Friday, November 30, 2012

Indie Review welcomes Thuli Dumakude !



Set your reminders and tune in!  See ya Saturday :)
Indie Review Radio – Hosted by Raychelle & C.Truth
12 pm to 1:30 pm
Call-in Number: (646) 478-5123
Tweet: @IndieRevue

THULI DUMAKUDE

Thuli is winner of the Sir Lawrence Olivier Award in London and the Obie in New York for her lead role in Poppie Nongena. She’s the winner of three (3) Audelco Awards in New York for writing, directing and performing her one woman show Buya Africa, she also won the FNB Vita Award when she performed Buya Africa at the Civic theatre in Johannesburg South Africa. Thuli played Rafiki in the Lion King on Broadway, Poppie Nongena in New York, London, Toronto, Australia and Chicago. She performed Bongi in Bongi’s Journey at Crossroads theatre in New Brunswick, Lost in the Stars on Broadway, Kamadonsela (Lady Macbeth) in Welcome Msomi’s Umabatha in South Africa and abroad. Sheila’s Day at Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick and The Market Theatre in Johannesburg, Madre in Juan Darien Off Broadway and many more. Thuli was the featured soloist in the movies Cry Freedom and Power of One and Serengeti for Imax Theatre. She also did a lot of commercials. Thuli has toured the world doing concert shows during the Apartheid time raising awareness about the plight of fellow South Africans. She has memorable moments when she was working with the late Miriam Makeba. She was the lead singer in a female group, Thokoza and was honoured when she participated in Mandela’s 80th birthday celebration. She was invited by the department of Education in New York to tour schools teaching young people about the role of Africa in the world through music and dance. Thuli was a vocal coach for Sarafina on Broadway and was vocal coach and musical director for Sheila’s Day. She was the choreographer for Umabatha, Muntu Dance Theatre in Chicago and Dinizulu Dance Company. Thuli was the Dance Director for IZulu Dance Theatre Company for 7 years. Thuli continues to work with Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Lion King Companies in America, providing them with beaded merchandise to raise funds for HIV/AIDS.  She has a group of 20 rural women in the village of Galibasi in Muden KZN in South Africa that do beadwork and sell it abroad to theatre goers in New York. Part of the money raised goes to AIDS organizations in SA.


Friday, November 23, 2012

Indie Review welcomes Yusef Salaam !


Set your reminders and tune in!  See ya Saturday :)
Indie Review Radio – Hosted by Raychelle & C.Truth
12 pm to 1:30 pm
Call-in Number: (646) 478-5123
Tweet: @IndieRevue

YUSEF SALAAM


Yusef Salaam was one of five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who in 1989 were arrested and later convicted of brutally beating and raping a white woman in New York City’s Central Park. New York Mayor Ed Koch called it the “crime of the century” and it remains to date one of the biggest media stories of our time. The five each spent between 6 and 13 years in prison before a shocking confession from a serial rapist and DNA evidence proved their innocence. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE documentary tells the story of how five lives were upended by the rush to judgment by police, a sensationalist media and a devastating miscarriage of justice. 


Friday, November 16, 2012

Indie Review welcomes Collette !


Set your reminders and tune in!  See ya Saturday :)
Indie Review Radio – Hosted by Raychelle & C.Truth
12 pm to 1:30 pm
Call-in Number: (646) 478-5123
Tweet: @IndieRevue

