HWM Partners When choosing a state to settle down and raise a family, there are numerous factors to consider. Maryland, known as the “Old Line State,” offers a plethora of attractions, opportunities, and a high quality of life. From its robust education system to its diverse communities and vibrant economy, Maryland has become an attractive…
NYC Health + Hospitals has launched a new season of farmers’ markets, situated at public hospitals and community health centers throughout the city. Collaborating with local partners such as GrowNYC, Harvest Home, Uptown Grand Central, and the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, these markets aim to provide convenient access to fresh, locally…
As Japan prepares to release 1.3 million tons of Fukushima radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean this summer. As an increasing number of countries continue to voice strong opposition. The U.S., however, has endorsed Japan’s plan, despite longstanding criticism by environmental and health groups that the standards for foods containing detectable levels of radioactive elements…
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that the City of New York has reached a tentative five-plus-year contract agreement with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). This agreement will cover approximately 120,000 municipal employees, bringing the total workforce under contract to approximately 66 percent. The tentative agreement is retroactive, beginning on September 14,…
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More change is afoot at the Grammys. The Recording Academy announced Tuesday that three new categories will be added to the awards show in 2024: best pop dance recording, best African music performance, and best alternative jazz album.
In addition, two existing categories have been moved to the general field, which means that all Grammy voters can participate in selecting the winners: producer of the year, non-classical, and songwriter of the year, non-classical, the latter of which was first introduced this year.
Previously, the general categories were made up solely of the “Big Four” awards: best new artist, as well as album, record, and song of the year. Grammy voters are eligible to vote in general categories, as well as up to ten categories across three genre fields — and are instructed only to vote in their area of expertise. The changes to those two categories reflect an evolving music industry, where songwriters and producers have become increasingly celebrated for their contributions.
The new best African music performance category will highlight “regional melodic, harmonic and rhythmic musical traditions,” according to a Recording Academy press release, including genres like “Afrobeat, Afro-fusion, Afro Pop, Afrobeats, Alte, Amapiano, Bongo Flava, Genge, Kizomba, Chimurenga, High Life, Fuji, Kwassa, Ndombolo, Mapouka, Ghanaian Drill, Afro-House, South African Hip-Hop, and Ethio Jazz.”
The best pop dance recording category is defined by “up-tempo, danceable music that follows a pop arrangement” and recordings that “feature strong rhythmic beats and significant electronic-based instruments with an emphasis on the vocal performance, melody and hooks.” Dance remixes do not apply.
And finally, the best alternative jazz album category will spotlight alternative jazz albums that blend genre, hybridizing jazz and other musical styles including “R&B, Hip-Hop, Classical, Contemporary Improvisation, Experimental, Pop, Rap, Electronic/Dance music, and/or Spoken Word.”
“The Recording Academy is proud to announce these latest Category changes to our Awards process. These changes reflect our commitment to actively listen and respond to the feedback from our music community, accurately represent a diverse range of relevant musical genres, and stay aligned with the ever-evolving musical landscape,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said in a statement.
“By introducing these three new Categories, we are able to acknowledge and appreciate a broader array of artists,” he said. “We are excited to honor and celebrate the creators and recordings in these Categories, while also exposing a wider range of music to fans worldwide.”
Weeksville Heritage Center and Black-Owned Brooklyn will be having their second annual Juneteenth Food Festival on June 17 and 18 and it’s gearing up to be one you don’t want to miss.
The Weeksville Heritage Center x Jummy’s Picks Juneteenth Food Festival will feature 28 top-tier food vendors with cuisine representing the American South and other regions across the African Diaspora, as well as a small marketplace with numerous goodies all from Black brands for you to grab. The event will also deliver cultural performances, including an all-day house music set by the Brooklyn-based Soul Summit DJ collective.
The celebration of Juneteenth dates back to 1866 when the holiday was first observed to commemorate June 19, 1865 — when more than 200,000 enslaved Black Texans were informed they were free, two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Reflecting this history, the Juneteenth Food Festival will feature a curated collection of food businesses offering African American delicacies such as barbecue, fried fish, crab boil, red beans and rice, red drinks, red velvet cake, pies and ice cream!
To represent Brooklyn’s diverse Black community, the celebration also offers flavors from regions of Africa and the Caribbean. You can indulge in cuisines representative of both Juneteenth and Caribbean American Heritage Month at this festival – there will be something for everybody. Vendors will have Vegan options available too!
Last year’s festival garnered over 7,000 attendees over two days. The event returns to the grounds of Weeksville Heritage Center, a historic site and cultural center in Central Brooklyn that was one of the largest free Black communities in pre-Civil War America.
The Juneteenth Food Festival vendors have been carefully selected by Black-Owned Brooklyn, a publication that spotlights Black businesses throughout the borough, under their curatorial brand, Jummy’s Picks.
The event will extend onto Buffalo Avenue between St. Mark’s Avenue and Bergen Street on June 17 and June 18 from 12-7 pm.
And now for what you’ve been waiting on, here are some of the vendors you can expect to see at the Weeksville Heritage Center x Jummy’s Picks Juneteenth Food Festival!
