Celebrities Talk About Black Music Month

 

By Darlene Donloe

June is Black Music Month and what better time to celebrate its rich history? 

For centuries, Black musicians, singers, writers, and producers have made incredible contributions to the music industry. 

This is the month set aside to pay homage to all those individuals who, through their music, have made us smile, laugh, cry, dance, tap our feet, clap our hands, and swivel our hips. 

President Jimmy Carter officially designated the month of celebration on June 7, 1979.  It was during a reception at The White House, which featured performances by Chuck Berry, Billy Eckstine, Little Richard, and Andre Crouch. 

On May 31, 2016, President Barack Obama declared the month of June 2016 “African American Music Appreciation Month” in a presidential proclamation. 

Although June was first deemed “Black Music Month” by Jimmy Carter and campaigned for by songwriter and producer Kenneth Gamble back in 1979, as the nation’s first Black president, Barack Obama felt strongly that an official proclamation was more appropriate.

The proclamation calls Black music “Among the most innovative and powerful art the world has ever known.” President Obama also called upon “Public officials, educators, and people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate activities and programs that raise awareness and foster an appreciation of music that is composed, arranged, or performed by African Americans.” 

I caught up with some celebrities and asked them the following question.

What decade of music has influenced your life the most and why?

 

KAMASI WASHINGTON 

The 60s, the height of free jazz, and the modern jazz movement.

 

JASON MORAN 

The 90s because I moved to New York in the 90s. It became the golden age of hip-hop. Pivotal bands and ideas were finding their way into this brand-new music form. It was hitting a mass audience too. Being in New York when Wu-Tang emerged was powerful.

 

ALEXIS FLOYD (Grey’s Anatomy) 

It sounds strange maybe, but this decade. It's a combination of the music that played a role in my life during the pandemic. Music is actually a life force. I needed it to know there was love in the world. Listening to John Legend play music from his house. Janelle Monet would DJ for hours.

Seeing our Black mothers and fathers play music is a public safety act.

This decade changed how I felt about music. It’s essential!

 

BEN VEREEN

I love music. Music is in my soul.  I listen to music all the time.  The 40s with the big band and swing – the Black Renaissance. That’s it for me!

 

KENNY LEON – (Director of ‘A Soldier’s Play’/'Raisin in the Sun') 

All of them equally. I’m interested in new music. As an artist, it’s important to be relevant. No music is ever new. It’s tied to what came before it.  It’s all tied together. I try to stay in tune with what makes people move today.

 

DERRICK DAVIS (The Secret Garden)

Oh, God, I would have to say, it’s either 70s, 80s, or 90s. I will pick the 70s. I love the 80s for sure. The 90s is what gets me going.  But it’s the 70s! That’s the music my father blasted.

 

 

 

Janet Jackson Opens Hollywood Bowl Season

 

By Darlene Donloe 

Janet Jackson still got it! 

The legendary pop star opened the Hollywood Bowl season on June 10 with her Together Again 34-city, nationwide tour, proving after 37 years in the business, she still has skin in the music game. 

DJ Infamous Talk2Me had the place in full party mode kicking off the night with classic Old Skool hits from Aretha Franklin to The Jackson Five, The Spinners, and Prince. 

Ludacris

Rap icon Ludacris opened the show with a high-energy performance that set the mood and kept the sold-out crowd on its feet.  

The personable rapper, who recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, led the audience on a journey through his hits dating back to 2000 with his first album, “Incognegro.” 

Ludacris told the audience, “I go by the name of Ludacris and I just want to say, humbly speaking, I was born to be on this stage.” 

He also wondered openly, on several occasions if the crowd was really full of “day one Luda fans.”  Turns out, it was!

He then went on to prove it with songs like What’s Your Fantasy, Pimpin’ All Over the World, and Stand Up. For Stand Up he donned some gigantic white sneakers – to which he said, “Don’t act like y’all didn’t see these big-ass shoes.”

His 45-minute set, accompanied by DJ Infamous Talk 2 Me, also included hits like Southern Fried Intro, Welcome to ATL, Act A Fool, Southern Hospitality, Area Codes, Glamorous, All I Do Is Win and Get Back.  

