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In April, the District celebrates Emancipation Day to recognize the freedom of more than 3,000 DC slaves which took place on April 16, 1862. The DC Emancipation occurred eight months before President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Two and a half years later, slavery was officially abolished nationwide and commemorated each year on June 19, also known as Juneteenth.
Emancipation provided freed slaves the benefits of American citizenship including voting rights. Almost two centuries later, the District continues to fight "taxation without representation" and for its statehood. Mayor Muriel Bowser remains committed to #DCValues so that District residents are afforded that same rights that all Americans who pay federal taxes and serve in our military are able to receive.
The Emancipation Day festivities take place on Saturday, April 14. The parade starts at 2:00 PM at 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. The concert kicks off at 3:00 PM and will feature an all-star lineup of artists including Brandy, Jussie Smollett, Big Daddy Kane and Angie Stone. The concert at Freedom Plaza also features many of DC's own homegrown talent such as Rare Essence, Lightshow, Drew Olivia Tillman and more. The festivities will end with fireworks over Freedom Plaza.
This month's newsletter is dedicated to Mayor Bowser's commitment to #DCValues and the talented performers who will #entertainDC at this year's concert. This celebration is a family-friendly event for District residents in all 8 Wards. We hope that you will join us in this year's celebration.
Angie M. Gates
Director
DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment
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MEET THE ALL-STAR TALENT LINEUP
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Brandy
Multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning R&B/pop singer, songwriter, and actress, Brandy, is setting the stage on fire with a fearless and inspired attitude. Born into a musical family, the Mississippi-born daughter of Willie and Sonja Norwood, became one of the most successful multi-media stars of the 1990s. She is known for her constant presence on both the pop and R&B charts, her popular hit sitcom "Moesha" and the classic made-for-TV movie phenomenon "Cinderella", which attracted more than 60 million viewers and broke new ground with its multi-cultural cast.
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Angie Stone
Grammy-nominated singer Angie Stone's buttery smooth honey-toned pipes, undeniable gritty soulfulness, and epic songwriting talents have been called upon by everyone from Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder, D'Angelo, Alicia Keys, and Lenny Kravitz, to name a few. Rolling Stone Magazine declared, "When soul music was in the lost and found, she came along to claim it."
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Jussie Smollett
Jussie is a multi-talented singer, actor, photographer and director who stars as Jamal Lyon
in the Fox
drama series Empire
. He's received numerous accolades including BET, Teen Choice and NAACP Image Awards. He's currently working on his highly anticipated second album to be
released later this year.
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Rare Essence
Rare Essence, DC's premier Go-Go band for more than four decades, is a local institution that has built a devoted fan base that spans multiple generations.
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Big Daddy Kane
Big Daddy Kane has several gold albums and music accolades including a Grammy and a VH1 Hip Hop Honor. His discography is expansive and includes the LP "It's A Big Daddy Thing" featuring "Smooth Operator," "Warm It Up," and the Teddy Riley produced hit "I Get The Job Done." The LP "Taste Of Chocolate" features "Hard Being The Kane," "All Of Me," and a duet with the late, legendary Barry White.
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Lightshow
Lightshow has lit up stages across the country with his high-energy live performances and thought-provoking songs. Some of his most notable festival performances include the BET Experience, the First Slice Pizza Festival, the SXSW Music Conference, Atlanta's A3C, the CMJ Music Marathon in Brooklyn and several major performances in Washington, DC.
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Ayre Rayde
Ayre Rayde is well known as Maryland's first Go-Go band and solidified themselves as Maryland's first family of Go-Go. The band was formed in 1979 and consisted of original members Lionel Perry, Adrian "Egg" Norton, Tim Evans, Donald "Doc" Spencer, "Shorty" Quinn Robinson, Kevin Wheeler, Melvin and Jay Taylor and Tim Proctor with Daryl Spencer as manager.
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Wes Felton
Whether on tour or starring in stage plays and films, Wes Felton is a hard-core DC native who has put in work around the city performing at almost every venue in town. He has taught theatre and recorded over 25 records in DC in the last 10 years. He has
11 Grammy considerations for his project "Imagine The Future," a current tour with The Crossrhodes and a featured role in the upcoming film "Love Dot Com."
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Nathan Richardson
Nathan M. Richardson is an accomplished performance poet and published author. His published collections include "Likeness of Being" and "Twenty-one Imaginary T-shirts." He also teaches a variety of workshops for emerging writers, and is the Head Coach of the Hampton Roads Youth Poets a division of the youth empowerment organization -
Teens with a Purpose.
