Maxwell Among the Headlining Acts for 2024’s Cincinnati Music Festival 

Maxwell is bringing sumthin’ sumthin’ to Ohio…

The Cincinnati Music Festival has announced the lineup for its 2024 edition, with the 50-year-old half-Puerto Rican artist among the headlining acts.

MaxwellMaxwell, a three-time Grammy winner, is part of a list of headlining acts that includes New Edition, Ne-Yo and Kem.

The annual celebration of classic and contemporary R&B legends and hip-hop superstars will once again take over the home of the Cincinnati Bengals, Paycor Stadium, for two nights next summer.

The first night, July 26, will be headlined by “Sumthin’ Sumthin’” neo soul legend Maxwell, with support from Ne-Yo, Fantasia, October London and Lakeside.

Night two, July 27, will be toplined by New Jack Swing supergroup New Edition — Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe and Johnny Gill — as well as Kem, SWV, Stokley and another artist to be announced.

In keeping with recent tradition, the jam-packed weekend will kick off with a night (July 25) celebrating hip-hop at the adjacent Andrew J. Brady Music Center, with a lineup to be announced soon.

“We are thrilled with this year’s lineup for the Cincinnati Music Festival presented by P&G,” festival producer Joe Santangelo said in a press release. “This year’s lineup is the most jam-packed R&B lineup we’ve ever had, representing fan favorites across the decades from New Edition to Maxwell to Fantasia, and so many more.”

Tickets for this year’s event are on sale now through the festival office (call (513) 924-0900), and will be available through Ticketmaster beginning Saturday (December 16) at 10:00 am ET.

CMF launched as the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival in 1962 as an all-jazz event and evolved over the year to embrace a wide variety of R&B, soul and pop acts, from Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis and Duke Ellington to Luther Vandross, New Edition, Whitney Houston, Earth Wind and Fire and many others.

Bad Bunny Wins His First-Ever American Music Awards Trophies

Bad Bunny’s America’s choice…

The American Music Awards aired live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, with the 27-year-old Puerto Rican superstar taking home his first-ever AMAs trophies.

Bad BunnyBad Bunny was named Favorite Male Artist – Latin, and he claimed the Favorite Album – Latin prize for his chart-topping album El Último Tour Del Mundo.

Cardi B, who hosted the star-studded awards show, won the award for Favorite Hip Hop Song for her chart-topping single “Up.” It’s her second consecutive win in the category after she took home the same award in 2020 for her single “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion.

The awards show featured performances from BTS with Coldplay, Olivia Rodrigo, Tyler the Creator, Måneskin, Walker Hayes, Mickey Guyton, Bad Bunny, Tainy with Julieta Venegas, Carrie Underwood with Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, New Edition and New Kids on the Block. Diplo was on DJ duty for the ceremony.

Bruno Mars won the Favorite R&B Song for “Leave the Door Open,” his Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 track “Leave The Door Open,” his single with Silk Sonic co-bandmate Anderson .Paak.

Becky G was named Favorite Female Artist – Latin for the second year in a row, Band MS was named Favorite Latin Duo or Group, and Kali Uchis won her first-ever AMAs trophy for Favorite Latin Song for “Telepatía.”

