New York, U.S.A. — VH1′s beloved franchise ” VH1 Divas “ caught dance fever at the L.A. Shrine Auditorium Sunday night for a live, concert event filled with performances, theatrics, and a roster of musicians and actors ready to boogie down to benefit The VH1 Save The Music Foundation. The star-studded affair incorporated performances from today’s biggest hits and dance classics by host Adam Lambert, Ciara, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Kelly Rowland, Jordin Sparks, and was accompanied by House DJ Havana Brown.

The evening included an incredible line-up of performers ready to shake their groove thing for a good cause, including  Natasha Bedingfield, Kelly Clarkson, Ledisi, Melanie Fiona.

VH1 “You Oughta Know” Artist Metric, Paloma Faith, Pitbull, Iggy Azalea, and Bootsy Collins. Special appearances by L.A. Reid, Amber Riley, Ellie Kemper, Elisha Cuthbert, Kat Graham, Kelly Osbourne, NeNe Leakes, Stacy Keibler, Jenna Dewan Tatum, Brandy, Paula Abdul, Sheila E. and La La Anthony rounded out the disco-themed night.

Adam Lambert kicked off the night with a cabaret themed “Let’s Dance,” followed by a special introduction to Kelly Clarkson’s latest single “Catch My Breath.” With a genuinely enthusiastic Kelly Osbourne introducing one of her favorite groups “Blondie,” VH1 You Oughta Know artist Metric brought the house down with their rendition of “Heart of Glass.” Donning a studded jacket and rocker attitude, Miley Cyrus commanded the room with her vivacious delivery of “Rebel Yell” by rock god Billy Idol.

Newly inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, diva legend Donna Summer created some of the biggest dance hits guaranteed to get the crowd going. Kelly Rowland, Adam Lambert, and Keri Hilson paid tribute to one of the greats with a musical medley of “I Feel The Love,” “Bad Girls,” “She Works Hard The Money,” “Love To Love You Baby,” “Hot Stuff,” and “Last Dance.” An emotional Brandy introduced Jordin Sparks, Ledisi and Melanie Fiona for a power-driven tribute to the late Whitney Houston. The trio dazzled with an electric performance of “I’m Every Woman,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,”  “It’s Not Right, But It’s Okay,” and “How Will I Know.”

After two hours of non-stop dancing and entertainment, Pitbull closed the show in style with his hit “Don’t Stop The Party,” leaving the night on a high note.

As in previous years, this edition of “VH1 Divas” will benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping music education alive in American public schools. To date, VH1 Save The Music has provided more than $49.5 million in new musical instruments to 1,850 public schools in more than 128 school districts around the country, impacting the lives of over 2.1 million children.

This year’s sponsors for “VH1 Divas” include: AT&T, Burger King, CoverGirl, Fiat, The Hershey Company and Old Navy.

Image Courtesy : StarblindKing

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Mýa and Michelle will design new collections for Ghanaian clothing brand Koshie O as a part of “The Koshie O Woman” campaign. The campaign celebrates strong, confident, independent women who possess the ability to multi-task while remaining fashionable. The singers will co-design and name the pieces along with founder and Creative Director of Koshie O, Nina Baksmaty. As part of the Spring/Summer 2013 collection, the pieces will be available for purchase in July 2012 and will be available to consumers in Spring 2013. “The Koshie O Woman” campaign will feature many more celebrity women who embody what the brand represents. Fans will be allowed to follow the process via social media networks.

While neither has been extremely vocal about the projects, which are still in the beginning stages, Michelle recently took to her twitter to say, “Bout to hop on a design call w/Koshie O. Designing some new clothes…..line will be out next Spring. This is a COLLABORATION for charity!” A percentage of the profits from the sale of this unique capsule collection, which will feature custom prints, will be donated to Mercy Corps, a global aid agency involved in helping populations stricken by tragic events in over 40 countries around the world.

Nina has stated that she is sure that the public is going to love what Mýa and Michelle will contribute to Koshie O. She says, “The whole Koshie O. team is excited to be working with Mya. We absolutely love her talent and her fashion and we strongly believe that Koshie O. and Mya are going to create magic together.” On working with Michelle, Nina states, “It is such an honor to have Michelle Williams design pieces for Koshie O. She has been an inspiration of mine from her Destiny’s Child days.”

