously late to this party, having just seen the film this month at the suggestion of my cousin. I’d been watching the new Nina Simone documentary, <em>What Happened, Miss Simone?</em> when my cousin’s text came through that <em>Beyond the Lights</em> on Netflix was a must-see. After watching the legendary Simone, what a joy to watch another film about–at least, in part–the impact of Simone on <em>Beyond the Lights’</em> main character, the young singer, Noni Jean (played impeccably by the gorgeous Gugu Mbatha-Raw).</p> <p>Besides getting to feel in your bones one of Simone’s most gut-wrenching but less-famous tunes, “Blackbird,” the film features one song that sounds to me like the voice of God, for real: “<a href="http://www.districtdiva.com/2015/07/cynthia-erivos-fly-before-you-fall-lyrics-voice-of-god/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Fly Before You Fall</strong></span></a>,” by Cynthia Erivo. You’ll be wanting to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OLF0U3M/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00OLF0U3M&linkCode=as2&tag=theditofadisd-20&linkId=VM6V5GLPIGYJKMDP" target="_blank">buy the soundtrack</a></strong></span> when the live-tweet is over because it’s chock-full of catchy songs written by The Dream that I can’t for the life of me get out of my head–and I don’t want to!</p> <p>I will not even confess how many times I’ve seen this movie in the past month, how many friends and family members I’ve made watch it with me, or how many times I’ve played “Fly Before You Fall,” <strong><a href="http://www.districtdiva.com/2015/07/cynthia-erivos-fly-before-you-fall-lyrics-voice-of-god/" target="_blank">just to make it through the night</a></strong>. It may be a year old, and it would’ve been great if I had found it sooner, but in this past month, I <em>needed</em> it in a way that perhaps I didn’t need it when it came last year.</p> <p>Even in fiction–or maybe especially so–I <em>needed</em> to see a young Black woman learning to deal with mental illness and attempted suicide out in the open. I <em>needed</em> to see a young Black woman finding and defining her own freedom. I <em>needed</em> to see a young and gloriously Black couple connecting on a soul-level and then falling in love. And I <em>needed</em> to see Nate Parker without his dag-on shirt (kidding! But that’s a bonus).</p> <p>Gugu’s criminally underappreciated performance (and singing!) will gut you and mend you all at once. Gina’s vision and story will have you rooting for love, and the songs will have all you fellow Blackbirds ready to fly.</p> <p>So watch with us tonight, tweet me <strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/brookeobie" target="_blank">@BrookeObie</a></strong>, use #DamnNoni to keep up with the live tweet and thank me later!</p> <p>// <a href="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_ssw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Ftheditofadisd-20%2F8003%2F7dce725d-0ebf-42e7-8358-131d661d5800&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</a></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/heres-why-you-need-to-watch-beyond-the-lights-on-netflix-tonight/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>1</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Cynthia Erivo’s ‘Fly Before You Fall’ Is What the Voice of God Sounds Like</title> <link>http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/cynthia-erivos-fly-before-you-fall-lyrics-voice-of-god/</link> <comments>http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/cynthia-erivos-fly-before-you-fall-lyrics-voice-of-god/#comments</comments> <pubDate>Sat, 25 Jul 2015 09:04:26 +0000</pubDate> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Brooke Obie]]></dc:creator> <category><![CDATA[At the Theater with a Diva]]></category> <category><![CDATA[beyond the lights]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cynthia Erivo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fly Before You Fall]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gina Prince Bythewood]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Gugu Mbatha-Raw]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lyrics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Nate Parker]]></category> <category><![CDATA[secular songs that make better gospel songs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[song explanations]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.districtdiva.com/?p=3644</guid> <description><![CDATA[If you’ve seen Gina Prince-Bythewood’s glorious film, Beyond the Lights, you’ve probably heard a snippet of Cynthia Erivo’s “Fly Before You Fall”. But it’s not until you hear the whole song that you’ll begin to understand why Erivo’s stirring words and sweet melody are what I think the voice of God]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/cynthia-erivos-fly-before-you-fall-lyrics-voice-of-god/beyond-the-lights5/" rel="attachment wp-att-3784"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-3784" src="http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/beyond-the-lights5-300x145.jpg" alt="beyond-the-lights5" width="300" height="145" srcset="http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/beyond-the-lights5-300x145.jpg 300w, http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/beyond-the-lights5.jpg 596w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a></p> <p>If you’ve seen Gina Prince-Bythewood’s glorious film, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a title="Here’s Why You Need to Watch ‘Beyond the Lights’ on Netflix TONIGHT" href="http://www.districtdiva.com/2015/07/heres-why-you-need-to-watch-beyond-the-lights-on-netflix-tonight/" target="_blank"><em>Beyond the Lights</em></a></strong></span>, you’ve probably heard a snippet of Cynthia Erivo’s “Fly Before You Fall”. But it’s not until you hear the whole song that you’ll begin to understand why Erivo’s stirring words and sweet melody are what I think the voice of God sounds like–and it’s not just because of Erivo’s Heaven-sent vocal range. Listen to the lyrics:</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Cynthia Erivo’s ‘Fly Before You Fall’ lyrics:</strong></span></p> <p><strong><em>I see the way that you look when you hear his name</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>I see his picture up in your frame</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>You refuse to admit you still miss him but</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>It’s okay</em></strong></p> <p>Apropos for the movie, this song plays during the aftermath of the lovers’ break-up, but for me, this verse represents someone bearing witness to a person’s general, yet severe heartbreak, and that someone is acknowledging and validating the heart-broken person’s feelings, even as the person doesn’t want to acknowledge them, herself.