Here’s a look at the night’s winners:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR: BTS
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Olivia Rodrigo
COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR: Doja Cat ft. SZA “Kiss Me More”
FAVORITE TRENDING SONG: Megan Thee Stallion “Body”
FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO: Lil Nas X “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)”
FAVORITE MALE POP ARTIST: Ed Sheeran
FAVORITE FEMALE POP ARTIST: Taylor Swift
FAVORITE POP DUO OR GROUP: BTS
FAVORITE POP ALBUM: Taylor Swift “evermore”
FAVORITE POP SONG: BTS “Butter”
FAVORITE MALE COUNTRY ARTIST: Luke Bryan
FAVORITE FEMALE COUNTRY ARTIST: Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE COUNTRY DUO OR GROUP: Dan + Shay
FAVORITE COUNTRY ALBUM: Gabby Barrett “Goldmine”
FAVORITE COUNTRY SONG: Gabby Barrett “The Good Ones”
FAVORITE MALE HIP-HOP ARTIST: Drake
FAVORITE FEMALE HIP-HOP ARTIST: Megan Thee Stallion
FAVORITE HIP-HOP ALBUM: Megan Thee Stallion “Good News”
FAVORITE HIP-HOP SONG: Cardi B “Up”
FAVORITE MALE R&B ARTIST: The Weeknd
FAVORITE FEMALE R&B ARTIST: Doja Cat
FAVORITE R&B ALBUM: Doja Cat “Planet Her”
FAVORITE R&B SONG: Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak) “Leave The Door Open”
FAVORITE MALE LATIN ARTIST: Bad Bunny
FAVORITE FEMALE LATIN ARTIST: Becky G
FAVORITE LATIN DUO OR GROUP: Banda MS de Sergio Lizárraga
FAVORITE LATIN ALBUM: Bad Bunny “EL ÚLTIMO TOUR DEL MUNDO”
FAVORITE LATIN SONG: Kali Uchis “telepatía”
FAVORITE ROCK ARTIST: Machine Gun Kelly
FAVORITE INSPIRATIONAL ARTIST: Carrie Underwood
FAVORITE GOSPEL ARTIST: Kanye West
FAVORITE DANCE/ELECTRONIC ARTIST: Marshmello

Erik-Michael Estrada Taking Part in ABC’s “A Very Boy Band Holiday” Special

Erik-Michael Estrada is banding together for the holidays…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican recording artist, writer-producer, actor and lead vocalist of O-Town is set to take part in ABC’s A Very Boy Band Holiday special.

Erik-Michael EstradaThe show will feature appearances by some of the most beloved members of iconic boy bands, including Estrada (O-Town), Joey Fatone (*NSYNC), Chris Kirkpatrick (*NSYNC), Lance Bass (*NSYNC), Wanya Morris (Boyz II Men), Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men), Bobby Brown (New Edition), Michael Bivins (New Edition), Joey McIntyre (NKOTB), Nick Lachey (98 Degrees), Drew Lachey (98 Degrees), Jeff Timmons (98 Degrees) and Justin Jeffre (98 Degrees).

Erik-Michael Estrada, A Very Boy Band HolidayOn tap: classic tunes and their groups’ greatest holiday hits, along with some unnamed, but “special” surprise guests.

The show airs on Monday, December 6 at 8:00 pm ET/PT on ABC. The special can also be viewed the next day on demand and on Hulu.

The special will also debut a new song titled “A Very Boy Band Holiday,” performed by *NSYNC’s Fatone and Boyz II Men’s Morris, a special performance of “This One’s For The Children” by McIntyre and his son Griffin McIntyre, as well as some of the groups’ hits and a mix of classic holiday favorites including “Let It Snow,” “This Christmas,” “Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays” and more.

The special is produced by 45 Live.

Anthony to Star in BET’s Three-Part Miniseries “New Edition: The Movie”

La La Anthony has a new addition to her resume…

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican television personality and actress has been added to the cast of BET’s three-part miniseries New Edition: The Movie.

La La Anthony

Anthony, who starred in Think Like a Man and Think Like a Man Too, joins new additions to the cast that include Yvette Nicole Brown, Monica Calhoun, Lisa Nicole Carson and Sandi McCree. They’ve have signed on to play the mothers of the iconic 1980s R&B/pop group.

Anthony will play Flo DeVoe, mother of the young Ronnie DeVoe, Brown will play Michael Bivins’ mother Shirley Bivins, Calhoun is Ralph Tresvant’s mother Patricia Tresvant, Carson will play Ricky Bell’s mother Mae Bell and McCree is Bobby Brown’s mother Carole Brown.

They join previously cast Bryshere Y. Gray, Elijah Kelley, Luke James, Keith Powers, and newcomers Algee Smith and Woody McClain.

Written by Abdul Williams, the miniseries follows the group from their humble beginnings as kids in Boston to global megastardom – weathering the highs and lows of controversy, personnel changes, and the ultimate cost of fame.

Maxwell to Perform at This Year’s Essence Festival

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.

Maxwell II

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.