Top Ten Essence Festival Moments

"This was the best Essence Festival ever!"

We say it every year.  Who are we?  We are the hundreds of thousands who flock to the City of New Orleans each year for Fourth of July weekend.  We travel from all over the country to join one another for an abundance of community outreach events, creole cuisine, day parties, empowerment seminars, health fairs and concerts known as the Essence Festival.

It was my fifth Essence Festival and I was proud of it.  This year, I had the privilege of meeting a few Essence Fest veterans who'd attended the festival since it's inception 20 years ago. I relished in the stories of Prince's first Essence Fest appearance in 2004, exactly ten years ago to the day.  It made me wonder, "How would I describe Essence Fest to those who have yet to attend?"  A "Party with a Purpose" where days are spent meeting your favorite celebrities at the Ernest E. Morial Convention Center followed by dancing alongside those same celebrities that night at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome?  The task seems daunting.  Nevertheless, here are my top ten Essence Festival moments of 2014.

1.  Prince
To those who failed to make it to the Superdome before 10:30 p.m. on July 4th, may you find peace within. By then, Prince had already graced the stage for two amplifying performances with Janelle Monáe and Nile Rodgers and Chic. Upon taking the stage for his own set, he gifted us in the form of a collaboration with Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and Lianne La Havas.  All day, there'd been speculation as to whether or not Prince would perform any old hits. He and 3RDEYEGIRL silenced the noise with two hours of every song you've ever wanted to hear him sing.  Now I know why they call him Prince.

2.  Doug E. Fresh
Doug E. Fresh showed us what true disc jockeys are capable of.  He proudly displayed the ones and twos.  He taught us how to do the "Dougie" and had the entire Superdome on it's feet.  The Human Beat Box turned the show into a house party in Harlem.  One thing still remains a mystery. How does he stay so youthful?

3.  Mary J. Blige
After 13 Mary J. Blige concerts, you'd think I'd be able to explain what draws me to Mary.  Is it her soulful voice?  The honesty in her testimony?  Maybe it's her iconic fashion and unique style. Perhaps it's because even though we're no longer singing about wanting to "Be Happy," I can still identify with the pain. There's something about a Mary J. concert that makes you feel as though you're sitting on the front pew in church and the Pastor's sermon is speaking directly to you.  It's no wonder that throughout the night, you could hear shouts of "Preach Mary!"

4.  Jill Scott
When Jill Scott took the stage, the Superdome exploded.  My first thought was "Oh, hell....the naturalistas are about to riot."  You couldn't deny it.  Jill looked great.  In a way unlike any I'd seen on her before.  Before the dust could settle, the seductive songstress declared "Don't let this hat taint your image of me." Case closed.  Go head Jill!

5.  Charlie Wilson
Charlie Wilson was born to do this.  I'd witnessed "Uncle Charlie" perform before, but only this time did I take note that his shows are a masterful execution of uptempo, slow tempo, and praise and worship songs.  He destroys the stage every time.  Nothing could have prepared me for his transformation into a Reggae Rapper.  Is there anything this man can't do?

6.  The Roots
The Roots brought Hip Hop back with the most diverse performance of the festival.  With guest appearances by Biz Markie, Common, Naughty by Nature, and Nelly, it was rap delight after rap delight.  Just when you decided to take your seat, The Roots and Biz Markie serenade the crowd with a rendition of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly's "Before I Let Go."  For a brief moment, we were transported back to a time when Maze featuring Frankie Beverly closed Essence Fest.  Pure nostalgia.

7.  Steve Harvey and Lisa Nichols
I stumbled upon the seminar by accident.  Five minutes in, I found myself thinking "I was not planning on crying today."  Tears flowed as Lisa Nichols shared her story of struggle and triumph alongside Steve Harvey during the "Act Like A Success" Empowerment Seminar.  Steve balanced the room with comical tales of his own trials and resulting faith.  I left the seminar confident in a recent leap I'd decided to take.  I guess it was no accident after all.  

8.  Roland Martin
If you don't run into Roland Martin at least twice during Essence Festival, you're obviously spending too much time at the hotel.   In addition to being an unrelenting journalist and well respected voice in the community, he's also the cool cousin that you see every year at the family reunion. Whether he's interviewing James Fortune at the Convention Center or getting the electric slide started at the Superdome, Roland makes it a point to mix and mingle.  

