The Ranch

So, Im sitting here one morning thinking to myself; 'Just', what are we going to do today.  I wanted to get some new stuff to put up on the site. 
My first thought was to go to Long Bay, and set up on the beach somewhere.  Then I thought, maybe I'll just drive around and stop where ever the spirit leads me.  These are both good ideas, and will come to frutition one one day.  But, the idea that did come to me turned out to be sweeter than any. 

Surrounded by all the smells, sounds, and sites of a horse ranch, I got a few good takes.  Like this one:

Hurricane 'Night and Days'

         So, as hurricane Irene bared down on the Turks and Caicos Islands (whether I realized it or not), everyone was getting prepared to do battle with nature.  I did a little work of preparation, just not on my house. (I know, I know!).  Ne way
         As usual, Blue Hills was the first to loose power before the storm hit.  It isn't the best situation, but we make the best of it. 
        For example; as the wind started to pick up and the sun went down, I looked for something to keep my attention.  So I did this one:

       The wind got stronger and it got darker.  I wasn't paying to much attention cause my laptop still had juice!  So I took advantage and did this little cover song of U2, still haven't found.

        Songs even got written during the rain.  Two or three I think.  But this one here stuck with me.  So much so that I played it at the JustSpliff Somewhere... gig Thursday night.  It went something like this...

        Yea, I got some cleaning up to do, and it did get a little sketchy.  But, it wasn't that bad.  The most high help InI make it through.  And once there is breath...

Keep it Rockin!

         Wow!  Has anybody seen Spliff?  If you have,  It probably wasn't on land.  Unless you were at Somewhere... on a Thursday night.  Naw, lately this dude act like he got something against LAND!

         Let me explain whats been going down.  Earlier this year, he got a boat.  Well, more like a 36ft catamaran open cruiser.  With two Yamaha 200hp on the back.  Yea, Boat didn't describe it too well.  But, anyway.  He calls this business Island Vybes.  It started going good.  And business picked up.  Witch means I started seeing less of my right hand man. 

         Needless to say, after a while I guess He felt like one boat wasn't enough.  Cause now he has two of those Solid High Glass Black demons running around Grace Bay like the water was made for em.  And to top it off, he has a Diving Board on the top of both of them, too!! What kinda ish is that?

        OK.  So I have been off of the diving board. Twice!  And it is off the chain.  I have been on the tour at least three times and I still look forward to going on again.  So maybe he does have the best tour, and offers the best staff with the best personalities you will find in the Grace Bay.  So maybe he was born with a prop and a mike in his hands.

        I'd still like to see him more often.  But much power, love and respect.  Keep it Rockin!

        If you're ever in the Turks and Caicos Islands,
Look em up.  

        Island Vybes,  649-243-0892,
Oh, ask for Captain Sean and let em know you saw it on JustSpliff.

JustSpliff is stepping our game up this year. The studio is here. After years of planning, and months of good old 'shoulder to the wheel', King Spliff has brought to frutition his first Studio. So, you know! Toons will be comming at you shortly.
Been doing a little 'peddle to the metal' myself, lately. So, the material on here may have been lacking. But, I'll make up for it some how. More thoughts, more music, more love to our JustSpliff fans.
JustLove

She Moves Like the Rain?!

Ever thought about how you never notice something until it matters? No matter how much of a routine it was for how ever long, you just didn't relize it?

Tuesdays! Tuesdays in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It always rains. No no, not the type that sets all day and keeps you inside. Worse. Its the type that only comes for a minute, lasts a minute, then comes back a few minutes later.

Normally, this type of weather is not so bad. You still get to go out and enjoy the part of the day that the rain allows. And quite frankly, this phenom went unnoticed until....

Until we started having gigs on Tuesdays. It never fails. The clouds are never there until about 3 oclock. The rain comes at about 5. And by 6-6.30, your set up nice and good for a beautiful sunset. Its like a story out of a book or movie.

The up side is that the management has taken notice of it also, and is more than willing to work with us and the weather. The down side is you. Will you have faith that Jah will provide that beautiful sunset, on a beautiful beach, with beautiful people playing beautiful music? So far, I will answer yes. Justspliff appreciates the support.

