Homegrown heart and soul fuels this weekend’s Fox Jazz Fest, which features headliners with Wisconsin ties who have achieved widespread recognition in their fields.

Pianist Geoffrey Keezer, a California-based Eau Claire native whose 2009 album “Aurea” received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Latin Jazz Album, headlines Saturday, the first day of the two-day free and public event. Vocalist Janet Planet of Oshkosh performs Sunday and will feature selections from three professional projects.

The Jazz Corner Society, the event’s umbrella organization, offers the 17th annual festival to the community as a free gift of jazz celebration, education, enjoyment and appreciation, said John Harmon, a pianist and composer from Winneconne who is the festival’s artistic director and emcee.

“Geoffrey Keezer, he was an absolute prodigy,” Harmon said. “He has virtuoso talent and sometimes displays it, but often he can be very simple and quite elegant. I think that’s part of his maturity as an artist. I think probably Janet (Planet) is probably one of the top five jazz singers in the country, personally. … She is probably the most articulate singer, it’s so clear. Plus, she’s so evocative. She can make you cry, and she can make you laugh.”

The event, themed “Home Cookin’,” takes place from noon to 8 p.m. each day at Jefferson Park in Menasha.

Keezer brings to the fest music from his CD “Wildcrafted” and also from the newer “Aurea,” which he says is not typical Latin jazz.

“It’s Afro-Peruvian and Argentine folk music mixed with jazz,” he said. “I went to Peru in 2004 for a jazz festival there and met several Peruvian musicians. It was really inspiring so I decided to start a project and play some of that music. What happened in Peru is … they had a slave trade so there are a lot of African Peruvians living there. They developed a kind of music that’s really interesting. It’s kind of a hybrid of Caribbean music and West African rhythms and the Spanish flamenco mixed in with it and then the native Andean Indian music.”

Planet said her audiences can expect to hear material from “Of Thee I Sing,” a 2009 concept album that she calls “a musical love letter to our country”; “Janet Planet Sings the Bob Dylan Songbook,” an homage to Dylan’s songs of the 1960s; and “Love Letters from Cary Bluff,” a CD in production that is a tribute to the late musician Chris Swansen.

“There are songs that just groove and really pay tribute to the words, which is kind of my thing,” Planet said. “Then there are the sensitivities as well as the kind of fun, spunky, bluesy types.”

“Janet Planet Sings the Bob Dylan Songbook” is scheduled for nationwide release Sept. 15, Planet said, but she plans to sell pre-release copies at Fox Jazz Fest.

Harmon said the festival is reaching out to youth, for they are the next generation of jazz listeners and musicians.

The fest’s third annual Jazz Improvisation Competition, sponsored in part by Heid Music, selected two high school students from a seven-county application pool to solo Saturday with a professional ensemble.

First-place winner Mike Darling, a Hortonville High School sophomore who plays the drums, piano, vibes and guitar, will showcase his skills on three of the four instruments. Ana M. Nelson, a saxophonist and clarinetist from Berlin High School, also will take the stage.

“I really love just playing blues guitar and really soulful stuff so I picked ‘Mercy, Mercy, Mercy.’ You can have the space you need for the guitar just to speak,” Mike Darling, 15, said. “And then for my vibes piece I picked ‘Mr. P.C.’ because it’s faster. For ‘Donna Lee,’ which is the other soloist’s choice, I’m taking the drum solo.”

For members of the Neenah High School Jazz Ensemble, one of several student ensembles that perform during the fest, there is excitement in seeing how far they’ve come and also what possibilities may lie ahead for them.

“It makes the students part of this genre, this language,” said conductor David Dunning, who encourages students to take in as much of the event as possible. “Two Neenah grads (John Schwerbel and Patrick Kelly) are out in California in school, and they just finished freshman year … they’re going to be playing a duo on Sunday afternoon. They’re slotted in just like some of the regular professionals. The students are excited that somebody they know from being in school with is now playing like that.”

The festival, which takes about $40,000 to run, relies on grants, donations and sponsorships to return each year, said Harmon, who said attendance last year amounted to about 3,500 listeners on Saturday and at least 2,000 on Sunday.

Planet said jazz is powerful, and she has noticed over the years how people have been affected by its honesty and heart.

“What it truly boils down to is hoping you bring love and compassion and hope to the listeners,” she said.

