1
UQUST 4 - ,1 1
Entertainment In
Brief
o
"
"
I
mbe Edition
reunited in the tudio to
record new version of "Word
towMutha". The tune i p rt
o Bell Biv DeVoe' rerni
album, which i I ted for
relea e on or round
Sep mber 3rd, which i just
about the time th t Luther
Vand hope to kic off a
nation I tour that will conn nue
into 1992.
m y buy the 1
reduced
price of on
di- dollar.
twenty-
i dif­
ferent
kitchen
will offer
cui ine
from th
of A f ric a n
Di pora
incl uding
tha t 0 f
Africa, the
Caribbean
and 'North
and South
America.
An African
World Fe -
rival tradi­
tion-the
artist
market will
feature
more than
200 artist
and ven­
dors wi th
handcrafted
ATURDAY AFT 00 Hart Plaza wil trans-
formed into a giant dance floor for an "Electric Slid "party.
(Better known in Detroit th "Hustl .") An e citin first
for the A WF, the party will feature th crowd doing the
"Electric Slide" dance at 4:30 p.m., a drawing for a free trip
to Jamaica, prizes and more.
Live entertainment will feature performance from pop­
rhythm and blues recording artist Alexander O'Neal, and
local rhythm and blues performer David Myles and Myles­
tone. In-conjunction with the "Electric Slide" party, WMXD­
FM radio will begin the fun with a first anniversary party and
live broadcast from Hart Plaza.
Saturday evening's focus will b jazz with South African
exile and jazz piantist-composer Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar
Brand) and his septet, Ekaya in concert on Hart Plaza's main
stage. A Piano Jazz Summit will kick off the evening's
U ;ruRAL PROGRAMMl DURING thi year'
fe tival will dd i ue which threaten the continu d
•
!
,
r
,
,­
r
,
,
,
survival of people of African descent. Lectures, workshops,
and panel discu ion will explore such concerns as
economics, education, the tate of the African American
family, and the plight of the African American male.
Children's programming will feature African mas -
making workshop , puppet-making workshops, face paint­
ing, double-dutch jumping rope demonstrations, African
dance performances, clowns and more. Other free activities
for the entire family include a presentation of elected films,
a geneological workshop, woodcarving demonstrations and
a rye-dying workshop.
The Museum of African American History will sell the
official 1991 African World Festival poster during the event
Jaleel White -
A Living Doll
13 year-Old Family Matters
co-star Jaleel White is going to
be getting more attention now
that two big toymakers have
decided to cash in on his
pope1arity. In fact, the show
which has moved to Tuesday
nights, enjoys one of the
highest concentrations of
younger viewers.
Steve Urkel is of course,
an intellectual nerd. Hasbro
will release it's own model 0
that in a new talking doll that
, pitnetail outlets sometime in
\pctober and will sell for
$29.99.
What will the doll say?
Well, "no sweat, my pet",
along with other Urkel
phrases. Milton Bradley is
expected to kick off an Urkel
game & puzzles this fall. The
game is targeting children six
& above, and comes in a bow
tie box wi th a pai r of overs ized
"Urkel" glasses.
art s -
jewelry, textiles, culpture, oil and watercolor, and a variety
of other products for sale during the festival.
Wesley Snipes .stapped with $40 nllllon lawsuit
by
COUlD
tied. El where on the ing
scene, Smokey Robinson app ars to
he witchi ng gears. Reports are he'
headed for Na hville to record a
country- lamed album for SBK.
In the meantime, he recently com­
posed lyric and music for "Hoops",
a new Broadway-bound musical
. Angel: Surviving The Dark Curve of
Drugs. Violence, exandFame",due
out December 2.
Few detail have been -rcleased
about the book, which is being pub­
lished by Thunder's Mouth Pres.
According to Lee, he and the aging
superstar have maintained a clo e
friendship since their divorce, and
reports are that the hook was written
in such a way that hc doesn't (or
houldn 't) offeFid Pryor. At lea t, not
that much.
three-real' option and is no shop­
ping the project to Hollywood
studio. Banks did not reveal how
much money King received in the'
deal.
