The show takes place annually on the Wednesday in between Jazz Fest weekends and immediately follows the Marcia Ball Wednesday at the Square event this year.  All proceeds will fund students’ end-of-year field trips, band instruments and in-school music instruction.

The all-star line-up of performers includes: Big Sam of Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Jeremy Davenport, Delfeayo Marsalis, Michael Baptiste, Naydja Cojoe, Leslie Smith, Sharon Martin, Gian Smith (performing Jazz spoken word during two interludes), Troy Sawyer, Young Pinstripe Brass Band, and Craig Paddock.  Many of the artists will also feature Grammy-winning bassist and LHA Music Teacher David Pulphus.  A cash bar will be available at show.

“This show highlights not only the local talent of New Orleans but some of the talented musicians that work with our amazing students at Langston Hughes Academy each day.” said Mark Martin, School Director at Langston Hughes Academy. “Our supportive school community, especially Ms. Naydja Cojoe, have worked extremely hard to make this event a success. The concert will help provide the education and opportunities that our students truly deserve.”

Langston Hughes Academy is an open-enrollment college preparatory, public charter school in the Gentilly/Fairgrounds neighborhood.  As a K-8 elementary-middle school, Langston Hughes is committed to providing all scholars with the knowledge, skills and character traits necessary to succeed in high school, college and the world beyond.

To purchase tickets in advance or for more information, please contact Langston Hughes Academy at (504) 373-6251 or get tickets online atwww.republicnola.com.

FirstLine Schools

The mission of FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great open enrollment public schools in New Orleans.  FirstLine currently operates Samuel J. Green Charter School, Arthur Ashe Charter School, John Dibert Community School, Langston Hughes Academy, and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School.

I am very proud to be a part of the first World Book Night in the U.S., following the impressive launch of this campaign in the UK and Ireland last year.

My chosen book is “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou. It’s a book I read for the first time when I was younger that just stuck with me. It’s a 1969 autobiography about the early years of African-American writer and poet Maya Angelou. The first in a six-volume series, it is a coming-of-age story that illustrates how strength of character and a love of literature can help overcome racism and trauma. The book begins when three-year-old Maya and her older brother are sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother and ends when Maya becomes a mother at the age of 17. In the course of Caged Bird, Maya transforms from a victim of racism with an inferiority complex into a self-possessed, dignified young woman capable of responding to prejudice.

Would like a free copy of the book??? Leave a comment letting me know your favorite Maya Angelou Poem!!!! Winner will be Selected

*Please include email address and name.

Share your favorite books with someone today!

As at each market the OCH Art Market will have live music and fresh healthy local ingredient food from the vegetarian New Orleans pop up TSAI Nola.  Also test your luck with our Golden Egg door prize promotion.  The first person to spend $20 or more at a vendor’s table receives an egg which contains prizes ranging from gift certificates from our sponsors, t-shirts, or $20 cash!

The OCH Art Market occurs on the second Saturday of each month and located in the heart of Central City on 1618 Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard at the Zeitgeist Theatre.  The building where the market takes place is a beautiful, protected historic landmark property and is a tourist attraction on its own.  It harks back to the days when Dryades Street was bustling shopping strip and was the second busiest commercial corridor next to Canal Street.  One of the obstacles to overcome is the stigma of crime that has been associated with the neighborhood.  But each month, as the hundreds of shoppers come to the neighborhood, visitors and developers are taking note of the enormous potential that exists on O. C. Haley Blvd. being only 3 blocks from St. Charles Ave. and abutting the C.B.D.

This underrated Central City neighborhood is a thriving community, full of creative artists, crafters and entrepreneurs. The OCH Art Market is a place to see some of the local talents of the neighborhood and serves as a meeting place for neighbors and residents.  By supporting local artists, growers, and businesses OCH Art Market hopes to foster a vibrant community.  At each market, the Youth Empowerment Project, a long time stakeholder and active entity on O.C. Haley Blvd., coordinates activities for neighborhood children in conjunction with the market including entrepreneur training centered around the YEP lemonade stand as well as nutrition and exercise workshops.  Café Reconcile is also a monthly sponsor of the OCH Art Market by donating restaurant gift certificates to be used as door prizes and also using their social media sites to help attract more foot traffic to the market.

Further, the OCH Art Market is committed to supporting local, sustainable produce and is starting to carry fresh produce from local growers like Jeannette Bell who has been a long time resident and gardener in the neighborhood.  The OCH Art Market is working with the newly founded Central City Growers Cooperative to start carrying on a regular basis fresh vegetables and herbs that are being grown in the neighborhood.
More information on this May market can be found on our website http://www.ochartmarket.com/. or contact Zoe Byerly with any questions or comments at zberly@tulane.edu. Find us on Facebook (O.C.H. Art Market) or Twitter (@OCHArtMarket).

