JIGGA MAN’S HISTORIC EVENT!

Shawn “Jay Z” Carter sets the stage for HISTORIC evenings at the legendary CARNEGIE HALL. He will headline the first ever hip-hop focused series at Carnegie Hall, in the Stern Auditorium, raising millions for United Way of New York City and the Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation. Performances will be on:

February 6, 2012 at 8pm and
February 7, 2012 at 9:30 pm.

“It’s every artist’s dream to play a venue as legendary as Carnegie Hall”, commented Jay Z. “The fact that I can use the arts and my talent to benefit the education of the next generation of artist, entrepreneurs’, and great thinkers makes for a legendary night. I’m proud to be a part of the continuing work of United Way of New York City and the expanding Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation”.

The mission that night is most important. Poverty has the strongest correlation to dropout rates. New York City has the largest income gap in the U.S., and 30% of children in New York City live in poverty. Along with the statistics that show 39% of our New York City students who enter High School will not graduate on time.

The Shawn Carter Scholarship Foundation (SCSF) was conceived with his Mother Gloria Carter in 2002 and established as a public charity in 2003. The vision and mission is to help individuals facing social-economic hardships further his or her education at institutions of learning. Shawn and his mother kicked off the Foundations efforts by awarding one student with full college tuition in 2003. To date, the foundation provides up to 120 scholarships to students in 50 different states. Since the SCSF inception, over 750 students have received awards totaling over $1.3 million dollars.

Executive Director, Dania Diaz of the SCSF, states “this a very simple mission. Lets give young people who are really struggling in opportunities to live their dreams, go to college and pursue higher education.” “We are delighted to begin what I believe could be a great partnership with United Way and really expand the educational opportunities for many students along the educational pipeline. We are focused on increasing college access; we are focused on increasing opportunities’ for higher education, whether that’s vocational education, at a trade school, at a community college level or a 4-year college. We are looking at all avenues for success and we have been doing that for some time because we know that one third of the low income population will enter college and about one seventh will actually graduate from college. So we’re really looking at support systems throughout the pipelines to make it easier for young people to succeed and to really supports the President’s national call to “to get that lead back.”

United Way New York City is a wonderful organization that has dedicated more than 20 years of hard passionate work. Working with early childhood centers, public schools, families, students and educators to address barriers to success inside and outside of the classroom. Fighting poverty across five boroughs, they have designed and invested in evidence-based programs that help low-income New Yorkers achieve educational success, income stability and good health.

I can’t think of a better way to support our future. Education is the key to success. Whether you can attend this historic event or not look up these Foundations and make a donation, volunteer at your local public school. Encourage your children to study. Our children’s education is so important to our country’s future. Make a difference starting today!

Private ticket packages will go on sale TODAY, Monday December 12, 2011!!!
For more information on these private sales please visit www.unitedwaynyc.org or www.shawncartersf.com

In addition, a limited number of single tickets will be offered to the public on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 11:00am. (EST) For more information on limited single tickets, please visit www.carnegiehall.org as of January 30, 2012.

Jigga Man continues to inspire so many of us, with his music, books and his scholarship foundation. A true artist of our generation and I’m sure will continue be in the next.

Until next time I’m Lily Agosto

My Lifestyle Event - En La Escena

Elixabeth Ortiz interviews Columbian singer Andreas Cepeda. Visit: http://enlaescena.com

Blog of the Virgin Island Fashion Week by Leticia Reyes

Virgin Island Fashion Week Blog

by Leticia Reyes

“Welcome, Virgin Islands Fashion Week Media!!”, read the sign held by Campbell Rey as I excitedly stepped off the plane into the airport resonating with tropical music.  Campbell was our personal escort throughout our stay in sunny St. Thomas the week of October 5th to the 10th. His beaming smile and warm disposition was every indication of the great time that lay ahead!

