Essence Music Festival
The Essence Music Festival is the nation’s largest annual gathering of African American musical talent, and has been going on annually for 18 years in New Orleans, bringing more than 400,000 people. The festival is a three-day event, which has cultural celebrations and empowerment seminars with nights of musical performances, and there are often awards given out honoring prominent musicians in the African American community. The festival is held every Fourth of July weekend, and has featured some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Prince, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Lionel Richie and others.
In 2007, presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton made special appearances at The Essence Music Festival, and in 2009 the festival was held in honor of Barack Obama’s inauguration and presidency, with Beyoncé as the headliner. In 2008, after partnering with Essence to develop and tape a co-branded special presentation Black in America: Reclaiming the Dream, CNN reported live on-site throughout the Music Festival weekend.
Read more about this topic: Essence (magazine)
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