Island Queen TV - Episode #5

It’s that time! Another episode of “Island Queen TV”…  On this edition of the webseries you will get to go back in time to Island Queen 2009. See what those models took away during their experience and catch up on episodes three and four.

Just this past weekend, Barbados celebrated the first round of the big event. We’ll update you on all the happenings shortly… Next weekend the second round of eliminations will begin. On the following weekend, the big finale which will feature music by Black Chiney, hosting by Angela Yee, and media sponsorship by AllHipHop.com goes down at the beautiful boathouse in Bridgetown, Barbados.

There is still time! Get.Your.Ticket.Now!!

Barbados’ Island Queen TV

This June, the third annual Island Queen competition produced by The Innoventive Group on the breathtaking shores of Barbados will be the biggest in the marquee event’s history. In an unprecedented move, Island Queen- the franchise - has launched a reality show web series and a partnership with the preeminent hip-hop culture and lifestyle website, AllHipHop.com. Both magnetic, moving and shaking, trendsetting entities will work together to showcase and promote the inaugural web televised branding of the competition, under the banner, Island Queen TV. Check out episodes one and two below.

“Push” to “Precious” Movie Trailer

I hated this book. I mean projectile vomitting, uber disgusted, knee jerk angst reaction to the story. I don’t even know how I came upon it some 10, 12 years ago, but I got my hands on it and felt it to be the dirtiest, evilest, most vile piece of work I’d ever read.

Part of the reason for my uncontrollable disdain for Push was a) I couldn’t didn’t want to believe a story like this could happen or even be dreamt up, b) if it could happen, it certainly wouldn’t be written about, and c) it was, strangely enough, embarrassing for this brown girl who normally doesn’t allow herself to feel responsible  or represented by the acts of others of the same race… But this tale of an unhealthy, overweight, depressed young woman, pregnant by her father and abused by her mother hit a very low note. And maybe that was what it was supposed to do. But I did not appreciate the  provocation. So maybe I’m just too terrified of mothers who don’t protect their young. Or maybe I’m fearful of demented, psychopathic men who can’t differentiate between their offspring and a hooker. Call me crazy… scared.

And then a film production was announced. And Lee Daniels (producer of Monster’s Ball - another film that left me feeling icky and sickly all over) was helming the lens for this one. Ugh. I thought. And then more news - Oprah and Tyler Perry were involved. Eyebrow raises. And then the award and rave reviews from the Sundance Film Festival. Wow. Fence balancing. Still.

Well now, what was titled Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire has become Precious (after the protagonist) and Mariah Carey, Mo’Nique and Lenny Kravitz are all lending their acting talents to the film. The trailer (below) was just recently released and the movie opens on November 6, 2009.

“The Office”’s Mindy Kaling - Caching!

I’ve been waiting for this moment. Her uncanny ability to show exactly what a woman should not do to a man she’s interested in and the sheer talent with which she plays her disillusioned and often desperate character completely warrants her own show! So NBC has signed “The Office”’s Mindy Kaling to a two-year, seven-figure overall deal.

The agreement allows Kaling to still write and appear in “The Office” for next season while developing a new series where she will star. Kaling is mulling over different development ideas such as another workplace comedy to a buddy sitcom.

Move Over Diana, Ashanti’s Got a Toto, too!

Ashanti has been chosen to reprise the role of Dorothy in the upcoming NY City Center production of “The Wiz”.  Following in the red sequinned footsteps of Diana Ross and Stephanie Mills, Ashanti will hit the stage in her first theatre production.

“The Wiz” is the 1974 rock and soul musical based on L. Frank Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” story about Dorothy and her adventures in Oz which won seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Choreography.

The production begins previews on June 5th and goes through to July5th. Wonder if Nelly will play Mean Ole Lion or the Tin Man?

Check out the NY City Center for dates and to purchase tickets.

Estelle & Amy Off to St. Lucia!

Amy Winehouse and Estelle were recently added to a stellar line-up of musical giants including Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, James Ingram and Bebe Winans to perform at this year’s annual St. Lucia Jazz Festival. The event is slated to take place from May 2nd to May 10th.

On Thursday, May 7, Lucian jazz fest fans will be treated to a  very special performance by the Wailers and the Grammy Award winning African songstress from Benin Angelique Kidjo.

With such an impressive line-up, the Jazz Fest committee is looking to recoup even in a recession.

Solange: Reality Show, Op Ad & Safe Sex

Tweety bird (or rather Twitterholic), Solange Knowles has a lot going on lately. The mother and songbird announced that she’s working with television producer extraordinaire Mara Brock Akil (”Girlfriends”, “The Game”) on a reality show about her life. We imagine a visual depiction of her tweets that often detail her life of luxury leisure, field trips with her son, late night studio sessions with Estelle, and performance rehearsals.

