2020 2nd Annual AAFCA TV Honors Held Aug. 22

By Darlene Donloe

The 2020 2nd Annual AAFCA TV Honors, celebrating the best in television and streaming, was presented virtually for the first time, Saturday, Aug. 22, due to the coronavirus, which has forced everyone to social distance.

This year the show, hosted by Aida Rodriguez, honored excellence in television and streaming, and for the first time, included frontline and essential workers, civic and other leaders to join, alongside celebrities, as presenters.

 

Oscar® winner and AAFCA winner Matthew A. Cherry (Hair Love) and Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson kicked off the show by presenting the Best Animated Series award to ‘Central Park’ (AppleTV+). The award was accepted by actors Josh Gad and Leslie Odom Jr.

 

Niles Fitch (This Is Us) and Disney’s first live-action Black prince on Disney+’s (Secret Society of Second Born Royals) and nurse Cherelle Barksdale in the University of Michigan Hospital, presented the Best YA (Young Adult) Series to the Netflix show, ‘Never Have I Ever.’

 

Derek Luke and Dr. Christopher Emdin presented Best Short Form Programming,  to Lebron James’ ‘I Promise’ (Quibi) accepted by Jamal Henderson.

 

AAFCA ADCOLOR Breakout Creative Award, presented by Indya Moore, Angelica Ross, and Mj Rodriguez of ‘Pose,’ went to writer, activist, and director Janet Mock.

 

“Telling our stories is a revolutionary act,” said Mock.  “I create for the girl I once was. Hope my work can be a mirror for her.”

 

Nicco Annan and Brandee Evans of ‘P-Valley’, along with Chicago Fire Department Lt. Quentin Curtis, presented the Best Docuseries to HBO’s “Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children.”

 

The award was accepted by a team that included John Legend.

 

“We wanted to tell stories that were overlooked and wanted to do it with high-quality content,” said Legend.

 

The Best TV Movie winner was Lifetime’s ‘The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel.’ It was presented by Simone Missick (All Rise), Dr. Jamal H. Bryant, and actor William Jackson Harper, and was accepted by Christine Swanson, Donald Lawrence, and Holly Carter.

 

“This is the Lord’s doing and it’s marvelous in my sight,” said Holly Carter.

 

The Breakout Performer Award was presented by ET’s Kevin Frazier and Chief Tanya Rivers and was awarded to Laura Harrier and Jeremy Pope in Netflix’s “Hollywood.”

 

Sheryl Lee Ralph and Dr. Ala Stanford presented the Best Performance Male award to Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us) for the second year in a row.

 

“It means so much to be validated by your people,” said Brown. “In representing myself I hope I do you proud. I do not take this honor lightly. I am forever in your gratitude.”

 

Tichina Arnold and Los Angeles Deputy Chief Regina A. Scott, the first black woman to obtain that rank, presented the Best Comedy Series award to HBO’s “Insecure.”

 

The Best Drama award was presented by ‘Queen Sugar’ actors Tina Lifford and Omar Dorsey, along with restaurant owner Greg Tillery, to the ABC series ‘For Life.’

 

AAFCA President and Co-Founder Gil Robertson and NBC4 reporter Beverly White presented the Inclusion Award to Macro Television Studios for Netflix’s “Raising Dion,” “Gentefied” and “Tigertail.”

 

“These two shows and film, Black, LatinX, and Asian are just a taste of their mission to provide a home to diverse and inclusive stories and characters that reflect our nation’s rich racial tapestry,” said Robertson.

 

The award was accepted by Marta Fernandez, president of Macro Television Studios.

 

“Here at Macro Television Studios we are proud to amplify the voices of perspectives of artists of color,” said Fernandez.

 

Mayor Steven Reed, the first Black mayor of Montgomery, Alabama, and Oscar winner Octavia Spencer presented the Best Performance Female award to Viola Davis for  ABC’s ‘How To Get Away With Murder.’

