Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad to Celebrate Sisterhood at Women of Power

It’s nearly impossible to attend Women of Power and leave without making one sisterly connection with someone you don’t know. There’s no greater feeling than meeting up with your sistah-friends at the summit to reconnect, recharge, and encourage one another as you pursue your goals.

Speaking of sisters, we are excited to announce that we will be honoring Debbie Allen, award-winning director and choreographer, as a 2020 Legacy Award recipient. And get this, her sister, Phylicia Rashad, a 2017 Legacy Award Honoree and award-winning actress will be at the summit, too! Talk about a moment in time.

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Related: Black Enterprise Celebrates 15 Years of Honoring the Power and Legacies of Black Women

We are looking forward to a powerful time in Vegas. And we encourage you to bring a sistah with you. Or in the words of past Legacy Award winner, Cynt Marshall, “Help a Sistah out!”

Until then, be sure to join the Women of Power Facebook group to commune with powerful women.

Meet a Sistah!

• Introduce yourself and share what you’re up to. – There are over 2,000 women killing it in their respective fields in the group. Let them know who you are and what you’re about!
• Share what you’re looking forward to this year at the Summit. – Have you taken a look at the agenda yet? We have over 40 scheduled events planned for your pleasure. Let everyone know which ones you’re excited about and find out which ones people are going to. You can connect and meet them there!
• Share your expertise, motivational content, and relevant articles. — This year’s Summit theme is: “Undivided: Power on Our Own Terms.” We encourage you to share information that is empowering, can help someone in their career, or elicits a conversation on how women can remain undivided. We’ve already got the ball rolling and we’re waiting to hear from you.
• Ask questions about the event. – Do you have a question that you can’t find the answer to on the Women of Power event website? Feel free to ask. We’ll respond.

We hope that you will join us! 

 

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Wyclef Jean Raises $25 Million To Support and Empower Artists in Africa and other Developing Countries

International artist and producer Wyclef Jean is using his business acumen to empower and invest in songwriters and producers in African countries and other emerging markets. Earlier this week, his company, Carnival World Music Group, revealed that it raised $25 million in capital funding that will be allocated toward providing creative artists with music publishing and distribution resources to promote their music and earn royalties. According to Jean, artists need this type of publishing and distribution support especially in light of the rise of Afrobeats and the growing expansion of digital streaming.

“The demand for music from Africa and other developing regions is growing and these creatives deserve to be part of the international marketplace,” said The Fugees founder, according to Forbes. “There is a need for them to have open access to global publishing and distribution options that protect their rights and ensure that they are fairly paid. This initiative not only introduces and launches new talent but helps creatives around the world thrive in their careers.”

After decades in the music business, the hip-hop veteran says he’s learned that producing, rapping, and singing will only earn so much cash. The real money is generated from publishing rights, which are often awarded to the songwriters, composers, and the publishing companies behind the music. For example, he and the Fugees only saw a fraction of the money earned from their iconic cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.” Much of that money, he says, went to the song’s composer Charles Fox.

“When I produced ‘Killing Me Softly’ for The Fugees, we were making money, but I made somebody like $3 or $4 million that had nothing to do with us or Roberta Flack,” Jean told Fast Company. “The person that I made the money for was the composer. I understood then that I was on the wrong side of the business. I can’t just be on the side of the curtain cutting samples and doing a remix. I have to be part of the songwriting, and so for me, I also encourage kids that writing music is very important right now—not just for putting music out right now, but so that you can build your publishing catalog. In order for you to survive in this industry, we encourage kids to understand that their publishing is real estate.”

Last month, Carnival World Music Group received financing backing from Sound Royalties, an entertainment finance firm that provides creatives with funding for personal and professional projects without taking ownership of their copyrights. Jean’s burgeoning company also partnered with Heads Music, a distribution company founded by music industry vet Madeline Nelson, which will handle global music distribution.

Jean says the goal of his new joint venture is to groom fiscally informed and responsible artists. “[This is] a label that’s actually going to care; a distribution company where kids can go and look at the back end of what they’re actually making,” said the Haitian musician. “If they don’t understand what they see on the dashboard, they could pick up the phone and actually call people that will care about explaining to them parts of the analytics. It turns them into businesspeople overnight.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2OfGQ9b

Wyclef Jean Raises $25 Million To Support and Empower Artists in Africa and other Developing Countries

International artist and producer Wyclef Jean is using his business acumen to empower and invest in songwriters and producers in African countries and other emerging markets. Earlier this week, his company, Carnival World Music Group, revealed that it raised $25 million in capital funding that will be allocated toward providing creative artists with music publishing and distribution resources to promote their music and earn royalties. According to Jean, artists need this type of publishing and distribution support especially in light of the rise of Afrobeats and the growing expansion of digital streaming.