COLLETTE

Bold, free and uncompromising; Collette represents a new breed of independent artistry. Driven by an insatiable curiosity and an unyielding appetite for personal evolution, the girl who left her birth home of South Carolina to tackle New York on a wing and a prayer has emerged as one of the Big Apple’s freshest young talents. With the release of her third project, Juneteenth Revolution, Collette arrives, through intricate yet intimate songs of life, love, and liberation she solidifies her industry position as the talent to watch. Her first full-length pop, funk and soul album since her 2008 debut, Experience Collette, represents a high-watermark for a multi-instrumentalist singer who has worked tirelessly to achieve the evident growth in her craft, a polish to her live performances, and the rewards of hard-earned critical acclaim. Unshackled from the drains of negativity, a renewed Collette reaches back to transparently share powerful testimonies of toil and triumph with fans and listeners to both encourage and restore. It’s only fitting that the Juneteenth holiday, also known as Emancipation Day, is also Collette’s birthday. The title of Collette’s latest, greatest inspiration is born from the idea of people seizing the freedoms they already have, much like the American slaves of the antebellum South. This red clay granddaughter of a once rare female saxophonist and the daughter of a gospel singer who regularly gigged with The O’Jays, Collette was born into a long bloodline of unconventional women trailblazing unique paths in music. After years of honing her own three-octave alto in the choir rafters and studying piano, baritone and alto saxophone, Collette was determined to give voice to the melodies and chords playing in her head. Whether taking a leadership position as marching band drum major or crooning jazz standards in school recitals, Collette was mastering the tools needed to be more than a cliché R&B diva, she was becoming a consummate, all-around artist with an ever-expanding palette of genres with which to paint. Late to blossom into her spritely beauty, the self-proclaimed awkward “art nerd” was unfettered by the need to be a “cool kid,” freeing her to explore her creative passions and embark on a journey of learning to be her most authentic self. By the time the Howard U. grad took off for NYC, she knew exactly who she was and what she wanted: to claim her own Juneteenth freedoms from the city of dreams that never sleep. With only a used car and no promise of proper housing, the Delta Sigma Theta sorority sister industriously made her way onto the City’s independent and mainstream music scenes. Writing and arranging her debut album following a romantic break-up, in 2008 Collette released her calling card, Experience Collette, inviting newcomers into her world and letting them know they were not alone in experiencing the vulnerabilities and hardships of love. Soon, the in-demand starlet was sharing stages and opening for such national artists as Chrisette Michelle, Talib Kweli, Eric Roberson, Rachelle Ferrell and Noel Gourdin. Soon Gap, Inc. took notice and contracted Collette to participate in their “Born to Play” performance series for the company’s 75th anniversary. Her single “You Don’t Know” found its way onto Music Choice and became a regional hit in her beloved Carolinas. Early star-turning performances in small productions of Regina Taylor’s Crowns and Tony Kushner’s Caroline or Change lent a humor and theatricality to her entertainment repertoire. Soon, BET/Centric TV was also spotlighting the independent artist that was making her mark as a live performer in urban markets from Atlanta, Georgia to Springfield, Massachusetts. Collette closed out her pre-Juneteenth run with CoCo By Request in 2010, an EP of covers including celebrated takes on Erykah Badu’s “Orange Moon” and Richard Smallwood’s “Angels,” that served as a love letter to listeners, fans who picked the songs Collette recorded and supported her Kickstarter campaign for the project that would evolve into Juneteenth Revolution. Sponsored by fans, penned by Collette, and produced by new talents like Okayplayer artist Danny Swain, Terry “20” Poindexter (Raheem DeVaughn, Jazmine Sullivan) and Aaron Hardin (Ebrahim, Kenny Wesley), among others, Juneteenth Revolution boasts duets with such esteemed artists as Monet, Eric Roberson, and Akil Dasan. Following the lead of such motivational influences like Jill Scott, Amel Larrieux, Mary J. Blige and the incomparable Bill Withers, Collette encourages her listeners to start a revolution first with themselves before raising the banner of social revolution. 


Friday, November 2, 2012

Indie Review welcomes Karen "Kay Konnect" Hudson !


Set your reminders and tune in!  See ya Saturday :)
Indie Review Radio – Hosted by Raychelle & C.Truth
12 pm to 1:30 pm
Call-in Number: (646) 478-5123
Tweet: @IndieRevue

KAREN "KAY KONNECT" HUDSON


 Karen Hudson, also recognized in entertainment industry circles as Kay Konnect is the Deputy Editor of MommyNoire.com, a parenting site dedicated to mature, multicultural women seeking organic dialogue about parenthood in the digital space. A unique place for critical and creative engagement, MommyNoire responds to the desire of this cosmopolitan community with tips and advice in every aspect of parenting, including marriage, relationships, sex, career mobility, education, finance, fitness, nutrition, community, and philanthropic work. Explorations of the jet-setting lifestyles of celebrity moms such as Beyonce, Nia Long, Monica, Tia Mowry- Hardrict, Kelis, Mel B, and Jada Pinkett fuel inspiration and aspiration. Coverage of front row fashion, eclectic beauty, makeup, exquisite food, modern home decor, entertainment, and travel help women realize the full aesthetic potential of their new lives as 
moms. Karen has worked in the fields of writing, media, marketing, advertising, fashion, the arts and education. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of Mixtape Magazine, a print publication dedicated to mixtape DJs and emerging Hip Hop artists, as well as former freelance writer for Allhiphop.com. 
In 2005, she graduated Cum Laude from Northeastern University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies, with a focus on the Art and Structure of Storytelling. She also holds a degree in Advertising Sales and will soon graduate with a master's degree in Media Studies.  She is the mother of a 2 year old, busy toddler. Due to a high risk pregnancy, her son, Kannon, was born at 30 weeks. She spent two months in the hospital on bed rest and he spent an additional 8 weeks in the NICU. That experience shifted her priorities to pursuing a career that sheds light on the parenting journey. 

Collette ft. Akil Dasan - Material Star (Juneteenth Remix) - Official Video

Check out the new Official music video for "Material Star" featuring Akil Dasan, We've already put this one in our heavy rotation. It's the first single from Collette's new album Juneteenth Revolution. Juneteenth Revolution hits stores on Dec. 4th. 
Find out more at collettemusic.com