Author Archives: Sonya's Spotlight
← Older postsItaly Excursion – Rome, Sorrento, Positano
August 20, 2023Travel is nothing new for me, but after retiring as a flight attendant and following my passion as a filmmaker, author and content creator, my travels have become more discovery-driven and adventurous. I had never visited Italy and had heard so many great things about it, so when a friend told me, “I’m headed to Italy,” I invited myself and couldn’t have been more fascinated with the beautiful country, the lush mountains, the shopping, the Vatican Museum and the enchanting Mediterranean Sea. The historical monuments in Rome and villages on the Amalfi Coast proved to be more exquisite than I had imagined. Check out a few of my photos below. By Sonya Jenkins
Posted in Travel, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentBeyoncé – RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR -Atlanta
August 16, 2023The RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR in Atlanta was one for the record books – energetic and ecliptic, with hypnotic, action-packed stage energy. On the first night of the Atlanta concert, August 11, the audience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium rarely sat as Beyoncé exceeded expectations with her eye-catching showmanship featuring songs from her latest album, Renaissance, mixed with familiar tunes from previous albums. Queen Bey did what she does best – entertain and mesmerize, with “Dangerously In Love,” “Crazy In Love,” “Alien Superstar,” “Cuff It,” “Love on Top” and more hit songs. The sultry performer’s costumes captured the essence of new age renaissance and dynamic style. Blu Ivy, the 11-year-old daughter of Jay-Z and Beyoncé further captivated the audience with her dance moves, garnering some of the loudest cheers from the audience to “My Power.” Atlanta showed why the nickname Hotlanta is simply befitting. The capacity crowd, mostly dressed in silver, came in with fervor, fashion and passion to welcome Beyoncé at a fever pitch for the first of three nights of her widely-lauded RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR. Beyoncé added even more brightness to Atlanta in a design by Gaurav Gupta, styled by Shiona Turini. Makeup by Rokael Lizama. Hair by Neal Farinah and jewelry by Tiffany & Co. Shoes by Christian Louboutin. Photographer: Julian Dakdouk Photos Below by Sonya Jenkins.
Posted in Atlanta Scene, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentLIL WAYNE PERFORMS A SPECIAL SPORTS THEMED VERSION OF “A MILLI” AT THE ESPY AWARDS
July 14, 2023LIL WAYNE SHUTS DOWN THE ESPY AWARDS WITH A SPECIAL SPORTS THEMED RENDITION OF HIS HIT SONG, “A MILLI”!SEE FULL PERFORMANCE HERE. SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE. Hip Hop’s most influential rapper Lil Wayne opens the 31st Annual ESPY Awards with a performance of his hit track, “A Milli” that included a sporty twist last night in Los Angeles. He spent the evening hanging out backstage with athletes and celebrities such as Angel Reese, 2 Chainz, Quavo and more. He later introduced WNBA legend Sue Bird to the podium and showed up wearing a mamba mentality sweater with LSU hat supporting women in sports. See more photos from the spectacular night HERE. About Lil Wayne & Young Money Entertainment:Lil Wayne rewrote the entire game in his image. The five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning multi-platinum rap icon, Young Money Entertainment founder, acclaimed author, pro skater, philanthropist, and history-making superstar continues to leave an indelible tattoo on the culture. He has cemented his legacy forever as “one of the best-selling artists of all time,” tallying sales in excess of 100 million records worldwide with 25 million albums and 90 million digital tracks sold in the United States alone. In 2022, Wayne earned his first Diamond certification from the RIAA with his generational smash hit “Lollipop” feat. Static Major. Not to mention, he has garnered 26 BET Awards, 4 Billboard Music Awards, 7 MTV Awards, 4 Soul Train Awards and 8 BMI Awards, as well as recently received the Global Impact Award at The Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective. Among many milestones, he emerged as “the first artist to surpass Elvis Presley with the most entries on the Billboard Hot 100” and has logged a staggering 183 entries – the 3rd most of all time. With a discography highlighted by five career spanning #1 …
Posted in Spotlight, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentMission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One in Theaters Now
July 12, 2023SYNOPSIS In Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team embark on their most dangerous mission yet: To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands. With control of the future and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most. DIRECTED BY Christopher McQuarrie WRITTEN BY Christopher McQuarrie & Erik Jendresen BASED ON THE TELEVISION SERIES CREATED BY Bruce Geller PRODUCED BY Tom Cruise, Christopher McQuarrie EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Tommy Gormley, Chris Brock, Susan E. Novick STARRING Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Frederick Schmidt, Cary Elwes, Mark Gatiss, Indira Varma, Rob Delaney