Jazz in the Vines: Bush (pontchartrainvineyards.com)

Crawfish Festival: Lake Charles (dtcrawfishfest.com)

Delta Fest: Monroe (ladeltafest.com)

Bayou Teche Bear Fest: Franklin  (bayoutechebearfest.org)

Cajun Hot Sauce Festival: New Iberia  (sugarena.com)

Spring Food Festival: Lockport

Strawberry Festival: Pontchatoula (lastawberryfestival.com)

French Quarter Festival: New Orleans (fqfi.org)

Great Louisiana Bird Festival: Mandeville (northlakenature.org)

Great Southern R.V. Park Blgreass Fest: Angie

Boggy Bayou Festival: Pine Prairie (evangelinetourism.com)

LA Railroad Days Festival: DeQuincy

Chauvin Folk Art Festival: Chauvin

Allons Manger Food Festival:  Belle Rose (bayoucatholics.com)

There is honestly only one word to describe The Lion King: AMAZING. I had the privilege of recently viewing the phenomenal Broadway production at the Mahalia Jackson Theater and I must say it was an experience. I never though there would be a production I loved more than The Color Purple until The Lion King. A great job was done of bringing  The Lion King to life for all the lovers of the wonderful story in the audience. The costumes were beautiful and the movements of each animal just was beyond words for me. The singing and just the experience came alive and told a story that all ages could enjoy together. The Lion King mixed with New Orleans culture was a gumbo surprise match made in heaven, leaving audiences every night in awe during their 5 week-long run in the city.

Disney’s THE LION KING is already celebrating a record-breaking engagement at The Mahalia Jackson Theater.  By the time the triumphant, five-week Louisiana première engagement concludes on Sunday, April 15, it will have entertained nearly 85,000 people and grossed over $6.5 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing theatrical production in New Orleans history.  It is estimated that by the conclusion, THE LION KING will generate a $22 million economic benefit to the city from travel, hotels, restaurants, parking and other businesses patronized by both theater goers and production staff.

THE LION KING began as a 1994 animated feature-length film developed and produced by the Walt Disney Company.  The story, a coming of age parable set among animals indigenous to its setting, the African savanna, tells the tale of Simba, the lion cub who rises to be the King of the jungle.

The sardonic and deviously cunning “Scar” is played by J. Anthony Crane.  Dionne Randolph is “Mufasa,” the great warrior and ruler of the Pridelands.  Buyi Zama is the wise baboon shaman “Rafiki.” Mark David Kaplan portrays the prim and proper hornbilled bird “Zazu.”  Adam Kozlowski is the carefree warthog “Pumbaa” and Nick Cordileone is the wisecracking meerkat “Timon.”  Mufasa’s son, “Simba,” the lion prince born to be king, is played by Jelani Remy and Syndee Winters is the loyal lioness “Nala.”

My cousin Regineka as we wait for The Lion King to begin!

The three evil hyenas are played by Keith Bennett (“Banzai”), Rashada Dawan (“Shenzi”) and Robbie Swift (“Ed”).  The role of “Young Simba” is alternated between Zavion J. Hilland Adante Power and the role of “Young Nala” is alternated between Sade Phillip-Demorcy and Kailah McFadden.

The talented cast of more than 40 actors includes several local connections. Maurica Roland (Ensemble/Understudy Nala, Shenzi & Sarabi) is a Pensacola, FL native and graduate of the Louisiana State University music education program. Additionally, Amyia Burrell (ensemble) graduated from Sam Houston High School in Lake Charles, and this will be the first time she performs professionally in New Orleans.

If you haven’t seen this great show, you have until Sunday to hopefully get out there and experience Lion King.

The Mahalia Jackson Theater is located in Armstrong Park at 801 N. Rampart Street, New Orleans, Louisiana. Information on the Broadway Across America – New Orleans series and venue policies and accommodations may be obtained online at www.mahaliajacksontheater.com. Group Sales information is available at 504-287-0372. Box Office information is available at504-287-0351.

After working together at the Metairie Country club, Chef Allen and Chef Kyle had a conversation about wings while making soup, and the idea of Bayou Hot Wings evolved.  Being native Louisianan’s they decided there was no place better than New Orleans to open up their wing shop.  The transition from working at a restaurant to owning and running their own hot wings restaurant turned out to be the right move for them.  They said their parents were a, “bit skeptical at first and were like ‘why would you quit’”, but Bayou Hot Wings has quickly risen to the top.  Plus they said that owning their own restaurant is “so much better than working at a restaurant”.

