Malandren writes

On the evening of March 26th, I went to Unplugged Vol V which was held at Alur Restaurant Lounge, in Montréal. Besides knowing that the line up was 5 Black women, I was unaware of how the evening would go. That night was a "first time everything" for me: my first time at this restaurant, my first time attending an Unplugged 514 event and my first time listening the artists. The lounge and the host were soothing and welcoming, which set the tone for the evening. Soon enough, after a drink and some conversations, a gentleman, Papi Jay, took the mic and introduced himself. He also gave us the history of Unplugged 514. He explained that the plan is to showcase the variety of artists Montreal has. The host for the night, a singer himself, let the public know he wanted an all women line up for the March edition. Knowing this month is known to celebrate women and their rights, this was pretty thoughtful.  I remember being flabbergasted at the velocity, the depth and different colour...

Alors que j'écris ces lignes, cela fait officiellement moins d'une heure que j'ai résilié mon contrat avec un employeur.  Je me suis assise avec cette décision comme on s’assoit avec une tasse encore trop chaude : je l'ai regardée, et je l'ai laissé refroidir un peu. Ce n’est pas une fuite. Ce n’est pas une crise. C’est un choix calme. Un choix qui me ressemble davantage que les derniers que j’ai faits. L'expérience m’a forcée à me regarder autrement. Les mains serrées, les lieux parcourus, les conversations échangées avec la population que j’ai côtoyée m’ont ramenée à moi. J’ai commencé à entendre des réponses, pas toujours claires, mais suffisamment honnêtes pour continuer. La réalité est que depuis 2019, j’ai l’impression d’avoir mis ma vie sur pause. J’avançais en mode autopilote, juste assez pour payer les factures, pas assez pour me sentir vivante. J'étais présente, mais qu'en apparence. Devant le miroir, je ne reconnaissais plus l’image qui me reg...

Have you read my previous article ? I invite you to clic on the link before you read the rest of this new one. I left off asking myself "do I want to be seen? 🤔" Honestly, I don't know how to answer this question. It comes with its own I rather focus on me just doing what    I’ve always had a soft spot for writing, starting with French as my first language. With family in the U.S., English came into my life early on, so eventually, I began writing in English as well. I believe writing is an art, and anyone who can create magic with words is an artist, no matter the language or form. 

I initially thought I’d started the blog as a way to pass the time, for the love of writing—nothing more. Apparently, I was wrong! 😅😅 The questions I got about the blog made me reflect on why I hadn’t been consistent, giving me a reason to dig a little deeper. Here’s what I realized: According to the DSM-5, anxiety is described as “excessive worry occurring for at least six months about a number of events or activities, where the person finds it difficult to control the worry.” (Source:   DSM-5 - Anxiety ) Anxiety doesn’t necessarily align with reality or logical outcomes. Yet, it persists. Each person responds to it differently, and for me, it manifested as freezing up and avoiding what I initially wanted to do. Thoughts like, “Who’s going to read this anyway?” crept in, opening up a can of insecurities. Getting out of one’s head sounds simple, but actually doing it? That’s a question I’m still exploring. I thought it might start with nurturing myself, spending time with lo...

On October 12, 2024, the Federation of Black Canadians (FBC) hosted " Heritage Unveiled ," featuring a presentation by renowned historian Rito Joseph . His talk highlighted the significant contributions of Black Canadians across various fields since the late 1700s, a crucial topic often overlooked in Canadian history education. While many are familiar with the Loyalists—those who left the United States to remain loyal to the British monarchy—Canada’s curriculum rarely explores who these individuals were or how they helped shape the development of Upper and Lower Canada. The event also included a Q&A session featuring a diverse panel of experts: - Wilkinson Derisme, founder of MusiqualiT, a platform for creatives, musicians, and producers. - Samanta Nyinawamuntu, leader of the Black Healing Centre, which offers wellness activities and mental health services tailored to the Black community. - Lourdenie Jean, an intersectional feminist and community organizer advocating for ...

Minutes away from the next chapter of my life, I am re reading the previous ones. I cannot lie to myself, I have no idea how I am still here, breathing, experiencing life. Yeeeeeaaahh, I know! That's not exactly what was expected from this text, huh?  But I will be 100% honest: If it was not for my community, my friends, my day ones, the sisters and brothers life gave me throughout life, It it was not for my people holding me tight, answering my calls, my messages, spending some quality time, If it was not for them who helped me, guided me, supported me, through thick and thin; If it was not for those random calls, those random messages, those random videos or memes sharing;  If it was not for those who heard me complain, for those who hugged me, those who cooked for me; If it was not for those who poured into me when I was empty, for those who spoke highly in my life when I no longer had the energy to do it; If it was not for those who STILL believe in me, even when I had sto...

Today, I salute every mother: The one who have seen their embryo leave their womb, the ones who no longer have tubes, those who no longer have a womb following fibroids or any other medical complication. I also salute the mothers who chose to adopt instead of having one biologically, I raise a glass those who were given a child to raise, I salute those who had to bury their offspring, and those who conceived following a nonconsensual relation. Today's a day for all of them. "Happy Mothers' Day!" is a sentence every mother heard throughout the day. Must be nice to be celebrated, seen, and recognized. But what about the other days? Being a mother is a 24/7 job, it seems like no rest is allowed for her. It seems like no error can be made once you're a mother. Yet, we know life is a road in which there are success and failure stories, high and low emotions. Can mothers have this liberty to be and live anymore? Growing up, I had the impression they couldn’t; however, i...

Ce début mai a bien commencé pour Montréal. En effet, la ville a accueilli l'artiste Rutshelle Guillaume. La chanteuse a offert un spectacle de qualité au Théâtre Rialto le 4 mai dernier. Avec le public comme choriste, 24 de ses plus grands succès dont "Pou ki ou pat Konprann mwen", "Guantanamo", "Mwen pa la anko", "Kite m Kriye", "All on Me" et "Rete La".  BIC Tizon dife, de Phyllisia Ross, Antonny Drew et de Tjo Zenny étaient également au rendez-vous. Rutshelle a aussi chanté toutes les chansons sur lesquelles il y a eu une collaboration avec ces artistes. L'artiste a donné à son public un concert digne d'une grande production. Avec les jeux de lumières, les musiciens, les danseurs, l'animateur, Carel Pedre, les tenus de la chanteuse, et sa voix, tout était au rendez-vous pour éblouir l'île. Tout le monde a joué un rôle pour le succès de la soirée. Même le maestro du RG Band en a profité pour électr...