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10 minutes with Victoria Monet as she prepares for the second weekend of Coachella

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COACHELLA, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 19: <> April 19, 2024 in Coachella, California. (Photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Heineken)

Victoria Monet is having her moment.

Fresh off winning multiple Grammy Awards, the singer reached one other milestone in her solo profession by closing out the Coachella stage. Her performance during Weekend 1 delighted her die-hard fans and won the hearts of many other viewers and live streams as she performed her hits.

ESSENCE caught up with Monét as she prepared to enter the iconic Heineken House and storm the Mojave stage once more during the festival’s second weekend to speak about nerves, improvement, and staying present on this magical moment.

First of all, congratulations in your first performance at Coachella! How did you’re feeling whenever you first stepped on the Coachella stage last weekend? You’re obviously a veteran, but did you experience any stage fright on a stage of this size?

I used to be definitely quite nervous. I know the way big Coachella is and you discover out about being part of the lineup in the summer, so I’ve been looking forward to the show for a protracted time.

So there’s quite a bit of emotion and it was very exciting, even knowing who had done it before. Having been in the audience at previous Coachellas and watching other people, I just desired to ensure that I evoked the same feeling. Overall there was quite a bit of excitement and nervousness, but it surely was really fun.

It’s like a celebration of all festivals. So it was definitely a dream come true.

10 minutes with Victoria Monet as she prepares for the second weekend of Coachella
COACHELLA, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 19: Victoria Monét attends the Heineken House at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 19, 2024 in Coachella, California. (Photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Heineken)

Are you a “Coachella mom”? Over the years, we now have noticed that it’s becoming an increasing number of common to take babies with us. Did you bring Baby Hazel with you to see the show or did she stay home for the show?

She’s been in quite a bit of rehearsals, but this weekend at Coachella I assumed it might be best if she stayed home since it’s a couple of three-hour drive after which I would not be taking her to the festival, I’d actually be going to Palm Springs to hang around in home. My mom got here to look at it so she had some Grandma time, but she apparently watched the show and was locked out for 45 minutes of my live set. So she was still an element of him. She also appeared on the show as we used her vocals for the countdown and there was a visible of her on screen as well. So it was like she was there.

Which was too cute, by the way! What song were you most excited to perform last weekend and what was the best crowd response? What did you enjoy the most and what are you looking forward to performing this weekend?

I feel dance breaks are at all times really fun because I placed on other people’s music and just get the audience in a superb mood so I even have a superb time and dance really fast. But I definitely enjoy performing “On My Mama” simply because I feel it’s the song that individuals know best and I can see their faces light up. They perform choreography to the audience and just have a good time. And I’m very excited to do the show again. 45 minutes goes by quickly, so I’ll attempt to stay present on this set as well.

10 minutes with Victoria Monet as she prepares for the second weekend of Coachella
COACHELLA, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 19: Victoria Monét attends the Heineken House at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 19, 2024 in Coachella, California. (Photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Heineken)

Heading into the second weekend, do you’re feeling like all the pressure is gone, or do you’re thinking that getting on stage will likely be different this time? How does it feel to be preparing to retread each stage of this performance?

The feeling is absolutely like this… I even have notes. I even have things I would like to repair. There were quite a bit of little things and I feel that is normal for festival shows, simply because it is not your environment and there are quite a bit of changes and performers in a single space. So I even have a couple of things I would like to repair, after which I even have more rehearsals to refine certain things and solve problems like set design flaws and wardrobe elements that we will improve. I’m just fine-tuning the set, so hopefully this weekend will likely be even higher than last. The pressure is absolutely to return back and do higher than the first weekend.

Now this yr you may be staying at the iconic Heineken House on the festival grounds. Who are you looking forward to performing?

I would love to see BIA! I like BIA. I like Channel Trés and I like Lupe [Fiasco] too, but I’ll be on the Mojave stage during Lupe’s performance. So I’m looking forward to introducing artists on Friday that I have not seen yet, in order that will likely be quite a treat. I can just watch and be part of an exciting environment and see other performers doing their thing, which sounds really, really fun.

(*10*)10 minutes with Victoria Monet as she prepares for the second weekend of Coachella
COACHELLA, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 19: Victoria Monét attends the Heineken House at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 19, 2024 in Coachella, California. (Photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Heineken)

Coachella can boast a protracted list of successes already in the first quarter of the yr. You’ve been working hard for years to turn into a solo star, and all of it seems to finally be happening in quick succession. How does it feel to have a lot come to fruition directly and what’s next for you?

