First week sales figures for neo-soul duo
Floetry's third opus 'Flo'Ology' were stellar, by industry standards -- 76, 629 copies. The 11-track set, which features collaborations with rootsy rapper
Common and production by in-demand tunesmiths
Raphael Saadiq and
Scott Storch, debuts in the Top 10 of 'Billboard' magazine's Top 200 Albums chart next week -- their highest chart position to date.
But group founder
Natalie Stewart hasn't let it go to her head.
"You know I'm an avid 'Behind The Music' watcher and our story hasn't been a long story to be honest with you," she said in an interview with Black Voices yesterday. "I've needed every single extra moment that I've had to grow and get myself ready for what's going on."
The Philadelphia-based pair -- also including songstress
Marsha Ambrosius -- originally hail from London. Since releasing their 2002 debut,
'Floetic', the dynamic duo has notched six Grammy Award nominations, six Soul Train Awards and a NAACP nomination. Their songwriting talents have allowed them to collaborate with
Michael Jackson,
Jill Scott and
Justin Timberlake, among others. They currently are featured on the new
Earth, Wind & Fire album, 'Illumination.'
Floetry are now out on the road promoting the album and doing dates with The VH1 Soul Tour, which hits the famed Hollywood venue The Roxy on Nov. 30.
"I'm an energy junkie and I've been experimenting with different stages for a long time and the music stage is just a different world," Stewart says. "It's a great space for an exhibitionist. You can get on stage and tell the truth and get real naked in front of all these people.
While the 'Flo'Ology' opus didn't garner the mega-selling first week numbers that other acts have (their labelmate
50 Cent's latest set -- a soundtrack 'inspired by' his movie
'Get Rich or Die Tryin' opened with 317,313 copies sold), but in fairness Floetry doesn't have their faces plastered on national billboards or videos blaring on MTV or BET.
"We've never ever had numbers attributed to help," Stewart explained. "I think we've had a much better experience with our record company this time around. I think it will even better on the next one."
"Our audience doesn't necessarily watch TV and doesn't necessarily listen to the radio stations that everybody kills themselves to get on," she continued. "They just love music that feels good and sounds good and feels like it was made with the intention of sharing some quality energy and that's what worked for us."
Jamaica To "Get Lifted'
John Legend is set to hit the sandy shores of Jamaica as one of the performers of next year's 'Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival.' Jamaican tourism officials are rolling out the welcome mat for Kanye West's partner-in-rhyme. "Jamaicans are eagerly anticipating John Legend's debut performance at the Festival," David Shields, Deputy Director of Tourism for Jamaica, told Black Voices yesterday. "We look forward to welcoming him and the many visitors who will be spending time on our island, enjoying one of the Caribbean's premiere music events."
The platinum-selling singer/songwriter will join the likes of Shaggy, Lyfe Jennings, Morgan Heritage, Al Green, Air Supply, James Ingram, Kem, and Maxi Priest for a slate of live concert performances running from January 26 through Jan. 28 at the Rose Hall Resort & Country Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
'Passport' Found
Paramount Pictures has picked up an option to develop 'Passport Diaries' into a film. The 'Los Angeles Times' best-selling novel -- published by HarperCollins -- is the debut novel from film executive Tamara Gregory. The story revolves around Kia Carson, an assistant district attorney in Los Angeles who takes a much needed vacation to Europe, which evolves into a life defining, sexy and glamorous journey.
'Hustle & Flow' producer Stepanie Allain has been tapped to produce 'Diaries.' Gregory, a former Senior Vice President at Magic Johnson Entertainment who developed the hit 2002 urban romantic comedy 'Brown Sugar', will write the screenplay.
"Now I can add screenwriter to my resume of producer/author," Gregory told Black Voices last night."Hopefully, if the film is a success it could lead to TV credits as well."
She says her next novel, 'Five O'Clock Cocktails,' will be in stores next fall.
Legends of The Fall
Two influential African American media figures will have homage paid in their honor this weekend.
Tonight, the legendary photographer Gordon Parks will be feted at the Studio Museum in Harlem at a special presentation of their 'Books + Authors' series, which is designed to introduce works by literary masters, established living authors and emerging writers.
The event will also be a celebration of his 94th birthday, which is actually Nov. 30.
"I'm very happy about it," the Renaissance man said in a rare interview with Black Voices last night. "It's a matter of getting used to it. I've been honored out in Kansas, Paris and different places and this is another one of those things that I am happy about."
He revealed that he plans to play the piano and recite a poem dedicated to the late civil rights icon Rosa Parks, whom he was dear friends with. "We took care of each other as if we were relatives," he reflected. "I used to say 'Rosa, you look my dad. So maybe we are relatives.'"
According to a spokesperson for the event, invited guests such as filmmaker Warrington Hudlin, and fashion photographer Anthony Barboza will reflect on the 'Shaft' director's impact on their lives and work. The Kansas City native - one of the first Black directors of a film made by a major Hollywood studio ('Shaft') and the first Black photographer to work for 'Life' magazine, is also a composer, painter, poet, and writer.
This month, Simon & Schuster's Atria imprint published two books by Parks: the memoir 'A Hungry Heart' and 'Eyes with Winged Thoughts,' a book of poetry and photographs.
And on Sunday (Nov. 20), new cable channel TV One will air 'The John H. Johnson Story,' celebrating the life of 'Ebony' magazine's groundbreaking founder, the late John H. Johnson. The special--hosted and narrated by actor Richard Roundtree, a former Ebony Fashion Fair model and longtime friend -- explores the roots of his Chicago-based Johnson Publishing Company empire -- built from a $500 loan from Johnson's mother early in his life.
The 'black lifestyle' magazine celebrated its sixtieth anniversary this month. Johnson died in August at age 87.
The biography explores the groundbreaking role Johnson played not only in creating these magazines, but in convincing corporations that there was an untapped black consumer market that his magazines could deliver to advertisers. Johnson Publishing Co. heiress Linda Johnson Rice, Ebony Johnson's longtime editor Lerone Bennett, legendary music entrepreneur Quincy Jones, 'Chicago Crusader' Publisher Dorothy Leavell and Radio One Chairperson and Founder Cathy Hughes are all featured on 'The John H. Johnson Story.'
