JJ HAIRSTON & YOUTHFUL PRAISE'S 10TH ALBUM“MIRACLE WORKER” AVAILABLE NOW

​JJ & TRINA HAIRSTON'S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED
RELATIONSHIP BOOK "A MIRACLE MARRIAGE" AVAILABLE NOW

GRAMMY nominated, Billboard Music Award Winner, and seven-time Stellar Award winner JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise's 10th album Miracle Worker, is available now via Hairston’s JamesTown Music, which is distributed exclusively by Entertainment One. Hairston’s 10th album is accompanied by the release of a relationship book with his wife, Trina Hairston, titled, A Miracle Marriage. Fans can currently catch JJ and Trina Hairston on the multi-city "Love & Miracles Tour." Tour stops can be found at: JJHairston.com.

​JJ and Trina Hairston’s debut book A Miracle Marriage was written to provide real answers to hard questions. A Miracle Marriage is an answer to prayer. Each chapter provides tips, tools, and truth from two individuals whose marriage needed a true miracle. If you are dating, courting, or married, this book will prove to you, once and for all, that miracles are still happening in marriages. In Volume 1 of A Miracle Marriage, JJ and Trina explore the importance of forgiveness, trust, and restoration. While many people see the successful career of Youthful Praise from afar, this book provides a transparent, up-close and personal look at the cost, the care, and the calling of marriage.

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​The acclaimed contemporary sound and trendsetting impact of JJ Hairston has continued to explode, with the monumental success from the 2017 release of JJ Hairston & Youthful Praise's #1 album You Deserve It, and its #1 smash hit song "You Deserve It. "Hairston’s new album is sure to follow up with just as much success as its predecessor. 

​Miracle Worker is the first single lifted from this 10th project and single has quickly gained traction, currently sitting in the top 10 on the Billboard Gospel Charts. The album, Miracle Worker, was recorded in two sessions, one in Abuja, Nigeria at COZA Church and the second half was recorded at Hairston's home church City of Praise in Landover, MD. Miracle Worker features special guest artists: Benita Jones, Zebulon Ellis, Brittany Wright, Todd Dulaney, Travis Greene, Darrell Walls and more.

​JJ Hairston says, "I am amazed at the awesome things that God continues to do,” Hairston continues, "It’s something my wife, Trina, and I never imagined. It is our prayer that this album reminds people that miracles still happen. They are not just Bible stories, but even today God works miracles in homes, families, bodies, marriages and so much more. Not only that, but He shows us in signs and wonders that continue to blow our minds.” 

Hairston's new album Miracle Worker and relationship book A Miracle Marriage are both available on now. For more information visit JJHairston.com.

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XSCAPE, FREDDIE JACKSON, YOLANDA ADAMS AND ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT TO RECEIVE BLACK MUSIC HONORS RECOGNITION

Chicago based television production company Central City Productions announces the 2019 Black Music Honors television taping set to take place on Thursday, September 5th at The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, GA. During this star-studded two-hour television special, Central City Productions (CCP) will honor artists and musicians who have influenced and made significant contributions to American music.

The honorees for this year’s Black Music Honors include Xscape who will receive the Urban Music Icon Award for the platinum selling quartet group's 25 years in the industry. Yolanda Adams will receive the Gospel Music Icon Award. Culturally-conscience eclectic group, Arrested Development and chart-topping crooner, Freddie Jackson, whose career has spanned over 33 years, will also be honored.

​“The vision behind the Black Music Honors is to recognize the trailblazers in African American music who have paved the way for the artists of today. Many of these artists have never received their much-deserved recognition,” stated Founder and Executive Producer, Don Jackson.

Television and radio personality Rickey Smiley and GRAMMY® Award-winner and actress LeToya Luckett return as co-hosts of the show, which is set to air in broadcast syndication Sept. 14 – October 20, 2019. State Farm returns as the show’s title sponsor.
​

​The epic event will be held at The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre located at 2800 Cobb Galleria Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show taping at 7 p.m.

Tickets are available at: blackmusichonors.com and ticketmaster.com

The 4th Annual Black Music Honors show is Executive Produced by Don Jackson, with Jennifer J. Jackson serving as Producer and Michael A. Johnson as Producer and Director.

For more information on Black Music Honors, please visit www.blackmusichonors.com 
and connect on social media @blackmusichonors #BMH2019 and #BlackMusicMatters.

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ABOUT BLACK MUSIC HONORS
Black Music Honors is an annual two-hour event that acknowledges the legendary African American artists who have influenced and made significant musical contributions to African American culture and American music worldwide. Produced by Chicago-based production company Central City Productions (CCP) and hosted by Rickey Smiley, television and radio personality, and Grammy Award-winner and actress, LeToya Luckett. For more information visit www.blackmusichonors.com 

​ABOUT CENTRAL CITY PRODUCTIONS
Founded in 1970 by Don Jackson, Chicago-based Central City Productions, Inc. is a distributor of original targeted programming to television and cable networks. CCP's award- winning television programs include the The Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Stellar Tribute to the Holidays Stellar Sunday, The Black College Quiz Show Series, and Mentoring Kings, among many others. For more information, visit www.stellartv.com.

