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Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/celebrating-the-culture-and-legacy-of-central-avenue-jazz-festival/

*Los Angeles – The 23^rd Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival was held on a hot weekend, Saturday, July 28 and Sunday, July 29, 2018. The event was held on Central Avenue between King Boulevard to the north and Vernon Avenue to the South, from 11:00am-7pm, both days.

Back in the day, Central Avenue was the hub of jazz in Los Angeles. Many of the legendary icons of jazz performed on Central Avenue in it’s heyday.

The 23^rd Annual Central Avenue Jazz Festival consisted of audience members who were fortunate to have experienced the amazing energy of Central Avenue. Thanks to Los Angeles City Councilmember Curren D. Price Jr., The New 9^th, along with the Coalition for Responsible Community, the festival allowed attendees to re imagine and celebrate the culture and legacy of Central Avenue.

The festival consisted of seasoned jazz musicians as well as rising jazz performers who is keeping the flame of jazz alive and moving forward. Entertainment was held on four energetic stages, the Etta James Stage, Tito Puente Stage, inside the lobby of the Dunbar Hotel and the Jazz Improv Stage.

The LAUSD Beyond the Bell All-City Jazz Big Band got the show underway with an amazing set of jazz standards. Salute to the youth for showcasing their talents on the Main stage.

Vocalist, Pianist Betty Bryant was next to grace the Etta James Stage. The band consisted of Betty Bryant-vocals/piano, Richard Simon-bass, Robert Kyle-sax and Kenny Elliott on drums. The group was on point with their set of jazz and blues which was fun and entertaining. Their set featured the tunes “He May be Your Man, But He Comes to See Me Sometimes,” “I Remember You,” “St. Louis Blues,” “Exactly Like You,” “Catfish Man,” and “I Got Rhythm.”

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/detroit-black-doll-show-largest-of-its-kind-scheduled-for-nov-10/

*Detroit, MI — Sandy’s Land LLC is an entertainment service where the mission is to “Party with a Purpose” and it will be celebrating its 7th Detroit Doll Show with a unique program geared toward the entire family on Saturday, November 10, 2018 from 11am to 6:30pm at the DoubleTree By Hilton, 5801 Southfield FWY, Detroit MI 48228 (near Ford Road).

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/the-los-angeles-nollywood-awards-has-an-international-flair/

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/a-special-evening-with-the-legendary-dionne-warwick-eur-exclusive-watch/

*”Walk On By,” “Don’t Make Me Over,” “A House Is Not a Home” and many more songs have been the backdrop to a lot of folks’ lives either when they first debuted on the radio or when they have been sampled for newer tracks.

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/blackkklansman-clips-and-conversation-with-spike-lee-at-marthas-vineyard-film-festival/

*Every August, Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts hosts the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. Now in it’s 16^th year, this brain child of Floyd and Stephanie Rance, co-owners of Run & Shoot Filmworks, brings some of the biggest names in films, not Black films, but FILMS … to the island.

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/music-industry-quarterly-urban-network-digital-presents-the-business-of-music-conference/

*Music Industry Quarterly Magazine (MIQ) & Urban Network Digital —two of the music community’s leading trade organizations – are proud to present the 5^th Annual Business of Music Conference 2018. The 3-day event is scheduled for September 13-15, 2018, and returns to the Los Angeles area at the Westin Hotel Airport: 5400 W Century Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90045. It promises to be a weekend of Music, Culture, and Conversation.

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/performers-clash-at-this-years-long-beach-jazz-festival/

*In today’s music industry, having talent isn’t enough and at the 31st Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival is proof of that fact.  With well over 10,000 in attendance over the three-day event, festival producer Kimberly Benoit and her staff, has put together a quality event that the whole family can enjoy.  

Blankets, lawn chairs, a cot, and tents lined both sides and stretched around the Rainbow Lagoon as the sun mad tracks across the sky.

Benoit’s Health and Wellness Pavilion contained shaded seating, multiple food vendors including classic caterers Shabazz Foods, and newcomer the Grill.  Speakers covered everything from cooking to healing your relationships.