This new reality show announcement which was heard during Solange’s promotion of MTV’s Say Yes to Safe Sex event on Tuesday, follows Solo’s rebuttal of the rumor regarding her getting dropped from Geffen Records.

Solange has also scored an advertising campaign deal with Op which places her alongside Sophia Bush, Joel Madden, and Bow Wow, and Brody Jenner for the Op line. Mama better work!

For Colored Girls… To Hit Big Screen!

Congratulations is due to Martini Pink Princess Nzingha Stewart! The music video director turned big movie maker has had the rights to her screenplay adaptation of the classic stage play “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” acquired. The play, written by award winning poet and author Ntozake Shange, is slated to hit the silver screen in 2010.

Lionsgate announced that they have acquired the worldwide distribution rights this past Wednesday. Martini Pink spoke exclusively with Ms. Stewart about the importance of a movie of this caliber being made at this day and age.

“Any time a black movie is made, it is important. Somebody had to jump into a cold glass of hellfire and tap dance through a million meetings with executives saying ‘but black movies don’t do well internationally.’ So when one does make it through the ring of fire, for the love of God go see it,” Nzingha offered. Opening night, we’re there!

Previously a director for music videos, Nzingha has been working diligently on this movie project for the last couple of years while residing in Los Angeles. “I’m making this movie about us because we have been forgotten by our country, our men, ourselves. We’re dying of AIDS faster in the South Bronx, Atlanta, and Baltimore than in some parts of Africa and yet every night on the evening news they talk about Mexico and ignore the epidemic killing us right in our own country.”

Taking on such a intellectually and emotionally heavy play and turning it into a screen gem has been no small feat for Nzingha but it is the social climate that has helped to push this project. “The second Obama became President (God Bless him) in a way it silenced us even more. ‘Y’all got a black president now, so just shut up all that complaining about everything else.’ And we don’t say that we are hurt and we dont raise the roof on the fact that we are literally, emotionally, and spiritually dying and we’re lonely and our kids are struggling and our mothers are sick. And we don’t even know where God is anymore - hence the final and beautiful line of the play, “I found God in myself…”

As to why this particular play, Nzingha says, “The firstplay in the poem the character says “Sing a black girls song”… so on a personal level I’m making this movie to do just that.

Prior to For Colored…, Nzingha directed videos for Common, Joss Stone, Jagged Edge, Eve, and Bilal among many others. We’ll keep you posted on a theatrical release date.

Jill Scott: The No. 1 Lady Detective

The long talked about HBO drama “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” will hit the small screen on March 29 at 8:00pm. The seven episode drama series is based on the novels by Alexander McCall Smith and features singer extraordinaire Jill Scott portraying heroine Precious Ramotswe,  the wise founder of the only female-owned detective agency in Botswana and Dreamgirls actress Anika Nina Rose as Mma Makutsi. The trailer below shows a sneak peak at the series which in our opinion looks to be quite entertaining.

Miss Piggy’s Darling “Diva Code”

You’d be quite surprised at what you can learn from a pig. And I’m not talking about how to stay cool in the heat. Take this relationship tidbit for instance:

He doesn’t hug, cuddle, coo…etc -Some men and frogs have physical intimacy issues that make it difficult for them to show affection. What Vous Need to Do: Help him work through these issues, but not by exploring deep-seated psychological reasons why he feels this way; get him in a headlock.

Or what about this one on being a working girl (eh-hem, not that kind of working girl):

Career Tip #3 Job vs Career - People who work to live have a “job.” People who live to work have a “career.” People who have people to do all the work have it made for them.

Or for that pesky little issue known as age:

Moi on Aging - Like a bottle of wine, a woman’s appearance improves with age. Hmm, come to think of it, a woman’s appearance also improves with a bottle of wine.

Whether it is notes on beefing up your own celebrity, dealing with difficult relationships, knowing how to properly treat people at work, or defining dating in this day and age, the wonderfully fabulous and darling muppet of our youth has got you covered in her new book “THE DIVA CODE: Miss Piggy on Life, Love, and the 10,000 IdioticThings Men Frogs Do”.

A laughable, enjoyable and quick read, this 126 page book is made up of Miss Piggy’s very clear thoughts, opinions, and advice on life. More than just a bundle of great quotes to share at a martini soiree, “The Diva Code…” is a cute twist on the gifts of wisdom we may be used to receiving. Who wouldn’t accept a great point of view from the pink pig who joined the Muppets in 1976 as a member of the chorus line? Clearly she’s got history and refinement. And on top of it all she’s managed to keep Kermie close to her side all these years, so obviously this multi-lingual puppet knows what the heck she’s talking about.

A great indulgence for the diva in you and your fabulous friends, the Hyperion Books published Miss Piggy’s “THE DIVA CODE: Miss Piggy on Life, Love, and the 10,000 Idiotic Things Men Frogs Do” is available at most bookstores as well as online.

Photo Credit: The Muppets Studio, LLC (c)
Cover Image Credit: Hyperion

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