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Hammonds House Honors Celebrates and Recognizes Excellence in Black Visual Art

​Hammonds House Museum presents Hammonds House Honors, an evening of celebration and recognition of excellence in Black visual art. In the inaugural year iconoclast photographer Roy DeCarava is remembered on the 100th Anniversary of his birth, and seven individuals who elevate the visual art of the African Diaspora through their passion, creativity and commitment to artistic and cultural excellence will be honored. The evening will kick off with a cocktail reception at 6:15 pm, followed by a glamorous award show at 7:30 PM. Monica Pearson will serve as host. In keeping with the spirit of this artistic occasion, dress will be artistically chic. The 2019 Hammonds House Honors will take place on September 12 at Southwest Arts Center, 915 New Hope Road SW, Atlanta, GA 30331. Tickets are available at hammondshouse.org/events.

PURCHASE TICKETS

​“We are excited about Hammonds House Honors,” states Leatrice Ellzy, Executive Director of Hammonds House Museum. “It’s a signature event that perfectly aligns with our mission and enables us to elevate black visual culture. Equally important, the event provides us with a rare opportunity to recognize and celebrate the artists, curators, arts professionals and donors who drive the cultural ecosystem with rigor and intention. The proceeds from Hammonds House Honors will help us continue to present the great art, thought-provoking public programs, and cultural and educational programming our audiences expect.”

​Here are the seven categories for this year’s Hammonds House Honors and awards criteria. Honorees for the Lifetime Achievement Award and O.T. Hammonds Philanthropy in the Arts Award were selected in advance, but honorees in the other five categories will be announced during the award show.

​​Emerging Artist Award:
​Presented to an emerging talent who has achieved notable accomplishments while still early in their career.

• Adrianna Kaya Clark
• Travis Love
• Zora Murff
• Stacy Lynn Waddell

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​​Creators Award: ​
​Presented to an artist who creates at the intersection of pop culture and the remix. They create or present visual imagery through non-traditional avenues, are commercially viable, and introduce new generations to Black visual art.

• Miya Bailey
• Chilly-O
• Melissa Mitchell
• Toni Williams
• Dubelyoo Wright

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Artistic Excellence Award: 
​Awarded to an artist whose creative and superior accomplishments in the arts have elevated Black visual arts, improved the cultural vitality of the form, and have had a profound and lasting effect on the culture.

• Sheila Pree Bright
• Jerushia Graham
• Lonnie Holley

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Curatorial Excellence Award: 
​Awarded to a curator who animates public discourse, offers innovative approaches in the presentation of art, elevates public understanding and advances the field through their work. This individual may be with an institution or independent.

• Gia Hamilton
• Faron Manuel
• Jamaal Sheats

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Spriggs-Fuller Award for Arts Leadership: 
The award recognizes individuals or organizations who enhance and strengthen the cultural community by curating, producing, exhibiting and advocating for artistic excellence in black visual art. This award is named in honor of Ed Spriggs, Founder and first Executive Director of Hammonds House Museum and Myrna Fuller, Executive Director of Hammonds House Museum from 2004-2017.

• Jontyle Theresa Robinson, Ph.D.
• Mary Schmidt-Campbell
• Franklin Sirmans

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​Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree: Tina M. Dunkley
Presented to a nationally recognized and established artist, curator, arts professional or scholar with a lifetime of exemplary artistic accomplishment and significant contribution to the field.

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O.T. Hammonds Philanthropy in the Arts Award Honoree: Vicki and John Palmer
Presented to an individual, family or collective with a demonstrable history of philanthropic giving or patronage to visual arts institutions, artists or independent projects.

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PURCHASE TICKETS

​About Hammonds House Museum
Hammonds House Museum’s mission is to preserve, exhibit, interpret and increase public awareness about the contributions that visual artists of African descent have made to world culture. Artistic excellence, culture and community are the focus of their vision.
 
Located in a beautiful Victorian home in Atlanta’s historic West End, Hammonds House Museum is a unique setting to explore the cultural diversity and legacy of artists of African descent. The museum is the former residence of the late Dr. Otis Thrash Hammonds, a prominent Atlanta physician and a passionate arts patron. A 501(c)3 organization which opened in 1988, Hammonds House Museum boasts a permanent collection of more than 350 works including art by Romare Bearden, Robert S. Duncanson, Benny Andrews, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Hale Woodruff, Amalia Amaki, Radcliffe Bailey and Kojo Griffin. In addition to featuring art from their collection, the museum offers new exhibitions, artist talks, workshops, concerts, monthly poetry readings, arts education programs, and other cultural events throughout the year.
 
