Black Star – Downtown Magazine

Me & Mr. Jones: My Intimate Relationship with David Bowie is writer/performer Raquel Cion’s homage to the music icon’s artistry and his humanity, and to her own lifelong Bowie “soul love.” In her 90-minute cabaret performance at Pangea (178 Second Ave., New York), Cion takes us through her highs and lows, bracketed by David Bowie’s music, his life, and his death, told with humor, emotion, and passion. She describes her youthful misadventures growing up in Connecticut, her relationships, and her battle with breast cancer, and connects all of those things through the words and mysticism of an artist who meant so much, to so many.

The New York Times described Cion as “half witch… half cabaret performer,” and she lives up to that accolade. She is not an impersonator, or a cover artist. She seems somehow to embody the very spirit of David Bowie, the ultimate shape-shifter, the master of multiple personas, and the creative genius who challenged every single idea in the world of art, performance, music, and beyond.

Raquel Cion channels David Bowie, photo by Deborah Martin

Cion weaves her own story into the Bowie timeline, finding parallels with wry humor, sharing her pain, and her joy. She quotes Bowie, “I’m a born librarian with a sex drive,” and reveals that she is, in fact, a librarian. After the artist’s untimely death from cancer in 2016, Cion was diagnosed with breast cancer, and while being treated with radiation, she discovers that her tech’s name is Aladdin, like the Bowie alter ego, Aladdin Sane. She notes that during treatment she was a block away when Bowie’s art collection was auctioned off by Sotheby’s. She delights in the fact that her home in Brooklyn is in the same zip code as the Brooklyn Museum’s massive David Bowie Is retrospective, and slyly reveals that she found an error in one of the displays. Naturally she sought out the curator to inform him.

Cion is a true Bowie fan but this show is so much more than just a true fan’s tribute to a great artist. Her experience will resonate with anyone who has ever taken solace in music, with anyone who has been considered “other” in any capacity. It is a tale of love, and of finding something meaningful in a world that can sometimes work hard to strip away the meaningful things. Cion’s performance is theatrical and unapologetically emotional, and while the show is seen through the mournful lens of the death of David Bowie, it is also delivered with a spirit of joy, and a lesson about cultivating and celebrating individuality.

Me & Mr. Jones: My Intimate Relationship with David Bowie will return to Pangea on Friday, February 21 and Saturday, February 22, and again on March 13 and 14.

A lifelong New Yorker, Talib Kweli first turned heads in the late 1990s as one half of the hip-hop duo Black Star. Talib’s first solo album, Quality, was not released until 2002, as featuring appearances by Kanye West, DJ Quik and comedian Dave Chappelle. Just a year later, Jay-Z would help elevate Talib Kweli even further when he rapped “If skills sold, truth be told/I’d probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli” on the song “Moment Of Clarity.”

In the years since, Talib has been steadily putting out solo albums and featuring on other artists’ tracks (e.g. RZA, Quincy Jones, Nelly, Mac Miller, A Tribe Called Quest). His latest release is the collaborative effort, Awful People Are Great At Parties, as released through his own label Javotti Media. Javotti — as named after his grandmother Javotti Greene — is also home to other artists, including Cory Mo, NIKO IS, MK Asante, and Jessica Care Moore.

On Feb. 10, Talib Kweli will be headlining at The Highline Ballroom, with Styles P and K’Valentine both opening up for him. Talib spoke to Downtown about his love for New York and what he has coming up beyond his show at the Highline. The Brooklyn native can be visited online at www.talibkweli.com and followed on Twitter via @TalibKweli.

What do you remember about the first gig you ever played in New York? Where was it?

Talib Kweli: I think it may have been at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, I was 14. I remember there being no one there.

For you, is playing for a New York audience different than anywhere else?

TK: It’s home. It’s where I cut my teeth. It’s humbling, because a New York crowd has seen it all, so you need to come with your “A” game as an artist or they will leave unimpressed.

As a lifelong New Yorker, what is it that keeps you here all these years later?

TK: New York is as inspiring to my art has my parents are to my existence. The streets of New York are the direct inspiration for what I write. As I traveled, my perspective grew, but it is New York that birthed my style.

For someone who hasn’t seen you live before, what should be expected from your show at The Highline Ballroom?

TK: A wonderfully-grand, awesome hip-hop experience.

Do you have a favorite song to play live?

TK: Right now my favorite song to play live is “State Of Grace” from my Gravitas album.

Highline Ballroom show aside, what’s coming up for you?

TK: The Seven album with Styles P — I am very excited about this project.

What’s the latest with your record label?

TK: Besides the Seven album, we have Javotti Media’s own K’Valentine coming with her debut, Here For A Reason, early April. She’s on this tour as well.

When not busy with music, how do you like to spend your free time?

TK: Doing interviews. (laughs)

What was your favorite album of 2016?

TK: A Tribe Called Quest’s We got it from Here… Thank You 4 Your service.

Do you have a favorite restaurant in New York?

TK: I have a connection with Blue Ribbon Brooklyn.

Finally, Talib, any last words for the kids?

TK: Stay in school, eat your greens, and brush your teeth, because we must fight Mr Tooth Decay.