Source : https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/lanfa-partners-with-miracle-theatre-to-present-film-awards-show/

*Nestled in Downtown Inglewood, California on South Market Street is the Miracle Theatre, a cute and quaint venue that has only been in business for less than three years, but between the visionary owner (Owen Smith) and the acoustics, it has the potential to become a go-to establishment for concerts, plays and movie screenings in the LA area.  That leads us to tell you about the latest event held at the Miracle Theatre: The Los Angeles Nollywood Film Awards (LANFA), the brainchild of filmmaker King Bassey, who hails from Akwa lbom, Nigeria.

The black tie evening with an international flair began with a red carpet event, in which EURweb.com’s headman Lee Bailey and yours truly were a part of, in addition to celebrities that included Gloria Hendry, the first African-American Bond girl (“Live and Let Die”) and veteran actor Mel Novak, who was reunited with Gloria Hendry, his “Black Belt Jones” co-star.

The show was co-hosted by Motown Maurice (Snake Outta Compton) and Oge ILoghalu.   I will have to admit I was a bit thrown off when the show began with a mariachi band, who performed not one, but three songs.  I was not expecting a mariachi band at an event showcasing films made in Africa. I had to remind myself that an international theme was in play and that various countries were being represented, not just Africa.

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/bruno-mars-24k-magic-world-tour-finds-replacements-for-cardi-b/

*Bruno Mars has announced that special guests Boyz II Men, Charlie Wilson, Ciara, and Ella Mai will join upcoming U.S. dates as part of Mars’ 24K Magic World Tour this fall.

Mars, who is currently nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction for his TV special “24K Magic: Live At The Apollo,” recently announced that his international outing will close with a trio of homecoming performances in Honolulu, Hawaii.  The three dates at Aloha Stadium are a record-breaker for the venue, with no other artist in its history to have booked that number of successive dates.

Produced by Live Nation, Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic World Tour has traveled the globe since 2017, and will have made over 135 stops across North America, Latin America, Europe, and the U.K once wrapped this November. The massively successful outing by the multiple-GRAMMY Award winner has sold out stadiums and arenas around the world, and was credited with selling 1 million tickets in a single day.

The 24K Magic World Tour celebrates Mars’ multiple GRAMMY Award-winning, 2x RIAA Platinum-certified album, 24K Magic (http://smarturl.it/24kmagic), released in November 2016 via Atlantic Records. The 24K Magic World Tour has been Mars’ first full-length tour since his hugely successful Moonshine Jungle World Tour in 2013, an international blockbuster that sold 2 million tickets worldwide across 155 sold-out dates.

Source : https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/celebrating-25-years-of-the-little-miss-african-american-scholarship-pageant/

*When it comes to scholarship, merit and beauty little Black girls have taken it to a new level. This past weekend EURweb associate Rocky Harris got the chance to chat with judges, contestants and more at the 25^th Little Miss African American Scholarship Pageant.

On Aug. 12, folks came to the Nate Holden Theatre in Los Angeles to watch their daughters, nieces and sisters compete for the chance to take home first prize. According to LittleMissAfricanAmerican.org, for the past 25 years, dozens of girls between the ages of 6-12 years of age have participated in this program. Hundreds of scholarships have been awarded, and lasting memories have been created for these young Academic and intellectual princesses.

While some of them come from strong supportive families, the majority of them come from under-served, single parent homes. The pageant provides an early introduction to the arts and training in public speaking, while promoting individual creativity and stimulating a heightened cultural understanding.

READ THIS: LEBRON JAMES JR. WILL PLAY FOR CROSSROADS IN L.A. – SHAREEF O’NEAL TO ENROLL AT UCLA

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/faith-evans-stevie-j-bobby-brown-letoya-luckett-rickey-smiley-more-at-black-music-honors-2018/

*NASHVILLE, TN — The 2018 Black Music Honors recognized the legacy of Aretha Franklin during the award show taping on Thursday, August 16. Hosted by 2017 Marconi Award Winner Rickey Smiley and singer/actress LeToya Luckett, the annual two-hour television special honors artists and musicians who have influenced and made significant contributions to American music. This year’s honorees were Bobby Brown, Faith Evans, Bebe & Cece Winans, Whodini, Stephanie Mills and Dallas Austin.