Hammonds House Museum is generously supported by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Fulton County Department of Arts & Culture, City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition, Georgia-Pacific, National Performance Network, Visual Artists Network, Wells Fargo, and the Lubo Fund.
 
For more information, and to find out how you can get involved, visit hammondshouse.org.

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Norcross is Blazing The Summer with Jazz In The Alley!!!!

Each year during the months of June, July, August, and September, the City of Norcross features the Jazz In The Alley concert series.  And each year it has been an amazing line up and FREE to the public,  

When We Speak TV is proud to be a part of the Jazz In The Alley family!

We are entering the second half of the 2019 Jazz In The Alley concert series but you still have time to join us in Norcross, Georgia.
The next dates are:  

August 17th- The 4 Korners & YemiConga
​September 28th- Unknown Lyric

(L to R) Jermaine Sain, Chester Lawrence, and YemiConga

What Do YOU Speak? YemiConga

YemiConga hanging out with When We Speak TV. (L to R) Jermaine Sain, Chester Lawrence, and YemiConga

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PAST 2019 PERFORMERS

GREG ROBBINS

​Greg Robbins is a vocalist based in Brooklyn, NY. Born and trained in Atlanta, GA, Greg has a very resonant and classy sound which is compared in style to Johnny Hartman, Harry Connick Jr., Kurt Elling, and Gregory Porter. He performs throughout the country at jazz clubs, music festivals, wedding receptions, swing dances, and more.

When We Speak TV: (LtoR) Greg Robbins, Chester Lawrence, and Jermaine Sain

ROD HARRIS JR.

When We Speak TV: (LtoR) Chester Lawrence, Rod Harris Jr, and Jermaine Sain

​Rod hails from Atlanta, Ga.  He has performed with countless national and international artists crossing musical genres from jazz, gospel, hip-hop, and soul.  In 2018, Rod was nominated for a Grammy Award (R&B Soul) for his musical contributions to Musiq Soulchild’s Album Feel The Real (2017). As a jazz guitarist, Rod has performed in numerous festivals and concert venues throughout the U.S. and with the release of the X/O EP, Rod is looking to take his sound to new territory.

REMEY WILLIAMS

A life without music is not a life worth living according to Remey Williams, a rising producer, lyricist and vocalist. As the son of Jimmy Williams, bass player for the legendary R&B group the O’Jays, Remey has grown to develop an undying passion for performing soulful music that connects to audiences both young and old.

When We Speak TV: (LtoR) Jermaine Sain, Remey Williams, and Chester Lawrence

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FOR MORE ABOUT JAZZ IN THE ALLEY

www.thejazzinthealley.com

BECOME A SPONSOR OF JAZZ IN THE ALLEY

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Chandra Currelley Concert & Birthday Celebration

ST. JAMES LIVE

Sat Aug 31st 7:00pm

3220 Butner Rd,
Atlanta, GA 30331

DOORS OPEN AT 6:00PM Chandra Currelley-Young was a member of the SOS Band from the late 1980s up until 1992, when Chandra left the band to pursue a career in acting and theater. Because of her background in theater, Currelley-Young was selected by Debbie Allen to be the featured soloist in her production "Soul Possessed" which debuted at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. Currelley-Young was asked to perform in the 1995 Apollo Revival of The Wiz as Evillene The Wicked Witch of The West and was then selectively chosen to act in David Petrarca's hit production, Dinah Was, the story of singer Dinah Washington. She established her acting career by appearing in Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family and many other of his productions.

Chandra Currelley and Tyler Perry (as Madea) Chandra Currelley and Jermaine Sain FOLLOW CHANDRA CURRELLEY FOLLOW ST JAMES LIVE

Chandra Currelley Concert & Birthday Celebration

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GRAMMY-NOMINATED SINGER & TV PERSONALITY SYLEENA JOHNSON 10TH ALBUM “WOMAN” DUE IN FALL 2019

​Entertainment One Nashville welcomes its newest signee: GRAMMY-nominated recording artist and daytime television host, Syleena Johnson. ​

Known as the “Queen of Chicago,” and one of the most underrated singers of the new millennium – Johnson returns to music with the release of her 10th album, “WOMAN” in Fall 2019. Syleena empowers and calls all women to stand up for themselves and to be bold, brave and fearless, declaring 2019 as the “Year of the Woman.” Her current viral single, “Woman” can be viewed here. Johnson states, “I am so excited that the ‘Woman’ album has found a new home with Entertainment One. Thank you to Gina Miller for believing in me and Entertainment One for helping me bring this project to life. Galatians 6:9 says, ‘Do not grow weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap what you sow, if you faint not.’ I thank God for this season. The season of the Woman."