 

Rashida Jones presented the TV Icon Award to Kenya Barris (Black-ish, Grown-ish, Mixed-ish, and #Black AF).

 

“How old do these people think I am,” asked Barris during his acceptance speech. “They have a different meaning of icon then I do. You’ve taken a kid from Inglewood and transformed him into something else,” said Barris.

 

 

Kem & Toni Braxton Release "Live Out Your Love'

On the heels of KEM’s smash hit “Lie to Me” – which has maintained the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart for six weeks in a row –  the R&B superstar releases his new single, “Live Out Your Love” featuring the iconic Toni Braxton. KEM’s signature silky vocals give way to Braxton’s rich, sultry sound on the track, which is from his upcoming album, LOVE ALWAYS WINS (Motown), set for release on August 28. The two artists co-wrote the song and KEM produced it with Derek "DOA" Allen. Download / Stream “Live Out Your Love” HERE.

 

The collaboration was sparked last year when Braxton extended an invitation for KEM to perform at her Valentine’s Day concert in Detroit. “My wife and I went to Toni’s show at the Fox Theatre,” recalls KEM. “She called me up on stage to sing with her and it was an incredible moment.”

 

While working on his new album, KEM began to envision “Live Out Your Love” as a duet and asked Braxton to join him. Due to COVID-19, they couldn’t record in the same room. When Braxton sent her vocal to KEM, he was blown away. “I loved the way she recorded, the texture of her voice,” he says. “The pairing of our voices was just amazing.”

 

The pre-order for LOVE ALWAYS WINS launched today. Fans who pre-order the album in digital format will instantly receive “Lie to Me” and “Live Out Your Love.” As a special treat to fans, merch will be available at www.musicbykem.com

.

Essence said, “KEM…knows just how to make anyone believe in love, fall in love and sing about love.” Praising the “smooth and sexy” “Lie to Me,” Billboard observed, “The body-swaying mid-tempo number perfectly captures the relatable themes of unconditional love and devotion.” Reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Adult R&B Songs chart in nine short weeks, “Lie to Me” is the fastest-rising of KEM’s six chart-topping singles, which include “It’s You,” “Love Calls,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Why Would You Stay?” and “Nobody.” KEM co-wrote “Lie to Me” with Anthony Hamilton, Salam Remi, and James Poyser and produced it with Derek "DOA" Allen.

 

LOVE ALWAYS WINS is the follow-up to KEM’s 2014 album, PROMISE TO LOVE, which debuted at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 3, becoming his third consecutive top-five album on the tally. PROMISE TO LOVE contained the hit singles “Nobody” and “It’s You,” which each spent multiple weeks atop the Urban Adult Contemporary radio charts. “Nobody” earned KEM his third GRAMMY^® nomination.

 

The internationally renowned R&B singer/songwriter has to his credit: one Platinum album (KEM: ALBUM II), two Gold albums (KEMISTRY and INTIMACY), three GRAMMY nominations and six No. 1 singles. In addition, KEM has been nominated for six NAACP Image Awards, two Soul Train Awards, and a BET Centric Award. In 2012, KEM founded Mack & Third, Inc., a Michigan domestic non-profit organization that provides funding to humanitarian aid organizations related to homelessness; hunger; substance abuse; domestic violence; natural disasters; education, etc.

 

Toni Braxton is the legendary, multimillion-selling R&B/pop pioneer and seven-time GRAMMY Award-winner behind timeless hits such as “Love Shoulda Brought You Home,” “Another Sad Love Song,” “Breathe Again,” “Seven Whole Days,” “He Wasn’t Man Enough” and “Un-Break My Heart.” The official video for “Un-Break My Heart” recently broke 500 million views on YouTube. The multi-talented singer/songwriter has expanded her skill set along the way to include music producer, Broadway musical star, television actress/producer, and best-selling author. She also devotes time as a spokesperson for Lupus L.A. and Autism Speaks

 

 

Danny Glover and Ben Guillory Set For 'Revolutionary Genocide' Via Zoom

 Danny Glover and Ben Guillory

        The Robey Theatre Company presents a staged reading of a new play, Revolutionary Genocide, on Sunday, September 6, 2020, at 3 p.m. It will be presented via Zoom.

