LaTosha Brown Performing @ Sweet Lorraine's (Four Women)

Enjoy LaTosha Love Brown's rendition of the "Four Women" originally recorded by the priestess of soul Nina Simone.  Please visit and  "LIKE" the Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/latoshalovebrown.

LaTosha Love Brown

LaTosha Brown Performing @ Sweet Lorraine's (Four Women)

I Got a Good Man (Lyric Video)

Greetings Friends,

Music is Poetry ALWAYS in Motion! Today I am celebrating good men through my music. Please check out my LYRIC VIDEO of my new jazz soul fusion song called I Got A Good Man. The official video has not gone to production yet but this highlights the lyrics. I really love the words to this song and I REALLY love a GOOD MAN! Don't you?! This song was the feature soundtrack for my first film short. Just wanted to share some of my happiness and love with you. Be Blessed and have an AWESOME DAY!!

 LINK: I Got a Good Man (Lyric Video)

Mark Growden and LaTosha Brown - The Love of it All - Porto Franco Files

WOW! Is the WORD: The Listening Party @ Paisley Park

Photo in front of Paisley Park

It's been almost a week and I can't sleep, I can't focus, I can't eat (well that might be a stretch)..... nor can I stop thinking about my most recent experience @Paisley Park. I kinda feel like I am falling in love all over again. Only this time it's not the man that I am falling in love with (that already happened sometime around 1983) but I am starting a new love affair with his new music. I absolutely LOVE Prince's new project Plectrum Electrum. 

Well this is what happened...

Last Saturday morning I was awaken by the beautiful sound of chirping birds. I could tell it was going to be a beautiful day after feeling the warmth of the sun fall on my arm from my bedroom window. Something about the sight of the sun immediately gave me assurance that my day would be filled with some type of adventure. But in spite of those fuzzy feelings and waking up to another glorious day all of a sudden I became aware of my aloneness and gradually started feeling some-type-of-way. 

As I lay in bed, I decided to reject those negative thoughts and feelings and immediately declared that SATURDAY was going to be a GOOD Day. I thanked God for the day and then I sat up in my bed.  Then I had an urge to find out what Prince was doing over the weekend. So I picked up my cell phone, opened my Twitter account and went straight to the 3rdeyegirl Twitter page. To my pleasant surprise there was a tweet that simply said "Who's coming?" that was attached to an invite by 3rdeyegirl to a Listening Party @Paisley Park. WELL THAT'S ALL I NEEDED! I now had an invite to a Saturday night party at Prince's place so everything else would have to fall in place. I packed my bookbag for another leg of my purple passion journey and off I went to the airport. 

I arrived from Atlanta to Paisley Park around 6:30p.m. Even though the party didn't start until 9:30pm I felt like I had come too far to take a chance that I would not make it into the event....so I got there early. For about 20 minutes, I sat out in my car in front of Paisley Park and patiently worked on some music and wrote a letter. Eventually a guy named Trevor came to my car, politely introduced himself and told me that I was the first one to arrive. (WHAT!!???! THAT WAS A NEW ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ME! I WAS THE 1st PRINCE FAN TO ARRIVE?! THAT NEVER HAPPENS! EVEN WHEN I THINK I AM early I ALWAYS FIND PEOPLE THERE WAITING BEFORE ME TO SEE PRINCE.) 

I took this photo at Lake Ann

Trevor and I talked for a few minutes then he suggested that I go over to the lake nearby and return closer to the time of the event. He was very kind and pleasant and assured me not to worry about missing the event.  So I didn't mind leaving and I actually appreciated the suggestion. I went over to Lake Ann and decided to watch the sunset. (It was an AWE INSPIRING and DIVINE eXperienCe!)

So at 9:30pm sharp I returned back to Paisley Park. People were already walking in the door of Paisley Park like they lived there. There was no security check or long lines because people were encouraged by security to go on in the building. This was also a NEW EXPERIENCE. No wait, no lines, no security hold up?! It felt like I was a teenager again visiting an old friend and the family member on front  porch was instructing me to "go on in the house because my friend wanted to see me as bad as I wanted to see him."  

