Da City & Culture: Recent Episodes
Abba Parks
Da City & Culture is a podcast that dives into the everyday happenings of trying to find yourself and meaning in the world. Abba shares her perspective on self-care practices, art, culture, music, politics, global history, mental health, social activism, sports so much more in her unique and quirky way of telling stories. Abba was born in East Africa, raised in the Canadian Prairies, and has travelled the world.
This season we are dissecting the diaspora, more specifically the many different aspects of the cultures that make up our diaspora but before we dive into the season I’d like to set a tone and address an aspect of our society that has been sitting heavy on my mind for quite some time.
When I look at the world I see a lot of terror, hate, injustice, and so much negativity taking place but somewhere in the midst of that all there is love, joy, peace, and unity.
It is my intention to portray the happenings of the world just as they are, not how I’d like them to be but just as they are.
This season was designed to celebrate the modern individual while paying homage to our roots by reflecting the traditions within the cultures that shape our diaspora and rebirthing them into new media.
We’re going to have some fun conversations this season but also some very hard ones as I try to uncover the mosaic of who we are as a whole.
When I look at the social fabric of our metropolitan cities, I see how impactful Black culture is on the development of the world. It’s undeniable that Black culture shapes the modern world. From social media, technology, food, clothing, to music, and so much more, we are the standard but that standard does not define us. We are so much more than what we appear to be in mainstream media and society.
When we think of intention, it’s easy to confused it with mantra, affirmation, or manifestation. All those spiritual aspects are important to living a balanced life but as different as they are from each other they all have one thing in common: intention. Intention is when we align our mind, body, and spirit complex with the energy of universal consciousness to ensure we are acting according to our purpose.
It’s not an external thing, it’s an internal process. Imagine your life is a car, you have the body, the engine and all its working parts, there’s a compartment for a driver and any passengers that you’d like to take with you. As the driver you have the ability to power the car and steer it. When you put the key in the ignition and turn on the car, it begins a series of processes that will cause the car to run according to its overall programming; which gives you the ability to use it to go anywhere you like.
Sometimes we can’t put words to feelings, we just need to sit with them for a while and nothing creates better space for that to happen than music. So this week I want to share the power of music with you.
It’s important to pay attention to what kind of music you’re listening to, how it makes you feel, and what it inspires you to create. Curating playlists for different moods or activities are little ways we can show ourselves love on the daily. I’m excited to dive into my archives, unearth some new gems and dig into hidden crates to see what inspiration will come out of the sounds, frequencies, and vibrations of the musicians that have crafted music for us throughout our time here.
Expression is a beautiful tool we have to engage with ourselves, community, and the world. It’s a way for us to gain insight, establish perception, and develop personal philosophy; which in turn determines if our expression is stemming from authenticity or appropriation.
When we are expressing ourselves authentically our experiences become much more meaningful as we are engaging with our community, cities, and the world with confidence and courage. It takes a lot of strength to be those things today and sometimes it can be hard when we are existing in a society where being authentic can be seen as a threat to others who do not understand how to cultivate this internal power for themselves.
I believe there is an underlying system of truth that governs us all wether we are aware of it or not. The rain falls, the wind blows, the trees grow, the sun rises and the moon glows all in accordance to a natural rhythm.
So let’s look at how we as a society fit into that system. When we look at traditional spiritual and holistic concepts, truth is defined as justice, balance, and universal order. In other words, aligning one’s reality with the natural laws of the universe that govern everything.
It takes a lot of mental strength to develop our mind but just like the body if we have a desire to develop a new skill or ability, we must train persistently with a commitment to achieve that goal in order to see said result. So to be able to know one’s self, to be able to see clearly, and understand the power of thought we must do the work of reflecting.
We were wild kids during a wild time. He was an outlaw and I was an innocent young girl running from the confines of the world. The perfect combination for brilliant stupidity. It was only inevitable that trouble would catch up to us but before it did there was real magic in the air.
I know what you’re thinking... who hasn’t dated a drug dealer Abba?! I mean that is what you’re thinking right? Everyone dates drug dealers right... or is that just me?
So how you may be asking, did a sweet little East African girl from the Prairies in Canada end up dating a big time drug dealer in London. I have no fucking idea but pay close attention and I’ll tell you some shit.
Growing up African and Black in a white neighbourhood was weird af, I never really understood why the white kids did what they did and why my family did the things they did and how I fit into all of that. So for the most part I just kept to myself, unless I was purposely looking for trouble.
Self Knowledge, Boundaries, Rituals, and Thought are all never ending processes that keep us steady on this journey through life. The journey back to our Selves. Thoughts allow you to maintain your boundaries, discover new ones, and reinforce your Self knowledge which will help you build better rituals that in turn help you maintain balance and live life to the fullest.
Boundaries are a powerful way for people to set their own rules of engagement in life. Your personal set of protocols that tell people this is who I am and this is how to interact with me. Sometimes though we come across an individual or group that is unaware of personal boundaries or does not care for them; either way we have to do our best to maintain what is rightfully ours so we can live our best life. Listen to Abba talk about some ways that can help you build your social defences.
Do you know who you are? Are you living your own life or someone else’s? Listen to Abba talk out loud as she tries to explain the silver linings in hitting rock bottom and how you can figure out how to get the fuck out of that cycle.