Hi,
On July 18th, a truly temperate Friday night, EMM's The Estate held one of the premiere performance events of the weekend--VH1's Save the Music Foundation Summer of Soul Concert 2008. Celeb guests and host committee members that included the legendary Aretha Franklin, Singer/Songwriter Tamia and NBA Superstar Grant Hill, Joyce Varvatos, Actor Robert Iler and others, all joined hundreds of attendees for the charitable cause.
The evening opened with Solange Knowles belting out her latest, emitting that 70's retro vibe. The sounds resonated up to the balcony of the huge estate where VIP guests and members of the press enjoyed every moment. The highlight to Ms. Knowles performance was her easy going rendition of Bjork's It's Oh So Quiet, a perfect complement to her sultry voice, and new mélange of material.
Celeb DJ Sky Nellor patiently waited between sets to work her magic on the decks. VIPS such as Russell Simmons and Porschla Coleman, Actress Journee Smollett, and others enjoyed the smooth sounds of Grammy Award Winning, multi-platinum singer, and chart-topping songwriter Ne-Yo (see photo above left)-- who kicked things off with Just Can't Stop, and before we knew it Sexy Love, then before we completely lost track we consulted Def Jam Sales Coordinator Michelle Bell who caught us up to speed. The performance was electrifying and watching over the crowd which surrounded the huge lighted pool, it was suffice to say they enjoyed every moment of it.
Before long the Grey Goose specialty cocktails which flowed like water throughout the evening had come to an end and guests received a luxury gift bag from the event's sponsors. VH1 Foundation Executive Director/VP Paul Cochran noted "this event marks a wonderful step forward for the VH1 Save the Music Foundation as we were able to achieve our goal of $200,000. Music making develops creativity, self-expression, discipline, and focus, which carry over into other subjects. These skills are also crucial if our nation is to maintain its rich tradition of innovation. While this is a great step towards insuring our children's future, there is still more work to be done.
*photos by The Quest for "it"
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