            The presentation features the co-founders of The Robey Theatre Company, Danny Glover, and Ben Guillory. Glover is internationally famous as a movie star, with over 150 films to his credit. Guillory is the Producing Artistic Director of The Robey Theatre Company.

            The narrative concerns events in the lives of attorney and activist William Lorenzo Patterson (portrayed by Glover) and actor and activist Paul Robeson (played by Guillory) who presented papers to the United Nations in 1951, accusing the U.S.A. of the attempted genocide of Black Americans, due to its failure to pass legislation against lynching and its failure to bring its perpetrators to justice.

            Other characters are played by Cydney Wayne Davis, Kimberly Bailey and Melvin Ishmael Johnson.

            Melvin Ishmael Johnson is the playwright. He is a member of The Robey Theatre Company’s Playwrights Program. His previously produced plays include The Emperor’s Last Performance; Catch the Tiger; and Surviving the Nickel.

            Ben Guillory directs. His directing credits include critically acclaimed productions of The Magnificent Dunbar Hotel; For the Love of Freedom: The Haitian Trilogy; Birdland Blue; Bronzeville; many more.

            Stage manager/ Zoom technician: Pam Noles. Website Consultant: JC Cadena.

            TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT: Registration for this event will open on August 21, 2020. You can find a registration link by visiting http://robeytheatrecompany.org .  After you have submitted your RSVP, you will be sent the exclusive Zoom link. Registration will be limited, so please reserve early to avoid disappointment. Suggested donation: $10.

            The event will be recorded and available for viewing on The Robey Theatre Company’s YouTube Channel starting Friday, September 11.

            The Robey Theatre Company is a non-profit organization founded 26 years ago. The company is named after actor, activist, and humanitarian Paul Robeson. Its emphasis is on telling stories of the global Black diaspora.

            For more information about The Robey Theatre Company, please go to http://robeytheatrecompany.org

 

 Photo courtesy of The Robey Theatre Company.]

Alexander Zonjic Is Playing It Forward

 

  

DETROIT (19 August 2020): Serving as the artistic director for nearly a dozen music festivals and concert series throughout Michigan ordinarily keeps contemporary jazz flutist Alexander Zonjic super busy from March through September in addition to maintaining his own active performance schedule. But with most of the events shelved this year due to coronavirus concerns, Zonjic was able to find time to finish his first album in more than ten years. “Playing It Forward,” his 13th album, will be released October 9 on his company’s Hi-Falutin Music label. GRAMMY-winning keyboardist Jeff Lorber produced the set with the exception of the first single, “Motor City Sway,” a throwback R&B groove inspired by Zonjic’s adopted home of Detroit, which was written and produced by Pieces of a Dream’s keyboardist James Lloyd. The single has been one of the most added songs on Billboard BDS chart two weeks in a row.  His first album in over ten years drops October 9;

“Motor City Sway” is one of Billboard’s most added singles.

 

The title “Playing It Forward” makes obvious reference to “paying it forward,” something the philanthropic Zonjic is big on doing throughout the Metro Detroit region where the Windsor, Ontario native has been a multimedia personality ever since he began hosting a WVMV morning radio show in 1998 and expanded to weekly television hosting duties for his own show, “Alexander Zonjic: From A to Z,” three years ago. 

 

“When we got into this pandemic, people really started to play it forward. For us, our connection with Detroit has always been this back-and-forth relationship, and us finding ways to give back. We love the people of Detroit and do a lot of fundraisers for more than a dozen nonprofit organizations. My son and I came up with ‘Playing It Forward’ and I like the energy of it. It’s a very forward momentum record. There’s a lot of energy,” said Zonjic, a three-time Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards winner (including International Broadcaster of the Year) and a15-time Detroit Music Awards winner. 

