Mariah Carey Teams Up with David Morales to Release Extended Edit of No. 1 Single “Honey”

Posted on September 17, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey is sweetening up one of her hits…

The 53-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer has released an extended edit of “Honey” as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of her 1997 classic, Butterfly.

The nearly eight-minute edit comes from the extremely capable hands of David Morales, the legendary NYC DJ/producer/remixer who helped deliver pop divas to the clubs in the ’80s and ’90s and beyond via remixes of Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Madonna and a litany of other divas.

Morales worked extensively with Carey throughout her career via official edits of hits including “Dreamlover,” “Fantasy” and “Shake It Off,” among many others.

Coming as a bonus track on the Butterfly re-release, Morales’ “Honey – Another Taste of Honey David Morales Remix” edit throws the kitchen sink at the track, bumping up the BPM, turning the sizzle dial all the way up via layers of percussion, rhythm guitar, a string section, a choir and revamped powerhouse vocals from Carey.

The edit comes among other re-release bonuses including 4K remastered versions of “Honey” and “The Roof” music videos, a new “Honey” music video documentary, classic live performances being released via Carey’s YouTube during September, Butterfly on cassette, and Deluxe Butterfly 4LP and 2LP Editions.

“I will never forget the day I released this album to the world,” Carey wrote Friday (Sept. 16) on social media. “I had never felt more exposed and vulnerable yet free and euphoric at the same time. It was a true EMANCIPATION (no pun intended!) of my spirit, soul and innermost feelings which I poured into every lyric and every note on every song. 25 years later, it’s still one of the proudest moments of my life & career.”

Ashanti to Receive Lady of Soul Honor at This Month’s Soul Train Awards

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ashanti is the (Soul) Lady of the moment…

The 41-year-old half-Afro-Dominican singer/actress will receive the Lady of Soul honor at this year’s Soul Train Awards.

“I’m honored to be recognized as this year’s Lady of Soul honoree,” Ashanti said. “This is a full circle moment for me because I received the Aretha Franklin entertainer of the year award at the Lady of Soul Awards in 2002. As we commemorate 50 years of Soul Train, I’m proud to be a part of this legacy and to return to the Apollo to celebrate.”

Previous Lady of Soul honorees include Jill Scott (2015), Brandy (2016), SWV (2017), Faith Evans (2018), Yolanda Adams (2019) and Monica (2020).

Maxwell will receive the Legend award, which has gone in recent years to Babyface (2015), Teddy Riley (2016), Toni Braxton (2017), Erykah Badu (2018) and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis (2019).

“It’s an honor to be presented with the Legend award by a community that’s been growing with me throughout my career,” said the half-Puerto Rican R&B singer in a statement. “I’m so grateful to be sharing this moment with everyone and returning to the Apollo for an evening of excellence.”

BET Soul plans to dedicate a full hour to music videos by Maxwell and Ashanti, starting Wednesday (Nov. 3) at 10:00 a.m. ET. Check local listings.

The Soul Train Awards, which recognizes the best in soul and R&B, will be taped at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem on November 20. It will premiere on Sunday, Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and BET Her. As previously announced, Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold will co-host the show for the fourth consecutive year.

Christina Aguilera to Perform at the Soon-to-Reopen Hollywood Bowl This Summer

Posted on May 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera is preparing to bowl over fans this summer…

The Hollywood Bowl has announced it’s all-star lineup for its first summer season since the pandemic shutdown, which kicks off earlier than previously expected, with the 40-year-old half-Ecuadorian American singer set to perform.

On May 15, conductor Gustavo Dudademal and the LA Philharmonic will be the first to return to the Bowl.

Viola Davis will appear alongside Dudamel and the LA Phil on July 15, on the heels of her Best Actress Oscar nomination for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, serving as the narrator of Sergei Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale, Peter and the Wolf.

She’ll be followed, on July 16 and 17, by five-time Grammy winner Aguilera.

Cynthia Erivo, who recently starred as Aretha Franklin in Nat Geo’s Genius: Aretha, is set to appear on July 30, performing tunes by Franklin, Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and others, in addition to selections from her forthcoming debut album.

Meanwhile, recent Oscar winner H.E.R. will perform her first-ever concerts with an orchestra on August 13 and 14.

Over the course of the summer, the Bowl will also present a number of special events, including two Fireworks Spectaculars, on July 3 and 4, in observance of Independence Day. Those shows will feature appearances from disco-funk legends Kool & the Gang.

Other notable events include “The Princess Bride in concert” (July 31), “Sing-A-Long Sound of Music” (August 21), “Black Panther in concert” (September 10-12), and “Maestro of the Movies” (September 3-5). At the latter event, which serves as the Bowl’s annual celebration of film music, John Williams and David Newman will conduct the LA Phil.