There’s definitely a way that there are quite a bit of great things happening. So my fundamental goal is to simply stay present. Because there’s a lot to rejoice, but in addition a lot to do and work. So it’s kind of a balance between realizing that I’ve gotten to where I would like to be, but in addition knowing that there is still quite a bit of things that I would like to do, just having that duality and ensuring that I’m at all times grateful, but in addition still hungry and dealing on the next things.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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The art collector left his mark on TheGrio’s Masters of the Game

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In the next episode of Masters of the Game, hosted by Touré, we introduce you to Shirley and Bernard Kinsey, an influence couple who’ve dedicated their lives to preserving African American history through art and artifacts. Through greater than 50 years of marriage and a shared passion for education and history, the Kinseys have built one of the largest and most influential private collections of African American history in the world.Kinsey collection— making them true champions of history, art and cultural preservation.

Art collectors

The Kinseys have long believed in the transformative power of education. For them, educating others means sharing the wealthy history of African-American culture through art and historical artifacts. Their collection includes works by iconic artists corresponding to Ernie Barnes, Charles Alston and Beauford Delaney, nevertheless it is their collection of rare historical documents that really stands out. Among their treasures is a heartbreaking nineteenth century letter delivered by an enslaved girl who couldn’t read – she was sent from one plantation to a different under false pretenses. The next work of their collection is Zora Neale Hurston’s brave and hilarious letter to her ex-husband, through which she asks him to remain out of her life endlessly.

From humble beginnings to becoming one of the most influential black couples of our time, Toure’s conversation with the Kinsey family takes us on a journey through the depth, resilience and radiance of African-American culture. Their collection not only preserves history, but in addition inspires future generations to inform their very own powerful stories, making the Kinseys true masters of the game. Don’t miss this episode of “Masters of the Game” at 8 p.m. ET on Friday and 1 p.m. ET on Saturday on TheGrio Cable Network.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Simone Biles torn apart after giving George Strait’s wife a ‘vulgar look’ while fans came to her defense

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Did Olympic gymnast Simone Biles cut George Strait’s wife’s eyes on the Country Music Awards?

Some people think so after a viral video of Biles, 27, showing her frustration within the audience on the 58th annual CMA Awards on November 20.

In several clips circulating online, the 27-year-old gave Strait’s wife, Norma Strait, a “dirty look” on the annual awards show where her husband was honored with the John Paul II Lifetime Achievement Award. Willie Nelson.

The seven-time Olympic gold medalist asked viewers if she had glanced out of the corner of her eye on the Lifetime Achievement Award winner’s wife through the 2024 CMA Awards. (Photo: @simonebiles/Instagram)

“Does anyone know if there is a dispute between Simone Biles and George Strait’s wife?” – one in all the X users asked on the evening of this system.

X’s post included a clip of Biles looking nervous as Norma and other attendees danced in the gang on the Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony tribute performance.

The tribute to the “King of Country Music” featured country stars Lainey Wilson, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert and Parker McCollum. Additionally, Chris Stapleton joined Strait on stage to walk through the “Honky Tonk Hall of Fame” to conclude the segment.

Speculation about Biles’ possible disdain shown on the CMA Awards has turn into a topic of debate online, with fans and critics taking sides in the controversy.

“I watched it live and wondered the same thing, and then death looked up and down, she definitely hated!” answer on X platform he stated.

Original X poster he replied“As long as I’m not the only one who saw it.”

However, the legendary gymnast had her defenders. For example, user X sent“He’s probably just watching her reaction (honestly) without thinking about the cameras.”

“Nothing happened” – another person he argued. “George Strait’s wife doesn’t care about messy things like that. It looks like Simone could have a resting face. She wasn’t the one black person either. There are many Black people in country music, from singers to musicians.

Similar entry To read“I saw it and cringed, it’s just her face, but she should politely decline if she doesn’t like country music.”

Another fan he wrote“She probably saw the camera give attention to George Strait’s wife and just looked around curiously. I do not think she’s giving a mischievous have a look at all, she just looks like she’s noticed that the camera is specializing in the people next to her.

