Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / April 30, 1987, edition 1 / Page 15
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1 —■— 11 •— . " . ..... Miki Howard ...A new talent Miki Howard: R&B's Latest Arrival By Loretta Manago Foat Staff Writer If you listen closely, for a split second you might mistake Miki Howard for Melba Moore. The singing styles are similar, but make no mistake, Miki Howard has a style of her own. Formally, she made her debut on the entertaining set with a daz zling tune, “Come Share My Love", but if the truth is to be told Miki Howard has been around far awhile. No novice made, Come Share My Love sizzle. In this debut al bum, Mild worked with producer LeMel Humes who was also sig nificantly responsible for the suc cess of Whitney Houston's pre miere production. What the lis tening ear hears while tuning in to Come Share My Love is a singer so versatile that from song to song, the range and depth of Miki Howard alters. "She sounds silky smooth and contemplative one min ute.raw, gritty and passionate the next. Equally at ease singing sentimental ballads, such as "My Friend" and "Come Share My Love” or such high-energy dance numbers as "You Better Be Ready To Love Me" and "I Can't Watft To See You Alone", Miki Howard displays amazing ver satility.’ Displaying versatility, tre mendous ease with any genre of music, comes to no surprise to anyone who is familiar with Miki Howard's background. Surrounded by music since birth, Mild Howard grew up in a house hold that feasted on gospel and rhythm and blues. Both of her parents were gospel singing-Mom sang with The Caravan and Dad sang with the Temple Jubilees. And while Mild's parents were sing ing gospel, Miki, remembers that as a toddler, her sisters were lis tening to Aretha Franklin, Dia na Ross and the Supremes, Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Shir ley Bassey, Morgana King and Little Jimmy Scott. In no time, Miki Howard was singing professionally. She was only eight when she began sing ing with Rev. James Cleveland's choir. By the time she was 16, Miki had joined forces with the band Side Effect, best known for the hit, "Always There." For nine years, Miki was the group's lead vocalist. It was a great time for a black female sing er," responded Miki Howard. Between touring and record ing, Mild managed to find time to do sessions with a wide variety of artists. Esther Phillips, Roy Ayers, Billy Cobham, Stanley Turrentine, The Gap Band, Phil ip Bailey, Dolly Parton are but a few of the names that she worked with, in the recording studio or on stage. Eventually the strains and pressures of touring, performing got to Bide Effect. The band dis banded. For Mild, this was a turning point in her career. From her viewpoint, it was an ideal time to step out on her own. Tina Tur ner had made her comeback. Whitney Houston had taken the industry by storm. And Patti La Belle was riding high. "It was a great time for a black, female singer," responded Miki Howard. She knew the climate was right. One thing led to another and soon Miki Howard was an Atlantic Record Artist. The Boys Choir of Harlem, under the direction of Dr. Walter Tumbill provides a positive creative alternative for inner city children in Now York City. Boys Choir Of Harlem To Perform Special To Hie Post The sounds of the Boys Choir of Harlem have garnered critical acclaim from across the country. The New York Daily News wrote This choir, expertly guided by director Walter J. Turnbull, is one of the finest of its kind, splen didly disciplined in tone quality, 1 precision, balance and intona tion. " Ebony Magazine penned, "Whether doing Vivaldi's "Gloria," a Bach Cantata, Pergo lesi's Magnificant, Benjamin Britten's "Rejoice in the Lamb," Billy Taylor's "1 Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to be Free," Thomas Dorsey's "Precious Lord" or Lee Cooper and Linda Twine's "We Are Heroes," the Choir shows over and over why music lovers across the country flock to its concerts." On Sunday, May 10 at Ovens Auditorium at 4 p.m. the Boys Choir of Harlem will be in con cert. This group of boys ranging in ages of nine to seventeen had its origin in the choir stands of Ephesus Church in central Har lem, growing from a small church choir to a major perform ing arts institution of interna tional reputation. While the Boys Choir of Har lem concentrates on singing con temporary songs, gospels and spirituals, there is more to the singing group than music. Co founder and director, Dr. Walter Turnbill, sees as its mission the preparation of its members for productive lives. "Tutoring, in subjects ranging from English and mathematics to music theory is provided to choir members six days a week. Choir members must maintain a "B" average in school. During the summer, choir members attend a day camp in New York City and live-away camp in the Connecticut country side. A Staff of full-time counse lors provide year-round career, family and adolescent counsel ing." Such a rigid routine yields an abundant crop. Past choir mem bers have gone on to pursue ca reers in music at such places as the Westminister Choir College and Eastman and Manhattan Schools of Music. Unique to many choirs, the Boys Choir of Harlem does not use only treble voices. But by con tinuing to train the boys as their voices develop, the Choir is able to perform works for mature voices, using the baritone and bass voice of the older boys. "Special em phasis is given to the work of Black musicinns which is en couraged by commissions to young