Source: Post Crescent News

The 2010 MIAMI CARNIVAL will be held on Sunday, October 10th, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium (Dolphin Stadium) in the City of Miami Gardens. Miami Carnival is a celebration of creativity: an eruption of revelry, colorful and spectacular costumes and pulsating music. It is a time when the diversity of the caribbean community can be seen as people of all ages and races come together to shed their inhibitions and enjoy a release from everyday stress. Dolphin Stadium is home to numerous NFL Super Bowls and major entertainment productions, including Jazz in the Gardens.

The Miami Broward One Carnival Host Committee has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Sun Life Stadium and its affiliates and the Miami Dolphins organization to secure the Stadium as a venue for the Miami Carnival on Columbus Day Weekend each year. This spirited agreement represents a major opportunity for the Miami Carnival to build the future and sustainability of the Carnival brand at a world renowned venue.

Miami Broward One Carnival Host Committee, Miami Carnival Inc. (MCI) and Broward Caribbean Carnival Inc. (BCCI) united last year, and hosted one of the most successful Carnivals in the world that attracted over 50,000 people on Carnival day. This Caribbean cultural experience and spectacular riotous blend of colors, pageantry and fantasy, is depicted through a kaleidoscope of incredible costumes, steel bands, calypso, soca and konpa music. The annual event attracts over 100,000 people from throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean to the South Florida area. The unified Miami Carnival has a significant impact on annual tourism and the overall economy in South Florida.

“The richness and diversity of the Caribbean culture is an important part of the fabric that makes South Florida unique. We are excited about the possibilities that are ahead of us with a viable venue, renewed energy and the continued support of our bandleaders, masqueraders, steel bands and promoters. The time spent over the last few months provided us with a foundation to elevate Miami Carnival to a new level”, adds Mario Zamora, Chairman of Miami Broward One Carnival Host Committee and BCCI representative.

“We are excited to finally have the opportunity to announce the venue for Carnival 2010. We thank all our stakeholders, including our bandleaders, masqueraders, steel bands, promoters and the tens of thousands of attendees who travel from all over to attend Carnival for their patience and support for this important community celebration. Miami Carnival would not be possible without their continued support. We are committed to finalizing all plans for one of the most successful productions of Carnival that South Florida has ever seen.”, states Ruthven Williams, director of Miami Broward One Carnival Host Committee and MCI representative.

Miami Carnival will be held on Sunday, October 10, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium.

C.G. Dillon wants to turn Brantford into a little piece of home away from home.

Dillon moved to the city in 1995 from the Caribbean island of Tobago. Since arriving, he’s missed the island’s Caribbean flare.

That’s why he and his wife, Eni, decided to organize FestCaribbean, a local festival taking place Saturday that celebrates all Caribbean culture has to offer.

“I’ve been living here a while now and, really and truly, there’s nothing much that I’ve noticed over the years that goes on in this city in terms of annual events of this nature,” Dillon said.

For one night, the civic centre will host a Caribbean-style party, with food, dancing and plenty of music.

“This is my adopted land,” Dillon said. “I’ve adopted the Canadian way and culture, whatever it is, and I think it’s important that you don’t really forget where you came from. Not only that, it’s good to expose people to different cultures and to different ways of life.”

This is the inaugural year for the event, which Dillon describes as a “big party” that will run from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m.

Brantford’s Broaster Chicken will provide the food, which will include a Caribbean staple, jerk chicken.

Entertainment will include Chaotic Dance Crew and Toronto’s Dance Caribe, as well as local reggae and R&B band Colour Quest and Toronto Caribbean fusion-jazz band Kalabash.

“This will be the first time you will see something like this in Brantford,” Dillon said.

Vallen Roberts and Alex Hanscomb, members of Chaotic Dance Crew, were in Harmony Square on Monday practicing their routine, which includes a mixture of hip hop, crump, breakdance, freestyle, contemporary, jazz and tap.

“I think (the festival) will be an awesome experience for Brantford,” Roberts said.

Dillon hopes the festival will bring a greater understanding of Caribbean culture to the city, noting that he’s noticed a Caribbean influence growing steadily in Brantford during the past 15 years.

“It brings a more common understanding to us all,” he said. “At the end of the day, migration is a big thing and it’s never going to stop. The more understanding people are here, the better we will all get along.”

Dillon has even bigger plans for FestCaribbean next year.

“People should come out because this is going to be the greatest event,” he said. “I’m not speaking about just this event on Saturday, but the events we will hold in the future.”

Tickets to FestCaribbean are $10 in advance or $15 at the door and can be purchased by calling 519-757-0886, 519-758-9100 or 905-574-0845.