 

Indeed, “Playing It Forward” is a high-energy jazz, funk, fusion, and soul collection featuring six original tunes, five of which were penned or co-penned by Lorber.  

 

“Several years ago, Jeff started to send tracks. He always sends a ton of amazing songs and you want to record all of them. We have a great relationship that dates back to 1979. He’s a great producer,” said Zonjic, who was accompanied by noteworthy guitarists Chuck Loeb, Paul Jackson Jr. and Michael Thompson, drummer Gary Novak, horn player, and arranger David Mann, and 14-year-old South African keyboard phenom Justin-Lee Schultz.  

 

One of the new Lorber songs, “Musaic,” is one of the final songs co-written and recorded by Loeb, who died in 2017. It’s the album’s lone downtempo number that hangs a lush melody atop a Lorber groove as the backdrop for Zonjic’s flute and Loeb’s electric guitar to dialogue.   

 

Zonjic said, “What an honor to have Chuck – not only composing a song for me but performing. Both from a performance and a composing standpoint, this is probably one of the last things that he wrote and produced. Musicians, more than the general public, knew what a profound guitar player he was. He truly was one of the greatest guitar players in the world. Having someone like him on the record comes with the fun challenge of going toe to toe with these guys when it comes to trading solos. You’ve got to have your chops together to trade solos with the likes of Chuck and Jeff.”

 

Along with a half dozen new songs, Zonjic reimagined five cover tunes for flute with fresh arrangements.

 

“A mix of originals and covers is a format that was very successful from a retro standpoint during the great era of CTI Records that came out of New York and made records by Hubert Laws, George Benson, and Bob James. There was always a mixture of cool arrangements of covers along with originals,” said Zonjic. 

 

Reimaging James’s “Night Crawler” has special meaning for Zonjic who was discovered by the GRAMMY and Emmy-winning contemporary jazz keyboard icon while playing in Detroit’s famous Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in 1981. James invited the flutist to join his band and off they went on tour. Their relationship has continued through various recording projects ever since.

 

Another cover selection was the standard “Nature Boy.”

 

“I always wanted to record ‘Nature Boy.’ I think it’s one of the great haunting melodies of all time when you think of the interpretations by Nat King Cole, George Benson, or Kurt Elling. Flute players are very much like singers: they love melodies. The flute is pretty much the closest instrument to the human voice. When we hear great melodies, we want to play them,” Zonjic explained. 

 

As a flute player who began as a teenage rock guitarist, Zonjic has been repeatedly asked ever since the 1980s when he was going to record a Jethro Tull song. That day finally arrives with “Living In The Past.”    

 

“(Jethro Tull’s) Ian Anderson has been one of the great flute messengers for what seems like my entire lifetime. Although not a jazz musician, Ian has a unique sound and technique. ‘Living In The Past’ is such a cool composition. Its 5/4-time signature and smooth melody always made it one of my all-time Tull favorites. I had so much fun interpreting this melody using grunts, groans, and classical chops all at the same time,” shared Zonjic.

 

The album comes to a rousing conclusion with a roof-raising “Rolling In The Deep” showcasing the Selected of God gospel choir.

 

“‘Rolling In The Deep’ was not inspired by Adele but by watching Aretha Franklin sing it on David Letterman’s show. While listening, it dawned on me that it would make a great flute song. Lorber put this great track together and I got ahold of Selected of God, who I had seen on ‘America’s Got Talent’ and in an Eminem video. That’s from where the magic came.”

 

Although recording was complete and the mixing process was underway prior to mid-March’s COVID-19 shutdown, the questions then arose about when and how to release the album. A lot has changed in the recording industry since Zonjic’s 2009 release “Doin’ the D” and in the midst of a global pandemic, he wasn’t sure if and how best to proceed.