Black composers. In addi tion, the heritage of spirituals and early American music plays a vital and necessary part in the members' educative growth. Pop ular music is given equal bill ing, however, and favorites like "Mr. Bojangles" and "I Believe In Music" help to round out the creative experience." Lastly, the Boys Choir of Harlem has a girl choir, which was founded in 1979. World renowned, the Boys Choir of Hnrlem, founded in 1968, incorporated in 1979 has per formed in concert halls, schools and churches. It has sung at the White House and the opening ses sion of the United Nations Gener al Assembly. It has travelled ex tensively throughout the United States and has made three Euro pean tours. iickets to the concert are $16.50. Group and family dis counts are available . For more information cnll Premiere Pro ductions 338-9786. Gigante, Brown Win "Jest Of The West" By Rune 11 Clark Post Staff Writer A couple months ago, Mike Gigante and Calvin Brown Jr. began mixing their talents for the "Jest Of The West" comedy con test locally sponsored by WPEG (FM 98) and Camelot Music. Recently, the competition un folded at Mister Pees Night Club and the good-humored duo esca lated to a brighter career path. As winners, they will be represent ing Charlotte from May 15-20 in Hollywood Cal. at the National "Jest Of The West" Showdown. The winning act featured a musical comedy to a popular dis co hit that vacuumed the attention of the crowd. "The song Popeye is a take-off from Cameo's "Word UpH,” reflects Brown, a 1981 graduate of West Charlotte High School. "While driving home af ter a rehearsal at WGIV, I heard "Word Up" on the radio and it made me think of Mike's' Popeye voice. We later co-wrote the song together and ws will definitely be using it once we get out to Holly wood." Gigante it a native of New Jer sey and a English major at UNC Charlotte. As a stand-up comic for four years, Gigante plans to make a career in the entertain ment business. Brown is a for mer radio/tv/motion pictures ma jor at UNC-Chapel Hill and ha* been a stand up comedian for more that a year. The aspiring entertainer aims to become a writer for a television situation comedy. They met last September while performing at the late La ugh-a Lot Comedy Club on Cen tra] Avenue. "They were the funniest come dians we had in the contest and I Mike Giganto Calvin Brown Jr. congratulate them on winning the trip," voice* Marsha Burton, director of promotion* at both WPEG and WGIV radio station*. »v * * t *. , • t $ ''> “If they win the national contest, they'll get n chance to perform on the Joan Rivers Show but if they don't, they'll still get to watch the show live." Another Power 98 contest win ner, Rob and Dana, recently won the Regional Budweiser Show down competition and will also be competing nationally according to Burton. "We just got word that they were selected over groups from Atlanta, Greensboro, Miami and Washington, D C. and they will also be competing in Califor nia soon." Although both Gignnte nnd Brown are natural stand-up com ics, they are commited to the "Popeye Rnpp." "We will both get three minutes a piece but we will come out to gether for the song that lasts about four minutes," asserts Brown who has appeared on Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in New York. Both agree that this is the high light of their entertainment ca reers and they plan to mix busi ness with pleasure while compet ing. "Hopefully, we'll win the con test and make some good con tacts," Brown continues. "If I make people laugh, then that will be personally gratifying be cause it lets me know that I hung with some guys who are in the business full-time. Although I plan to make some contacts, I'm also going to see if I can get on the Sale Of The Century Game Show to win some big bucks." ’Death Of The Heart” Elizabeth Bowen's story of inno cent adolescent love and its be trayal debuts on "Masterpiece Theatre" at 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, and encores at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 10. The two-hour dramatization of "The Death of the Heart" airs over the 10 chan nels of The University of North Carolina Center for Public Televi sion. Newcomer Jojo Cole stars as Portia, the young orphan who falls helplessly in love with a scheming philanderer, portrayed by Daniel Chatto. The stellar cast of The Death of the Heart” in cludes several familiar faces. Nigel Havers plays Portia's stepbrother, Thomas Quayne, and, Patricia Hodge plays his wife, Anna, the coolly elegant couple with which Portia lives after re turning from a nomadic childhood in Europe. Robert Hardy portrays the lonely Mayor Brutt and Dame Wendy Hiller plays the faithfiil family retainer who's the only one who can help Portia mend a brok en heart. Other cast members in clude Phyllis Calvert, Miranda Richardson and Jonathan Hyde. Set in London in the late ‘30a, * Bowen's "The Death of the Heart’ • was first published in 1938 and is considered the Irish author's finest work. The Regent s Park House ; where much of the story takes ; place reflects the house in which • she lived for 17 years. Bowen, - who began writing when she was 20, was bom in Dublin in 1889 and died in 1973. Her other works in clude the novels "The Hotel,’ "Friends and Relations’ and "To the North’ and several volumes of j \ short stories.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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April 30, 1987, edition 1
15
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