Florida Agenda

MIAMI BEACH – The organizers of 2012 Miami Beach Gay Pride say the performer line-up for this year’s event will be diva-licious, with an extraordinary line-up of musical guests scheduled to take to stage on Sunday, April 15.

Miami Beach Gay Pride’s fourth anniversary event will take place at Lummus Park, located on Ocean Drive between 10 and 14 St. from noon to 7 p.m.

“This year’s line-up of entertainers certainly has something for everyone,” said Babak Movahedi, president of the Pride Board of Directors. “From dance to pop and from Broadway to gospel, the Miami Beach Gay Pride Festival will be a musical sensation.”

The scheduled entertainers include international dance club icon Kristine W—who holds the world’s record for most consecutive Number One Billboard Club Hits, last summer’s certified three-time Platinum artist (“Dirty Talk”) Wynter Gordon, Miami native Jessica Sutta from the Pussy Cat Dolls, former teen sensation JoJo (“Leave [Get Out]”), now age 20 and with multiple hits to her name, as well as many others, including internationally-renowned club and circuit party DJ/artists.

In 2011, Miami Beach Gay Pride was the city’s largest, single-day event, attracting over 40,000 visitors, and featuring a parade with 66 entries and 1,200 participants. For more information as events and activities are confirmed, visit miamibeachgaypride.com.

IGLTA: Countdown to Convention
Part Four of a Six-Part Series
By CLIFF DUNN

With just over two weeks remaining until the delegates and attendees to the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) 28th Annual Convention descend on Greater Fort Lauderdale, preparations are under way for the range of events, seminars, meetings and parties that will welcome the estimated 800 travel professionals from approximately 85 nations.

Within the local LGBT business community, much of the attention is focused on the Consumer Trade Show hosted by the Rainbow Business Coalition (RBC) of Greater Fort Lauderdale. This event will take place on Friday, May 13, at Wilton Manors’ Hagen Park.

Planners are hoping that the highlight of a very successful expo will be the free live concert by Billboard recording artist Kristine W and guest performers, pop star Tony Cruz and Charlotte McKinnon,

former lead singer of Company B.
For those unfamiliar with the headlining act, Kristine W (born: Kristine Weitz) has 15 Number One Hits on the Billboard Hot Dance charts – more than Madonna – and was named by Billboard as one of the Dance/Club Play Artists of the Decade (2000 – 2009).

Needless to say, this kind of talent doesn’t come cheap. RBC chair Reece Darham and his fellow organizers of “Celebrate Fort Lauderdale” learned early on in the process to – in the words of the late Earl Nightingale – “mine their acres of diamonds” and turn to members of their own organization to make it rain. Says Darham: “Jackson Padgett and Mark Negrete, the owners of Georgie’s Alibi and Bill’s, have given over $7,000 towards Kristine W and her back-up dancers, including their accommodations, entertainment and transportation for the four nights they will be in town. Jackson coordinated all the negotiations for the talent, and personally signed her to this event. Without his influence, it would have been a challenge to get someone of her caliber.”

Other local bar and restaurant owners have likewise stepped up. “Ken and Lloyd from Scandals and The Stable have also been tremendous,” says Darham. “Not only will they be giving $3,500 in beer, but have also secured Barefoot Winery as the wine sponsor. They also have coordinated the alcohol permitting and insurances, which have taken considerable time and challenges to achieve. They will be the alcohol vendors for the event, giving the RBC 100% of all proceeds from sales. Impressive.”

Darham continues: “What has been so incredible to me is just how freely and willing all of them have been to give to this event to make sure it is a success. Jackson and Ken obviously don’t know the word ‘No,’ because whenever I go back to them and ask if they could – fill in the blank – they are there with check book and connections in hand to make it happen. Their commitment to the RBC has been phenomenal.”

“Boom’s General Manager, Chris, is donating his time and warehouse full of decorations to make Hagen Park sparkle,” Darham adds.

With an event and attendance the size Darham and his co-organizers are expecting – approximately 2,000 to 3,000 guests descending upon Hagen Park, located next to Wilton Manors City Hall – there are a large number of corporate, community, and individual sponsors, benefactors and volunteers who have committed time, staff or resources to ensure its success.

“Brown Forman [one of the largest American-owned spirits and wine companies and among the top 10 largest global spirits companies, with a strong corporate commitment to diversity] also gave a $3,000 cash donation and an additional $1,500 in-kind donation to the event, and will be the sponsor of the VIP tent for the IGLTA delegates,” notes Darham.

Others who have contributed time and efforts to the expo: “Terry DeCarlo of Broward House has offered his time to produce the concert on the night of the event, and has secured Wendy Hunt as the DJ, who is donating her time as well, and two other magnificent artists to perform: Tony Cruz and Charlotte McKinnon.

Cash donations have come in from many RBC members, such as Orton Terrace and Northwest Savings Bank, and the eight bars who collaborated at this year’s Miami Beach Pride – Alibi, Bills, Boom, Johnny’s, Scandals, Sidelines, The Manor, and The Stable – donated 100% of their tips for the expo and concert.