Ludacris, who told the crowd several times that he appreciated their support, was so entertaining, he left them wanting more. 

When he first took the stage, Luda, whose real name is Chris Bridges, told the crowd he was going to “give you the show of a lifetime celebrating 23 years of platinum hits.” He delivered!

Just before Jackson arrived on stage, large monitors showed a montage of her career, which includes five Grammy Awards, 11 Billboard Music Awards, and nine MTV Video Music Awards. It was remarkable to see just how far she has come.  

courtesy photo

Jackson, 57, hit the stage a little after 9 p.m. and stood center stage striking one of her classic confident poses in a full hooded purple cloak. After perusing the crowd for a couple of minutes, Jackson shed the purple cloak to reveal gold knee-high boots and a gold jumpsuit – accented with a large, purple bow around the waist. 

She then started her two-hour performance with “Damita Jo,” the title track to her 2004 CD. 

Flanked by four male dancers, Jackson went on to mesmerize and hypnotize the audience with her every move and every one of the 40-song set.

She doesn’t do as much dance choreography as she used to in her concerts, but there was plenty for the crowd to scream and holla about – as Jackson proved she still has her patented moves. Let’s face it, people love to see Jackson dance. She did that! 

Jackson’s show is a reminder of just how good her music is and how loyal her fans are – evidenced by them standing throughout most of the concert – and singing every song – word for word! 

During the first part of the concert, Jackson’s set included songs from her 2008 CD, “Discipline.” Songs included Feedback, So Much Betta, If, No Sleep, Got ‘til It’s Gone, That’s the Way Love Goes, and Enjoy.

For the second part of the concert, which was full of “Control,” Jackson made a costume change swapping the jumpsuit for a black and white sweater and black pants.

Jackson launched into her 80’s repertoire with What Have You Done For Me Lately, When I Think of You, and Nasty. She took a seat to sing the slow and sexy ballad, Let’s Wait Awhile.

About 16 members of the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), conducted by Thomas Wilkins, entertained the crowd with an impressive rendition of Jackson’s hit, “Again,” as she sang along. YOLA is the LA Philharmonic’s music education program currently serving about 1,700 musicians across five sites.

During the second act, the musicians, who had been unseen, upstage in the dark, were finally revealed. Some fans surmised it was to prove Jackson was not singing to a prerecorded track throughout the show.

courtesy photo

After asking What Have You Done For Me Lately, things got Nasty to the delight of her fans. She didn’t disappoint with The Pleasure Principle, When I Think of You, The Best Things In Life Are Free, Control, Together Again.  She slowed it down with Again, Any Time-Any Place. 

Jackson got emotional singing Again from the movie, Poetic Justice. She turned the mic to the audience to have them help her sing the sentimental ballad.

For years during her shows – one of Jackson’s highlights has been putting a man from the audience in a chair and teasing him sexually. This time around, on the song, I Get Lonely, she used one of four shirtless male dancers. Although she didn’t climb all over the male specimen as she did in past tours, it was still incredibly sexy – leading the audience to squeal. 

After everyone calmed down, Jackson, who confidently strutted around the stage smiling at fans, continued to go deep in her archives to pull out fan favorites. 

For the crowd-pleasing third act, she kept the party going with dance music like Doesn’t Really Matter, All For You, Come On Get Up, Girlfriend/Boyfriend, Do It 2 Me and So Excited.

For the last act of the roof-raising show, which was a bonafide blast, Jackson donned a Rhythm Nation t-shirt and jeans. She then let it rip with The Knowledge, Miss You Much, Love Will Never Do (Without You), the infectious Alright, and Escapade.

A touching moment came when the 1995 video Scream, starring Jackson and her brother Michael Jackson, hit the big screens. It was a fabulous way to pay homage to her brother, who died on June 25, 2009.

There was no way Jackson could have made it out of the Bowl if she hadn’t sung 1989’s Rhythm Nation. It was a huge crowd-pleaser.

Her fireworks encore, of course, was Together Again, a song about unity. It was the third time the song had been heard throughout the night.

Janet Jackson is one of music’s biggest stars and a fan favorite because she gives the audience what they want. 

She gave them that and more during opening night at the Bowl.

