Black Women in Music

To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of ESSENCE magazine, ESSENCE will host a reception honoring nine-time GRAMMY winner Mary J. Blige during 2010 GRAMMY® Week. ESSENCE Black Women in Music is an invitation-only, red-carpet event taking place on Wednesday, January 27, to fête the career and accomplishments of Mary J. Blige as an influential artist, successful entrepreneur and passionate philanthropist.

“In honor of our 40th anniversary, ESSENCE is committed to celebrating both the achievements and promise of Black women like Mary J. Blige who absolutely delights us with her creative gifts, and continues to inspire us through her extraordinary work as a businesswoman and humanitarian,” said ESSENCE president Michelle Ebanks. “We are excited to pay tribute to Mary J. Blige during GRAMMY week with this first-ever ESSENCE Black Women in Music award.”

ESSENCE Black Women in Music honoree Mary J. Blige is profiled in the February issue of ESSENCE magazine on newsstands now— as part of an exclusive “GRAMMY Insider” editorial package. A multi-faceted entertainer, mogul and philanthropist, with a career spanning 15 years including nine GRAMMY awards, eight multi-platinum records, and over 40 million albums sold Blige just released her ninth studio album, Stronger with Each Tear. Her range as an entertainer also includes star turns as an actor most recently in Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself, 30 Rock, and Entourage. As an entrepreneur, she is the co owner of the successful beauty line, Carol’s Daughter, and manages her own music, TV and film company, Matriarch Entertainment. In addition to these creative and business ventures, Mary is dedicated to giving back through her non-profit organization FFAWN (Foundation For The Advancement Of Women Now), which is dedicated to inspiring women from all walks of life to gain the confidence and skills they need to reach their fullest potential.

 

GRACE OF AFRICA

By Walter Greene

One of New York’s most prestigious galleries The Ana Tzarev Gallery on West 57th Street in Manhattan is the home of one of the most powerful, colorful and modern African art collections. Artist and gallery owner Ana Tzarev showcases `Grace of Africa’, a celebration of the grace, beauty and resilience of the African people. The remarkable body of work expresses the artist’s heartfelt connection and respect for the motherland. An enormous rendering of `Girl From Africa’ greets guests at the entrance of the ultramodern bi-level gallery. A glass elevator whisks guests to the balcony and upper level of this modern space which takes you on an African journey, unveiling; customs and rituals, markets and daily trade, masks, facing adversity... all building on the African experience.

The artist has traveled extensively throughout Africa, spending weeks at a time in numerous regions across the continent. Her interest in African history and culture is reflected in a series of regal portraits, vibrant market scenes, energetic dance ceremonies and colorful scenes of daily life. In her travels Ana Tzarev also witnesses the challenges of war, disease and famine. These encounters are reflected in her powerful images of suffering women and children.

"There is much about Africa that inspires me including the magnificent landscape, the vibrant markets and the range of local culture," said the artist. "But nothing can compare with the intensity of experiencing firsthand the spirit and dignity of the African people. Their proud land is the cradle of civilization and I have great hope for the future; my paintings are a tribute to the strength and grace of Africa."

Her story covers the true essence of the African experience and she tells it with a realness seldom seen in such presentations. The colors dazzle you, the fierceness of the images stun you as the body language and faces of each of her subjects draw you in with rapid intensity. Intense creativity goes into every one of her paintings. `Faces of Sorrow’ and `Devastation’ are featured in her the segment that highlights `Facing Adversity’ Images of starvation, AIDS and genocide shows the struggle of a people fighting for survival without denying the realities of the situation. There is a tempered message of hope in this series.

In the series `Markets and Daily Trade,’ the warmth and familiarity of the day to day life in the African village is captured to the fullest. A mass of vivid color, the sea, straw baskets, turbans and bold fabric clash in a festival of naturalness. `The Glance’ `Lending Library’ and `African Spring Walk’ were among the favorites. The bold and electric piece `Girl From Africa’ which graces the lobby entrance of the gallery is a true work of artistic genius is featured in this series. The ancient tradition of body painting, which is still practiced in some areas of Africa is represented in the series titled `Customs And Ritual.’ Specific colors are used to mark various phases of life such as puberty, courtship and marriage. Ana Tzarev has journeyed to some of the most remote parts of Africa and studied local customs in depth. She has been invited to witness important ceremonies that are rarely seen by travelers, some of these are documented in her series of dance paintings.

 

The African and Modern Art Show:
A Fusion Platform of Organic Art

The African and Modern Art Reception, A Fundraiser to Express JDR Consulting LLC Appreciation for Project Enterprise, a Cultivator and Developer of Businesses in the New York City, tri-state area for over a Decade.

JDR Consulting is a management consulting firm who offers personalized financial solutions in real estate management and accounting services. To express our gratitude of the leadership influence that Project Enterprise has had in cultivating businesses in the New York City, tri-state area, we will host the African and Modern Art Fundraiser Reception on behalf of Project Enterprise. We would be extremely remised if we failed not to contribute a portion of the proceeds to the remarkable survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. They need the help of the world, and with God’s mercy they are receiving the necessary support. The extended Harlem business community is following the lead of the world and mapping out its part. At the fundraiser reception, we are requesting all attendees to “Buy a Poster and Save a Life” memorabilia. It is a 22 X 28 inch poster of a Vintage Vodou Haitian flag of Haiti. Posters donated by Casa Frela Gallery. All Proceeds goes to Harlem for Haiti.