The organizers of the Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival (MABFF) have announced a final call for submissions for the 2010 festival. The premiere African-American short film festival returns for its fourth year from October 7 – 9, 2010 with three days of screenings and workshops at the historic Crispus Attucks Theatre in Norfolk, Virginia. During the three-day festival, veteran TV and film stars Ted Lange (“The Love Boat”, “That’s My Mama”, and “Friday Foster” with Pam Grier), Judy Pace (“Cotton Comes To Harlem”, “Brian’s Song”, Spike Lee’s “Sucker Free City”) and Beverly Todd (“Crash”, “The Bucket List”, “Lean on Me”) will attend as celebrity guests and will each be honored with MABFF’s Living Legend Award.

As in previous years, the MABFF is accepting entries in the categories of Short Film, Animation, Documentary, Music Video, and Student Film. This year, the festival is also introducing exciting new categories, including a Screenplay Competition, an Original TV Pilot Competition, and a Web Series Competition. Submission forms and general requirements for all categories can be downloaded online at www.mabff.org or www.withoutabox.com.

The festival will kick off on Thursday, October 7th with a selection of opening day screenings and workshops followed by an Opening Night Ceremony Gala hosted by Beverly Todd and Judy Pace.

Beginning on Thursday, October 7th, Emmy-winning producer/LAWEBFEST founder Michael Ajakwe, Jr. will conduct a two-day Web Series Workshop with informative sessions on Writing, Producing, Marketing and Monetizing Your Web Series.

As part of the festival program, members from the Organization of Black Screenwriters (OBS) will join MABFF in hosting a three-day TV and screenwriting workshop and will also judge the festival’s screenplay and Original TV Pilot competitions. On Thursday, October 7th, OBS will conduct an Intensive half-day TV Writing Workshop followed by an Intensive half-day Screenwriting Workshop on Friday, October 8th. On Saturday, October 9th, the workshop will culminate with a special screening of “For Love of Amy”, veteran actor Ted Lange’s feature film directorial debut. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with both Lange and the film’s screenwriter/producer/star, Vincent Alston, who will share how he raised the money to complete his first feature film. During the award ceremony later that evening, the two filmmakers will be presented with MABFF’s inaugural Outstanding First Film Award for their achievement.

On Friday, October 8th, celebrity honorees Ted Lange, Judy Pace, and Beverly Todd will join award-winning filmmaker Monty Ross (Spike Lee’s “Malcolm X”, “Do the Right Thing”, “Mo’ Better Blues”, “School Daze”) and Michael Ajakwe, Jr. (“Martin”, “Soul Food”, “Sister, Sister”, “Eve”, “Love That Girl”, “Talk Soup”, “Entertainment Tonight”) for ”Black Hollywood Then and Now,” a blue ribbon panel of industry veterans discussing the state of Black Hollywood and how it has evolved over the last forty years.

Closing night festivities on October 9th will feature finalist screenings of the short film and web series competitions, culminating with the MABFF Award Ceremony at which winners for the various festival competitions will be announced along with the recognition and presentation of awards to this year’s distinguished VIP honorees.

About Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival (MABFF)
October 7-9, 2010 at the Historic Attucks Theatre in Norfolk, VA. The Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival (MABFF) is an annual juried competition showcasing independent films from some of the most talented, established and up-and-coming independent filmmakers of color from all over the world. The 2009 MABFF screened over 50 independent films from all across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, the Caribbean, Uganda and Zimbabwe, including 15 Virginia premieres. The MABFF is a core program of Crispus Attucks Cultural Center, a non-profit cultural arts organization dedicated to presenting artistic, educational and multicultural activities with an emphasis on the African-American and African Diaspora experience. The festival’s lineup highlights various categories of film competitions as well as premieres, international cinema, tributes, and workshops facilitated by leading figures in the film and entertainment industry.

For more information about MABFF, please visit www.mabff.org.

For press inquiries, please contact Ngozi Mba of MINC Media at 323.422.1450 or email info(at)mincmedia(dot)com

Media Contact:
Ngozi Mba
MINC Media for Mid Atlantic Black Film Festival
323.544.1450
info(at)mincmedia(dot)com

Festival Contact:
Gail Mathieu Easley
Executive Producer, Mid Atlantic Black Film Festival
757.622.4763
info(at)mabff(dot)org

The year is 2014, the earth has been destroyed by the hands of its inhabitants…mankind. One tiny island on the earth where carnival was the one activity that took them away from the troubled and depressing strains of their reality is also destroyed. However, the story does not end there, thanks to the brilliance of one gifted scientist, who in his wisdom saw the destruction coming, assembled a team to create costume
designs to withstand the test of time and launched them into space in special pods into…the universe.
His hope was that one day the costumes would be discovered by other life forms and if by chance any one man or thing survived the destruction, they would one day relive and restore what we knew as Carnival.