Koshie O “integrates African themes and aesthetics with modern designs,” according to its website. Founder Nina Baksmaty, who is Lebanese and Ghanaian, was raised in Ghana, but was educated and currently resides in the United States of America. It was her Ghanaian upbringing among traditional dress makers and artisans, as well as being in the presence of her designer mother, which fueled her desire to be a designer.

In 2010, Nina launched Koshie O and has since been featured in the Washington Post and Upscale Magazine, and has garnered mentions from Fox 5 News. Singer Ledisi, as well as model and reality television star Cynthia Bailey, are among the numerous women who proudly wear Koshie O.

Image Courtesy of  Mya

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New York, U.S.A. – The 2012 ESSENCE Music Festival is excited to announce the addition of Grammy-Award winning singer D’Angelo as he makes his first US appearance in a decade at the 18th annual event taking place July 6-8 in New Orleans. R&B heartthrob Trey Songz will return to the main stage joining previously announced performers Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige, Charlie Wilson, Fantasia, Ledisi and more.

The official host each night will be Nephew Tommy, comedian and co-host of the long running Steve Harvey Morning Show. Tank, Mary Mary, Marsha Ambrosious, The Pointer Sisters, Q. Parker & Super Jay, Teedra Moses, Melanie Fiona, Carl Thomas and Rebirth Brass Band are also scheduled to perform.  Additional performances will be announced soon.

ESSENCE is also proud to announce the night-by-night line-up for the 2012 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL with performances and appearances by the top names in entertainment.

The 2012 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL night-by-night line-up is as follows:

Friday, July 6 : Charlie Wilson, D’Angelo, Trey Songz, Keyshia Cole, The Pointer Sisters, Marsha Ambrosious, Q. Parker & Super Jay, Khris Royal, Kindred The Family Soul, Vivian Green,Stephanie Mills, Gary Clark Jr., Rebirth Brass Band, SWV, Goapele

Saturday, July 7 :  Mary J. Blige, Kevin Hart, Ledisi, Tank, Eric Roberson, Teedra Moses, The Stylistics, Robert Glasper, Dru Hill, The Original Pinettes Brass Band, Stephanie Mills, Big Sam’s Funky Nation

Sunday, July 8 :  Aretha Franklin, Fantasia, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Melanie Fiona, Carl Thomas, Alex Boyd, Eve, The Stooges Brass Band, Estelle, Luke James, Raheem DeVaughn,Bridget Kelly

Single day tickets go on sale today for the 2012 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL and are priced from $50 to $300 per person per night.   Meanwhile, weekend packages ranging from $150 to $900 per person continue to offer music fans the best way to enjoy a full three days of entertainment, empowerment, community and special offers.

Now in its 18th year, the ultimate destination for entertainment and inspiration hosted over 422,000 attendees last year. What began in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of ESSENCE magazine has now grown into one of the country’s “Top 10 Leading Brand Events” by Advertising Age.

The ESSENCE Music Festival is the nation’s largest annual gathering of African-American music and culture. Throughout its history, the Festival has featured an array of performers including Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Al Green, Beyonce, Chaka Khan, Destiny’s Child, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx, John Legend, The Isley Brothers, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, Maxwell, The O’Jays, Prince, Rihanna, Stevie Wonder, Toni Braxton, Patti LaBelle andYolanda Adams, among others.

For information about ticket sales, accommodations and the latest news about the ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL, visit ESSENCE Music Festival www.essencemusicfestival.com Join the Festival community: follow  on Twitter @essencemusic #EssenceFest and become a fan of 2012 ESSENCE Music Festival on Facebook.

The 2012 ESSENCE Music Festival, in partnership with QuintEvents, has created “ESSENCE VIP Events” to offer fans the ultimate in “insider access”, with exclusive VIP ticket, travel and hospitality party venue packages. The Official packages are available now at www.QuintEvents.com and will be featured on the Official website, www.ESSENCEVIPEVENTS.com in early 2012.

Image Courtesy of   D’Angelo
Photo Credit: jesper skouboelling (denmark)

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