The African and Modern Art Reception will feature selections by a diverse, cross-section of artists to include: painter and abstractionist Glenn Tunstull, silk designer PJ Cobbs, pop culturalist Mago, and collector of tribal art from Africa Bangally.

We encourage you to come out and experience an evening of African and Modern Art, a fusion platform of organic artwork. Come with your Generosity and be prepared to be inspired with artistry that spotlights the critical influences of African culture on visual art. We request a $35.00 donation at the door, and all forms of payment are welcomed for art acquisitions. The African and Modern Art Reception will take place at Casa Frela Art Gallery , 47 West 119th Street New York, New York. Fundraiser Reception, Thursday, February 11, 2010 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

To obtain a confirmation and additional details about the African and Modern Art Fundraiser Reception, contact Genita Ingram at the above contact information.

JDR Consulting and Friends would like to thank you in advance for your participation and support.

 

Exhibit: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment

The first exhibition to explore the Apollo Theater’s seminal impact on American popular culture will be presented this spring by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment examines the rich history and cultural significance of the legendary Harlem theater, tracing the story from its origins as a segregated burlesque hall to its starring role at the epicenter of African American entertainment and American popular culture.

Organized by NMAAHC in association with the Apollo and in celebration of the Apollo's 75th Anniversary, Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing will be on view in the new museum's gallery in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History from April 23, 2010 - August 29, 2010.

Following its premiere in Washington D.C., the exhibition will be presented at Detroit's Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History from October 1, 2010 - January 2, 2011, at the Museum of the City of New York from January 30, 2011 - May 1, 2011, and in four additional U.S. cities to be announced. The tour is being presented in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

“Since 1934, the Apollo has been a driving force in shaping America’s musical and cultural landscape,” says Jonelle Procope, President and CEO of the Apollo Theater. “The Apollo has nurtured generations of artists, and has been a source of entertainment and inspiration to millions of people throughout its 75 years. We are delighted to be partnering with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to present Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing, which will illuminate the role the Apollo has played in the creative life of our nation.”

Evidence of seismic social changes and instances of astounding musical innovation, as well as subtle shifts in public taste and mores, will emerge from this portrait of the Apollo. A focus of the exhibition will be Amateur Night at the Apollo, the legendary Wednesday night revue founded in 1934 by Apollo emcee Ralph Cooper. Amateur Night has entered millions of American homes over the decades via radio and television, boosting the careers of Ella Fitzgerald, The Jackson Five, Jimi Hendrix, Billie Holiday, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Thelonious Monk, Luther Vandross, and countless others.

“Succeeding at the Apollo meant that you were firmly grounded in African American culture and very, very good. And as a beacon of possibility and excellence, the Apollo is a perfect lens through which NMAAHC can examine many of the country’s most important political, social and cultural developments,” says Lonnie G. Bunch III, founding director of NMAAHC. “The story of the Apollo yields incredible insight into the flux of African American life in the 20th century – from the great migration to the urban north, through two world wars, and into the civil rights movement.”

The exhibition’s co-curators, Tuliza Fleming of NMAAHC and Guthrie Ramsey, Associate Professor of Music History, University of Pennsylvania, are assembling historic and contemporary costumes, play bills, music scores, graphic images, video clips and recorded music to document Apollo performances by emerging artists and living legends. The materials are drawn from a number of private and publicly held collections including those at the African American Museum of Philadelphia, the Ella Fitzgerald Foundation, the Library of Congress, the Museum of the City of New York, NMAAHC, the National Afro American Museum of Ohio, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

A companion book, with a foreword by Motown singer, songwriter and producer Smokey Robinson, and an introduction by Bunch, features historic photographs and essays by 23 historians, musicologists and critics including Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Levering Lewis, author of W.E.B. DuBois: A Biography and Robert O’Meally, founder of the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University.

 

Grenada Independence Celebration

Grenada Independence Anniversary Committee of New York in conjunction with the Grenada Consulate will be celebrating Grenada’s 36th anniversary as an independent nation; this will be very exciting from Jan. 30 through Feb. 6, 2010 with a series of activities.

The celebrations commence on Saturday, Jan. 30, at 4.00 p.m. – 7.00pm at St. Gregory the Great Parish School, 991 St. Johns Pl. between Brooklyn & New York Aves with a Youth Fest, featuring the talent of our young people. Free admission.

A major high point of the Celebrations is the Ecumenical Service of Thanksgiving which will be held at St. Marks United Methodist Church, 2017 Beverly Rd. between E 21 Street and Ocean Ave in Brooklyn on Sun. Jan. 31 at 4.00 p.m. with a live radio broadcast to Grenada with the compliments of spiceislander.com and VOG radio, respectively.