Now, turning to a man a great
many women might like to see more
of, Carl Weathers recently' began
production in Canada on "Street Jus­
tice", a one-hour action/adventure
series.
Actor Wesley Snipes and Warner
Bros have been hit with a $40 million
law it ccusing them of misap­
propriating a script whose ideas were
supposed used in "New Jack City".
An aspiring actor and handyman
is charging that there are 34 substan­
tial similarities between his script
"Innocent Blood" and "New ack
City".
According to court papers, the
man was able to get his script to
Snipes. His lawyers say that the sum
of $40 million represents what
would have been hi share of the
profits or 10% of the $200 million,
which is their estimate on what the
film will make worldwide, pi us $20
million for punitive damages. Thus
far, the film has grossed $46 million.
No more Rodney King, Please: If
you're anything like me, you've
heard all you want to about the Rod­
ney King beating.
Now, it appears King has old the
rights to his life story. According to
his attorney, the company ha a
Well needs
our support
Unfortunately, it looks like
cancer has recurred in singer
Mary Wells' larynx. She had
been free of cancer following
a series of treatments last year .
However, a recent biopsy
revealed nodules of cancer on
. both lungs. The 48-year old,
now-destitute singer needs
financial help. You can send
donations to the Mary Wells
Care and Treatment Fund, in
care of The Rhythm and Blues
Foundation, at 14th and
Constitution Ave. North
West, Room 4603 in
Washington D.C. 20560.
• • •
One Man's Opinion
This is not a Spike Lee Joint. Spike Lee is in our
face again promoting his new film "Jungle Fever" .
The film deals with inter-racial romance and drug
abuse, the more explosive topics. Ironically, "Jungle
Fever" hits theaters while our government struggles
with civil rights legislation.
Spike Lee is a voice in Black America. His view
are respected by some and dismissed by others. Like
most public figures Spike has flaws.
For starters, Spike's persistent barbs on Whoopi
Goldberg are tactless. He began wi th the mention of
Whoopi's blue contact lenses and the not-so-subtle
hint that she was trying to be White. Currently, on
"TMArsenioHallShow" and on E! network's liE! gets
JungleFever", Spike called Whoopi out on not voting
for his film as the best at Cannes.
If one examines this situation, Spike did not in­
gratiate himself with Whoopi by talking about her
contacts, hence Whoopi would be justified out of lack
of respect for the brother. However, she might have
honestly felt "Jun le Fever" was not the winning
movie.
• .# •
Hooray for BET: Executives
from Bla-ck Entertainment
Television recently pulled Clips by
artists from MCA and its affiliated
labels when the newest video from
Heavy D. & the Boyz, began airing
exclusively on MTV June 22.
Robert Johnson called it "a clear
abuse of (MTV's) market power",
while also stating that his network
was not going' to be treated as
second-class citizens. We want the
best when everyone else gets it, or
not at all."
The boycott has since been set-
Wesley Snipes
based on the life of Harlem
Globetrotters architect Abc
Saperstein.
On the home fronu the third Mrs.
Richard Pryor, Jennifer Lee (who is
white) will tell what it's like to have
been married to the superstar come­
dian in a new book "Tarnished
Rapper shot
I' In the face
Bushwick Bill, from the
Octo Boys, is seeing things a
little different now after his
girlfriend shot out his right
eye. Tamika Nicole
Randle ton, Bushwick's
seventeen-year-old live-in
girlfriend, shot the twenty year
old rapper in the facc after he
threatened her three month old
son, threw a vacuum cleaner at
ber, and handed her a loaded
and cocked 22-calib'er
"Derringer and insisted he
wanted to die. Guess she was
just trying to make his dreams
come true. I
Bu hwick was released
. from the hospital last month
porting his new glass eye and
be's planning to perform with
the Geto Boy for their latest
release "'We Can't Be
Stopped"'.