The night included performances by Bell Biv Devoe, Next, Jade Novah, Kierra Sheard, Tasha Page-Lockhart, V. Bozeman, Demetria McKinney, DJ Mell Starr, Sammie, Donnie McClurkin, Sammie, Yo-Yo, Koryn Hawthorne, Rhyon Brown, Raheem DeVaughn, Regina Belle, Paris Bennett, Syleena Johnson, Angela Winbush, Jonathan McReynolds, Monie Love, Ruben Studdard and Doug E. Fresh. Additional VIP’s in attendance included Shiggy, Kyla Jade, Stevie J and more.Proceeds from the 2018 Black Music Honors will benefit the 2019 opening of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville. NMAAM’s mission is to educate the world, preserve the legacy, and celebrate the central role African Americans play in creating the American soundtrack. Event sponsors include AT&T, McDonald’s, Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, Chevrolet and State Farm as title sponsor.

The annual two-hour television special taping will broadcast in national syndication from Sept. 8-30, 2018 and will air on Bounce TV Sept. 28, 2018. Click here to see syndication airdates.

For more information on Black Music Honors visit www.blackmusichonors.com. Connect with Black Music Honors on social media @blackmusichonors, #BMH2018 and #BlackMusicMatters.

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/eur-review-ronnie-laws-and-tom-browne-a-magical-combination-at-a-miracle-theater/

*On Saturday, August 18, The Miracle Theater on South Market Street in Inglewood was the site for a concert billed as, “An Evening of Jazz and Soul,” which featured Eloise Laws, Ronnie Laws and Tom Browne, with special guest Yakira Ketchens.  The theater was the perfect comfortable and intimate setting for the event co-promoted by Chuck Dennis, who I would like to thank for the hook-up.  Between him and Owen Smith, the owner, folks were well taken care of, especially in the VIP Section, which offered champagne and food.

Before the evening officially got started, there was non-stop Aretha Franklin music playing, in honor of the Queen of Soul.  A few people danced in the aisle.  It was an appropriate way to get the evening started, especially since first up was Los Angeles KJLH Radio personality Roland Bynum, the MC for the evening, who mentioned Aretha was part of his family and asked for a moment of silence.

Yakira Ketchens, who was the opening act, provided most of the vocals for the artists.   She has a nice voice and began her set doing a pretty fair job of Denise Williams’ “Free.”   She is also a percussionist and performed Sheila E’s, “Glamorous Life.”  In my best Randy Jackson (American Idol) voice, “It was just alright for me.”  She was not awful, just not on Sheila E’s level.

*Los Angeles, CA. — The Five Heartbeats fans nationwide will get a chance to crowd theatres once more on Monday, August 27 2018 for a one night only event for Robert Townsend’s Making of The Five Heartbeats!  In the early 90s, actor, comedian, writer and director, Robert Townsend, went against every obstacle in Hollywood, relying on his faith, street smarts, and tenacity to bring his passion project, 1991’s “The Five Heartbeats,” to big screens. 

The story of the rise and fall of an African American vocal group in the 1960s, the musical drama is the subject of Townsend’s new documentary, “Making The Five Heartbeats.” On Monday, August 27, 2018, Fathom Events will present the theatrical release of Robert Townsend’s “Making The Five Heartbeats” documentary in nearly 500 select AMC movie theaters nationwide for one day only at 7 p.m. local time, through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of theater locations, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). In addition to the documentary, attendees will view an exclusive welcome from Townsend.

Sell outs are expected.  Tickets for “Making The Five Heartbeats” can be purchased online at www.fathomevents.com and participating theater box offices. 

Townsend’s documentary chronicles his inspiring journey to present a new image of black people in cinema. A love letter to the movie’s fans, as well as a master-class on filmmaking, “Making The Five Heartbeats” is told through behind-the-scenes footage and personal stories with the five stars of the film (Townsend, Michael Wright, Harry J Lennix, Leon Robinson, Tico Wells), plus co-writer Keenen Ivory Wayans, and the film’s bad guy you love to hate, “Big Red” (Hawthorne James).

“For all those fans that have seen the movie more than once, for those that ask me when I’ll will revisit ‘The Five Heartbeats’ with a sequel, for those that love the R&B/soul groups that changed the musical landscape of America, and to all that want to dive deeper into this movie’s creation, this documentary is for you,” Townsend said. “I’m humbled by your ongoing love for ‘The Five Heartbeats’ and proud to be bringing you ‘Making The Five Heartbeats.’” 