 

 

 

 

 

A Review: Alonzo King Lines Ballet: Deep River

Alonzo King LINES Ballet performed Deep River by company co-founder, artistic director, and visionary choreographer Alonzo King (orange pants) on June 9 and 10, 2023, at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The full-length work was set to a score by jazz pianist, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran and featured Grammy Award-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer (black dress), who performed live for the engagement. Photo by Elaina Francis

By Darlene Donloe

Alonzo King is a highly-respected artistic director with a celebrated contemporary ballet company, who has been called a visionary choreographer.

Jason Moran has been called “a risk-taker, a trendsetter, and the most provocative thinker in current jazz.”

Lisa Fischer’s voice is out of this world. It’s like butter. She’s been called “addictive.”

When you combine their triple-threat talents, you’re in for an extraordinary soulful, and elegant evening of theater.

The three joined forces for The Wallis’s presentation of ‘Alonzo King LINES Ballet: Deep River’ held June 9-10, in the Bram Goldsmith Theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. 

As the curtain rises and the show begins, it reveals the perfectly toned bodies of 12 remarkable dancers who make quick work of mesmerizing the audience. 

A barefoot Lisa Fischer (the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary Twenty Feet from Stardom) slowly emerges in a flowing black frock, downstage right with a mic in both hands. She opens her mouth and heavenly sounds drift out. 

Deep River is a full-length work set to a score by jazz pianist, composer, and MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran whose music sets the mood. 

This was King’s second collaboration with Fischer and his ninth collaboration with Moran, which he created as a part of LINES Ballet’s recent 40th anniversary season.

Fischer and Babatunji brought down the house as he danced and she sang the Negro National Anthem ‘Lift Every Voice’. It was a tour-de-force performance that commanded rousing and appreciative applause from the audience.

Adji Cissoko
photo by Elaina Francis

The company includes Babatunji, Adji Cissoko, Madeline DeVries, Theo Duff-Grant, Lorris Eichinger, Shuaib Elhassan, Joshua Francique, James Gowan, Ilaria Guerra, Maya Harr, Marusya Madubuko, Michael Montgomery and Tatum Quinonez. 

A gorgeous show, ‘Deep River’ mixes dance with Black spirituals and invites audiences to look at human beings as the pinnacle of creation.

Bending the lines between classical and contemporary ballet, King draws on the strengths of his extraordinary dancers altering the way people look at ballet.

Hailed for its evocative work and unique artistic vision, LINES Ballet, based in San Francisco, adheres to the classical form—the linear, mathematical, and geometrical principles deeply rooted in the East-West continuum.   

Deep River is a call to keep hope and to look at each other as a family of souls. The moving work melds dance with Black spirituals and invite audiences to look at human beings as the pinnacle of creation.

King said that on the highest level, the work is a reminder that “love is the ocean that we rose from, swim in, and will one day return to — and that love can set us free.”

“As we look back on 40 years of work in the community, in ourselves, the programs, classes, and performances, both live and on film, we recognize that it is the same vision and belief that have carried us to this moment and will continue to carry this organization into the future,” said King. “We have strived to make obvious that art is the inheritance of every individual, that art activates evolutionary growth, is an intellectual virtue, and the fostering principle for all that is made, done, or known.” 

Forty years of outstanding, multi-disciplinary collaborations for the stage place the LINES Ballet company at the forefront of artistic innovation in ballet. LINES Ballet investigates deeply rooted affinities between Western and Eastern classical forms, elemental materials, the natural world, and the human spirit with each collaboration. 

At LINES Ballet, the artistic investigation is infinite and essential for it leads to what unites us as human beings: empathy, joy, and the ability to transcend.

LINES Ballet’s spring and fall home seasons and global tours share this vision of transformative, revelatory dance with 50,000+ audience members worldwide annually.

“The term LINES alludes to all that is visible in the phenomenal world,” said King. “There is nothing that is made or formed without a line. Lines are in our fingerprints, the shapes of our bodies, constellations, and geometry. It implies genealogical connection, progeny, and spoken word. It addresses direction, communication, and design. A line of thought. A boundary or eternity. A melodic line. From vibration or dot to dot it is the visible organization of what we see.” 

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent) “Alonzo King LINES Ballet: ‘Deep River’” gets an E (excellent).