As to the actual day of the expo – which falls on Friday the 13th for those who pay attention to such details – Darham is heaping in his praise of volunteers and their organizations whom, he says, “are coming out of the woodwork to help out on the day of the event: The Pride Center, Stonewall Street Festival, Wilton Manors Main Street, Volunteer Broward, Marc Hansen and Pride South Florida. And, of course, the countless businesses who participated in the Welcome Guide and Banner along Wilton Drive, who have helped promote Wilton Manors, Fort Lauderdale, and Broward County as the LGBT destination of choice.”
ith the level and showing of
commitment he and his fellows are bringing to the table, Vincent Frato, general manager of Georgie’s Alibi can’t help but boast. “This year belongs to the world’s newest number one gay destination: Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors, Florida. Get used to it!”

By MATTEO BLANCO

Photo: Kim Davis

Rihanna’s “Please Don’t Stop the Music”. Kelly Rowland’s “When Love Takes Over”. Pepper Mashay’s “Dive in the Pool”. What do all these songs have in common? Each defined a summer in the first decade of the new millennium. As we enter the first summer of a new decade, music insiders are all abuzz over what diva and song will go down in gay history as the song for summer 2010. A lot is riding on it: prestige, honors, and most of all, money. We chatted with four of this summer’s strongest contenders – Kristine W., Veronica, Leah Driscoll, and Kim Davis – about their new dance tracks and why they feel theirs will be the song of the summer.

Why will your track be the dance floor song of the summer?

Veronica: If You Wanna Fly is about letting go of your security blanket and taking the plunge into the unknown. I think we all wanna fly. We all want to leave inhibitions behind.

Leah: If This Is Love is relatable. I think we’ve all experienced that moment of empowerment where we walk away from a love that’s not right.

Kim: Twist of Love is a throw your hands in the air dance floor anthem.

Kristine: The Power of Music is all those things. A throw your hands in the air dance floor anthem with an important message about how music fuels our souls.

Is dance music enjoying resurgence today?

Veronica: Definitely! Hip Hop did its thing. It was a huge movement that no one could stop. It will always be around, but it has moved into another sphere. Dance has taken the limelight.

Leah Driscoll

Who is to thank for making dance popular again?

Leah: The Internet is to thank. Dance has always been huge in Europe but it never really found a mainstream pop home in the US until it became so easy to get a hold of.

Kristine: We also have the current economic and political climate to thank. Dance music is uplifting with powerful and often times spiritual messages. We need the extra encouragement in stressful times such as what we are living in today.

How does today’s dance music compare with the dance music of five and ten years ago?

Leah: Dance music today is crossing into other genres of music much more so now than it did before – perhaps because it has become mainstream.

Kim: Before it was more about dance artists breaking into mainstream. Now its mainstream artists breaking into dance.

Do today’s dance music divas command the floor in the same way past divas did?

Kim: They certainly do. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed.

Kristine: Fans want to hear a great live singer. They expect you to sound like the music they purchased and they want to see a great live performance. These new girls – Leah, Veronica and Kim included – are delivering!

Do the up-and-coming girls look up to Kristine and the other dance greats?

Leah: Of course. Kristine, Pepper, Deborah Cox… I look at those ladies as the ones who set the standard.

Kim: I bow to their greatness. What other new dance artists should we be keeping an eye on?

Veronica: La Roux. Leah: Sam Sparro. I listen to him almost daily and I think he’s going to blow up into a huge star very soon. What about Ke$ha and Lady Gaga? Leah: Love them!

Kim: They are introducing tomorrow’s clubbers to the power of dance.

VERONICA

What do you say to people who feel there would be no Ke$ha without Lady Gaga?

Veronica: There would be no Ke$ha without Luke or Flo Rida. There would be no Lady Gaga without Akon.

Leah: And there’d be no Leona Lewis without Whitney, and there’d be no Whitney without Aretha…

Veronica: Ultimately, I think both Ke$ha and Gaga borrow from Madonna’s image. Ke$ha took her grungy beginnings and Gaga incorporates her love for theatrical performances. So there would be no Ke$ha or Lady Gaga without Madonna.

Is it ok for artists to borrow from one another?

Leah: Artists are influenced by the world and music around them. The only way we wouldn’t borrow from one another is if we all lived in separate bubbles.

Kim: That wouldn’t offer a lot of inspiration creatively.

Kristine: An artist’s image, style and productions always change to reflect their influences. The true test of who we are as artists and performers shine when the songs are good

and heartfelt. Great messages last.

Kristine W

Kristine, as the senior diva, what advice do you offer your colleagues?

Kristine: My advice to all singers is to stay positive and realize that your voice is a gift that you give to others. Yes, we all want to sell music but when creating music comes from honest feelings and a good heart, magic happens. You may not get rich but you will change lives.

Would you sacrifice your perfect voice for the perfect love?

Kim: I honestly don’t know how to answer that. I love my voice but I also love love!

Leah: For a very long time, all of my self-worth and identity were wrapped up in my voice. That isn’t necessarily a good thing, but still, it’s a huge part of me. I am one of the biggest hopeless romantics you’ll ever meet… and I’ll leave it at that. Veronica: I’m a sucker for love.

If you had one wish, it would be…

Veronica: To fly. Leah: To make Los Angeles, where I live, and Maine, where my family is, a few thousand miles closer.

Kristine: If I had one wish, it would be that we discovered an environmentally safe replacement for oil and coal. What’s next for each of you?

Kim: Touring!

Veronica: I launch my promo tour this summer and my Saint Nor Sinner album releases in the fall.

Leah: I’m on the road promoting my new track. I’m also planning to get back into the studio to record new material.

Kristine: I have a Jazz album coming out called “Straight Up with A Twist”. It’s a double album project that I started in 2006. This baby has been in my belly a while and is ready to come out!