They have strong student support and said, “a lot of Tulane athletes eat at Bayou but students from all over New Orleans come in”.  They also have over 3000 Facebook fans! (Find them on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/BayouHotWings)  Urbanspoon recently voted them as having the best fast food in New Orleans, beating out Raisn’ Canes! (http://www.urbanspoon.com/f/57/5622/New-Orleans/Fast-Food-Places)  As Chef Kyle said “not bad for being open 9 or 10 months”.

Bayou Hot Wings has ten different sauces to choose from, and a few off menu choices too.  Keeping it local, they use Crystal Hot Sauce, and Steen’s Cane Sugar to make their sauces, which they just, “hammered out a few weeks before they opened up Bayou Hot Wings”.  If you’re not a wing person, they also have burgers and sandwiches to choose from. Not only does Bayou Hot Wings have great wings, but they also have frog legs and gator too to, “make it bayou”! They told us that Herbsaint tells people they have the, “Second best alligator in town.  They laughed after they said that and said they were more than ok with that”.

For the real hot sauce lovers, and I mean those people who really love spicy food, Bayou Hot Wings offers the BEAST CHALLENGE.  Chef Allen said that the challenge has an 11% success rate, and everyone cries.  You have five minutes to eat ten wings covered in an extremely spicy hot sauce.  The sauce is so hot that to participate in the beast challenge you first must sign a waiver.  They said, “we made it good and didn’t just dump a ton of ghost chili’s in there”.  They said that there were some videos of people trying the ghost challenge and that there was one “of a guy wearing a camera on his head that was pretty cool”.  Check it out here (http://youtu.be/1t2OTFXy5zQ)

There are some off the menu combinations that are really popular, such as the hot honey mustard, which is money mustard and hot sauce.  They also have a ghost chili sauce, which is smoky and sweet and extremely spicy.  As Chef Allen said it takes you “right to the edge of the cliff”.

They said that they choose New Orleans because they were locals and there was nowhere else to be.  We asked what they loved about New Orleans and they said, “the food, the people and the girls ain’t bad either”.

So next time you find yourself craving wings and wondering, go check out Bayou Hot Wings, and if you are feeling brave try the Beast Challenge!

Find them online at http://www.bayouhotwings.com/

Or on campus menus

The Voodoo Garden Art Market will be held within the House of Blues (225 Decatur Street) on Saturday, April 14 from 11am – 6pm. This event will take place in the heart of the French Quarter during the busy French Quarter Fest weekend, and will feature handcrafted art, jewelry, clothing, accessories and much more, made by members of the New Orleans Craft Mafia along with a variety of specially selected guest artists.

The event is free and open to the public, and will feature live musical performances by The Sarah Quintana Trio featuring James Singleton and Simon Lott, as well as the ukelele stylings of Missy Meatlocker.

ABOUT:
The New Orleans Craft Mafia formed in June 2005 and consists of several independent artists in a variety of media: jewelry, clothing, accessories, bath & body, home decor, and more. The New Orleans Craft Mafia models itself after the original Craft Mafia in Austin, Texas, where a small group of talented ladies joined together to support each other in their crafty business endeavors. Interest grew and Craft Mafias have been popping up all over the world.

http://www.neworleanscraftmafia.com/

New Jazz School, which will be held June 4 – 15 on Newman’s campus, will teach vocals, brass, woodwind, rhythm, bass, guitar, percussion and piano to students in 8^th through 12^th grades. Participants will be chosen through auditions, held on March 24, and the program will be free of charge to the diverse students selected to enroll, thanks to donations from each of the four partners.

“Jazz is foremost a musical language which when spoken by the masters is one of the greatest achievements in our history,” said Donald Harrison, Jr., “I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing program once again.”

New Jazz School is a collaboration between four institutions that are committed to supporting the next generation of New Orleanians and to preserving the city’s culture and heritage. Opening one of the South’s prestigious private schools to the city’s diverse populations, and to some of the city’s most esteemed musicians, should create bonds and relationships that will last far beyond the two weeks of this very special program.

Mr. Harrison will direct and teach the program with assistance from experienced and well-recognized musicians. New Jazz School students will learn traditional jazz, swing, bebop, modal jazz, jazz rock, and hip hop from these contemporary masters. There will also be classes in harmony, technique, reading, ear training, listening, and ensemble. With a professional musician as the director, students will learn what it takes to succeed on a professional level and be shown a career path as musicians and in the music industry.

