Music is my life and I wanted to write a song that really spoke to this truth.  I always perform this song in my shows because I believe music lives in all of us.  I like to invite the audience to sing along – I love seeing all those happy people singing  – that’s why I do music:)

Music is the song I’m singing
Music is the way I’m giving
Music gives my life the meaning
Music makes my world go round

Music is the healer for me
Music is the love that I need
Music is a friend I turn to
Music understands me

Chorus: Yeah

Music is the space I pray in
Music is God blessing me
Music is the place I go to
When the world is stressing me

Music is the sea I swim in
Music waves wash over me
Music is the point I dream of
When I close my eyes to sleep

Chorus: Yeah

Music takes me to a world
Where I am happy, I am free
Music is the One I turn to
Music lives inside of me

–Words & Music by Nhojj

I think it’s important that we enjoy time by ourselves and with ourselves.  This song celebrates time alone and life’s little personal luxuries like… watching a sunrise on the beach, or enjoying a bubble bath while  listening to music.   Its jazzy and fun:)

Its Sunday morning
And I’m alone on the beach
Watching the beauty of sunrise
Wind through my hair
Caressing my face
Feeling the sand beneath my feet

Later that day
I’m walking through the park
Listening to the song on the breeze
Love is the thought
Peace in my heart
I know why

Chorus: Cause I’m doing my thing

The candles are lit
Incense stick burning
Nurturing the spirit within
Warm waters running
Sea salts are falling
Badu badu do we do be

Music is soft
Jazz to be precise
Strawberries lay in a dish
You may expect to hear someone at the door
But no tonight

Chorus: Cause I’m doing my thing

–Words & Music by Nhojj

“A Song for Mother” was written for my mother.  I’ve always been a mama’s boy, my mother was the first person who encouraged me and inspired me to sing.  When I was 5 years old singing around the house – it was my mother who suggested the I sing in church.  I will always love you mother:)

You gave me life
You held me close
A Heart of pure gold
My first breath
My first step
You watched me grow
You called my name
Goodness and light
You gave me hope
This is my song for you

The hours
The lessons
The words and the books
The questions
The answers
The knowledge- the truth
Right and wrong
You made me strong
The power in you
And this is my song for you

The prayers you prayed
The nights you stayed
Down On your knees
The tears you cried, the pain you hide
The joy that you bring
The love you give
The life you live
The truth in your goals
You’re a rose enriching my soul

I honor you
I cherish you
I lift you up
I pray for you only the best
And in the heavens above
That You will hear for eternity
This message of love
This is my song for you

–Words & Music by Nhojj

“Someday” is a song of hope… hope that one day we as humans will see what we have in common instead of what makes us different.  I do believe that a common chord runs through us all regardless of our race, sex, nationality, economic background, sexual preference, religion, or any other classification that can separate us.   We are unique yet the we are the same…

Someday we’ll get together
Someday we’ll be all right
Someday we’ll stop this hatred
That’s keeping us apart

Someday we’ll see our brothers
Someday remove the bars
Someday we’ll hug our sisters
Someday erase the scars
Someday we know our children
Love them for who they are

Someday we’ll know what love is
Someday we’ll lend a hand
Someday we’ll know who God is
Someday we’ll understand

Someday I’ll look into your heart
Someday I’ll look in yours
Just think of the happiness
You and I could find

–Words & Music by Nhojj

This is my contribution to the world of poetry and spoken word.  The ability to use words to for rhythm and the sound of the words as well as for the images and pictures that the words themselves create has always fascinated me.

I open my eyes and look around at the place I am at… I analyze it
I realize it is not the place for me to be
I see More

so I look up
past the darkness, past the pain, past the hurt, past the rain
Clouds that keep me over cast, threatening down pour upon my poor soul

I pray this storm brewing, stewing within, wouldn’t catch me unprepared. Its weird I know
But I got this feeling that this ceiling I am under
will protect me
then I think.

And in my final deduction I realize this construction of …bad habits
My ugly little rabbits that hide under
Will keep me locked in a jail spelt fail forever protected from the… Rain

So I get up from where I’m laying, staying, delaying, always saying…I will
but never willing myself to… do and
I do the impossible

I stop this emotional war. All my battles are won
Get up off this mental floor
Reach for the door that opens to … ME. Beautiful and alive
Cause whosoever said that I was GREAT… was Right… Is Right… and will always be Right
I am!!!

But wait, don’t put your hands together just yet. Listen… Listen to the calm
It’s the way our universe applauds
a new Me

– by Nhojj

“Love Again” is an acapella piece – I see the voice as an instrument and pieces like this one allow me to focus and present it like that.  It also allows me to record lots and lots of background vocals.   One of my favorite artist is Bobby McFerrin and he is such an inspiration to me:)

My heart’s been waiting, anticipating
For you to come and love me again
My heart’s been longing for some belonging
For you to come and love me again
Love me again.

–Words & Music by Nhojj

This is one of my most downloaded songs which surprised me at first.  When I write I never know which is song will connect, but in the creative process I usually have a favorite.   This song is from personal experience though – I fell in love during my first CD and we broke up before this project.  So this song is about my lost love…

Remember how we used to touch
Remember how we used to kiss
Before we fell this far apart
Remember your hands in mine
Fingers running down my spine
Before we became so self involved

I miss U

Remember how you used to smile
Every time I touched your…
Remember the love in your eyes
Every time your lips met mine

I miss U

–Words & Music by Nhojj

Sensuality and spirituality – a friend of mine after listening to this song wondered if it was prayer… and I guess the answer to that question is yes… its a prayer to Love.  I believe God is Love, so wherever there is Love there is God, wherever you feel Love – you feel God.

U are my sun U are my moon
My universe revolves around U
U are my light my day and night
Clouds part when U enter the room
U are the wind U are the rain
Wash me make me whole again
U are my life U are my life

This morning as I gaze at Ur sleeping face
There’s so much that I want to say
I want to tell U now how much U mean to me
I want to tell U now U mean the world to me

U are my sun U are my moon
My universe revolves around U
U are my light my day and night
Clouds part when U enter the room
U are the wind U are the rain
Wash me make me whole again
U are my life U are my life

I’d be lost and lonely without U
I’d be like a ship afloat without a sail
I’d do anything to spare U pain
I’d give up everything to live this way

–Words & Music by Nhojj

This song is based on the negro spiritual – Amazing Grace,  I just personalized the lyrics to depict my life and circumstances.  When I heard this track – it made me think of baptism and conversion – so it felt right.   When I was recording it, I kept on ad libing in the end and during the first edits I cut it out because it wasn’t as clean as I would have liked, but now I’m glad I left them in:)

I once was lost but now I’m found
Was blind but now I see

I had been down
Head facing ground
And I stayed there
Out of my fear

Shut out the Light
Lost all my sight
Believe the lies
And your Soul dies

Felt like a jail
Set up to fail
Trapped in a box
Couldn’t hear life knocks

Place I had been
Knew I couldn’t win
Believe the lies
And your Soul dies

–Words & Music by Nhojj

I was thinking of the greats like Bob Marley and John Lennon who used their music to make this world a better place.  All they wanted to do was spread love… that’s when the idea struck me – they were fighting for love.   I can’t believe that anyone would deny another the right to love…

I am a warrior preparing for war
I am a warrior I step through this door
The enemy is ignorance, the enemy is hate
I am a warrior, I’m fighting for love

–Words & Music by Nhojj