Hey Fam,
Thanks to everyone of you who participated in the "Best Blog" writing contest of my cd release on September 28th at the Virgin Mega Store! Everyone of you who participated did amazing! I was blown away to hear how all of you had so much fun and hear your views of the evening! I must announce, since we must have a winner, that there was one blog entry that thoroughly impressed me! I "tip my hat" to Lisbeny Duran a.k.a Elle Dee who wrote the best blog of the bunch!
Congratulations Lisbeny! You did amazing! Thank you for the love and support! I am glad you had a great time at the cd release! Your presence definitely contributed to an awesome night to remember! God bless you!
Without further delay, I am posting her blog for the world to read. Those of you who were not able to make it I hope this mentally repaints a picture of the evening.
Stefanotto's Album Release--By Lisbeny Duran
The state of music is a main topic of discussion among many musical genres and artists. Hip hop has unfortunately been misconstrued in the past and present into something unrecognizable by the originators and long-time fans, with common themes being contradictory to what the hip hop culture tries to convey through its music and the culture it promotes: a culture of brotherhood, oneness, and mutual understanding of strife, challenges, ideals and lifestyles. Partly to blame are the artists themselves, more interested in status and material wealth, rather than the promotion of this often-misunderstood culture. However, one artist stands above the rest in his view of the state of hip hop and urban music in today's culture. Stefanotto has made the city of Orlando proud, bringing hip hop back to its roots with his own spiritual rendition of what true hip hop culture stands for.
On September 28th, 2008 Stefanotto had his first album release party at none other than Orlando's major music hotspot, Virgin Mega Store, located in Downtown Disney. The most surprising and inspiring aspect is that Stefanotto was able to pull off the feat with no label to support him, a blessing almost impossible to comprehend by fellow artists and fans alike. This is a true sign of his willingness to surrender his ministry to the Father, let Him do what He will, and a signal of Stefanotto's faith.
Even before stepping in to the towering store, one can hear Stefanotto serenading the crowd on the sidewalks from the speakers blaring his "Novelty of Self" album into the night; a surreal feeling for those who know him outside of his performance persona. The place is buzzing with excitement as friends, family, and fans alike recognize each other from across the room, all heading upstairs to witness a momentous event in the local music scene. The performance space is cleared except for a few early supporters, a stage, large glowing lights, and the merchandise table and DJ setting up. Stefanotto is patiently waiting, greeting each new guest with gratitude. The room steadily begins to fill, fans meeting each other for the first time here and there, and at times a reunion among old friends. Almost as if on cue, more fans ascend the escalators, and each person finds their spot in the crowd. The room is ablaze with the flash of cameras and the DJ, Raiden, warming up, playing tracks to prepare the crowd for what is to come.
As Stefanotto steps up onto the stage, the room explodes in applause and the first track drops. There's a collective vibration reverberating through the room as the crowd immediately begins to sing along to the chorus and the verses, every word resonating throughout the building and the bodies, both from the speakers and the excited fans.
Not one to fail to recognize the talent in others, Stefanotto brings up other local greats to accompany him on his tracks, artists like Ces, Tito Mendoza, Ron Irizarry, and Peter Baldwin, gaining them new fans hungry for more unique musical talent.
In his usual charismatic way, Stefanotto encourages the crowd to let loose. As if one big mass, hands are raised into the air, bodies sway to the beat, and Stefanotto's own voice is nearly drowned out by the collective voice of the fans singing in unison to crowd favorites like Madinina, Good Music, and Thousand Roses. As Stefanotto begins to recount his experience which led him to write Broken Wing, applause once again breaks out, and the first few tinkling notes of the song usher in an excited uproar in the crowd. Broken Wing has been known to leak a few tears from fans that can relate to the burdened subject of the song, to the desire to become vulnerable as Love writes a letter to an Angel, a Dove, and signs it with Itself.
Stefanotto wraps up his performance with a trumpeter and a trombonist gracing his final song, one that hadn't made it onto the album, but just as great as the ones familiar to his supporters. The crowd explodes into applause, failing to cease for nearly four full minutes. Stefanotto tries to get a word in edgewise, but is unable to. A sincere, grateful smile spreads across his face, and the crowd continues to roar in support, each time growing louder and louder with an overflow of admiration for this humble servant and his dedicated heart to the Lord. The audience can't get enough, and begins to chant for one more, and Stefanotto finishes up with Let's Go, performed first in an acoustic version in the earlier half of the performance, and later, in the album version as the encore, the proverbial cherry on top of a hip hop sundae dripping with soulful passion.
The night is wrapped up with photos, a camera crew recording interviews, and a b-boy cypher breaking out in the middle of the floor. The night is alive with the spirit of communion and hip hop. The mentality of each person has changed on this night. Although we may turn on the radio on the way home and perhaps once again be exposed to mainstream lies which seem to permeate our very existence, our minds will carry the vibe of the performance, the vibe of the heart of an artist speaking truth to an audience so often deceived by fallacy. The night was worship; not to an artist, a lifestyle, or even a mental ideal. The night was worship to the King, who once again shows Himself in an unusual and fully relational way. The presence of God was thick, palpable, and carried throughout Orlando on the minds and hearts of those of us blessed to have been part of something bigger than ourselves.
Knowing where Stefan Otto Norris came from, his humble spirit, and charismatic persona, it is no wonder that the album release was such a major success. Purchasing his album is more than simply support for a local artist and his work, it is an homage to hip hop itself, pumping lifeblood to what to some is seen as a perishing community. It is a cultural and spiritual investment sure to simultaneously satisfy yet encourage the hunger for Good Music.