Randle ton - who is
pregnant with Bu hwick'
child-i planning to marry
him later this year. Sounds
like a match made in heaven.
B\8bwick now says be met
God during his little brush
with death, and has worn off
booze, drugs, and cigarettes.
Spike Lee
try to be as accurate as possible. A key example was
the brouhaha over finding a look-a-like Lucille Ball
and Desi Arntz was phenomenal, and that was J\8t a
TV movie.
Library Captures
Its Past On Disk
THIS COURTESY doe n't extend to Black
people as evidenced by Sidney Portier' role as Thur­
good Marshall in "The Thurgood MtlI'shall Story"'.
Thurgood Marshall is' a light skinned man who in no
way re embles Sidney. If we did not have picmres
this would be a non-issue. Denzel could do a great
Mo e because nobody has seen him.
Films that are biographical have a responsibility to
be truthful. A key to Malcolm X' development had
to do with his light skin tone (resulting in the
childhood nickname "Dirty Red"). Unless Spike Lee
intends to exploit Denzel further by using lots of
pancake makeup, and if.their are not talented light
kinned Black male to play Malcolm X, the film
should not be done. Films are the new historical
records.
A recommended actor who has previous Spike
experience is Lary Fishburn. He has the look and the
talent to carry thi important project.
Spike Lee has enriched our lives by giving a
different perspective. People of all backgrounds are
coming together to watch and talk about his films.
The above criticisms reflect the man, not his an.
Spike should put forth the kind of effort used in
developing hi talent to developing his level of
maturity.
SPIKE LEE'S RECENT "Playboy" interview
revealed the motive behind his disappointment -
money. Spike knows a victory at Cannes translates to­
substantial worldwide revenues. His stabs at Whoopi
were misplaced, given her outstandi ng contributuions
to the entertainment industry.
Whoopi wonan Academy Award for best support­
ing actress, her assignment to the judging committee
at Cannes is believed to have set precedence for Black
people, and she is currently starring in the comedy hit
"Soapdish"; not to mention a riveting performance in
"The Lone Walk Home".
Spike should thank Whoopi for pioneering his
Mars Blackman character. Whoopi presented Fon­
taine, a daring sketch of a young urban Black man, in
her one woman show on Broadway. This was a few
years before "Please baby please baby please".
The next criticism of Spike Lee is his casting
election of Denzel Washington as Malcolm X, in
Spike's upcoming film on Malcolm'S life. As anti­
Hollywood as Spike proclaims to be, he has fallen into
the same trap of casting Black actors exclusively for
box office appeal.
Denzel is a fine actor who no doubt can bring
forth the essence of Malcolm X. He has one disad­
vantage, he does not resemble Malcolm. When Hol­
lywood cas White actors as historical figures, they
The Library of Congress is a lot
more than books. Among its other
activities, for example, is a series of
live radio concerts that began in
1925 and are now broadcast by
. American Public Radio. Recently
two of these programs have been is­
sued on compact disks by the library,
the first of a series called "Living
Collection From the Library of Con­
gress."
The firSt disk, "Dorothy Maynor"
(CLC-1; CD only), spotlights one of
the few Black classical ingers to
make a successful concert career in
the 1930's. Ms. Maynor, a soprano,
founded the Harlem School 0
Arts in 1963. Accompained by the
pianist Arpad Sandor, she is heard in
a recital from Dec. 18, 1940, in
Coolidge Auditorium at the library.
The program offers works by Hand­
el, Schumann, Richard Strau s,
Debus y f Bizet, Beethoven and
Charpentier, as well as selections by
Black American compo ers, includ-
Bruno of Hollywood/Columbia Artl.t.
A recital by Dorothy Maynor has
been ued 0 D by the Library
ofCong
ing Cecil Cohen and Samuel
COleridge-Taylor, and a group of
spirituals.
Frederick Johnson II