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/robert-townsends-new-documentary-the-making-of-the-five-heartbeats/

*Atlanta – The Bronze Lens SuperStars Luncheon, an annual fete in Atlanta, is known for announcing firsts. Friday (08-24-18) was no exception when Connie Orlando, EVP Head of Programming at BET Networks promoted the rebranding of Centrix to BETher, the first 24/7 channel devoted to programming made for and by women of color. The announcement was fitting for the venue as the SuperStars Luncheon, a highlight of the Bronze Lens Film Festival, celebrates achievements of Black women in front of and behind the camera lens.

This was BET Networks first year as a sponsor of the Bronze Lens Film Festival signature luncheon event where three awards were presented. Tina Lifford, Aunt Vi on the hit series “Queen Sugar” airing on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, accepted the Visionary Superstar award to a standing ovation. Ms. Lifford’s work as a motivational speaker, gifted playwright, and killer scenes from “Queen Sugar” were showcased to the packed house.

Ayoka Chenzira, Ph.D., accepted the Catalyst SuperStar award for her pioneering work in independent cinema. Her work in interactive digital media production, in which she was the first Black woman to earn at Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology, mesmerized the room. Ms. Chenzira is now Chair of the Department of Art & Visual culture at Spelman College. To her delight, she noted that many of her former students had films entered in the festival.

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/9th-annual-bronze-lens-film-festival-superstars-luncheon-promotes-rebranding-of-centrix-to-bether/

*The Black Women’s Expo descended upon the city of Atlanta earlier this month, drawing thousands of people for it’s 24th annual event – part of a three-city tour that started in Chicago in April and culminated in Dallas on August 26. The event, which spanned over three days (Aug. 10-12), featured a wide array of uplifting and empowering educational sessions, lectures, panel discussions, corporate displays and entertainment.

This year’s theme was “She Matters,” and numerous celebrities and community leaders were in attendance, including Emmy Award winning actress Regina King (Seven Seconds, American Crime) who served as the keynote speaker,  Lamman Rucker (Greanleaf),  Angela Robinson (The Haves and the Have Nots), Dr. Heavenly Kines (Married to Medicine), Kim Fields and Cynthia Bailey (Housewives of Atlanta). R&B crooner Ginuwine serenaded the ladies during a concert to close out the weekend, performing nostalgic hits such as “Pony,” “Differences” and “In Those Jeans.”

“It is a really special thing when you have an opportunity for your artistry to meet your philanthropy,” said Regina King, referencing her role in Netflix’s Seven Seconds, which tackles racism and police brutality among other issues. “The things that go on in our community are stories that we can’t stop talking about. I feel very lucky that I get to be an artist that gets the opportunity to keep the conversation going.”

The Black Women’s Expo was started by founder Merry Green of MGPG events in 1994. Initially held in Chicago every year, Green has decided to expand the expo to Atlanta and Dallas.  As one of the nation’s premier events catering to African American women and their families, the Black Women’s Expo will celebrate a quarter century of empowering its community in 2019. For more information, check out www.theblackwomensexpo.com. And of course, see the video above for an inside look into the expo weekend in Atlanta!

*A good movie usually remains with you days after you’ve left the theater and although KIN the movie doesn’t hit theaters until August 31, producers of the project are gearing up for the film in a major way. KIN is the story of “an unexpected hero” destined for greatness.

Chased by a vengeful criminal, the feds and a gang of otherworldly soldiers, a recently released ex-con and his adopted teenage brother are forced to go on the run with a weapon of mysterious origin as their only protection.

KIN stars James Franco, Jack Reynor and Miles Truitt. To celebrate the film’s release, the studio invited EUR out for a fun game of laser tag with some of the most influential people on the gram.

We met up at UltraZone in Sherman Oaks where we were prepped on our mission for the day. Some of our favorite online personalities like Khadi, Dyvon, Arriana Jonae and E Breezy along with actress Aadyn Encalarde were in attendance to fight for their group’s championship on the battlefield. When I tell you these personalities are the best to play laser tag with, please, believe me.

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/thrilling-and-suspenseful-laser-tag-for-kin-the-movie-pics-trailer-look/

*A mystery has surrounded the tragic case of Emmett Till for more than six decades and it centers on a photo of his white classmates, particularly a white girl, who Till joked was his “girlfriend” when he visited Mississippi back in 1955.