“The demand for music from Africa and other developing regions is growing and these creatives deserve to be part of the international marketplace,” said The Fugees founder, according to Forbes. “There is a need for them to have open access to global publishing and distribution options that protect their rights and ensure that they are fairly paid. This initiative not only introduces and launches new talent but helps creatives around the world thrive in their careers.”

After decades in the music business, the hip-hop veteran says he’s learned that producing, rapping, and singing will only earn so much cash. The real money is generated from publishing rights, which are often awarded to the songwriters, composers, and the publishing companies behind the music. For example, he and the Fugees only saw a fraction of the money earned from their iconic cover of Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.” Much of that money, he says, went to the song’s composer Charles Fox.

“When I produced ‘Killing Me Softly’ for The Fugees, we were making money, but I made somebody like $3 or $4 million that had nothing to do with us or Roberta Flack,” Jean told Fast Company. “The person that I made the money for was the composer. I understood then that I was on the wrong side of the business. I can’t just be on the side of the curtain cutting samples and doing a remix. I have to be part of the songwriting, and so for me, I also encourage kids that writing music is very important right now—not just for putting music out right now, but so that you can build your publishing catalog. In order for you to survive in this industry, we encourage kids to understand that their publishing is real estate.”

Last month, Carnival World Music Group received financing backing from Sound Royalties, an entertainment finance firm that provides creatives with funding for personal and professional projects without taking ownership of their copyrights. Jean’s burgeoning company also partnered with Heads Music, a distribution company founded by music industry vet Madeline Nelson, which will handle global music distribution.

Jean says the goal of his new joint venture is to groom fiscally informed and responsible artists. “[This is] a label that’s actually going to care; a distribution company where kids can go and look at the back end of what they’re actually making,” said the Haitian musician. “If they don’t understand what they see on the dashboard, they could pick up the phone and actually call people that will care about explaining to them parts of the analytics. It turns them into businesspeople overnight.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2OfGQ9b

Ludacris Donates $75,000 Worth of Musical Instruments to a Miami High School

I have to say, between coronavirus, the death of Kobe and it looking more and more like the Senate is going to imbue the presidency with the kinds of powers it shouldn’t have, this has been a historically crappy week when it comes to news. Luckily, Ludacris came through to give us a bit of levity.

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Journalist Gwen Ifill Honored with USPS Forever Stamp

On Thursday, the trailblazing journalist Gwen Ifill was honored with a commemorative Forever stamp.

“These miniature works of art offer something for everyone interested in American history and culture,” said U.S. Postal Service Stamp Services Acting Executive Director William Gicker. “From notable figures such as golf legend Arnold Palmer and esteemed journalist Gwen Ifill to the cultural phenomenon of hip-hop to a celebration of the great outdoors, this program is wide-ranging and adds to the history of our great nation as recorded through the U.S. stamp program.”

As posted on the United States Postal Service website, the 43rd stamp in the Black Heritage series honors Gwen Ifill (1955–2016), one of America’s most esteemed journalists. The stamp features a photo of Ifill taken in 2008 by photographer Robert Severi. Among the first African Americans to hold prominent positions in both broadcast and print journalism, Ifill was a trailblazer in the profession. Art director Derry Noyes designed the stamp.

Also being honored with Forever Stamps are:

Voices of the Harlem Renaissance
These stamps celebrate one of the great artistic and literary movements in American history, the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, which firmly established African Americans as a vital force in literature and the arts. Twenty stamps showcase four stylized pastel portraits of these literary figures: writer, philosopher, educator, and arts advocate Alain Locke; novelist Nella Larsen; bibliophile and historian Arturo Alfonso Schomburg; and poet Anne Spencer. African-inspired motifs are used as background elements of each portrait. The pane header shows a cityscape in silhouette with a sun in its midst and the title “Voices of the Harlem Renaissance.” The artist for these stamps was Gary Kelley. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamps.

Hip-Hop
The Postal Service celebrates hip-hop with four new stamps in a pane of 20. Since its inception more than four decades ago, the electrifying music, dance, and art movement has profoundly influenced American and global popular culture. The stamp art features photographs taken by Cade Martin that depict four elements of hip-hop: MCing (rapping), b-boying (breakdancing), DJing, and graffiti art. The bold, digitally tinted images are intended to appear in motion. The words “Forever” and “USA,” “Hip Hop,” and the name of the element featured appear across the top of each stamp. Art director Antonio Alcalá designed the stamps, which are highlighted with a vivid yellow, green, red and black color scheme. The title of the stamps, printed in red and black, is centered on the top of the pane.

 

19th Amendment: Women Vote
With this stamp, the Postal Service commemorates the centennial of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees women the right to vote. Inspired by historic photographs, the stamp features a stylized illustration of suffragists marching in a parade or other public demonstration. The clothes they wear and the banners they bear display the official colors of the National Woman’s Party — purple, white and gold. Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp with original art by Nancy Stahl.

 

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