Despite questions on Biles’ on-screen response, the multiple-time world champion expressed her excitement to attend the 2024 CMA Awards on the day of the event.

Biles reposted photos from the evening on her Instagram Story. In one photo, shared by hairstylist Justin Revenge, the Olympic gold medalist showed off the short red dress she wore to the red carpet, in addition to the silver off-the-shoulder dress she wore to the CMA Gala.

The star of the Netflix docuseries “Simone Biles Rising” appeared at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to present the Female Vocalist of the Year award to country singer Lainey Wilson.

Lainey Wilson won the Female Vocalist of the Year category, beating out fellow nominees Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley McBryde, Megan Moroney and Kacey Musgraves.

Biles herself had a successful 12 months as an athlete. The Texas native won 4 medals on the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, bringing her profession total to a record 11 victories for an American gymnast.

However, Vice President Kamala Harris couldn’t replicate Biles’ success because the Democratic presidential candidate in 2024. Harris lost to former President Donald Trump within the nationwide election.

Biles publicly called on current Democratic President Joe Biden to take a stand on behalf of American women before Republican MAGA leader Trump enters the White House on January 20, 2025.

“Mr. Biden, you need to stand up, straighten your back and shake some things up before you go… xoxo women of America,” the Olympian wrote on Twitter on November 6 in response to the election results.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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What do you know about Cynthia Erivo?

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Cynthia Erivo, Wicked, Cynthia Erivo controversy, Black Hollywood, theGrio.com

With the discharge of Wicked fast approaching, it’s protected to say that Cynthia Erivo is on fire straight away.

The film adaptation of the Broadway musical (which is an adaptation of a best-selling novel based on one other novel) is about to open to over $175 million worldwide this weekend, and Erivo has just landed a significant deal.

Universal Pictures has struck a first-look cope with its production company Edith’s Daughter, Deadline reported.

“Having spent the last three years working with Donna Langley, Peter Cramer and the Universal team on Wicked, I have experienced first-hand the love and fearlessness with which they tell stories and uplift narrators,” said Erivo. “I am absolutely delighted to take the next step in our cooperation under our first-look agreement. This is not only a milestone for my production company, but also a testament to the power of storytelling and the importance of diverse voices in film. I can’t wait to bring our visions to life and share them with the world!”

However, some could also be just discovering the 37-year-old from Stockwell, London (where she was born right into a family of Nigerian immigrants) or may don’t know about her background and profession to this point. There’s quite a bit to like about the Emmy, Grammy and Tony winner – and much more to grasp beneath the surface. Below we have gathered some things you have to know about Erivo, including some very necessary ones.

He is a Broadway sensation

Before Erivo became a star of the silver screen, she made a reputation for herself on the stage. The actress’ breakthrough role was the role of Celie within the musical adaptation of “The Color Purple” on Broadway. From 2015 to 2017, she delivered critically acclaimed, groundbreaking performances, winning the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

She has played several iconic black characters

Aretha Franklin, Harriet Tubman and Recy Taylor are black American historical figures immortalized on screen by Erivo, who has played all of them in movies. Shortly after her Broadway run in 2017, Erivo played Taylor in “The Rape of Recy Taylor.” She then starred as Tubman within the 2019 film “Harriet.”

In 2021, Erivo played Franklin within the National Geographic anthology “Genius: Aretha”. While critics praised her performance, Franklin’s family had a special tackle the project, claiming she was never consulted and even felt “disrespected” by the production team.

He is a queer icon

Earlier this yr, Erivo received the Schrader Award from the Los Angeles LGBT Center as a self-proclaimed member for her talent and support of the queer community.

“Acknowledging that I am queer publicly – especially in the public eye – means taking a risk to claim my freedom,” she said in her speech through which she agreed to return out as queer later in life. “It seems we prefer to see the world in black and white rather than accept the difficult (but beautiful) complexities of our humanity.”

Although it has never been explicitly confirmed, Erivo has long been considered one half of a fairly powerful Black Hollywood power couple, as she is commonly seen at red carpet events alongside fellow industry heavyweight Lena Waithe.