 

“The pandemic really changed things. This was a new experience for me because I normally don’t have the time to do focus groups and to research the stuff that I had to research because of all the other things we normally have going on with our various festivals and concert series this time of year. I asked a lot of questions. I interviewed a lot of big artists on my radio show that airs on Detroit’s 910AM Superstation and all of us had the same question, which was ‘Is this a good time to release a record?’ In my case, I worked so hard on it for so many years and spent so much money on making it that I wanted the fun of assembling a team to release it. I’ll admit that it’s been quite a learning curve, but I’ve really been enjoying it. I don’t plan to wait another ten years to do another album. I probably enjoyed the process of making this record as much as I do all the fun that comes from releasing it.”          

 

“Playing It Forward” contains the following songs:

 

“Jazz Café”

“Benita”

“Hipster”

“Night Crawler”

“Motor City Sway”

“Playing It Forward”

“Musaic”

“Living In The Past”

“Nature Boy”

“Bottom Heat”

“Rolling In The Deep” 

 

 

 

 

 

Louis Gossett Jr's 'The Cuban' Plays At PAFF

By Darlene Donloe

For decades Academy Award winner (An Officer and a Gentleman) Louis Gossett, Jr. has been plying his acting craft in film, television, and on stage.

During that time he has turned in some memorable performances including drill Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman, Fiddler in Roots, and Will Reeves in HBO’s The Watchmen.

He recently added to that list with the role of Luis Garcia in The Cuban, a drama making its U.S. premiere at The 28^th Annual Pan African Film & Arts Festival.

The Cuban, directed by Sergio Navarretta, is a coming-of-age drama that centers on Mina (Ana Golja), a young Afghan immigrant who gets her first job in a nursing home. Her unexpected friendship with Luis, an elderly former well-known Cuban musician reignites her love of music and changes her life forever. Mina, who is pressured to pursue a career in medicine instead of pursuing her love of music, lost her parents at a young age and was sent to live with her aunt in Canada.

With no will to live, Luis sits in a wheelchair all day, retreating inside as he’s looking off into the distance.  He’s suffering from Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia and has frequent moments of lucidity and joy. When Mina plays Cuban music for him and cooks his traditional food for him, something triggers Luis who comes to life.  The music sparks something inside of him as he has memories of a bygone era.

At its core, The Cuban is about the power of music over Alzheimer’s and how it can literally change someone’s life. It’s also a touching story about life-changing relationships.

The movie is beautifully shot. Each character’s personality has layer after layer that is being peeled back.

The nursing home is stark and colorless.  But when Luis hears Cuban music or eats traditional Cuban food, or is taken out of the nursing home for a quick jaunt to a Cuban music club, the colors are rich and vibrant.

Louis Gossett, Jr.

Gossett, who founded The Eracism Foundation in 2006, turns in yet another sterling performance as a one-time popular guitarist. Gossett’s eyes tell the story. His hands tell the story. His slow movements tell the story.

He’s brilliant. It’s wonderful watching his master class.

Navarretta said the role was written for Gossett.

“We stalked him for the role,” he said.

Although there are more than 200 films in the Pan African Film Festival, this one is a must-see.

The Cuban does not have U.S. distribution. It will be released in Canada on April 24.

The Cuban, directed by Navarratte, and written by Alessandra Piccione, stars Gossett, Golja, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Lauren Holly, Giacomo Gianniotti, Shiva Negar and Jonathan Keltz.

Running Time: 1 h, 49 min

Louis Gossett Jr Talks About Role In 'The Cuban'

 

Louis Gossett, Jr.

Legendary actor Louis Gossett Jr. recently made an appearance at the Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) in support of his latest film, The Cuban.

The drama made its U.S. premiere at PAFF

In the film, directed by Sergio Navarrette, Gossett plays Luis Garcia, an elderly former well-known Cuban musician who now finds himself in a nursing home suffering from Alzheimer's.

The Cuban is a coming-of-age drama that centers on Mina (Ana Golja), a young Afghan immigrant who gets her first job in a nursing home. Her unexpected friendship with Luis reignites her love of music and changes her life forever.