 

 

 

 

A Review: 'A Heated Discussion - Revisited'

By Darlene Donloe 

Imagine a Think Tank filled with Black intelligentsia coming together to talk about world events, specifically issues that directly affect the Black community. 

Imagine, again, that the participants are historical icons of the past who have assembled at the request of angels, not to solve the world’s problems, but to offer their opinions on how to move forward. 

It’s all part of award-winning playwright Levy Lee Simon’s ‘A Heated Discussion - Revisited,’ a drama based on an idea by Ben Guillory, the show’s director, cast member, and the co-founder of the Robey Theatre Company.

‘A Heated Discussion’ was originally commissioned in 2019 after two years of development. Spearheaded by Guillory, it reflected the work of more than 45 participants. The original show was produced in 2022 and it was updated by Simon to reflect recent world events. Both ‘A Heated Discussion’ and ‘A Heated Discussion – Revisited,’ were written by Simon and produced and directed by Guillory.  

The show, now playing at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, opens with dramatic videos of police brutality against Blacks including the killings of Oscar Grant and George Floyd.

 (l-r) Ayonna Michele (Oya), Anderlyn Smith (Yemaya), and
Charyse Monet (Oshun)
photo by Ian Foxx

Then, three Yoruba African Orishas (angels) who are having a rather rambunctious discussion about the issues affecting the Black race, call forth several angelic Black leaders “for a divine purpose.” 

The purpose is to talk about what’s happening in the world today compared to what was happening when they walked the earth. Some of the greatest orators and public figures come back to discuss their personal philosophies as it relates to the issues of the day. The revelations that come forth are no less than amazing, spiritual, and poignant. 

Leaders brought back to talk about what’s going on in today’s Black America include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, James Baldwin, Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Ida B. Wells, Tupac Shakur, Maya Angelou, Bob Marley, Richard Pryor, Lorraine Hansberry, Nina Simone, and Zora Neale Hurston. A mysterious powerful figure also makes an appearance. 

It’s an exceptional mix of personalities and learned comrades who don’t always see eye to eye when it comes to elevating the Black race. 

Rosie Lee Hooks as Dr. Frances Cress Welsing
and Julio Hanson as James Baldwin
photo by Ian Foxx

James Baldwin (Julio Hanson) offers that it’s “racism” that holds back Black people.

Malcolm X (Marcus Clark-Oliver) insists that Black people “don’t ask for freedom – take it.” 

The show, meshing principles from 16 different characters, also begs the $64,000 questions, ‘Why isn’t everybody screaming and shouting?’ about the continued killings of Black men and women and ‘Why Black Lives Are Not Valued?’

“A Heated Discussion,” easily a Black history lesson on stage, takes a deep dive into issues ranging from the continued police brutality in the Black community to politics, religion, COVID, racial disparity, and even sexual orientation.

It’s an interesting premise that prompts the audience to consider different perspectives, with the understanding that not everything is a black-and-white issue.  

Lorenz Arnell as Tupac
photo by Ian Foxx

Tupac (Lorenz Arnell) believes, “It's different when white and Black people do things.” 

What bolsters the show, are the diverse Black leaders who have gathered, some of whom were controversial in their own rite before gaining their divine wings.

Imagine being a fly on the wall as Dr. Martin Luther King (Damon Rutledge) and Malcolm X wax lyrical about the Bible and the Quran and the principles of violence vs. non-violence. Listen to playwright Lorraine Hansberry (Christina Childress) and writer Zora Neale Hurston (Swisyzinna) hash out their differences when it comes to artistic integrity – stemming from whether or not one of them was less than truthful about a particular intellectual property. It's painful to hear Tupac Shakur lament on never imagining that he’d be killed by someone who looks like him. Dr. Frances Cress Welsing’s take on the age for sex, the origin of Black male homosexuality, how no one should have a baby before the age of 30, and the prowess of the Black male penis. That alone is worth the price of admission. Maya Angelou (Kimberly Bailey) and Ida B. Wells (Monte Escalante) are the voices of reason. 

Everyone is in agreement that the Black community continues to experience troubled times. Simon’s brilliance shines through when he doesn’t offer up one, clear-cut solution. There is no one-size-fits-all conclusion.  The only constant is to recognize that Black oppression, in all its forms, must end.  