​In recent years, Johnson has enjoyed mainstream exposure appearing on such television shows as TV One’s “R&B Divas: Atlanta” and WE TV’s “Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars” and, since 2017, Syleena co-hosts the live TV One daytime daily talk show “Sister Circle,” alongside Rashan Ali, Quad Webb-Lunceford and Trina Braxton.

​In 2018, Syleena Johnson added the title of author to her repertoire by releasing her well-received, self-help book, The Weight Is Over. The book follows Johnson’s compelling and triumphant journey toward self-love and discovery, while chronicling her battle with body image birthed in adolescence and carried throughout her music career.

As an established singer/songwriter, Johnson has nine albums to her name, including the critically acclaimed debut album, “Chapter 1: Love, Pain & Forgiveness,” and her most recent album “Rebirth of Soul” which features covers of classic Motown records. In 2004, Kanye West tapped Syleena to handle the vocals on the top-10 Billboard hit “All Falls Down,” which also garnered her and West a GRAMMY nomination and four MTV VMA nominations for the accompanying video.

As a fitness enthusiast, Johnson launched, SheLean Health & Fitness, which helps women in the area of health, nutrition and fitness. SheLean Nutrition, Health, and Fitness is an online company created to cater to women of various demographics. ​​

​Entertainment One's Gina Miller, VP & GM, Urban Inspirational Music, says, “If you have been following Syleena for any period of time, you’ll notice that by the title alone, the ‘Woman’ album moves away from ‘chapter’ being included in its formal album title, although this moment still represents one. It is a new chapter for us, and in Syleena’s career, but the music does not move away from the core of what Syleena has always included in her work: raw heart and stories that embody the woman. I am looking forward to building together as women. I am excited about being able to frame and shape narrative related to what you hear and see, because of our shared culture and experiences as black women. That said, women and men are going to appreciate the music, the messages, the authenticity and the freedom this new album offers!”

Follow Entertainment One Nashville on all social media platforms at @eOneNashville and visit www.syleenamusic.com for instant updates on Syleena Johnson and the “WOMAN” album. 

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​About Entertainment One
Entertainment One Ltd. (LSE:ETO) is a global independent studio that specializes in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. The Company’s diversified expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales; family programming, merchandising and licensing; digital content; and live entertainment. Through its global reach and expansive scale, powered by deep local market knowledge, the Company delivers the best content to the world.

Entertainment One’s robust network includes international feature film distribution company Sierra/Affinity; Amblin Partners with DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment; Makeready with Brad Weston; unscripted television production companies Whizz Kid Entertainment and Renegade 83; live entertainment leaders Round Room Entertainment; world-class music labels Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang; and award-winning emerging content and technology studio Secret Location.

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BronzeLens Film Festival: Celebrating 10 Years

#BronzeLens       #BLFF19

BronzeLens Film Festival will be celebrating its 10th annual festival August 21-25, 2019. BLFF was created to promote Georgia as the new film mecca for people of color. Georgia now ranks third nationally when it comes to film and television production generating over $6 billion dollars to the state’s economy on an annual basis. There is a vibrant production community here, from studio films to indies.

​BronzeLens seeks to showcase films by seasoned as well as the “next generation” of filmmakers that are by, for and/or depicting people of color, particularly of the African Diaspora. The Festival features outstanding films and workshops, Master Classes and Conversations about the art and business of filmmaking. Previous partners have included BET, HBO, OWN, Turner and many others.

​BronzeLens Film Festival has been approved as an Academy Awards® qualifying festival for the Short Film Awards.
Recipients of BronzeLens Film Festival qualifying awards will be eligible for consideration in the Short Film category of the Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with Academy rules.

According to FilmFreeway, BronzeLens ranks ​

“in the top 2.5% of among more than 4,000 film festivals and creative contests around the world.”

​Recent reviews from attending filmmakers have said:

“Incredible seminars, several amazing filmmaker luncheons, and an “Oscar Like” award ceremony made this festival quite a magnificent affair.”

“Seriously, BronzeLens was an incredible festival with an outstanding awards show, fantastic films, and great panels with people to actually learn from.”

“BronzeLens took care of the pros and the newbies. There was a special liaison just for screening filmmakers and this made introductions and networking easier….”

BLFF has grown from a four-day festival to year-round programming. Since its first year, BLFF was invited by Ava DuVernay to be a charter member of AFFRM, now ARRAY. In that capacity, its a member of a collective of leading African American film festivals​ that comprise a unique distribution model. In addition, BLFF is programmed for the Atlanta Jazz Festival, The Neighborhood Awards Expo, partnered for an on-going bi-annual Family Film series, produced a South Asian Film series, conducted career workshops and provided promotional support for many of our “alums” who have gone on to have theatrical and digital releases. 

SCREENINGS

SCHEDULE

REGISTRATION

BOOK YOUR ROOM

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