For 30 years, the Essence Festival of Culture has brought together people from all walks of life and from around the world to connect through conversation, shared experiences and, of course, music. The nation’s largest annual celebration of Black culture was set to end Sunday with musical performances by Janet Jackson and a special tribute to Frankie Beverly & Maze, the soul band that closed the event for the festival's first 15 years. Beverly, now 77, has said he is stepping away from performing live, and the group has been on a farewell tour.
Others scheduled to perform included , Teedra Moses, Tank and the Bangas, Dawn Richard, SWV, Jagged Edge, Bilal and Anthony Hamilton. Barkue Tubman-Zawolo, chief of staff, talent and diasporic engagement for Essence Ventures, told The Associated Press the festival helps connect the global Black community. “Historically, as Black people, sometimes we're not sure where our heritage comes from,” Tubman-Zawolo said.
"America is just one place. But within America there’s a melting pot of different Black cultures: Africa, Latin, Europe, the Caribbean. Understanding that allows our power to be even greater.
" Tubman-Zawolo said those connections could be seen throughout this year's Film Festival, held at the city's convention center, where fans heard from storytellers from Nigeria, Ghana and the Caribbean “who are targeting our stories about us, for us, globally. ” She noted similar connections through the Food and Wine stage, wher.