Till, 14, was abducted Aug. 28, 1955, and murdered after supposedly whistling at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in a grocery store in Money, Mississippi.

J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant were acquitted in his murder but later confessed in a 1956 Look magazine story by journalist William Bradford Huie, USA Today noted.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Delta Sigma Theta Members Mourn Soror Aretha Franklin in ‘Omega Omega Service’ (Watch)

Yearbook photo of Joan Brody when she was 16. (Photo: Special to Clarion-Ledger)

In the doc, Till’s cousin Curtis Jones mentioned that Till had a “picture of some white kids that he had graduated from elementary school with … female and male.”

The girl in the photo has long been an enigma… but now, 63 years later, she has been identified as Joan Brody, who gave her first interview to the Clarion-Ledger about her relationship with Till.

The documentary’s producer, Henry Hampton, told NPR that Till showed this school photo to his folks in Mississippi, pointing to a white girl and saying she was “his girlfriend. In fact, it was his classmate.”

She was the only white girl in Till’s class.

“He had beautiful eyes,” she recalled while confirming that the two had quite the friendly relationship. It was at their graduation where the photo was apparently taken, but Brody said, “I had no interest in it.”

“He wasn’t a smart-alecky kid,” she said. “He wasn’t a person to smart off to a white woman or any woman.”

Joan Brody poses for a photo outside of her Chicago-area suburban home Aug. 19, 2018. (Photo: John Gress for USA TODAY)

The Look magazine article noted claims that Till said he’d had sex with white women. But his mother, Mamie Till, called it the report preposterous, saying her son would “never brag about the women he had. How could he? He was only 14.”

Brody agreed, saying “he was a gentleman” and calling the men that killed him “worse than animals.”

She also wonders what might have been if Till had lived.

“He had his whole life ahead of him – to be gone just like that,” she said. “And for what reason? He could have been president,” she said. “He was just a nice kid with a nice smile.”

*Steve Harvey is sporting a new style these days… as he has done away with his iconic mustache in favor of a full salt-and-pepper beard, ET online reports.

The media mogul explained to ET’s Kevin Frazier why he switched up his signature look, admitting: “Well this year you know we launched a new season so every now and then I reinvent myself,” the 61-year-old host and comedian explained.

Harvey also noted that his thick, black ‘stache was only prominent because he’s bald.

“When I was 49, about to turn 50, I went bald,” he recalled. “I always had a mustache, you just didn’t know I had one ’cause I had hair too.”

Harvey tried rocking a full beard last year but he “wasn’t confident” enough to pull it off in public.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Earl Ofari Hutchinson: When John McCain Got it Right and Wrong on Race

“Last year was the first time I had a summer off, so I didn’t shave. I grew a beard out,” he shared. “But last year there wasn’t enough grey in the mustache yet. It looked like I had stuff in it. So I had to wait another year.”

He continued: “This year, when I didn’t color it, it was a lot more grey so I’m flipping the script. I’m gonna see how the beard game go… I’m gonna just do something different. I’m gonna stay fly till I die.”

On whether or not he continues to sport the beard… 

And right now, he’s staying busy by hosting “Celebrity Family Feud” and serving as host and producer on “Little Big Shots.”

He added: “If you take every minute of the day and monitor every single minute of the day, you’d be stunned at what you can accomplish. But you gotta cut the BS out of your life. You can’t be at the club every time it open, you can’t make all the happy hours.”

The new season of “Steve” premieres Sept. 4 on NBC.

*Lauryn Hill keeps a relatively low profile and rarely does interviews and the only time she makes headlines these days is when she’s several hours late for a live show.

But Ms. Hill had time on Monday to set the record straight about recent claims made against her by a former member of her band, Robert Glasper.

Glasper dished about the drama during an interview on The Madd Hatta Morning Show on 97.9 in Houston on Aug. 13, claiming Hill “stole music” for her acclaimed album “The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill” and that she mistreated her band and can’t even tune a guitar.

Peep the full interview below, he speaks about Hill around the 27-minute mark.

As noted by Hip Hollywood, Hill was not having it though and penned an essay adressing his shady comments.

“I chose to wait until after the anniversary to post this,” she said in a message on Twitter. “Thank you everyone for the Love! I’d like to clear a few things up. -MLH”