Essence Fest: 2007 Returns "home"!!!
 

Essence Festival to hit a high note
Nelly and 'P. Diddy' added to July lineup


Friday March 21, 2003


By Keith Spera
Music writer

The Essence Music Festival will feature some new faces when it returns to the Superdome for the ninth time July 3-5.

Nelly, the St. Louis rapper who scored massive pop hits with "Country Grammar" and "Hot In Herre," makes his Essence debut by headlining the festival's first night. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, the hip-hop empire-builder, also will perform at Essence for the first time. He is scheduled to close out the main stage on July 4 with New Edition, Faith Evans, Carl Thomas and Loon, artists from his Bad Boy Records "family."


Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx is slated to appear on July 3. Chaka Khan and relative newcomer Jaheim are on the July 4 schedule.

Old-school R&B returns in force on July 5, the fest's final night. Maze, featuring Frankie Beverly, is back to close out the festival, as the group has each year. Vocalist Anita Baker precedes Maze on the main stage.

Soul singer Smokey Robinson also is scheduled for the main stage on July 5, along with host Tom Joyner and singer Heather Headley. Headley starred on Broadway as the title character of the Tim Rice-Elton John musical "Aida" and released her contemporary R&B debut, "This Is Who I Am," on RCA Records last year.

The four "superlounge" stages in the Dome's corridors will offer their usual mix of R&B, funk, blues, hip-hop and jazz. The schedule for July 3 includes R&B heartthrob Keith Sweat, jazz/R&B vocalist Dianne Reeves and veteran reggae act Third World.

On July 4, the superlounges feature hip-hop pioneers Biz Markie and Doug E. Fresh, smooth jazz singer Michael Franks and 1970s funk collective the S.O.S. Band.

Contemporary R&B singer Will Downing, hip-hop combo Nappy Roots, veteran soul man Bobby "Blue" Bland and Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers all appear in the superlounges July 5.

Additional main stage and superlounge artists will be announced for both July 3 and 4.

Essence Communications Partners, publisher of Essence magazine, owns the Essence Festival and produces it in association with Festival Productions Inc., the producer of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Initially conceived in 1995 as a celebration of Essence magazine's 25th anniversary, this "party with a purpose" has grown into one of the nation's premier urban music showcases.

In addition to the three nights of concerts, Essence presents "empowerment seminars" at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center covering popular culture, spirituality, romance and other topics. More than 223,000 people attended the concerts and seminars in 2002.

In January, city and Essence Communications officials announced an agreement to keep the festival in New Orleans at least through 2006, with a "rolling extension" for 2007 that would kick in automatically if incentive goals are met. Local hospitality industry officials initially balked at an extension negotiated by former Mayor Marc Morial that they felt was too costly.

Edward Lewis, the chairman and chief executive of Essence Communications, threatened to cancel or move the festival if the agreement was not accepted. Mayor Ray Nagin eventually renegotiated the deal to all parties' satisfaction.

Tickets to each night of the Essence Festival are $125 and $75 for floor seats, and $35, $45 and $55 for balcony seats. Tickets are on sale now at the Superdome box office and, with additional service charges, through Ticketmaster at (504) 522-5555 or ticketmaster.com.

Vote for Entertainer of the year:
http://www.essence.com/essence/awards/home_2003.htm

Thanks for posting this! I can already see I'm going to be broker than broke when I go down in July! :(
Oh lawd! :p

P. DIDDY?! Oh my goodness! I need to buy my tickets NOW!!! The man puts on one hell of a show!

Anita Baker, Frankie and Maze on the same night? I am there!!

The fifth is going to be on til the break of dawn. LMAO!

THEN, New Edition, too! AND Chaka!

RD, you didn't read this in Friday's paper?

I hope Nelly gives us our money's worth.

This year's festival was off the chain! :D

STevie Wonder: WONDERFUL, even at 3 am
Chaka: I love her!
Jaheim-did well as relatively new artist
LL-have mercy!
Gap Band-still trying to hang. :D
Erykah-went over her time :mad:
ANITA: did the dayum thing! Boris Kodjoe presented her with a bouquet of flowers after her encore. :D
Smokey: at 63, he thinks he's 23. :D LOL
Maze: always come correct!

The All star tribute to Luther featured:
Patti
Gerald Levert: always tears it up!
Usher: THE SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT. He tore the dome up!
Jaheim did well with "Bad Boy"
Tamia: she was so so
Ashanti: :confused:
Kelly Price: did well
Faith Evans: did well
Ronald Isley: did well

Steve Harvey will be the host of the show to air on UPN.
I believe the entire festival could be shown on HBO in the near future. :confused:

As always, you had to be there to really get it all. :D

Glad you had a good time. . . did you do the Keychain Swing? :D (I remembered that you showed me that dance in May). . .yeah they should show it on HBO.

Did they say approximately when it would air on UPN? Keep us posted. :)

Thank you for your assistance on yesterday! ;)

Naw, this was not keychain swing music. You don't do that or the P-pop, back that thang up at the Essence fest...LMAO!

Instead, during Maze I FINALLY did the bus stop. :o My assistant taught me during lunch one day. I searched all over the Superdome floor to find a group that was doing this instead of the electric slide. (NOW, I'm too good to do the ES! :o It's all about the BUS STOP!)
Native New Orleanians, don't laugh!

If anyone gets a chance to come down for Essence, you are in for a treat! :D

Prince was a guest backstage, according to our newspaper. Essence has tried to get him to perform. Hopefully, after he has witnessed what goes on, he'll sign-up for next year. :D

Terri Ellis Ross came on stage when LL invited females on stage.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux sat behind me on Friday night. :cool:

Oh, we were never told when the show would air. I would assume, in the fall. :confused:

Ain't this a blip....
 

While at Essence's website a few minutes ago, I came upon the air date. :p

September 12th on UPN.

:o

ttt

I **heart** Usher
 

Did anyone watch it on Friday???? I did, and all I can say is.....


USHER!!!!! :D :D :D

Oh. My. Word. Homeboy did the dayum thang singing "A House is Not a Home". I was surprised none of them ladies threw their draws on stage!!. LOL. :p

The rest of the show was pretty good too.

USHER!!!! I had to say it again y'all. :D

I didn't see it on TV, but I was there. I told ya Usher did the DAYUM thing. I hope it is shown again.

Re: I **heart** Usher
 

Man Usher DID his thang!!! I taped it so I can watch it again!! :D

I'm supposed to be going this year...is anyone else gonna be there?

Yup Yup i'll be there ;)

All of us are going to have to email or pm each other so we can try to meet up! :D

Where can we stay? :confused: Help a sista out!
I'm not familiar with N.O. at all, and I'm on expedia.com trying to get some prices. I see on the festival website that it's at the LA superdome, but where is that near? The French Quarter? Downtown?