</p> <p><strong><em>You’re a tower of strength when you’re breaking down</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>But through the wall I can feel your cry </em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>And when it’s quiet you’re screaming inside</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>And I break as </em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>I hear you, loud as a bomb,</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Wanting a shoulder to cry on</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>I hear you tumbling fast</em></strong></p> <p>Do you know how connected you have to be to a person to “feel” them crying?! This is nothing but a representation of God’s love for His children! While you try to hold it together in front of everyone, God not only feels you, sees you and hears you, but He “breaks” when He feels and sees and hears what we’re going through! Especially in times that are so low it feels like not even God is paying attention or cares how much we’re hurting, it is so comforting to know that God actually hurts when we hurt because He cares so much for us. When we’re suffering in silence, still, God hears us, “loud as a bomb”. We are not alone in our pain. He cares so much about our sorrow that He collects all of our tears in a bottle.</p> <p>// <a href="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_w_mpw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Ftheditofadisd-20%2F8014%2Ff7de8182-a634-4471-89c9-db51b0d1616b&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</a></p> <p><strong><em>Here and now you’re afraid</em></strong></p> <p><strong><em>Don’t you worry, I’ll teach you to fly before you fall away</em></strong></p> <p>Every time in the Bible that God and Jesus encounter people, they both say, “Fear not,” or “Don’t be afraid”. It’s no wonder the chorus to this song and then the powerful bridge are the soothing words, “Don’t you worry,” and “Don’t be scared”. God is with us, “here and now,” even in our fear. That alone is good news, but it doesn’t end there; “I’ll teach you to fly before you fall away,” tells us that before things get too far gone, before you sink too low, before it’s all over and you fall away, I will equip you with all that you need to survive. Even if it’s one day at a time, I’ll give you just as much as you need to keep going, to stay hopeful, to know you’re not alone.</p> <p><em><strong>It’s in the moments when you’re left all on your own,</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>And it hits you from out of nowhere</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>You try to hide it sometimes unsuccessfully</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>With a smile that fades quickly</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Your resistance to sadness is futile but</strong></p> <p><strong>You’re a fighter can’t stand defeat</strong></p> <p><strong>You’re a magician at hiding the hurt from you</strong></p> <p><strong>But I see and</strong></p> <p><strong> I hear you, loud as a bomb</strong></p> <p><strong>Wanting a shoulder to cry on</strong></p> <p><strong>I hear you, tumbling fast</strong></p> <p><strong>Here and now, you’re afraid</strong></p> <p><strong>Don’t be scared (x2)</strong></p> <p>This song came to me at a time I can only describe as despair. It came after weeks of feeling an unnameable kind of lonely, misunderstood, devalued and ignored. It came after weeks of saying out loud to God, “Are you even paying attention?! Do you even care?!” This song was the confirmation I had been longing for.</p> <p>After discovering “Fly” and having its lyrics pour into my soul, there’ve been many insomnia-plagued nights where I’ve just played this on repeat and let God affirm me and validate me and love me until I fell asleep, comforted. It still represents comfort and peace to me–so much so that just hearing the opening chords cause me to tear up with gratitude in remembrance of God’s great promise to never leave us nor forsake us.</p> <p>However long it took for this song to be written, produced and so staggeringly performed by Cynthia Erivo, God made it so that at just the right time, I would hear it and see Him and feel Him working behind the scenes, so far in advance, to be ready to meet me in all His glory exactly when I needed. I’ve never been more grateful or more sure of His perfect timing.</p> <p>So, thank you, too, Cynthia Erivo, for this confirmation, for facilitating this new-found peace and for being for me the voice of God.</p> <p><em>Catch Cynthia on Broadway in The Color Purple, with Jennifer Hudson and Danielle Brooks</em>.</p> <p>// <a href="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?rt=tf_ssw&ServiceVersion=20070822&MarketPlace=US&ID=V20070822%2FUS%2Ftheditofadisd-20%2F8003%2F7dce725d-0ebf-42e7-8358-131d661d5800&Operation=NoScript">Amazon.com Widgets</a></p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>http://www.brookeobie.com/districtdiva/cynthia-erivos-fly-before-you-fall-lyrics-voice-of-god/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>3</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>