The beauty of St. Thomas is immediately obvious as we make our way up the winding roads along the many mountains adorning the island. Spectacular views of pristine aqua blue water and lush greenery take our breath away as we point our fingers to the sights, in awe of the island’s magnificence.  Living the constant hustle and bustle of New York City, the clean ocean air invigorated my senses and shot those feel good endorphins throughout my being.  As we continued our ride towards the hotel, we searched for what was familiar.  Although part of the US, St. Thomas’s infrastructure and general appearance is starkly different from any other US city I’ve visited.  What did ring familiar was the presence of certain stores and fast food chains as well as the whopping prices of gas at over $4.50 a gallon.  Before long, we left the downtown area and trekked across the country side of the 36 square mile island to Sugar Bay Resort.

Sugar Bay Resort boasts a 3 ½ star rating and is one of the top places to lodge.  Keryn and Jude provided us with great hospitality and checked us into our room located on the top, or seventh, floor with a stunning balcony view of the ocean and the neighboring island of St. John, which is only a 10 minute ferry ride away. The grounds are kept clean and manicured and there are many activities planned throughout the day to keep things interesting.  Perhaps most unique to the hotel are the presence of iguanas meandering the wet areas.  As they stroll around the pool occasionally stopping to munch on some leaves, they blend into the scenery and spend their time as we do, basking in the hot sun. You can find your fair share of animals, not only on the grounds of Sugar Bay Resort, but additionally within its clear, blue beach water.  The resort lends you free snorkel equipment for your underwater viewing pleasure.  I spent many a late afternoon swimming through reef after reef spotting some of the most unique and colorful fish I’ve seen in quite some time.  There's something very soothing about under water voyeurism and I was particularly happy with this hotel amenity.  The temperature remained steady in the high 80’s to low 90’s with little to no trade winds making a trip to the pool’s waterfalls, and swim up bar, mandatory. With everything the resort had to offer, it was easy to work up a fierce appetite.

Dining options in St. Thomas are plentiful and delightful!  Most notable among them were two restaurants with amazing sunset views.  Banana Tree Grille is located on the grounds of the historic Bluebeard Castle which sits up on a mountainside as you overlook the Charlotte Amalie Harbor from your candlelit table.  On par with the view, the pasta is handmade and delicious and the gorgonzola loaf is to die for! Grande Cru is another upscale restaurant that sits alongside the water of Charlotte Amalie Harbor, located in the charming Yacht Haven Grande area in downtown St. Thomas.  Its evident Executive Chef, Patricia LaCorte, takes great pride in her culinary creations and the service is top notch.  Adding to the experience is their award winning list of cocktails and uniquely crafted martinis.  For a more casual experience, venture to the main town and take a break from the many duty free jewelry shops by lunching at Gladys’ Café.  Gladys will be there tending bar while you are served fresh food native to the island.  If its drinks you are into, you must stop by local tourist spot, Mountain Top at the Highline, to sip on their fresh and best banana daiquiris while overlooking a most precious view of the islands and sea. 

After taking in the many sights and delights of the island, it became very clear that it was the perfect location for a week of beauty and high end fashion! As for the main event, Virgin Islands Fashion Week, or VIFW, kicked off at the newly renovated Marriott Frenchman resort with a fashion showcase honoring the who’s who of the Caribbean fashion scene.  Designers and fashionistas alike travelled from all over the world to get a fresh feel of Caribbean style and flair. VIFW Coordinator, Henry Marsham, made sure to represent a wide array of designers hailing from different tropical locales as well as bringing in the not so subtle influence of Africa.  The event was abuzz with excitement and anticipation of the fashion shows and the models who would grace the runway.  Mr. Marsham also took the time to announce a special Eco-challenge to the designers, in which they compete to see who could come up with the most eco-friendly, fashion forward design.  Environmental consciousness, as well as body consciousness, seemed to be high on the list of priority for many in attendance and certainly for those responsible for and participating in the event.

