Entertainment
Annual IgboFest at Discovery Green Brings Houston to Life—Spectacular Photos
Houston was brought to life again after a 2-year pandemic break with the annual IgboFest celebration. Ndi Ichie Youth Cultural Foundation hosted this event to reclaim the cultural capital on July 16th in Downtown Houston at Discovery Green.
The event featured among numerous groups; the Texas Southern University Debate Team, Igwe Cultural Entertainment, Okoso Dancers, Akuma Dance Ensemble, Womba Africa Drumming and Dance, Umeze Dance Troupe, Ayaka Masquerade, Ijele Masquerade, and the Mgbadike Masquerade. Here are a few images from the daylong event:
IgboFest Houston has reigned for over 15 years in the city of Houston bringing in performers from across the United States and globally. Group performances will range from traditional to acrobatic and key appearances from various masquerades from Igboland. During this event, spectators witnessed the award-winning and most recognized Igwe Cultural Entertainment group, Wow Boyz O.T. White, the electrifying debate team from the heart of Third Ward, Texas Southern University, and traditional sounds from D.J. Eclipze. For more information of IgboFest; become a sponsor or a volunteer, please visit www.igbofesthouston.org/
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…Event will celebrate the 100th Birthday of renowned songstress Sarah Vaughn
Jazz Houston will kick off their 2024-2025 season celebrating the 100th Birthday of the renowned songstress Sarah Vaughn, featuring Dianne Reeves and her Trio, and The Jazz Houston Orchestra featuring vocalist Ekep Nkwelle. Dianne Reeves is one of the most versatile singers in the United States. Her shows feature anthems, scat, improvised works, pop, and originals. Alongside her peers Dee Dee Bridgewater, Diana Krall, and Cassandra Wilson she is considered one of the most influential female jazz singers of our time.
Dianne Reeves comes from a very musical family. Both her parents were musicians, and her cousin, George Duke, was a well-known piano and keyboard player and producer. Her uncle, Charles Burell, a bass player with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, introduced her to the music of jazz singers, from Ella Fitzgerald to Billie Holiday. She was influenced especially by the singing style of Sarah Vaughn.
Ekep Nkwelle
Opening for Dianne Reeves is a new jazz rising star Ekep Nkwelle, a 25-year-old Cameroonian-American jazz vocalist, who has carved her musical path from the vibrant streets of Washington, DC, to the heart of New York City’s jazz scene. Her journey has been extraordinary beginning with the esteemed Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Howard University, and The Juilliard School of Music. The power of her voice has resonated with jazz luminaries such as Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Her performances have graced iconic, internationally renowned venues, from the illustrious Radio City Music Hall, where she shared the stage with classical virtuoso Lang Lang in collaboration with Disney, to The Library of Congress, Marian’s Jazzroom, The Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center. Her presence has also illuminated major festivals, including Newport, Montclair, Hudson, and DC jazz festivals.
Jazz Houston under the leadership of Artistic Director Vincent Gardner. Jazz Houston is a vibrant organization that explores the entirety of jazz while preserving and promoting the music for the greater Houston community and beyond. Our organization programs jazz concerts and educational programs annually. Education is a pillar of Jazz Houston.
Its orchestra members and teaching artists regularly lead community educational opportunities for children and adults including workshops, public school programs, and educational residencies. These engaging, lively educational experiences foster personal relationships with the music for people of all ages while cultivating new audiences for the art form.
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Stephcynie’s resiliency, determination, and undeniable talent have cemented her status as an in-demand vocalist with a solid foundation in the music scene. From her Billboard features to collaborations with industry heavyweights like Eric Church and Christopher Cross, Stephcynie consistently pushes boundaries and exceeds expectations.
“No Lie” marks the beginning of Stephcynie’s journey to greatness. With her commanding stage presence and resilient artistry, she’s destined to inspire the next wave of musicians.
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Tina Turner, whose volcanic voice and dynamic dance moves earned her the Queen of Rock crown over the course of a 60-year career, has died at age 83. The legendary singer died Wednesday, May 24 after a long illness at her home near Zurich in Switzerland, her publicist Bernard Doherty confirmed in a statement.
“Tina Turner, the “Queen of Rock’n Roll” has died peacefully today at the age of 83 after a long illness in her home in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland. With her, the world loses a music legend and a role model,” the statement read. “There will be a private funeral ceremony attended by close friends and family. Please respect the privacy of her family at this difficult time.”
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Since 1994 the American-born singer had been living in Switzerland with her husband, German actor and music producer Erwin Bach, earning her Swiss citizenship in 2013. In recent years she battled a number of serious health problems, including a stroke, intestinal cancer and total kidney failure that required an organ transplant.
Boasting one of the longest careers in rock history, Turner scored Billboard Top 40 hits across four decades, earning her Grammys, a Kennedy Center Honor, and entry into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
Turner’s incendiary singing, glittery stage-wear and seemingly inexhaustible energy as the frontwoman for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue made her and her then-husband one of the most electrifying acts of the 1960s, serving up high octane covers of “Proud Mary,” “Come Together,” and “I Want to Take You Higher.”
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Striking out on her own as a solo artist in the ’70s, Turner reinvented herself as a star of the MTV age, notching hits with “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” “The Best,” and “Private Dancer” — becoming one of the highest-selling female artists on the planet in the process.
Turner’s early years were marred by her tumultuous marriage to musical partner Ike Turner, who subjected her to brutal acts of physical and psychological abuse. (He died in 2007.) Her survival and harrowing escape was dramatized in the 1993 film What’s Love Got to Do with It starring Angela Bassett.
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