Diva moment: Patti LaBelle belted out a tribute to her and her group, Labelle, at the Essence festival. The reunited trio, with Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash, hit the stage together Saturday to sing Lady Marmalade.
The event: The three-day 2008 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans achieved a balance of old-school homage and cutting-edge innovation at the Superdome. The crowd: While concerts were a big draw, other events, such as dance workshops and panel discussions, also attracted visitors to the nearby convention center.
The start: Before the first notes resounded on July Fourth, Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornel West unveiled a sampling of artifacts from the exhibit America I AM Across America (AmericaIAM.org.), a tribute to black history and culture, which will tour museums around the nation for four years starting in November, with music as a component. “Our journey and our music are inextricably bound," Smiley said. West concurred: “You can't tell our story without all 'the blues people.' “
The acts: J. Holiday, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Jill Scott, Labelle and Keyshia Cole took to the main stage, while Ledisi, Lyfe Jennings and Raheem DeVaughn worked other stages.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