9.  The Coca-Cola Company and The McDonald's Corporation
Marketing.  Not everyone is good at it.  A select few are great at it.  The Coca-Cola Company and The McDonald's Corporation have mastered it.  Each year during Essence Festival, the two corporations take multicultural marketing to the next level.  They've studied and connected with the Essence Festival target audience and the end result is simply remarkable.

10.  Hall of Fame        
For the 20th Anniversary, a special Hall of Fame exhibit was displayed at the Convention Center spotlighting notable members of the Essence Festival Family. My favorite Hall of Famer is the 44th President of the United States who made his first Essence Festival appearance in 2007 as Senator Barack Obama.

If at this point you've resolved to spend Fourth of July 2015 at Essence Festival in New Orleans, my work here is done.  Happy 20th Anniversary Essence Festival!

   

Tapas Tour | Mercado de San Miguel

We arrived one by one at the meeting point, Puerta del Sol.  Four friends and I. The night was young. The plan was simple.  Head to dinner at one of the hundreds of fabulous restaurants in the La Latina neighborhood on Calle Cava Baja.  In need of spirits, one of our own suggests that we stop for a pre-dinner drink at this cool market along the way.  Three hours later, we were still there.

Immediately upon entering Mercado de San Miguel, we order a bottle of Rioja wine from a vendor.  After the customary toast, we began to browse the market. Somehow, calling it a market seems grossly inadequate.

It was packed.  I mean, really packed!  My first thought was "I can't believe I've been in Madrid for six days and this is my first time here."

And no wonder.  Everywhere you turned there were fresh, unbelievably mouthwatering tapas.  Many of which were only one euro.  I made a beeline for the smoked salmon. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive.  Coming from the states, often times inexpensive equals low quality.  So was not the case at Mercado de San Miguel.

Stuffed with the freshest of lox, we came upon a stand selling what I thought were desserts.  I quickly learned that it was actually burrata, a soft Italian cheese consisting of mozzarella and cream, giving it the appearance of whipped cream. The cheese lover in me danced after one spoonful of burrata.

Then, there were the olives.  Huge olives served in a million ways.  I still think about the olives to this day.

Just as we finished the bottle of Rioja, we come across a vendor serving sangrias. Up until this point, I hadn't encountered many restaurants or bars promoting what's considered to be the typical Spanish drink.  Having been in Spain for two weeks, this would be my first sangria in Madrid.  Time for toast number two.

Refusing to end the night without dessert, we trolled the market for churros y chocolate. What a warm, rich way to end the evening.  On three...ready, set, dip!

In case you were wondering, we never made it Calle Cava Baja that night.  And guess what?  We didn't regret it one bit!  If you plan on visiting Madrid, Mercado de San Miguel should be at the top of your to do list.  Be forewarned, this is only a small sampling of what you'll find.  There were numerous vendors serving artisan breads, cheeses, empanadas, paella, pizzas, and fresh seafood. Don't expect to be able get a taste of all the offerings in one visit.  The selection is so vast that you'll have to go back time and time again.  ¡Buen Provecho!

Paris | The Layover

“Señora, hay una huelga.” 

My heart sank as I eavesdropped on the conversation between the woman in front of me and the Air France agent.  This was like a recurring bad dream.  I’d become all too familiar with the word "huelga" due to my time spent in Barcelona.  Unfortunately, it was back to haunt me. 

Huelga is Spanish for strike.  As luck would have it, The French Air Traffic Control was in the midst of an industrial dispute.  In a nutshell, my flight departing Madrid Barajas Airport would not be arriving in Paris at noon as originally scheduled.  It was delayed two hours.  In any other circumstance, two hours would be considered minor.  Except for one thing…I was only in Paris for 23 hours. 

A strike meant that every hour spent in Madrid was an hour less to be spent in Paris.  I mentally did the calculations.  By the time I claim my baggage, take the train into the city, check into my hotel, and grab a bite to eat, I would have three daylight hours left.  This is how the day unfolded…

I checked into Hotel Excelsior, a fabulous boutique hotel located in the 5^th Arrondissement.  I didn't know it at the time, but the bed would be Heaven sent at the end of the night.  I dropped my bags off and refueled at a café along the way. 