Check out the full schedule for the summer by clicking here.

FX Releases Trailer for Third & Final Season of Mj Rodriguez’s “Pose”

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a last hurrah for Mj Rodriguez…

FX has released the first trailer for the third and final season of its groundbreaking series Pose, starring the 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress/singer.

In less than two minutes, the clip serves up a lot of drama, tears, laughter, hope, love and sickening looks.

At the beginning of the trailer we see Emmy-winner Billy Porter reflect on ballroom culture and how it has changed and how it brought him so much life.

“Your life matters,” Rodriguez’s Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista tells him — a statement that has been a mantra of the entire series, which was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals.

Blanca now works at a hospital and the entire Pose crew talks about the legacy they want to leave behind and in turn.

“We are just gonna be ourselves and that’s it,” says Indya Moore’s Angel.

Set to the tune of Aretha Franklin’s “A Deeper Love,” the clip features glimpses of scenes from the final season, which includes Porter, Rodriguez, Moore, Dominique Jackson, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Hailie Sahar, Angel Bismark Curiel, Dyllón Burnside, and Sandra Bernhard.

From AIDS activism to moments of heartwarming familial love to ballroom fierceness, the final season is set to bring it and we are here for it.

The final season of Pose debuts May 2.

Cardi B Named Billboard’s “Woman of the Year”

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Cardi B is WAP-ping up the year with a bang…

The 28-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar has been named the 2020 Woman of the Year by Billboard.

Cardi B, who continues to thrive with her Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “WAP,” a brand-new already-sold-out Reebok collection and her political activism, will be presented the award during Billboard‘s Women in Music event on December 10.

The 15th annual event will go virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic and will stream live here starting at 8:00 pm ET. The ceremony will be hosted by Teyana Taylor.

Jennifer Lopez will be honored with this year’s prestigious Icon Award for her impact on the music industry and the greater artistic community, joining previous recipients Alanis Morissette, Cyndi Lauper, Mary J. Blige, Shania Twain and Aretha Franklin.

Following the success of her sophomore album, Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa will receive the Powerhouse Award, given to an act whose music dominated streaming, sales and radio this year.

Dolly Parton is 2020’s Hitmaker Award recipient. The honor recognizes a songwriter whose compositions have significantly impacted culture.

Chloe x Halle will receive the Rising Star Award, and Jessie Reyez will be honored with the American Express Impact Award.

Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas, the trailblazing minds behind #TheShowMustBePaused movement following the murder of George Floyd, will be honored with the 2020 Executive of the Year Award.

Chita Rivera Among the Stars Taking Part in Fundraising Concert for Joe Biden, “In Our America: A Concert for the Soul of the Nation”

Posted on October 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Chita Rivera is Biden her time before the upcoming presidential election…

The 87-year-old half-Puerto Rican Broadway star will be among the stars of the Great White Way who’ll stage a fundraising concert for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, with plans to stream the event on October 21.

The event, which starts at 8:00 pm ET, is organized by the group Broadway for Biden and is called In Our America: A Concert for the Soul of the Nation, with donations going to the Biden Victory Fund.

In addition to Rivera, the lineup of the concert includes Derrick Baskin, Laura Benanti, Victoria Clark, Glenn Close, Chuck Cooper, Darren Criss, André De Shields, Renée Elise Goldsberry, John Goodman, Jayne Houdyshell, Jennifer Hudson, James Monroe Iglehart, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Norman Lear, Norm Lewis, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Rita Moreno, Karen Olivo, Ashley Park, Steven Pasquale, Carrie Preston, Kelani Queypo, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Phillipa Soo, Ephraim Sykes, BD Wong, the Broadway Dreams Foundation Choir, and the casts of Six and KPOP.

Liesl Tommy, director of the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic Respect (with Hudson in the lead role), will direct the show. Tommy is the executive producer along with Julie Boardman, Nolan Doran, Halle Morse, and Jennifer Mudge.

The concert will stream on YouTube via news publisher NowThis, on Facebook via Broadway for Biden and NowThis, and on Broadway Unlocked.

In a statement, Tommy said, “It is a tremendous honor to direct this incredible collective of performers and artists, who are coming together to amplify the promise of Broadway and a nation that are future-looking, accessible, and deeply inclusive.”

The evening will include original material, stagings of musical numbers that have never been seen, and previews of productions bound for Broadway. Among those contributing are Chad Beguelin, Tony Kushner, Lynn Nottage, Robert O’Hara, Stacey Rose, Aurin Squire, DeLanna Studi, Paula Vogel and John Waters.