Mr. Harrison, or “Cool Breeze,” is one of the leading musicians in New Orleans. He has served as the Artistic Director of Tipitina’s Foundation as well as Big Chief of Congo Nation, a Mardi Gras Indian Tribe. In the classic jazz genre, he is the originator of the Nouveau Swing style which merges acoustic swing with modern R&B, second-line, hip-hop, New Orleans African American roots culture, and reggae rhythms. Today the 47-year-old saxophonist is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of these times, yet he remains inextricably tied to his New Orleans home.

The details:

-          The program is open to 8^th through 12^th grades who know major scales and are able to play at least three songs. Owning an instrument is preferred, but is not mandatory.

-          Interested students can submit an application online at: www.newmanschool.org under “Summer  – New Jazz School”

-          Auditions will be held on March, 24, 2012 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Isidore Newman School, 1903 Jefferson Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70115

-          New Jazz School will run from June 4 – 15, Monday through Friday, at Isidore Newman School

Oak Street’s newest sushi restaurant, Chiba, partnered with the Tipitina’s Foundation for its Grand Opening Celebration last Sunday which raised more than $1500 for the
nonprofit.

After the restaurant quietly opened its doors last month, Chiba decided to share its opening celebration with a local charity. The night’s hosts, Proprietors Tiffany King and Keith Dusko, decided that all proceeds from the cash bar would be donated directly to the Tipitina’s Foundation which supports the New Orleans music community. “We wanted to share the night with a local charity that is part of the soul of this city and be able to contribute to a worthy mission such as the Tipitinas Foundation” said Dusko, CEO of Chiba. The bar was stacked with signature cocktails such as the Kappa Crush featuring Don Q Crystal and the Chiba-politan featuring TY KU Soju. Attendees were able to enjoy these exclusive drinks while raising money
for an important cause. A few of the evening’s notable guests included Nancy Romano and Marissa Allweiss from the Tipitina’s Foundation, Clint Nunez from CAIN Construction & Designs, Judy Walker from The Times-Picayune, Daniel Shumacher editor-in-chief of Louisiana Cookin’ Magazine and Councilwoman Susan
Guidry.

Guests sampled Chiba’s specialty rolls including Crescent City, Satsuma Strawberry, and Black and Gold rolls while enjoying music by DJ MC.F. Hors d’oeuvres including octopus ceviche, steamed pork buns, crispy chicken and tempura short ribs were also part of the night’s festivities. All food was freshly prepared by Executive Sous Chef Dennes Weber and Executive Sushi Chef James Cooke based on Executive Chef Steven Ferdinand’s exclusive menu.
About Chiba
New Orleans’ newest sushi restaurant, Chiba is located Uptown on Oak Street and opened to the public last month. Chiba was started by veterans of the sushi scene for the last decade, at the helm of the Manhattan based concept Haru. The proprietors bring their knowledge of Asian cuisine and contemporary dining to one of their favorite city in the world, New Orleans. The goal of Chiba Restaurant is to provide exceptional service in a simple and elegant environment with food that mirrors the atmosphere. The Chiba customer experience should be incredible, one full of wonderment, fun and laughter. For more information, visit: www.chiba-nola.com.

Jobs in technology are in high demand, especially in New Orleans. To help generate interest in technology, New Orleans Tech hosted the second Teen Tech Day on Saturday March 3rd at Delgado Community College. I had the pleasure of participate in Teen Tech Day, which was an amazing experience for everyone involved. Although I missed out on lunch from Theo’s Pizza, I did participate in the closest game of Taboo ever. For those of you who are not familiar with Taboo, the goal is to guess a word without using the word itself or five additional words listed on the card. All the kids had a great deal of passion and tried very hard to win the game. In an incredibly exciting turn of events, the game even went into double over time, but unfortunately my team lost. Kindle Fires were raffled away to members of the winning team.

After the raffle, my group and I watched a great presentation by Jeremy of Jam Creative who fired the kids up about graphic design and producing web sites. Jeremy used Prezi to show off some of his latest work for the New Movement Theater and some of the other web sites he had done for clients in the past. Following that presentation, New Orleans’ chief technology officer Allen Square Jr. spoke inspiringly about his experience in technology and the potential for future growth for prospective technology workers. At a critical point in the talk, Allen told the kids how he had plenty of jobs to give, but not enough people to take them. Much to the surprise of the listeners, he said through immersion in computer skills you can learn what is needed for a job in technology without a formal education.

Even more prizes were given away at the end of Teen Tech Day and the kids got gift bags, which had Teen Tech Day themed goods. I could truly tell that this
event had a positive impact on these kids and definitely encouraged their interest in technology. Technology is growing more important by the year and New Orleans is becoming a technological hot spot; Teen Tech Day surely will inspire kids to seek a career in technology.