Don't stop. Don't turn around thinkin it's gonna rain. You came this far already, and you deserve it. Do yourself a favor and have faith.

Grass is Greener?

So, I guess the question is, is the grass really greener on the other side. Of course, circumstances dictate the answer to this question in most cases. But, when you really think about it, it's usually better to just stay put. Don't go trying to jump that big fence with gold in your eyes.

Recently, I've been fronted with the choice to go to Nassau or stay here in Turks Island. The possibility of living in Nassau, a much busier hot spot, are encouraging. There are way more people, which means more expossior, bigger crowds, more gigs, etc. OK, so the vegetation sound pretty lush on that side.
Turks, on the other side, offers its own set of benefits. For one, serenity, which is something of a myth in Nassau (on the main land). The scenery around here is to live for. And I can't complain about the quality of life.

So, I can say for now that I'm staying put. I'm gonna work on my music, and my house, and see how tall I can grow this grass. One of the really good things about doing it this way....
You can still come to the Turks and Caicos Islands and see JustSpliff Live, anytime you want.

Hit The Road, Just

So, I guess you can say this thing caught on kinda quick. Private shows, weddings, gigs every week; one could get use to such a life. One could say to themselves: "Self, I'm pretty comfortable right where I'm at. Why should I stress myself over anything else?".

If any of the greats had this mentality, they would have spent there life's doing gigs in bars for $300! (not that there is anything wrong with that...).

No, instead, they all decided to take a chance at something bigger. Take the risk to loose it all, or soar high.

This is the topic on my mind today. Should I stay or should I go? Well, If you know Justice, then you know the answer already. But I gotta do this the right way.

It's not written in stone yet. But, when the decision is final, don't worry. My JustSpliff fans will be the first now. Before the ink dries...

As The World Turns

Ok. Im still new at this whole 'meeting new people on a different level' thing. Dont get me wrong, I like meeting new people. And I can certainly enjoy new and good conversations. But, its usually on a 'here this minute, gone the next vibe'. There's no real time to get to know the persons that I meet.

In a way, its a good thing. Having hurt before, and sending the pain below, I know what 'true' goodbyes are like. Its not fun for the most part. Yea, there are promisses to write, call, and visit, but who really knows what will be. Maybe the experience was more to one person, than the other. Which leads to a whole other topic of what are people really thinking?!

I don't know.... Maybe one has to find a way to compartmentalize. Is that spelt write! Or, just know that with every new friend, comes 'the hurt'.

Lesson learned

Pride. Its good to have in most cases. But, a lot of times it just gets us in more problems than expected. I fell victim to this sneeky devil this past weekend, and it cost me a paycheck, and more important, my pride.

Do to some holdups, my new guitar has not reached yet. Don't ask why, cause I don't know. Now, seeing that I already mentioned my guitar being on its way, it was hard to go back and ask to use the guitar again. Mind you, this is a good friend Im talking about. Anyway. Long story short; I ended up having two guitars that were malfunctioning. Caused me so much stress and imbarassment that we just packed up and went home.

Lesson learned. If it aint broke don't fix it! Well, at least we were able to finally get some good shots!!

We like to make good music. So let us know if we on the right track.

Doin What We Love

Today is a busy day for JustSpliff. On top of the regular daily activities that we have; careers, meditation, family, we got a extra gig tonight! Its hapenning at The Conch Shack, here in the TCi. How the gig came about? Now that is a story in itself, for another blog.

So, I mentioned to state a point. No matter the disagreeances that JustSpliff might have, or any other somethin that comes up, we still doing what we love. At the end of the day, I know that, besides myself, there is no one else on this island who is into the music and could be just as devoted as I am. And they say "if you want to be rich, hang with rich people".

In the long run, in know who and what I want to be around. And so does Spliff. So, for now, JustSpliff will rise together!

So, I don't mean to sound braggy, but this is the life. The sun, the sand, the sea; one can almost forget that I was on the clock. Yes folks, at work!