Christopher Gattelli, Lorin Latarro, Ray Mercer, and Abbey O’Brien will provide original choreography, with music direction by Jason Michael Webb. Chris Boardman and Charlie Rosen will provide orchestrations. Sean McLaughlin will serve as director of photography and Grady Bowman will be associate choreographer.

The event is in the vein of a fundraiser in 2012 for Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, called Barack on Broadway, that was produced by Margo Lion and others.

Camila Cabello to Perform at This Year’s American Music Awards

Posted on October 4, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is ready to take a major stage…

The 21-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer is one of the latest superstars to join the performers roster for this year’s American Music Awards.

Cabello will perform tracks from her Billboard 200-topping album from earlier this year.

Cabello, Shawn Mendes and Zedd join previously announced 2018 AMAs performers Dua Lipa, Carrie Underwood, Mariah Carey and Taylor Swift, who will open this year’s show.

The broadcast will feature several other highly anticipated team-ups, including a performance from benny blanco, Halsey and Khalid; Cardi B with Bad Bunny and J Balvin; Ciara and Missy Elliott; and Post Malone featuring Ty Dolla $ign.

What’s more, Panic! At The Disco will pay homage to Queen with a performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and there will also be a special tribute to the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.

The 2018 American Music Awards will broadcast live from Los Angeles at 8:00 pm ET on October 9.

YouTube Star Johanna Colón to Star in Amazon Studios’ “Troupe Zero”

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Johanna Colón is zeroing in on a Hollywood career…

The 9-year-old Latina dancer and YouTube sensation has joined the cast of Amazon Studios’ Troupe Zero, which also stars Viola Davis, Allison Janney, Jim Gaffigan, Mike Epps and Mckenna Grace.

A tutu-wearing Colon stole the show at her school’s dance recital at the age of 6, while performing to Aretha Franklin’s Respect, in a YouTube video that went viral.

The film is being directed by Bert & Bertie from a script by Beasts of the Southern Wild scribe Lucy Alibar. While no details have been released about the story, Todd Black, who produced Fences, the film which earned Davis the Best Supporting Actress Oscar, is producing the project for Amazon.

Colón previously had a small, guest-starring role in TBS’ The Guest Book.

This time around, she plays a girls who never speaks but is a character known as Smash, a sidekick to another character named Hell-No. Smash is Hell No’s muscle, the lunch-stealing, bullying girl who joins a misfit Brownie troupe and then finds a sense of belonging.

Iglesias to Receive Honorary Degree from Berklee College of Music

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s one degree of appreciation for Julio Iglesias…

The 71-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter, one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, will receive an honorary doctor of music degree from Berklee College of Music at the prestigious school’s commencement ceremony next month.

The recognition comes for Iglesias’ achievements and influences in music and for his enduring contributions to American and international culture, according to a press release.

Iglesias, a Grammy winner, has sold more than 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released more than 80 albums, with more than 2,600 gold and platinum records certified.

In April 2013, he was inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Other honorees this year include Sony Music Entertainment CEO Doug Morris, jazz drummer Harvey Mason and singer-songwriter Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Past honorary degree recipients include Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, Smokey Robinson, Steven Tyler, Loretta Lynn, David Bowie and Duke Ellington, who was the first to receive this honor in 1971.

The ceremony will be held May 9 at the campus’ Agganis Arena.

Per Berklee’s tradition, on the eve of the commencement ceremony on May 8, students will pay tribute to the honorees by performing music associated with their careers at Agganis Arena. The concert and ceremony are not open to the public.

Maxwell to Perform at This Year’s Essence Festival

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Maxwell will be sharing his musical essence in New Orleans…

The 39-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter is set to perform at the 2013 Essence Festival, which returns to New Orleans for four days this summer.

The 19th annual celebration of black music and culture will be held July 4-7 at the Superdome and the nearby convention center, where speakers like Rev. Al Sharpton and Representative John Lewis, a congressman and civil rights leader, will give lectures, according to the New York Times.

Maxwell’s performance will come a year after the neo-soul singer had to cancel a comeback tour due to vocal hemorrhaging. He’s currently working on his fifth studio album, SUMMERS, which he hopes to release later this year.

Maxwell will join Beyonce, Brandy, Jill Scott, Keyshia Cole as entertainers set to take the stage. Other performers include New Edition and LL Cool J, while smaller stages will feature Bridget Kelly, Les Nubians, Mint Condition and the new jack swing stalwarts, Blackstreet.

The festival began as a one-time event celebrating the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine.

Last year’s event featured performances by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Mary J. Blige as well as D’Angelo and Melanie Fiona.

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