What goes forth in ‘A Heated Discussion – Revisited,’ is a provocative, smoldering urgent discussion!

 Kudos to Simon for his thought-provoking prose and to Guillory for his masterful direction. The video clips move the story forward and the music adds an emotional element. 

Simon through his prose and Guillory through his creative direction, manage to give each character their due through stage placement and various topics that scarcely fit within a three-hour format.  

The first-rate cast is exceptional. They effortlessly and skillfully move about the stage delivering emotional, controversial, hilarious, and sometimes uncomfortable dialogue. Extra kudos to the three Orishas (Ayonna Michele, who played Oya, Charyse Monet, who played Oshun, and Anderlyn Smith, who played Yemaya), who were in constant ethereal motion throughout the show – even when they stayed in one position. 

‘A Heated Discussion - Revisited’ is something to talk about.”  

It’s a must-see!

‘A Heated Discussion - Revisited,’ written by Levy Lee Simon and directed by Ben Guillory, stars Kimberly Bailey (Maya Angelou), Marcus Clark-Oliver (Malcolm X), Monte Escalante (Ida B. Wells), Julio Hanson (James Baldwin), Damon Rutledge (Dr. Martin Luther King), Rosie Lee Hooks (Dr. Frances Cress Welsing), Philip Bell (Richard Pryor), Christina Childress (Lorraine Hansberry), Swisyzinna (Zora Neale Hurston), Alex W.S.T (Bob Marley), Lorenz Arnell (Tupac Shakur), LaShada Jackson (Nina Simone), Ayonna Michele (Oya), Charyse Monet (Oshun), Anderlyn Smith (Yemaya), and Ben Guillory (Shango). Dmetrius Conley-Williams is the Richard Pryor understudy.

On the DONLOE SCALE: D (don’t bother), O (oh, no), N (needs work), L (likable), O (oh, yeah) and E (excellent), ‘A Heated Discussion – Revisited’ gets an O (oh, yeah).

Los Angeles Theatre Center, Robey Theatre Company, Theatre Four, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles; 8 p.m., Thurs.-Sat.; 3 p.m., Sun.; Saturday matinee on June 17 at 2 p.m.; closes 3 p.m., Sunday, June 18; $40. Students, seniors, and veterans with ID, $25; www.therobeytheatrecompany.org; 213 489-7402.

 

Pan African Film Festival Announces 2024 Dates

 

LOS ANGELES, CA – The Pan African Film and Arts Festival (PAFF), today announced that the 32nd edition of the festival will take place from February 6-19, 2024, in Los Angeles. For three decades, PAFF has presented and showcased a broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes of Africans and African-Americans.  Since 1992, PAFF has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expression. Today, PAFF is the largest and most prestigious Black film festival in the U.S. and attracts local, national, and international audiences. In addition, it is an Oscar-qualifying festival for animation and live-action short films, and one of the largest Black History Month events in America.

Submissions for the 2024 Festival open June 1. The early submission period closes on June 30, 2023, and the official submission closing date is September 1, 2023.  The extended deadline to submit for shorts and web series is October 1, 2023, featurettes on October 5, 2023, and features on October 15, 2023.    Additional information about deadlines, submission rules, regulations, and eligibility is available on filmfreeway.com/thepanafricanfilmfestival. 

PAFF 2023, which took place February 9-20, featured over 170 films from 40 countries, in 19 languages, including 50 World and 22 North American premieres. Of the films selected for the Festival, 39% were helmed by female, queer, or non-binary filmmakers.

For more updates on the 2024 Pan African Film & Arts Festival, follow @PAFFNow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, or visit paff.org and sign up for the PAFF newsletter.

About The Pan African Film and Arts Festival

For three decades, PAFF has presented and showcased a broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes of Africans and African-Americans.  Since 1992, PAFF has remained dedicated to the promotion of Black stories and images through the exhibition of film, visual art, and other creative expression. Today, PAFF is one of the largest and most prestigious Black film festivals in the U.S. and attracts local, national, and international audiences. In addition, it is an Oscar-qualifying festival for animation and live-action films, and one of the largest Black History Month events in America.

For more information, please visit paff.org.