My Golden Empress, Africa

Tell me, friends: when was the last time you took a trip somewhere? Last month? Last week? Last century? (don’t laugh…there are some of us who for whatever reason aren’t able to travel) Well, there are times, glorious ones, where we can live vicariously through the lives of others who are fortunate enough to be able to go to places we’ve only read about or perhaps only gone to within our wildest imaginings. When I was a girl, I always wanted to go to Africa to study all the animals that lived there and that I saw pictures of in my books. I still want to…some day. But why not now? You can and I do…I get to travel with some of the most beautiful tour guides that have ever graced this world. And the price is quite minimal but the experience will last for a lifetime and it makes me want to journey to these places all the more. With these lovelies as my guides, I’ve been to Prague, Budapest, Cape Town South Africa, Greece. And I didn’t have to leave my home. Just watched a film. Naturally, I took stock at the other marvelous ‘scenery’ other than the lush environs my guides took me to. For a time I get to see the world through their eyes and their camera lens…and even sometimes music can make the journey that much sweeter. Like film, music can take us places too, but only if we let it. Without ever realizing it, music can take us on a mini holiday, and we don’t even have to stand in line for a ticket. Now, how cool is that?

When there are opportunities to tour, music bands and filmmakers, get a view of the world few people get to see. It’s a chance of a lifetime for many. And these adventures most times get transferred to their respective arts. Some film their experiences, others write them down, still others compose songs about them. Neil Peart of the band Rush has written some of the most hauntingly beautiful lyrics ever to be heard in rock. He’s experienced a lot while being the band’s lyricist and he writes all of those experiences down to compose them into songs with the rest of his band members and to share ultimately with all of us. The song I present here, Tai Shan, is clearly about China and Neil’s feelings about experiencing this country for the first time, and I’ve chosen to use it as a way to express my feelings when I saw these beautiful images of South Africa for the first time. This is a place I may never get to see within my lifetime but through these gorgeous and deliciously erotic films, I get to visit there any time I wish to, and I get to be with these guys any time I wish. That for me is even better. I couldn’t imagine in all my life a more perfect place to become lost in, or better still…to fall in love in. What made it that much more special for me, was I got to experience it through the eyes of these lovely guys who were so willing to share these places with all of us, their adoring fans.

This one is from the heart.

Video clips taken from Out In Africa 2, Lukas In Love Part One, Pretty Boy; video clips remain the sole property of Bel Ami Entertainment and no copyright infringement is intended.

Music clip: Tai Shan, Rush, taken from Hold Your Fire, all music clips remain the sole property of their copyright holders and no infringement is intended.