Category: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

2010’s top winners Black celebrities ruled the entertainment world this year with their big wins, controversies and blunders. Some of 2010’s biggest winners were singers and rappers who’re turning their careers into multi-million dollar empires. Beyoncé and Jay-Z have set the blueprint for entertainers-turned-business moguls with their growing influence. In November, Jay-Z released his first […]

A.C. Green, the commercial jingle writer who composed the “Yes We Can” tune for President Obama, has composed the “Kwanzaa Song,” A sample of “The Kwanzaa Song” the first song to receive major radio airplay celebrating the holiday. “It was ironic to me that something we have been celebrating for years had not music to […]

The Food Channel® has released the much-anticipated Top Ten Food Trends for 2011. By partnering with CultureWaves™, Mintel International and International Food Futurists®, The Food Channel has been able to identify the most significant food trends that will drive how people eat throughout 2011, from buying to cooking to consuming. “The new economy has created […]

As the holiday season arrives, families across the nation await sumptuous meals, camaraderie and gifts. Include these popular films as stocking stuffers or gather around the TV on Christmas Eve for a foray down memory lane. The Night before Christmas and More Classic Holiday Tales The Most Wonderful Time of the Year: Natalie Cole Live […]

The Rev. Al Sharpton, Judge Greg Mathis and R&B trio the O’Jays will be among the African-American achievers to be honored for their hard work with a 2011 Trumpet Award in January. The awards ceremony will be held in Atlanta on Jan. 29 with a banner list of honorees slated to receive the esteemed award. […]

Juan Williams, the commentator fired by National Public Radio in October for making controversial remarks about Muslims while on his second job with FOX News, recently signed a two-book deal. Crown Publishers announced the agreement Dec. 14. The first book, scheduled for release next summer, will address free speech and the “growing difficulty” of discussing […]

Washington, D.C.’s Arena Stage celebrates the opening of the intimate, 200-seat Kogod Cradle Theatre with a new, emotionally charged stage production. Every Tongue Confess, written by Marcus Gardley and directed by Kenny Leon, centers around a string of church burnings in the South and the emotional uproar that follows. The play takes place in Boligee, […]

With the many performances of Handel’s “Messiah” around the world, each of them have a unique quality all of their own. From the small church choir to the professional choir, these performances all provide their own fabric to the tapestry of a masterwork that has touched the hearts of many for centuries. The presentation at […]

After undergoing surgery for a mystery illness in early December, relatives of “Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin recently confirmed that she is suffering from pancreatic cancer. According Detroit Fox affiliate WJBK, Franklin’s family confirmed reports of her illness to reporters on Dec. 8, adding that she is “okay,” but the family is still “very concerned.” […]

A New Jersey family has told talk show queen Oprah Winfrey that the late Michael Jackson nurtured them and regarded them as the “second family.” of the late pop star. The Cascio family had a 25-year relationship with the singer and their son is featured on his unreleased album, they said on the Dec. 6 […]

Legendary jazz musician James Moody succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Dec. 9 at the age of 85. The saxophonist was best known for his surprise hit, “I’m in the Mood for Love.” Moody was born on March 26, 1925 in Savannah, Ga. with a hearing impairment. Despite that disability, he began playing music at 16, […]

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey and dancer/choreographer/director Bill T. Jones—who won Tony awards for his choreography in Spring Awakening and this Fela!,—were among the five persons feted at the 33rd Kennedy Center Honors on Dec. 5 in the annual tribute to excellence in art and culture. The pair joined world-renowned singer/songwriter Paul McCartney, country music icon […]