Various media, fashion lovers and powerful politicians were just a few spotted in the audience when it was time for lights, camera and action! White, flowing long curtains adorned the runway's backdrop as loud, colorful beats pulsated in the space. It was perfect for the likes of stand out 11 year old super model, Diva Divana to grace the cat walk.  Having been trained by Miss Jay of Tyra Banks', America's Next Top Model, the young protégé added an element of elegance and grace.  Another stand out to walk the runway was model search winner, Yulanda Gentle, who rocked every outfit with fierce attitude and incredible poise. The show was complete in its representation and celebration of the female form, as models of all shapes and body sizes took to the catwalk.  Two noteworthy designers were Marcy De Santos, hailing from Guyana and Edna, a designer from Africa. Both designers delivered strongly in concept, but each added a little something to set them apart from the rest.  Marcy's designs used materials that were all hand painted and boasted a beautiful earthy color palette.  Her designs were not only well constructed but also extremely figure conscious.  Edna showed incredible creativity in her safari inspired line and was most closely associated with couture wear.  Her lavish creativity also awarded her first place in the eco-challenge.  VIFW displayed the hottest in everything from bathing suits to casual beach wear to beautiful dresses and accessories to match.  Vocalist Yewande provided the entertainment for the event as she sang in conjunction with some of the designers’ shows. 

In conclusion, VIFW did not disappoint!  The energy in the air, after the event, remained high as politicians and decision makers discussed ideas on how to make next year's event bigger and better than the last! I certainly enjoyed my time and look forward to watching its progress.  A special thank you goes out to Henry Marsham and the Virgin Island Department of Tourism for inviting En La Escena to the show while showing us what a spectacular time could be had in gorgeous St. Thomas - a small island that left this reporter with a BIG impression! :o)

--

Leticia M. Reyes

Television Reporter, Singer, Voice Over

Website: http://www.leticiareyesonline.com

Facebook: facebook/leticia.m.reyes

Twitter: @leticiamreyes

2 Impact NYC takes steps to impact NYC’s Homeless

2 Impact NYC takes steps to impact NYC’s Homeless

WHAT 2 Impact NYC volunteers will be opening up their hearts and a Brooklyn church kitchen to lead a team of 45 volunteers to feed 400 homeless families in the Bed Stuy/Bushwick section of Brooklyn.

HOW 2 Impact NYC’s helping hands will include dedicated volunteers from *Dare2B* and various churches from the 5 borough’s as well as members of the FDNY and NYPD. Together they will serve gourmet meals, provide activities for the children such as face painting, and distribute more than 600 pairs of shoes donated by *Cherished Feet*.

Want to participate? Check out 2 Impact NYC’s wish list.
http://www.wishlistr.com/cookinglive/

WHY Because there is a need in this community. According to the 2006 American Community Survey by the US Census the poverty rate is 43.6% for families with children in Bedford Stuyvesant.

WHERE St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church
Enter through:
790 Willoughby Ave (between Lewis Avenue & Stuyvesant)
Brooklyn, New York 11206-7015

WHEN 11am – 2pm, Nov 24th. Contact: (347) 466-1273

Eddie Palmieri DVD Release - En La Escena

Anthony Austin interviews Latin Jazz Legend Eddie Palmieri at Best Buy, for his first DVD release, then attend his live performance at The Copacabana, in attendance Elizabeth Ortiz of My lifestyle NY and Karina Robleado of En la escena. Stay Tuned! http://enlaescena.com

Occupy Times Square - En La Escena

We were there to gather with thousands of anti-Wall Street protesters rallied in New York's Times Square on Saturday, October 15, 2011 buoyed by a global day of demonstrations in support of their campaign against corporate greed. Interviewed by Talia Castro - Pozo PLUS watch our interviewed with Andres Cepeda from Columbia with our host Elizabeth Ortiz. Stay tuned and visit: http://enlaescena.com

Brazilian Day 2011 - En La Escena

En La Escena celebrated the 27th anniversary this year, of Brazil‘s Independence Day. On Sunday, September 4, at 46th Street, also known as Little Brazil, and 6th Avenue near Times Square in New York. For more visit: http://enlaescena.com