A big hand for all our new artists for Summer 06!
Chosan - JoAnna James - Krystle Warren - Soul Rebel - Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir - Taborah
And a massive thank you to all of the artists who lent their time and talents to the cause over the summer!
African Drum & Dance - Al Lee Wyer - Aly Panichi - Ben Godwin - Carlethal, Evita & Tone - Cassandra Kubinski - Chavito - Chosan - Elli Fordyce - Imperial Court of NY - Jaami Ali - Jeffrey Leibowitz - JoAnna James - Josh Beckerman - Ken Hellman - Krystle Warren - Lissa Joseph - Maria Davis & Friends - Markeisha Ensley - Michael Butler - Peace of Heart Choir - Seth Rudetsky - Soul Rebel - Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir - Taborah - Tha Heights - The Body
Finally, give it up for LIFEbeat's amazing Hearts & Voices volunteers for making the program so easy and fun for everyone-
Alison Caspi - Brian McGarvey - Christian J Wikane - Dina Elsibay - Eugene Canicula - Hannah Manshel - Helena Pocock - Jamie Chan - Jen Grossman - Jennifer Ollman - Jennifer Sellers - Jenny Coico - Jessica Rosen - Kayla Higgins - Rachel Legatt - Rebecca Love - Tamara Johnson - Tyson Haller - Steffani Bangel
A reminder- if you're a Hearts & Voices artist, we want to feature you on our website, lifebeat.org - send us your photos and press kits.
Spotlight on Tha Heights
Take a trip uptown with Winston Jerez, Manny Duran, Rafael (Frito) Valdez and Carlos Sosa, collectively known as Tha Heights. These four Dominican teens have prepared an eclectic blend of that Latin flavor their Washington Heights, N.Y. neighborhood is known for. They call it Latin Pop & B. But don't be fooled by their boyish good looks, these guys are more than another boy band- they've got a wide range of songs to satisfy almost any taste, and diverse musical influences to match. Tha Heights offers a little bit of everything- reggaeton, club bangers and even pop ballads. Reggie Hamlet (Angie Stone, Jennifer Lopez) and Queens, NY newcomer Jonathan Bonkaz Howard have lent a hand with production. And singer/songwriter Daniele Stokes of '90s platinum selling R&B quartet Solo provided the edgy lyrics.
We asked Manny what performing for Hearts & Voices means to him. He says 'It's been a great experience- we're performing for a different crowd, a crowd who doesn't take things for granted. It gives me strength to know that with all the things they are going through, they are still able to enjoy what we have to share. It keeps me fighting for what I want in life. When I perform for people whose problems are bigger than mine it keeps me going. Hearts & Voices is a way to give back, and I know they love us! It's the best feeling to know that for just a moment we can take their minds off of whatever issues they may have.'
Tha Heights signed with Patricia Taylor's OFFbeat Entertainment Company in 2003 and have since served their saucy musical blend to audiences throughout the New York metropolitan area. And they've also made several appearances on Telemundo 47s morning news show Noticias, as well as Univision 41's morning news program.
Tha Heights are the official Bazooka Bubblegum Boyz- they shot their first commercials this summer. They are also the voice of the jingle. The campaign is now live- check out www.bazookajoe.com for more info and to learn how to do the Bazooka Dance. You can win a chance for Tha Heights to come teach you how to do the dance. Tha Heights are in the studio working hard on new material for their debut album, provisionally titled "Welcome to Tha Heights". Check them out on Myspace! All aboard to the top of the charts. Next stop: Tha Heights!
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The Macy's LIFEbeat challenge
Ever had a killer fundraising idea? It could win you a private performance by singer-songwriter Teddy Geiger for you and ten of your best friends! We're delighted to be partnering with Macy's in this exclusive competition. You can read all about it right here.
Macy's, in partnership with American Rag, are also stepping up to raise funds for LIFEbeat's programs with a beautiful limited edition graphic print t-shirt. $10 from the sale of each shirt goes towards LIFEbeat's programs- spreading the message of HIV prevention and serving the HIV+ community with the best live music. Check 'em out- guys here, girls here.
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LIFEbeat summer fundraiser raises the roof!
Our 2006 summer fundraiser honored Scott Greenstein, Director of Music & Sports at Sirius Satellite Radio and a massive supporter of LIFebeat. Nelly Furtado brought the house down, singing her new hit 'Promiscuous' for a whole club full of industry all-stars and fans. What a voice, what a tune. Great work, Nelly- we just hope you're using protection. ;) We also had a fantastic acoustic set from the Ravonettes.
It was a star-studded night, with big names like Howard Stern and Steven Van Zandt, to name a few, coming out to lend their support to the prevention cause. Thanks to everyone who contributed, attended or volunteered for making it a special night!
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Hearts & Voices Highlights
As always, there have been too many wonderful shows to really do them justice in this newsletter, but we like to keep you posted on some of the most exciting performers who are working with LIFEbeat and Hearts & Voices.
Dance superstar Taborah rocked the room at Terrence Cardinal Cooke hospital with a stellar set including her massive club hit (and PRIDE anthem) '(I Am) The Rising.' The residents loved it and Taborah was overwhelmed by the love in the room.
While most of our performers hail from the NY metro area, every once in a while we're fortunate to have artists come from further afield. We set a record at Terrence Cardinal Cooke this summer, with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Choir, coming all the way from Australia to sing for us as the first stop on their coast-to-coast North American tour! They performed a set of all-Australian compositions in the large downstairs auditorium, and got a great response.
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Program News
Hearts & Voices is going strong, and we're still growing the program. We're excited to be adding even more facilities, and for the first time we're branching out and adding shows outside of Manhattan. We'll be bringing live music to Friends For Life in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and we're going to be in Brooklyn too, at a great facility in the Pratt area called Gibb Mansion.
And if all that wasn't exciting enough, the really exciting news is that we're in talks to create a pilot Hearts & Voices project in Miami. We're so in love with what this program provides for people, and we're thrilled at the prospect at expanding it to another major urban center with a large HIV+ population- and welcoming tons of wonderful new artists into the Hearts & Voices community! Know anyone who plays in Miami, or would otherwise be an asset to the program? Email us!
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Volunteer Appreciation Party
At LIFEbeat, we like to party, and when you're part of a program like Hearts & Voices, there's always something to celebrate. So we thought we'd celebrate YOU! We're throwing a party for all the people who share their time and talents to make our programs work- the LIFEbeat Volunteer Appreciation Party '06.
We like to do this every year- last year's party was a blast, with hundreds of LIFEbeat volunteers coming to enjoy each other's company and some great music. Look out for your invite, via email, very soon- we'll be partying at the Cutting Room in Manhattan, with live music, DJs, and special surprise guests. We promise a good time- see you there!
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Hearts & Voices Holiday Gift Bags
Every holiday season, we like to bring a little festive cheer to the people we serve, and that means gifts! I know- it's 85 degrees outside, the city is hot and sticky, and here we are talking about the holidays. It seems crazy but December is going to be here before we know it.
Last year we were able to give out over 300 gift bags at special holiday shows. We're always looking to improve on past performance, and we know the Hearts & Voices community can come up with some fantastic ideas to boost the gift lovin'- so if you have any leads for possible donations, let us know!
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Afterword
We never cease to be blown away by the talent and dedication of our artists and volunteers- thank you for everything you've done for the program in the last months. The year is flying by and there have been too many glorious performances to count- here's to many more before the year end! Much love, Ben and Aly
LOVE LIFE BEAT AIDS
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