Posted in Cinema | Leave a commentBOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE IN THEATERS JANUARY 12, 2024
July 7, 2023SYNOPSIS: BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity. On the big screen for the first time, discover Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music. Produced in partnership with the Marley family and starring Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary musician and Lashana Lynch as his wife Rita, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE is in theatres January 12, Paramount Pictures Presents A Plan B Entertainment / State Street Pictures / Tuff Gong Production “BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE” Executive Producers Richard Hewitt, Orly Marley, Matt Solodky Produced by Robert Teitel, Brad Pitt, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner, Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, Cedella Marley Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashana Lynch, James Norton, Tosin Cole, Anthony Welsh, Michael Gandolfini, Umi Myers, Nadine Marshall CREDITS ARE NOT FINAL AND ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE “Bob Marley: One Love ” has not yet been rated. OneLoveMovie.com #BobMarleyMovie #OneLoveMovie TikTok | Instagram| Facebook| Twitter
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentTHE 2023 ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE™ PRESENTED BY COCA-COLA®
June 30, 2023HIGHLIGHTS UPLOADING – CHECK BACK LATER Day two of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola® served attendees with unforgettable experiences from the debut of AFROPUNK BLKTOPIA™ and Beautycon: ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ Edition, to various impactful conversations on the Global Black Economic Forum™ Headquarters Stage. For the first time in the nearly three-decade relationship between the ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola® and the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, the event took over the entire Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Day two of 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola® wrapped with incredible nighttime performances by headliner Ms. Lauryn Hill alongside Doug E. Fresh, Juvenile, Janelle Monae and more. ______________________________________________________________________________ DAY 1 THE 29TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL KICKED OFF HIP-HOP 50 CELEBRATIONS WITH ESSENCE VENTURES EXECUTIVES, REMARKS FROM VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS AT THE GLOBAL BLACK ECONOMIC FORUM™, AND THE FIRST-EVER AFROPUNK KREWE BALL New Orleans, Louisiana — June 29, 2023 — Day One of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ presented by Coca-Cola® kicked off in its forever home of New Orleans. Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans and ESSENCE Ventures President & CEO Caroline Wanga and the executive leadership team, kicked off this year’s festival with the annual press conference, starting the weekend celebrations with opening remarks highlighting the yearly economic impact of the ESSENCE Festival of Culture™ on the local New Orleans community. Celebrations continued throughout the day with the Global Black Economic Forum™, which featured an invite-only Access and Opportunity Summit at the Four Seasons, where members of The Biden-Harris Administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, and Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Michael S. Regan, took part in discussions on issues ranging from the evolution of philanthropy to addressing inequity on corporate boards. The Summit engaged audiences on conversations around advancing equity and opportunity for Black communities across the country with history-making Black trailblazers, …
Posted in 2023 ESSENCE FESTIVAL OF CULTURE™, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentKEYSHIA COLE: THIS IS MY STORY PREMIERED ON LIFETIME JUNE 24
June 24, 2023Multiple Grammy® award nominee Keyshia Cole (Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is) executive produced and made her acting debut, playing herself, in a new Lifetime biopic following her early days in Oakland honing her musical talents to her rise to a multi-platinum selling recording artist and television personality, to her complicated yet warmhearted relationship with her mother Frankie Lons played by Debbi Morgan (All My Children). The biopic premiered Saturday, June 24 as part of Lifetime’s celebration of Black Music Month. Keyshia Cole: This is My Story is directed by D’Angela Proctor (Line Sisters) and Manu Boyer (Girl in the Basement) and features a new song recorded by the singer/songwriter titled Forever is a Thing. Ron Fair, Keyshia Cole’s long standing A&R and music collaborator supervised the music and Grammy Award winner Warryn Campbell composed the original score. Keyshia Cole: This is My Story is produced for Lifetime by Swirl Films and Big Dreams. Executive producers are Eric Tomosunas, Leslie Greif, D’Angela Proctor and Keyshia Cole. Co-Executive Producer is Ron Fair. D’Angela Proctor and Manu Boyer direct from a script written by Angelica Cheri.