I've been to Paisley Park on several other occasions but something felt different about this visit for me. I felt WELCOMED. I didn't feel like an intruding fan nor did I feel like I was a close music business insider. I felt like a music lover who was invited to have a cool experience listening to my favorite artist's new music. From the time I rode on the property until the time I left later that night---I felt WELCOMED and LOVED! I didn't feel like an intruder, concert-goer, observer or even an anxious fan. I felt like my presence was WaNTeD and that I was finally becoming an official a part of the Paisley Park family. 

After spending a few hours waiting in the performance area for the listening party to start; I went out to the front lobby and started talking to other fans and learning more about their love affair with Prince and his music. I met one woman that moved from London in the 90's so that she could always have access to the Friday night parties at Paisley Park. As we were talking, Hannah Ford (drummer for 3rdeyegirl) opened the door and said that it was time for the girls to come with her. She counted off a group of 15 and off we went into the hallways of Paisley Park.

I didn't take this picture. This photo was posted by 3rdeyegirl. 

We were taken in the sound room of Studio B. The studio was immaculate and inviting. The room was dimly lit with candles and incense strategically placed around the room. At this point I knew this was not just at a listening party but I KNEW I was about to have a Prince eXpEriENcE. The room included 15 women, the entire 3rdeyegirl bad and Prince's people like Joshua, Trevor, and his second biggest fan Jesse. (cuz' I am the BIGGEST FAN--But Jesse is pretty special and has a beautiful spirit)  

Joshua welcomed each of us into the room and thanked us all for coming. Prince joined us via speaker phone and directed Joshua to play different cuts through the BEST sound system that I have ever heard in my ENTIRE life. The sound quality was warm and crisp. The songs were passionate, purposeful and funky. I remember the first cut was Plectrum Electrum of which I have heard played before a few times at Paisley Park.  Then the magic kept coming. The guitar arrangement on every song was mind blowing. The instrumentation of each of the cuts was so wonderful that I hardly even paid attention to the words of the songs. (Which is strange for me since I am a songwriter.) 

This photo was taken from 3rdeyegirl website.

I remember there was one beautiful song that featured Hannah's voice with music that reminded me of a vast ocean of sounds. There was another song that featured Hannah and her husband Joshua that I really liked as well.  I remember there was one song that the guitar riffs and arrangement was so funky that I can't even remember the words of the song. 

I remember there was one song that was pure FUNK. I think it was number 4 ( I think it was WOW) but I don't remember if the name of the song was ever mentioned but I know that my body felt that "dirty south beat" and funk. (dirty south beat a.k.a Call and Response kind of beat that your body moves to without a thought or permission. It calls your body to move and it responds) All in all I heard 6 songs from the new project and I loved each one I heard. Some more than others but I really liked each song.  

During the entire eXpEriENcE I felt like Prince was somewhere close or in the room. I knew Prince was on speakerphone directing the order and number of what songs were played but I kept glancing to a little darkened glass door in the corner.  I really believe that Prince may have been sitting merely feet away watching our response to his new music. I thought I felt his energy in the room but perhaps it was his music that set the tone in the atmosphere.

At any rate, I left that room at Paisley Park feeling like I had brand new experience and personal epiphany. Now the Prince who had felt so elusive to me now felt very familiar and connected....kinda like my friend.  All of sudden Pince (as an icon) didn't move me but it was the "man who makes good music." Even the songs titles and remembering the lyrics felt irrelevant...because I had just had an authentic "listening experience." Prince provided an eXpEriENcE and in the process God granted me a music epiphany.

My personal epiphany was that when we as artists operate in the purest expression of our gift, surrender the creative process to God and don't worry about the industry stuff but just focus on the MUSIC the miracle of music happens. As a singer, songwriter, music lover and believer I am super inspired to seek and make music like I heard at Paisley Park. Music that draws people into having a unique experience of feeling connected to something greater than themselves and being reminded that we are all LoVeD. Prince I LoVe U and I know that you LoVe me too! I heard the music that I deserve! Thank U!

I LOVE ME SOME HIM!!