With no will to live, Luis sits in a wheelchair all day. When Mina plays Cuban music for him and cooks his traditional food for him, something triggers Luis who comes to life.

At its core, The Cuban is about the power of music over Alzheimer’s and how it can literally change someone’s life. It’s also a touching story about life-changing relationships.

For decades Academy Award winner (An Officer and a Gentleman) Louis Gossett, Jr. has been plying his acting craft in film, television, and on stage.

During that time he has turned in some memorable performances including drill Sergeant Emil Foley in An Officer and a Gentleman, Fiddler in Roots, and Will Reeves in HBO’s The Watchmen.

In The Cuban, he’s added yet another to his impressive list of characters.

I spoke to Gossett (LGJ) about his role in the film.

DD: It’s good to see you.

LGJ:  I’m grateful to be here. In fact, I’m grateful to be anywhere.

DD:  Anything you want to talk about.

LGJ:  I just want everyone to know we can’t make it until we make it together.

DD:  Why do you say that?

LGJ:  There seems to be a disconnect between families. All generations need to reconnect.

DD: I’ll be sure to let people know you said that. In the meantime, I’d like to ask you about The Cuban and the character you play.  Who is Luis Garcia?

LGJ: He’s an ex-patriot refugee. He’s a fish out of water who is trying to find his way.

DD: How did you go about developing Luis?

LGJ: It’s not too much of a stretch to play Luis, who is Latin or someone like a Sam Cooke.

DD: Why?

LGJ:  Because with Luis and Sam it’s like the resurrection of an old culture.

DD: Ok, then let's talk about what was the most difficult part of playing Luis.

LGJ:  The Spanish words. I really wanted to know the Spanish words that I was speaking, but I couldn’t quite get it. I just couldn’t master the words.

DD:  How did you come to be involved with this film?

LGJ:  I got a call from Sergio (Navarrette, the director), who said the role was written for me.

The Cuban opens virtually in theaters July 31.

The Cuban, directed by Navarratte, and written by Alessandra Piccione, stars Gossett, Golja, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Lauren Holly, Giacomo Gianniotti, Shiva Negar and Jonathan Keltz.

Running Time: 1 h, 49 min

Nia Long and Omar Epps Star in 'Fatal Affair'

(l-r) Omar Epps and Nia Long star in the Netflix drama, Fatal Affair

By Darlene Donloe

Nia Long is an actress known for being proficient in both comedy and drama. This week she flexes her drama muscle alongside the equally adept Omar Epps in writer-director Peter Sullivan's Netflix thriller Fatal Affair. 

While the film is slick, there are no surprises to this by-the-book thriller. Long, Epps and Stephen Bishop, who plays Marcus, Long's husband, all give worthy performances, but there just isn't much to hold on to in this drama. 

The story goes like this. Long plays Ellie, a successful lawyer with a college-age daughter (Aubrey Cleland) and a supportive husband (Bishop). Although Ellie thinks her marriage isn't popping like it should, she tries to hold on - that is - until an old friend named David, played by Epps decided to reenter her life after 20 years. 

Well, guess what happens? David gets a job with Ellie's firm. Whatta surprise!! As expected, the two meet at a bar for drinks and wham, bam, David makes his move. The two end up in a restroom where they very nearly have sex. It turns out David knew where Ellie worked because he wanted a reunion.

It turns out David her anger management issues and has delusions about his relationship with Ellie.  Things really start heating up after he shows up to Ellie's house with her friend, Courtney, for a dinner party. Courtney is unaware that the two of them know each other. After his persistence becomes a problem, the real drama and terror begins. 

Sullivan plays his hand early, opening the film with a murder scene involving David's ex-wife and her boyfriend. 

There are a number of ways Sullivan could have gone to present this drama, instead, he chose to make it a Fatal Affair. 

On the DONLOE SCALE, (D) don't bother, (O) Oh, no, N (needs work), L (likeable), O (oh, yeah), and E (excellent), Fatal Affair gets an N-L (needs work-likeable).