This costume is just a preview of what designs were discovered.To see what other designs are revealed patrons will have to go to the
Islandpeople Mas Carnival 2011 presentation, ‘Shades of the Universe.

Friday, August 20 at Pier One at 10:00p.m. Tickets for IP Mas: Members – $210.00 and Non-masqueraders-$260.00.
Tickets are available at the IF House, on Tragarete Road and from the IP Mas Band Mas Camp, 50 O’Connor Street, Woodbrook.

Source: Carnival Fetish

Caribana in Toronto

When: July 15 – August 2, 2010

Caribana Parade Weekend: July 30th – August 2nd

The 43rd annual Caribana Toronto Festival is just around the corner and hundreds of Caribbean inspired events, classes and parties have been planned to mark to this year’s festival. Toronto’s Caribbean Caribana festival has grown exponentially since its start in 1967 and is currently North America’s largest cultural festival. What was once a three-day event has now grown into three weeks of celebration, absorbing most of the city with its infectious feel-good vibes.

Over a million tourists are expected in Toronto during the last week of July to experience everything Caribana has to offer. The beauty of Caribana in Toronto is the varied audience it attracts: everyone from families across Canada and the U.S, young singles looking for a good time, to celebrities throwing Caribana themed parties in clubs across Toronto.

Caribana Festival 2010 officially kicks off Thursday July 15th with the Scotiabank Caribana Official Festival Launch at Younge & Dundas Square (Noon – 2pm). Thousands of people are expected to attend the afternoon affair that will feature live music, an array of delicious Caribbean food (Jamaican, Trinidadian, Cuban), insightful art displays and theatrical performances that showcase Caribbean inspired life. If you can’t make it to this one, no need to worry, there will be over a hundred official and unofficial events to see and experience such as Pan Alive (the highly entertaining steelpan competition), the Junior Carnival Parade and the King & Queen Competition – one of the festival’s craziest events has the leaders of the mas (masquerade) bands compete to win the title of King and Queen of the Caribana parade.

Toronto Caribana’s signature event is still, of course the parade itself – known now as the Scotiabank Caribana Parade being held Saturday, July 31st at Exhibition Place & Lakeshore Boulevard (10am – 6pm). Over 10,000 masquerades will participate as they strut and dance down the 3.6 km route in elaborate costumes, set to the vibrant Caribbean beats of the famed mas bands.

It wouldn’t be a well rounded Caribana experience if you didn’t hit a Caribana party or two… or ten! This year, over 30 Caribana-nightlife events will take place during the parade weekend alone. From July 30 – August 1 get your drink and dance on as top North American DJ’s spin at exclusive club events, eat and dance aboard Festival Boat Cruises, check out live Soca, Calypso, dancehall, reggae and be sure to find one of several pumping street parties – sure to kick your Caribana weekend into high gear.

Let CaribanaToronto.com be your Caribana Festival Guide to all the daytime and nightlife events that are happening in Toronto this July.

EVENT

South Florida Celebrity Soccer Festival

THIS YEARS TEAMS

Nicki Blacks All star team vs. Giselle & Lady Terra All star team
Promoter/Media VS. Celebrity
Christian VS. Sinners
Jamaican All Star VS Haitian All Star
Dancers VS selectors

HALFTIME ENTERTAINMENT

WIN A CAR…..$5 RAFFLE
you must attend event to win car…tickets on sale at the Verandah
Music by some of the top Selectors/DJ in the business

CELEBRITY SOCCER FEST APOLLO STAR SEARCH
accepting video & demo’s of artist to compete in the star search. So if you think you got talent, this is your time to shine. deadline submission April 26th. Each person or group must submit one demo to 1075 Sunset Strip Suite 212, Sunrise FL or a video YouTube link to onecaribbeaninternational@yahoo.com.

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

Two high school bands one from Broward County and one from Dade will battle it out.

MS. CELEBRITY SOCCER FEST PAGEANT
One Caribbean International is looking for that special face to represent us and the community. This female must be strong minded and have a positive attitude towards anything she is doing. All female participants must submit 3 photos and a biography or a letter telling us why she should be selected to participate in this year’s pageant.

RECOGNITION CEREMONY/PERFORMANCES