The Production Has Influenced and Inspired Hundreds of Men, Women and
Children; and Is Expected to Impact Even More with Its Atlanta Debut

Talitha Anyabwelé and BGS Productions, Inc. will present Black Girl Speaks in Atlanta on January 12th.

For one night only, Atlanta audience members will be entertained and enlightened
by stellar performances and a myriad of characters interpreting the
message through monologues, spoken word, song and dance. Black Girl
Speaks delivers a series of powerful monologues and spoken word told
through the eyes and spirit of a black woman. The Southwest Arts Center
(915 New Hope Rd. SW) will host the popular original production, which has
received rave reviews from performing art enthusiasts, educators and the
general public. Talitha Anyabwelé, a native of Atlanta, is the
playwright, producer, and actress. She is excited about the growth of
Black Girl Speaks and the impact it has, “I’m grateful to be used as a
vessel to continue the legacy of sharing our oral history. Black Girl
Speaks has become a great movement of empowerment for our community
because it’s rooted in the strength of our heritage.” Black Girl Speaks
is on Saturday, January 12th, 2013 at 7pm. Tickets are on sale at
www.blackgirlspeaks.com. The show is open to the public. All ages are
welcome. Tickets are $30 in advance; $35 at the door. Group rates are
also available at $25 for groups of 10 or more. Fulton County Employees
also get discounted tickets at $25.

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We always like to keep you in the loop of what’s going on around town so for our “Grown Folks” in the NYC, listen up!!! On Wednesday, November 14^th, Sol Village will feature some of the hottest soul/R&B acts on the scene. Host by Eric Roberson along with music from The Collective, this event will include musicians like Michael Lynche, Mree, Melody Angel, Margaret Glaspy, J. Renee and South Carolina native, Collette. Doors will open 7pm at the SOBs! Make sure you’re in the house!!!

And speaking of soultress, Collette (http://www.collettemusic.com ), here is her latest single, Material Star from her sophomore release, Juneteenth Revolution scheduled for release December 4^th! Here’s a taste of what you’ll experience from her upcoming performance at Sol Village.

Atlanta has proudly been the backdrop for the independent music scene which has greatly impacted the platform for up and coming artists. This notable tradition has not slowed or ceased in its support but only increased through numerous music festivals in the “dirty south” city. One such festival, recognized as the largest Hip Hop festival in the Southeast and on the rise to being internationally celebrated, is the A3C Hip Hop Festival (www.a3cfestival.com) which will begin on October 11^th – 14^th. Known for their live music performances, A3C will also feature breakdance, graphic art, fashion, film, producer showcases, pro audio demonstrations and music industry panels. To further the international arms of the festival’s influence, World Hip Hop Market, THE BLOOM EFFECT along with Nomadic Wax, will co-produce this year’s 2^nd ever International Stage at A3C which will unite the talents of a creative and diverse group of lyricists from Singapore, Panama, Cape Verde, Holland, UK, Barbados and Mexico. (more…)

Hola my fellow concert –goers!!!

I got some exciting news for my GFM family in Atlanta!!

The voice that stirred your heart in songs like Mornin’, We’re In This Love Together, Moonlighting and so much more will be at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Friday, September 21st!! That is correct, my friends, 7 time Grammy Award winning vocalist, Al Jarreau will be scattin’ in the house along with fellow jazz legend, pianist, composer and multiple Grammy awardee, Ramsey Lewis, known respectfully as “the great performer” and soulful classics like The In Crowd.

This “GROWN” affair will set the inaugural concert succession, JAZZ ROOTS: A Larry Rosen Jazz Series, in full gear and give real music lovers, young and seasoned, an opportunity to celebrate and learn our musical heritage. Be sure to mark your calender and purchase your tickets for the JAZZ & SOUL series through Ticketmaster.

Take a look  at this video for a fuller glimpse of the purpose behind this important mission:

Mary J. Blige tearing the house down at Chastain Park (Atlanta)

I got a question for you!

Do you wanna be liberated??

I need the hands of the church lifted if you truly wanna be liberated!! If this call is for you, let us liberate you with some shots from the Liberation Tour. Sporting an edgy look with her partial blond hair, Melanie Fiona brought an energetic performance on stage. With an element of surprise, D’Angelo greeted the audience of Chastain Park while making his way on stage to give them exactly what they were waiting for. Last but not least, radiant in red, Mary J. Blige strutted on stage singing Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” while the crowd grooved and sang along. Here are some of the pictorial highlights from the show. Hope you enjoy!

Last week, GFM was in the house for TAU Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, fraternity member Shaquille O’Neal and High Aspirations Foundation, Inc., a 501c3 foundation that focuses on efforts to retrieve grants and other monetary contributions to provide scholarships for graduating high school seniors and undergraduate students, for their annual Spring Scholarship Extravaganza with special guests Avery Sunshine and Tank.  First on the stage with a spirited smile and equally radiant performance was our beloved soultress, singer/songwriter, Avery *Sunshine. From her apologetic love song, “Ugly Part of Me” to her sassy rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “Jump to It”, the audience was left amazed by her “sistah girl” charm and incredible vocal talent. But as the night drew closer, women swarmed the front of the stage just to get close to their R&B headliner, Tank.  With extended hands and excited screams, Tank made sure to deliver his customary form of female stimulation with songs like “Slowly” and “Celebration”, yet by the same token, an intimate feel with songs like “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “Please Don’t Go” played tenderly on the piano.  If you didn’t catch this show, we made sure to capture some of the pictorial highlights from the event. (more…)

Now if there is a good concert coming to town, you will usually catch me somewhere in the vicinity.  I guess you can call me your official concert traveler. Giving you the inside scoop to the shows that rock the ATL. So in keeping with this reputation, let me hip you to a concert you’re sure to mark your calendar for. On Sunday, March 4^th Mr. Black Radio aka Robert Glasper will be hitting the stage of the Variety Playhouse with special guest, Chrisette Michele. Now a little birdie told me about a few surprise guests that would also be in the house but that information is completely top secret and I swore by my “Have Mercy Hot Wings” recipe I’d never tell . However, I can tell you this – you definitely will love it!!! So make sure you catch the show Sunday, March 4th at 8:30pm for this awesome Glasper Experiment!

Technology has greatly impacted many facets of our life. Whether you’ve switched from books to Nooks or CDs to MP3, new innovations have revolutionized how we do business, how we communicate and even how we think. But with such rapid change in the scope of this industry, how has it changed the entertaining games known through our summertime barbecues and holiday get togethers? Well, recently I was invited to the launch of The Real Housewives of Atlanta star, Kandi Burruss, with her new iPhone/iPad app Kandi Koated Spades (KKS) to find out. Created by the technological skills of Konsole Kingz, an urban gaming company headed by CJ Peters and Marcus Matthews, the Kandi Koated Spades app recreates the card game experience through multiple online players, reneg calls, trash talking chats and “bragging right” broadcasts to your Twitter followers. For a  glimpse of the highlights along with special appearances from Tiny and Toya’s  Toya Wright and RHOA star, Phaedra Parks, here are a few pics for your viewing.

Also, be sure to visit http://kkspad.es/qWsdfR  to purchase this high spirited game and for more information, visit www.KandiKoatedSpades.com.

Photo credits: James Pray
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