Kwanzaa begins at Medgar Evers College

The premiere of Brooklyn’s Kwanzaa celebration kicks off on Dec. 17 at Medgar Evers College, 1150 Carroll St. The traditional annual, which feeds patrons with a free holiday treat, promises a potpourri of cultural activities including performances by Shanto, Cowteff, Carl Williams, Wayne Russell, and the Imani dancers. Vendors will display crafts and cultural items throughout the gymnasium.

BVI Hosts Cultural Events In NYC

The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board recently hosted two days of culturally driven events to both thank and to introduce new BVI initiatives to members of the U.S. tourism industry in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City.

The BVI’s three-city U.S. tour offered both festivities and new information on upcoming projects for travel agents, tourism executives, travel reporters and other members of the travel media and industry.

Day one of each city’s two days of events invited travel partners to an exclusive breakfast or dinner hosted by Neil Blyden, chairman of the BVI Tourist Board and Hadassha Ward, director of tourism.

Day two changed the pace as the BVI presented its legendary Full Moon party featuring Caribbean singing sensations Ouida Nisbett and Kamau Georges and the Anazazi dancers and Mokojumbies, two of its premier carnival dance groups.

“The U.S. market has been the biggest supporter of the BVI over the past 30 years,” Blyden said.

“The launch of our brand BVI campaign gives us the opportunity to bring the best of our culture and the best of the BVI to the U.S in appreciation.”

The BVI proudly wears the title as the host of the most renowned Full Moon parties in the world.

A celebration of traditional culture and the importance of the moon cycle in nature, Full Moon parties are held monthly on the night of the galaxial phenomenon.

There were two main parties: the adults only gathering at the world famous Bomba Shack and the family-friendly party at Trellis Bay.

Locals and visitors gather to enjoy live entertainment, local food and drinks, including the popular Bomba Rum Punch, and to dance the night away.

The allure of its beauty and luxurious offerings of the BVI annually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to its islands each year.

From its beaches to its popularity as a health and wellness destination to being recognized as the yachting capital of the world, the vastness of the BVI not only boasts something for everyone but provides it on a silver platter for one unique experience.

“I Have A Dream” Bound For Grammy Hall Of Fame Museum

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s visionary “I Have a Dream” speech will be inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame Museum in 2012.

Slated for preservation with 906 titles, the classic recording was named for its diversity and excellence to be part of a collection that acknowledges both singles and album recordings of all genres at least 25 years old that exhibit qualitative or historical significance.

The speech from Dr. King’s historic 1963 address at the March on Washington was selected from a tradition established nearly 40 years ago and by a process where recordings are reviewed by a special member committee comprising of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts and industry.

Final approval is made by The Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees.

According to Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy, the Academy “is dedicated to celebrating a wide variety of great music and sound through the decades.”

“We are especially honored to welcome this year’s selection of some of the most influential recordings of the last century. Marked by both cultural and historical significance, these works truly have influenced and inspired audiences for generations, and we are thrilled to induct them into our growing catalog of outstanding recordings.”

Representing a great variety of tracks and albums, the 2012 Grammy Hall of Fame inductees range from Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.” to the Beatles’ “Abbey Road.”

Also on the highly regarded list are Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” the Rolling Stones album “Exile On Main St.” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five’s single “The Message,” Bill Cosby’s comedy album “I Started Out As A Child,” the Original Broadway Cast recording of “St. Louis Woman,” and Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It.”

Catch You On The Inside!