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Drew Olivia Tillman
Drew captured the hearts of millions when her dad recorded her singing Adele's "Hello" in the car and posted the video on Facebook.The video went viral, garnering over 6 million views. She stars in the new Netflix movie "Roxanne Roxanne." The 5th grader and native Washingtonian has performed live on several TV news outlets and has sung the national anthem live for thousands of people.
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Allure
Led by Titania "Tiny" Adams and Maurice "Uptown Modiggz" Randolph, Allure is backed by a bevy of all-star musicians.
The band has a R&B, Hip-Hop, and Go-Go sound that has caught the attention of audiences far and wide.
Many of you may also know Tiny from her performances with E.U. featuring Sugar Bear and the Aftermath band.
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DJ Dirty Rico
Dirty Rico is known for the experience he offers party-goers as a DJ, as well as his 25+ years working with some of DC's most influential DJs, on-air personalities, and prominent radio shows. His passion as a community activist has led him to be well known by the youth of the city as a mentor and role model who speaks on the importance of education and self-respect.
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Konshens The MC & Classically Dope
Tarik 'Konshens The MC' Davis is a hip-hop artist, songwriter, educator and youth advocate from Washington, DC. He is also the MC of 'Classically Dope,' which merges hip-hop lyrics with classical arrangements. As an artist and innovator, Konshens stands at the forefront of the evolution of hip-hop.
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Luther Relives
William "Smooth" Wardlaw embodies the sound and style of Luther Vandross and wraps it up with his own distinctive flavor. He has a striking resemblance to the late, great Luther. You don't want to miss this ensemble with awesome chemistry; including a full 8-piece band "Las Vegas Style Show" which includes lights, choreography, costume changes and effects that deliver.
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National Hand Dance Association (NHDA)
The mission of NHDA is to "promote, educate and preserve" the art form known as DC Hand Dance. NHDA sponsors educational and community outreach programs through discussions, performance demonstrations, social events and cultural exchange.
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Guy Lambert
Guy will be the host for this year's Emancipation Day concert.
Currently serving as the news director and anchor for the
Joe Clair Morning Show
, Guy's distinct and captivating voice delivers entertainment, community, and political news stories across the airways every weekday morning on Washington, DC's hit music station, WPGC 95.5 FM. He is also the host of
Community Focus
, a one-hour weekly community affairs show which highlights people and events of influence to the local community. His history in broadcast radio expands across various markets and popular morning shows including
The Donnie Simpson Show, The Big Tigger Show, Funky Larry Jones Morning Show,
and the
Tom Joyner Morning Show
.
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Financial Freedom
Muriel Garr is a 30-year veteran of the financial services industry and Sr. VP at a major national financial institution. Her new show on DC Radio 96.3HD4, "Champange and Credit with Muriel Garr," provides information on how to harness the power of money to create financial freedom. DC Radio 96.3HD4's programming enhances the quality-of-life for District residents by broadcasting vital information. Programs like "Champange and Credit with Muriel Garr" provide listeners with valuable advice and pathways to the middle class. Tune in to
DC Radio 96.3HD4
weekdays at 10:30 AM to check out her show.
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202Creates
202Creates, U Street Music Hall, and DC concert photographers Mauricio Castro, Cina Nguyen, Krystina Gabrielle, and Tuan Nguyen collaborated to provide training and real world experience for DC photographers. They used their expertise to teach students looking to build their portfolio shooting live music. Over 50 photographers came to the DC Entertainment Office for the class on concert photography.
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Filmmaker of the Month
The DC Entertainment Office is proud to announce Maryanne Culpepper as the April 2018 Filmmaker of the Month. Born in the District, Culpepper is the Executive Director of the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital. She is also an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs. Maryanne, an award-winning writer/filmmaker, is the former President of National Geographic Studios, where she oversaw production and development.
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Location of the Month
The DC Entertainment Office is proud to announce Pitmasters Back Alley BBQ as the April 2018 Location of the Month. Located in the Ward 3 Spring Valley neighborhood of Washington, DC, the family-owned "take-out" spot has become a favorite for productions such as HBO's "VEEP." Filmmakers can readily see Pitmasters as a location sight with its wooden floors, corrugated tin walls, industrial pipes, and chalk-board menus.
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