He has a novel sense of fashion

From shaving her eyebrows to her signature long and ornamental nails, Erivo is understood for her daring sense of fashion. Her uniqueness was even incorporated into her makeup for “Wicked.” The makeup artist used stencils to attract eyebrows and add freckles. Meanwhile, a special shade of green face and body makeup was developed to make Erivo’s melaninated skin appear “clearly” on screen, and the shade was named “Cynthia Green,” the film’s makeup artist said People Magazine. It’s value noting that despite the hours-long application process required day by day for months of filming, she also said that Erivo “never, ever, ever complained.”

She doesn’t suffer fools

Social media was abuzz this week with response to actor/podcast host Dax Shepard’s invasive query about Erivo’s signature elaborate manicure, specifically how he moves through it while using the lavatory. When footage of her interview with Shepard hit the Internet, many individuals were quick to sentence its inappropriateness, asking her how she wipes herself while having very long, jeweled nails.

“My answer is that no one wipes their ass with just their fingers. You use wipes, right? And you wipe it off,” she replied calmly.

Erivo further expressed her annoyance with this query; the one she had exhibited before.

“I understand, it annoys me. Come on, guys,” she said. “I understand, but I’m a functioning adult and I’ve never walked around smelling like… you know.”

People participating within the discussion found this query rude, disgusting and invasive. It can also be, as Erivo identified, unoriginal. In response to this viral exchange, some have responded by demonstrating how they adapt these very human processes to long fingernails – and shockingly, it’s just about the identical process we have all been doing since potty training. It’s really not that complicated.

Cynthia Erivo Recalls Her Reaction to Fan-Made 'Wicked' Poster: 'I Probably Should have Called My Friends'

He has some questionable tweets in his search history

When it was announced in 2018 that Erivo would play Harriet Tubman within the biopic “Harriet,” the British actress’s seemingly problematic comments made years earlier about the language of Black Americans inevitably resurfaced. As previously reported by theGrio, this compounded existing questions about the choice to forged British-born Erivo because the historical African-American hero, given what some perceived as a disdain for African-American culture.

“As for the tweets, they were taken out of context, giving me no room to explain what they meant – and they weren’t actually mocking anyone,” she explained on the time: Complex reported. “It was not intended to be (offensive) at all. It was to celebrate a song I (wrote) when I was 16.”

Speaking further about the controversy during an event on the Toronto International Film Festival, she said: “I actually have never… never spoken negatively about people because I don’t desire to; I don’t desire this energy to be passed on to others.”

She continued: “I do not think it’s good for us in any respect; I do not think it serves any purpose apart from to bring negativity into my life and yours, and I just don’t desire that.

Perhaps he has some tension with the band in “The Color Purple.”

For unknown reasons, Erivo claims she was not invited to a special screening of the musical “The Color Purple” for family and friends, which was also attended by other members of her Broadway forged. It’s a bit strange that the Tony-winning revival star wasn’t on the guest list. When asked about her apparent rejection in the course of the interview and whether it reflected her initial considerations for Celie’s role within the film adaptation, Erivo suggested she couldn’t talk about it.

Despite every little thing, he’s capable of admit his mistake

Erivo can have had mixed emotions previously as a result of questionable comments or her unwavering passion for her craft, but she is ultimately capable of admit when she was incorrect. In the lead-up to Wicked’s premiere, fan-made art got here to light that edited the film’s poster to look more like the unique Broadway Playbill, obscuring Erivo’s direct gaze with the brim of her witch hat. The actress was initially very offended, but later admitted that she can have overreacted.

“I think for me it was a human moment…” she later explained. “I probably should have called my friends, but I’m fine.”

Cynthia Erivo accepts Los Angeles LGBT Center award for speech on freedom to 'be different'

After all, she is an expert

Say what you want, but Cynthia Erivo is robust and talented. He can also be a one that is alleged to place the nice of the team ahead of his personal glory. During a recent appearance on “Cutting room floor” podcast, she described her technique of coming into harmony together with her “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande and the way the 2 worked together to create a unified sound fairly than resorting to diva-like behavior in an try and outshine one another.

For example, although she and Grande have very different voices, Erivo noted that what they’ve in common is way more necessary.

“I think what connects us is the way we hear music, so we can hear each other,” she explained. “And the beauty of singing with someone who can also hear is that you follow each other back and forth. We can find ways to make our textures and sounds make sense, and that’s really hard with humans.”

Erivo added: “It also signifies that you found someone completely selfless because they care about working with you, and being an element of that’s essentially the most amazing thing. When you find someone who’s committed to creating sound together, (there may be) no ego.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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