As lead rhythm and lead vocal for my band "JustSpliff", you wouldn't really call what I do a job. But every now and then I will get a call from John asking if I want to work for the day. If you haven't realized what my usual answer is yet, just look at the pics again.

Being on the boat isn't actually a job either, but it does involve a little more manual labor. This minor irritant is easily offset by the serenity that comes when being on the water. Even the new faces, and experiences all make it hard to turn down a day at 'work'.

Yea, life in the Turks and Caicos can be a bit ser-real. But let me assure you that it is very real. So real, I can feel it.... At least that is what I think every time I dive in!

The devestation in the world is on a rise these days. The desastor in Hiati has openned many peoples eyes a little more to the reality of this world.... sometimes even the dog gets pissed on. It needs to stop. I'll let the song tell the message.

Entre-poor-near? or Entre-near-poor

Trying to start a business can be a fun and fulfilling experience......??!!! Maybe I fell asleep for a few years while Bush single-handedly destroyed the economy.



OK. So maybe right now wasn't the best time to "venture off on my own". But, I can say that I still don't regret making the decision. And that, even though making money was somewhere in the initial plan, I'm having fun even though I'm not.



Starting a business isn't just about the dollars to me. Or about providing service and/goods to clients (though this is an important part). Owning my own business is about doing my one thing. Its about doing something that you love, and getting paid for it.



When JustSpliff takes the stage, I'm not thinking about how much money is being made, or about how much exposure we're getting. I'm really thinking nothing (if I be honest). But, beyond my moment of void, I'm just glad I get another chance to express myself the best way i can. I'm thinking, Lets Go!



So far, this blog has been one sided. But I can assure you that Spliff feels the same. So, yea.... Entrepreneurship is seeming a little unappealing right now. But we'll keep doing it for the right reasons, and hopefully one day....................

Whats New

Sometimes, change comes before we expect it. In the case of this new year, I felt something different long before January 1. So whats new?

I meet a lot of new people, everyday, in my profession. Through meeting people from different parts of the world and walks of life have broden my perspective of life. Certain ideas and beliefs are proven wrong, while some are only proven to be sadly true. So whats new?

Lets get to the point. Whats new about me? Well, instead of blaming others and sometimes even myself, I'll aply that energy to discovering the cure. Instead of being easily frustrated or angered, Im gonna chill out a little more and let patience do its' thing.

Bottom line, Im mot gonna be afraid of life. Im gonna grab life by the balls and sqweez!!!

So whats new with you?!

Future Dicisions

So, its here. That time of the year when everyone decides what things they like about themselves and what things they don't. The decision usually leads to some form of resolution that will ultimately cause more stress than anything else. Still, we do it every year.

Its funny, cause even those who don't want to make such a promise to themselves, make a resolution not to do so!

So what is it for me?! If I told you I had a clue, Id be braking one a the resolutions already... to be as real as possible. I can include all the usual thoughts; loose weight (must maintain sexiness); help strangers (is overkill possible with this?); travel more (aren't we in some kind of a recession?). These are all good resolutions, no doubt.
Or maybe focus on my business; release a debut album, sell 100 leather bags, get at least 2 gigs a week. These, too, are all good resolutions.
Here is one, make the people in my world love me more. (I'll reserve my thoughts on this one for now). But, we'll just say, to keep it short and sweet, NO!

So what is it that I feel must be accomplished this year to add quality and longevity to the remaining years? (After all, that is what a resolution is about). Discovery. To discover more about what makes me tick. Discover just what kind of songs will I write this year. Or what type of people I will meet. Or where I will end up this time next year (God spear my life).

One thing is for certain. The searching doesn't stop. Year after year, the only thing that remains the same is that you are still you. I am still I. I cant expect you to know me if I don't take time to know myself. So it boils down to discovering ones self more and more. Day in, day out. So my resolution every year is to Discover.

What about you?

Accoustic Shows

JustSpliff is the name of this duo that performs in Turks and Caicos Isands. Provo to be exact. Tonight they will be performing at the Alexandrea. Along with original songs, they are known for there remix of rock and roll songs. Hopefully, video clips of the performances will follow.