Written by | Ray Cornelius
It gives me great pleasure to share my amazing coverage of the 2017 ESSENCE Festival. My arts and entertainment radio magazine—UPFRONT—was there to capture all of the sights and sounds of this year’s festivities as part of Radio Row. My four-day weekend began on Thursday (June 29) with a special meet & greet + reception with the cast of the indie film, “STEP.”
“STEP” is the true-life story of a girls’ high-school step dance team in Baltimore, whose teachers, counselors, coaches and families, help them achieve their dreams of going off to college. It also takes viewers into the personal lives of three of the dancers— Blessin Giraldo, Cori Grainger, Tayla Solomon—and their coach, Gari McIntyre. The film has received rave reviews and was the winner of the Documentary Special Jury Award for Inspirational Filmmaking at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
On Friday (June 30) #UPFRONT began its three day stint on Radio Row. It is one of three areas that celebrity attendees can meet press and conduct interviews. I was truly blessed to have interviewed so many people including cast members from the hugely popular “Orange Is The New Black,” TNT’s new breakout series, “Claws,” FOX’s “Empire and Star.” I also got a chance to chat with the cast of FX’s “Snowfall” and the new series “The Mayor” and “Ghosted.”
Music divas CeCe Winans, Anita Wilson and Chanté Moore stopped by the table to discuss their new projects. Winans album, Let Them Fall In Love has been killing the gospel charts and is her best work to date. Wilson talked about covering the classic jazz tune “Here’s To Life” for her new album and Moore dished about her album, Rise of the Pheonix and recording her first Christmas CD this fall.
#UPFRONT also chatted with actress and singer Lil Mama (who is going by her real name Niatia) as well as celebrity stylists Mushiya Tshikuka, Razor Chic of Atlanta and Melvin Styles. However, the highlight of Radio Row was talking to New Thought Leader, Life Coach and TV Personality—Iyanla Vanzant. She opened up about her last season + why she continues to participate in the ESSENCE Festival. She also talked about what she has learned personally from doing her award winning show, “Iyanla Fix My Life.”
“What I’ve learned personally is how powerful God is. As Black people were taught, ‘don’t tell your business in the street.’ (LOL) But when there’s a call on someone’s life to serve God, these people are showing up in amazing ways. I’ve also learned how difficult a healing journey can be. People don’t want to suffer. They don’t want to hurt. They don’t want to destroy themselves. But if they don’t have the tools and the information to heal, that’s what they do. I’ve also learned that I don’t have to be ‘on’ all the time. I’m human. I can have my time off…my days off and I don’t have to be who people expect me to be.”
In addition to Radio Row, #UPFRONT was able to attend and capture images from the night time concerts. This year’s ESSENCE Festival theme was all about female empowerment, sisterhood and “staying woke” and the entertainers who performed were true reflections of that. Friday’s show included Rhonda Ross, India.Arie, John Legend and the Queen of Motown—DIANA ROSS.
This was Miss Ross’ first time appearing at the Festival since its inception in 1995 and she didn’t disappoint. Other performances included Jazmine Sullivan, Jill Scott, Chaka Khan, Solange, Monica, Lalah Hathaway, Remy Ma, Xscape, Master P, Chance the Rapper and Mary J. Blige.
Other highlights throughout the weekend included the NOLA premieres of “Girls Trip” featuring Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Regina Hall and Tiffany Haddish. FX also screened its new drama, “Snowfall” which included appearances by the show’s cast + the creator and award winning director John Singleton. #UPFRONT also captured images of the casts from “Detroit,” OWN’s “Greenleaf” and “Queen Sugar” + Ava DuVernay and the “WOKE Women Awards.”
See all of the rest of the images below and click here to listen to the first of two radio shows featuring exclusive coverage of the ESSENCE Festival:
The Cast of “STEP”
Ray Cornelius on Radio Row
John Singleton and Damson Idris from FX’s “Snowfall”
Ray Cornelius with “Snowfall” actors Isaiah John + Malcolm M. Mays
“Claws” stars Niecy Nash + Karrueche Tran
+ showrunner Janine Sherman Barrois
“Claws” cast with Ray Cornelius + UPFRONT Talent Producer Jess Manning
ESSENCE talking to “Black Panther” actress Letitia Wright
Ray Cornelius with FANDANGO Correspondent Chris Witherspoon
“She’s Gotta Have It” actress DeWanda Wise
Ray Cornelius with “Empire” stars Ta’Rhonda Jones and Bryshere Y. Gray
India.Arie
John Legend
John Legend
John Legend
DIANA ROSS
Ray Cornelius watching DIANA ROSS
Ray Cornelius with the cast of “Detroit” – Jacob Latimore, Nathan Davis Jr., Algee Smith, Ephraim Sykes, Joseph David-Jones
“The Haves and the Have Nots” Tyler Lepley,
Angela Robinson and Gavin Houston
Ava DuVernay during the “WOKE Women Awards” 
Jazmine Sullivan 
Tank + Angel Love + Angel Saunders
on the red carpet of the “Snowfall” NOLA Premiere
Remy Ma performing with her husband and rapper Papoose
Lalah Hathaway
Ray Cornelius with Iyanla Vanzant
CeCe Winans talking about her new album, Let Them Fall In Love
Ray Cornelius with CeCe Winans
Ray Cornelius with Anita Wilson
Ray Cornelius greeting “cousin” Chanté Moore
Ray Cornelius with Chanté Moore
Ray Cornelius interviewing Miss Lawrence of “STAR”
Ryan Destiny of “STAR”
Ray Cornelius with Miss Lawrence
Issa Rae, Kofi Soriboe and Larenz Tate at “Girls Trip” NOLA Premiere
Queen Latifah and Jada Pinkett Smith at “Girls Trip” NOLA Premiere
Ray Cornelius with the cast of “The Mayor” – Brandon Michael Hall, Yvette Nicole Brown and show creator Jeremy Bronson
Ray Cornelius with Nicci Gilbert
XSCAPE after their Super Lounge performance
Elle Varner
SHAGGY
Ray Cornelius with Craig Robinson of “Ghosted”
Ray Cornelius with Melvin Styles and Razor Chic of Atlanta 
Mushiya Tshikuka talking to #UPFRONT
Ava DuVernay with the cast of “Queen Sugar”
Ray Cornelius with “Snowfall” actor Damson Idris
Chanté Moore with June’s Diary
Ray Cornelius with Common
Ray Cornelius with Big Freedia 
Shirley Jones of The Jones Girls 
Ray Cornelius with “Insecure” actress Yvonne Orji
Ray Cornelius with Tamika D. Mallory
Ray Cornelius with the fabulous Candace Ledbetter
Ray Cornelius with “Snowfall” actors Isaiah John + Malcolm M. Mays
Common with cast of “Detroit” – Nathan Davis Jr.,
Jacob Latimore and Joseph David-Jones
THANK YOU ESSENCE FESTIVAL AND SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!
Photo Credits: RayCornelius and Mark Angel for RayCornelius.com
