Erykah Badu w/ BET kick off Centric in Martha's Vineyard

Photo by Susan Safford

Timing is everything and perfect timing just flows when you're "stylish, hip and sophisticated," as BET cable-TV describes Centric, its newest channel.

Headliner Erykah Badu. Photos by Susan Safford Last Thursday, just days before the Obama family's Vineyard visit, BET (Black Entertainment Television), in a glittery evening at Mediterranean Restaurant in Oak Bluffs, launched Centric.

BET executive Scott Mills recently called the Obamas as "a perfect example" of Centric's targeted African American and multi-cultural demographic. Debra Lee, the chairman and chief executive officer of BET who has been summering here for 10 years, said, "I can't think of a better place to launch Centric." Neither could Viacom, BET's parent company.

BET has cultivated an audience of 89 million viewers over its 29-year history. Its new channel is aimed at a sophisticated, hip, trend-setting audience between 24 and 59 years old, according to Centric general manager Paxton Baker. Mr. Paxton said Centric will deliver 40 million of them on September 28. Centric programming will be a mix of fresh music, lifestyle programming and some retro viewing, including airing of Soul Train, a classic TV music show that ran for 35 years, making it the longest running show in TV history.

Debra Lee, BET Network's chairman and CEO and Centric general manager Paxton Baker welcome guests to the launch party for Centric, BET's newest channel. With worldwide press and the A-List of Island and national African-Americans in place, the BET event was a hot ticket. Callers to BET event planners requesting tickets on Thursday morning were told not to bother leaving messages.

The event, sponsored in part by Comcast, was packed. Guests came and they stayed. From Spike Lee to the Vernon Jordan, to folks like Wendy Taucher, The Yard's artistic director, Islanders and visitors came to the bash orchestrated in part by high-octane public relations executive Vickee Jordan Adams (daughter of Vernon Jordan).

BET did it right, checking guests in and then past a well-dressed phalanx of security, across the obligatory red carpet and into a very bright, very hot TV interview tent. They were then directed to a garden party before entering the restaurant that was transformed into a chic club, complete with big-screen live coverage of the event.

Guests included filmaker Spike Lee and his wife, Tanya Lewis Lee.The party easily held its edge through a 90-minute wait for hip-hop soulstress Erykah Badu, who made her entrance wearing a top hat, and posing for 'pix 'n flix' in the interview tent before facing a mob of several hundred fans inside.

Asked if he was working with Centric, filmmaker Spike Lee smiled and murmured, "No, but I wish I were," as he made his way into the party.

Jack Shea/The Martha Vinyards Times.

N'dambi "Pink Elephant" Music NEWS!

The BUZZ has begun on this highly anticipated release. After Ledisi & Eric Roberson killed the R&B iTunes charts I can only help my Dallas homegirl do the same. I took this info off the Concord website so please read on & share with other music lovers.


N'dambi "Pink Elephant" In Stores Oct. 6
Every so often, a musical soul emerges from the underground with the inescapable talent; artistry and charisma that marks the arrival a gathering storm. Pink Elephant is the Stax Records debut from N'dambi, a songwriter with emotional purpose and rare honesty. The striking vocalist, pianist and composer from Dallas, Texas, known for her signature afro and fiery style, possesses the intuitive perception and powerful creativity that ensures an essential contribution to modern R&B and soul.


N'dambi's storytelling skills are in peak form on Pink Elephant with tunes like the Rod Temperton influenced, ‘80s hip-hop flavored "Nobody Jones," the story of a girl with big dreams who won't let her humble beginnings stop her, and the delicious saga "L.I.E.," a tale of a man living a double life along New York's Long Island Expressway. Delusions of love spring up in the old school love-gone-wrong melodic funk of "Daisy Chain"; "Ooo Baby" is the smooth-grooving tale of reconnection with a former lover; while the blues-inflected "Imitator" finds a young woman suffering over the collapse of her lover's promises. "You're not the man I used to know, you're an imitator," she sings on this mid-tempo urban gem. The hope of true love cries out in "The One," a disarming, jazz-tinged ballad kissed with a touch of classic Stax. The album's lead single, "Can't Hardly Wait," is a biting chunk of scorching sarcasm delivered in the commanding singer's rich tone. Her opening complaint, "I don't know why I keep f***in' wit you," perfectly expresses the inability to turn a listless love loose.


Pink Elephant was recorded in Santa Monica, California, with producer Leon Sylvers III, whose credits include Shalamar, Gladys Night, The Whispers, Blackstreet, Lakeside and many more. N'dambi insisted the record have a modern sheen yet adhere to the sturdy influence of classic R&B and soul artists like Slave, Heatwave, Michael Jackson, Betty Davis, Isaac Hayes, Smokey Robinson, and The Sylvers. That led her to The Sylvers' famous producer, big brother, Leon.


Blessed with a deep contralto, she became especially enamored with male singers from the ‘70s and ‘80s. The funky soul of the Bar-Kays' Larry Dodson, the sophisticated syncopation of Earth, Wind & Fire's Maurice White and the notorious abandon of the Ohio Players' Sugafoot influenced her heavily. Later, the mysterious, uninhibited imagination of Nina Simone and Mahalia Jackson also became musical and cultural touchstones. N'dambi sang back-up and collaborated with fellow soul seeker Erykah Badu, all the while honing her artistry and slowly building a fiercely loyal fan base that resonates with the organic, authentic approach to her life and music.


On Pink Elephant, N'dambi ingeniously distills soul-deep inspiration into a sensual style of elegance and power, making her a fundamental new addition to the Stax legacy.

Take a listen: www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/N'Dambi_Cant_Hardly_Wait_radio_edit.asx