On Thurs. Feb. 4, a Senior Citizen’s Tea Party will be held at Bethany United Methodist Church 1208 St. Johns Pl. between Albany and Troy Aves in Brooklyn, from 3.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.

On Fri., Feb. 5, a Social Gathering will take place at St. Gregory the Great Parish School 991 St. Johns Pl. from 7.00 p.m. – 10.00 p.m.

On Sat. Feb. 6, the celebration climaxes with an Independence Gala & Awards Ceremony at the elegant Antuns, 96-43 Springfield Blvd., Queens Village, N.Y., from 9.00 p.m. – 3.00 a.m.

Music will be supplied by Lambert & the Matadors and Grenadian born Eddie Bullen; Toronto’s Award-Winning Pianist & Producer.

 

Maurice Hines: `Tappin through Life

Amas Musical Theatre will host a benefit performance of Tappin’ Through Life, An Evening with Maurice Hines on Monday March 1 at 7PM. This wonderful evening will take place at Baruch Performing Arts Center (East 25th Street between Lexington and Third Ave).The performance will benefit Amas Theatre and Education Programs.

Tickets range from $125- $500 to purchase tickets or for more information please call 212.563.2565 or visit www.amasmusical.org.

Tappin’ through Life, the incomparable Maurice Hines pays tribute to the singers who have been an inspiration throughout his life, including Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Joe Williams, and Lena Horne. Mr. Hines will be accompanied by the Diva Orchestra and feature the Academy Teens.

Star of stage, screen, and television, Maurice Hines commenced his acclaimed career at the age of five, studying tap at the Henry LeTang Dance Studio in New York City. Mr. LeTang recognized his extraordinary talents and was soon choreographing numbers specifically for Maurice and his brother. Soon the brothers were appearing on Broadway and touring as the opening act for such headliners as Lionel Hampton and Gypsy Rose Lee. Their father then joined the act and shortly thereafter, "Hines, Hines, & Dad" was performing to rave reviews in New York, Las Vegas and Europe. The group also appeared on many television shows including THE PEARL BAILEY SHOW, HOLLYWOOD PALACE, and made 35 appearances on THE TONIGHT SHOW with Johnny Carson.

In 2006, Mr. Hines, collaborating with Maurice White, choreographed and directed the Hip-Hop Broadway musical HOT FEET featuring the music of Earth, Wind, and Fire. Mr. Hines is currently preparing a one-man show entitled MAURICE HINES, COM’IN HOME as well as doing a national tour of the Broadway musical BLUES IN THE NIGHT, for which he won the 2007 San Francisco Bay Area Critics Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Mr. Hines’s latest album on Arbor Records, TO NAT “KING” COLE, WITH LOVE, was released to critical acclaim.

 

Celebrities Raise US$57 Million For Haiti Relief

LOS ANGELES, California, CMC – Some of the world’s more renowned musical artists and Hollywood stars have teamed up for a massive telethon for Haiti earthquake relief, raising US$57 million.

The star-studded, two-hour event on Friday, dubbed “Hope for Haiti Now,” was telecast simultaneously over 25 networks in the United States and on several television stations around the world.

“The public has set a new standard of giving for a relief telethon with ‘Hope for Haiti Now,’ and the donations continue to come in,” said Lisa Paulsen, President and Chief Executive Office of the Los Angelesbased Entertainment Industry Foundation on Saturday.

“People can still contribute 24/7 via phone, web and text,” she added. Paulsen said the “Hope for Haiti Now” fund will continue to accept donations for the next six months.

Friday night’s telethon featured leading artists, such as Alicia Keys, Steve Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Shakira, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Coldplay, Christina Aguilera, Taylor Swift, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Jennifer Hudson, Madonna, Dave Matthews, Neil Young, Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z and Barbadian Hip-Hop star Rihanna.

Haitian singer Emeline Michel performed Jamaican Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross.”

Renowned Haitian artist Wyclef Jean, who hosted the event from New York, brought the house down with up-tempo renditions from an otherwise solemn evening.

“Enough of the moping, let’s rebuild Haiti,” exclaimed Jean with the Haitian flag tied around his neck.

“From the ashes, we shall rise, so please give what you can,” he appealed, disclosing that he was in Haiti after the earthquake struck to “clear away concrete and pull away rubble.”

Meantime, the Jamaica Consulate General in New York, in association with Irie Jam Media Group and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Consular Corps, on Saturday afternoon hosted a Radiothon, called ‘Haiti Needs Me’ in response to calls to assist Haiti.

The Radiothon aired from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. on New York’s Irie Jam Radio, 93.5 FM.

“The people of Haiti are in dire need of urgent humanitarian assistance,” said the Jamaica Consulate in a statement.

Jamaica’s Deputy Prime Minister Kenneth Baugh, US Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand, New York State Assemblyman Jamaican Nick Perry, Air Jamaica’s President and CEO Bruce R. Nobles, US Ambassador to Jamaica Brenda LaGrange-Johnson, and Haiti’s Consul General to New York Felix Augustin were among a “host of participants joining forces for the cause.”