Posted in R&B Pop Culture, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentMISSY ELLIOTT, SWV, JEFFREY OSBORNE, EVELYN “CHAMPAGNE” KING AND THE HAWKINS FAMILY HONORED AT 8TH ANNUAL BLACK MUSIC HONORS
May 23, 2023Missy Elliott – Honoree ROBIN THICKE PERFORMS IN SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO BOBBY CALDWELL HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED SHOW DEBUT DURING BLACK MUSIC MONTH! TUNE IN TO THE STELLAR NETWORK ON JUNE 3, WATCH THE NATIONAL BROADCAST IN SYNDICATIONFROM JUNE 10 TO JULY 2;AND A SPECIAL JUNETEENTH AIRING ON BOUNCE TV JUNE 19 SWV – HonoreeJeffrey Osborne – HonoreeEvelyn “Champagne” King – HonoreeLeToya Luckett – HostTramaine Hawkins – HonoreeDeRay Davis – HostLil’ Mo – PerformerAnthony Hamilton – PerformerJacquees – PerformerQueen Naija – PerformerSevyn Streeter – PerformerKenny Lattimore – PerformerTweet – PerformerRobin Thicke – PerformerTina Campbell – PerformerRaheem DeVaughn – PerformerDavid Banner – PerformerNicole Wray – PerformerSheléa – PerformerKelontae Gavin – PerformerQuad Webb – GuestKash Doll – GuestDr. Teresa Hairston & Don Jackson, Founder & Executive Producer The 8th Black Music Honors, was a night of unparalleled glamor and style, held at The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, GA. The Black Music Honors is an annual event that celebrates the illustrious achievements and exceptional contributions of urban music. The 8th annual Black Music Honors premieres on The Stellar Network on June 3, followed by national broadcast syndication from June 10 to July 2; and a special airing on Bounce TV on June 19. The evening was a celebration of music legends and their incredible contributions to the American music landscape. Jeffrey Osborne received the prestigious Legends Award, while Evelyn “Champagne” King was honored as the R&B Music Icon and gospel trailblazers The Hawkins Family received the Gospel Music Icon. The GRAMMY-nominated group SWV was recognized as the Urban Music Icon, and the multi-GRAMY Award Winner Missy Elliot was crowned the Music Innovator Icon. The late Bobby Caldwell was also given a heartfelt tribute, commemorating his remarkable 25-year career. The stage came alive with unforgettable tribute performances by an array of extraordinary artists. From the soul-stirring vocals of Anthony Hamilton feat. The Ton3s to the electrifying presence of LaTocha Scott of Xscape, and the captivating performances by Queen Naija, Elle Varner, Sheléa, Tina Campbell, Beverly Crawford, Kelontae Gavin, Zacardi Cortez, Raheem DeVaughn, Kenny Lattimore, Robin Thicke, Tweet, …
Posted in R&B Pop Culture, In The Spotlight | Leave a commentThe Little Mermaid In Theaters May 26
May 13, 2023“The Little Mermaid” is the beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea and, while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy. The film stars singer and actress Halle Bailey (“grown-ish”) as Ariel; Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Prince Eric; Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton”) as the voice of Sebastian; Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle; Jacob Tremblay (“Luca”) as the voice of Flounder; Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns”) as Queen Selina; Art Malik (“Homeland”) as Sir Grimsby; with Oscar® winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men”) as King Triton; and two-time Academy Award® nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”) as Ursula. “The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar® nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”) with a screenplay by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”). The songs feature music from multiple Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”) and lyrics by Howard Ashman, and new lyrics by three-time Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda. The film is produced by two-time Emmy® winner Marc Platt (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “Grease Live!”), Miranda, two-time Emmy winner John DeLuca (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), and Rob Marshall, with Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”) serving as executive producer. Hashtag: #TheLittleMermaid Twitter: https://twitter.com/littlemermaid Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyTheLit… Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/disneylittl…
Posted in Movie News | Leave a commentFAST X In Theaters 05/19/2023
May 13, 2023The end of the road begins. Fast X, the tenth film in the Fast & Furious Saga, launches the final chapters of one of cinema’s most storied and popular global franchises, now in its third decade and still going strong with the same core cast and characters as when it began. Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fueled by blood revenge, and who is determined to shatter this family and destroy everything—and everyone—that Dom loves, forever. In 2011’s Fast Five, Dom and his crew took out nefarious Brazilian drug kingpin Hernan Reyes and decapitated his empire on a bridge in Rio De Janeiro. What they didn’t know was that Reyes’ son, Dante (Aquaman’s Jason Momoa), witnessed it all and has spent the last 12 years masterminding a plan to make Dom pay the ultimate price. Dante’s plot will scatter Dom’s family from Los Angeles to the catacombs of Rome, from Brazil to London and from Portugal to Antarctica. New allies will be forged and old enemies will resurface. But everything changes when Dom discovers that his own 8-year-old son (Leo Abelo Perry, Black-ish) is the ultimate target of Dante’s vengeance. Directed by Louis Leterrier (Clash of the Titans, The Incredible Hulk), Fast X stars returning cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena and Scott Eastwood, with Oscar® winner Helen Mirren and Oscar® winner Charlize Theron. The film also features an extraordinary new cast including Oscar® winner Brie Larson as Tess, a rogue representative from the Agency; Alan Richtson (Reacher) …
Posted in Cinema | Leave a comment ← Older posts