The hotel was in a prime location in The Latin Quarter, less than a block away from Luxembourg Garden.  

A few blocks away from Luxembourg was The Pantheón.  I wasn’t pressed to go inside, so I settled for a photo of the outside and continued to wander. 

It was time to head to the Eiffel Tower.  I took the wrong train.  Twice.  Having just mastered the Madrid metro system, this was a blow to my traveler ego.  Not only that, I’d lost valuable daylight hours.  It was now dark.  I would have to break my solo travel rule of never wandering alone at night.   Forty-five minutes later, I arrived at Tour Eiffel.  She was everything I expected her to be and more.

From there, I crossed the River Seine, headed north on Avenue George V and turned left onto Champs Élyseés in search of the main reason I came to Paris.  

As a lover of monuments and triumphal arches, seeing the Arc de Triomphe definitely made all the agitation, irritation, and frustration worth it.  

Would I do it again?  Absolutely!  I wouldn't change my decision for the world. But, would I recommend short layovers for first time visitors to Paris?  Nope! Learn from my adventure. Give yourself at least two days in Paris on your first visit.  That way, when you encounter things like strikes, out of date maps, and metro stations that close early, you'll always have tomorrow.  

Have you experienced Paris in a day?  If so, I'd love to hear from you!   

In Search of Solitude: Hilton Head Island

I was tired.  Tired of people, politics, traffic, and reality TV.  To be honest, I was tired of me.  So, I set out in search of a place that would take me away and yet bring me back.  A place that would revive and restore.  The ocean was a requirement for it’s obvious calming effects, minus the spring break crowd.  I had no interest in beach parties or bonfires.  Based on those criteria alone, Florida and the Gulf Coast were out.  I could fly to the Caribbean or California, but the airfares resembled those of European destinations.  At that point, I did what anyone else would do; I asked around.  Three friends, two coworkers, and one cousin later, I’d chosen my destination.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  A short, five hour drive from Atlanta.  The route would lead me through my hometown where I would take advantage of an overnight stay with family.  Three hours after leaving Macon the next morning, I cruised into mainland Hilton Head.  After another 20 minutes, I arrived on the island.  The vibe changed instantly.

Racing from one stop light to the next was a thing of the past.  Highways and toll roads gave way to roundabouts.  Cars were outnumbered by bikes.  Never in my life had I seen a place where there were more bicycles than vehicles.

Signs seemed to lower and lamp posts were hidden by southern live oak trees covered in Spanish moss.  It was downright whimsical and the closest I'd ever been to experiencing a fairy tale.    

 

I’d booked a three day, two night stay at The Beach House.  Appropriately titled for it's direct access to the beach, the location was prime.  With a hotel staff so extremely accommodating, my guess is that they'd welcomed their share of solo travelers.

Remember those rowdy spring breakers I was trying to avoid?  Mission accomplished.  Coligny Beach bustled with solace seeking individuals of all ages just like me.  A beach where counting dolphins, watching seagulls, and flying kites is preferred over banana boats and bumpin’ and grindin’.

    

As if the walks along the beach weren’t relaxing enough, I scheduled a service at popular day spa, The Art of Massage. Upon entering the spa, I was greeted by a vibrant, yet calming mural.  It beckoned and reassured me that I would be restored to my old self.  After a 60 minute relaxation massage, my Hilton Head experience quickly reached euphoria status.  

In need of a little retail therapy, I headed over to Coligny Plaza.  A short walk from Coligny Beach, here you'll find specialty shoppes, souvenir booths, restaurants, and a theatre showing independent films.

The true measure of any beach destination is the quality of seafood.  Many of the restaurants on the island have their own boat, allowing the fisherman to serve fresh, local catch every day.  From fried shrimp to fish tacos, I can attest that Hilton Head is a seafood lover’s paradise.

What sets Hilton Head apart is the balance between beach and green space. Known for its lush golf courses and pedestrian friendly parks, the town is committed to maintaining it's natural beauty (and inhabitants).    

I was a different person in Hilton Head.  No longer rushing from here to there, my heart was happy.  I was free to be me; calm and at peace.  I’m looking forward to being me again real soon.

Have you visited Hilton Head Island? I'd love to hear about your experience on the Carolina coast!