R O B E R T

"K O O L"

B E L L 

LEGENDARY SINGER-SONGWRITER-MUSICIAN 

With R&B/SOUL/FUNK/JAZZ/DISCO GROUP

K  O  O  L  

A  N  D

T  H  E

G  A  N  G

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Kool & the Gang, officially launched in 1969, after performing for five years under various band titles, has influenced the music of three generations and, at the age of 49, the band has become true recording industry legends.

Thanks to iconic songs like Celebration, Cherish, Jungle Boogie, Summer Madness and Open Sesame, they’ve earned two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, 25 Top Ten R&B hits, nine Top Ten Pop hits and 31 gold and platinum albums.

In 1979, Kool & the Gang unveiled a smooth new sound with Ladies Nigh and became their first platinum album. The #1 R&B title track reached #8 at Pop. It was followed by Too Hot (#3 R&B, #5 Pop). The 80’s would see them dominate the mainstream, starting with the double platinum-selling album Celebrate (driven by the international monster hit Celebration, which spent six weeks atop the R&B chart and became a #1 Pop single).

Celebration, which played as the American hostages returned from Iran, remains de rigueur at joyous occasions worldwide. The smashes Get Down On It, Take My Heart, Let’s Go Dancing, Joanna, Tonight, Misled, the #1 R&B, #2 Pop giant Cherish and the #1 R&B anthem Fresh (these last three from the multi- platinum LP Emergency) solidified the group’s international stardom.

In 2014, they were honored with a BET Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award and in October 2015, in the town they sing about in one of their earliest hits, “Hollywood Swinging,” Kool & the Gang was honored to take their place as American musical icons with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2016, they released a single, "Sexy (Where’d You Get Yours),” which rose to #15 on the Billboard Adult R& B chart. The song signifies a modernization of Kool & the Gang’s unmistakable sound, down to the dance floor-tailored bass grooves and the perfectly timed horns. It was their first airplay chart hit in a decade.

Kool & the Gang’s 50th Anniversary is just around the corner. Here is how they have begun to celebrate the milestone:

Induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.

In a touching tribute, a street they grew up on in Jersey City has been renamed in their honor: “Kool & the Gang Way.”

“Celebration” was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame

Kool’s bass is displayed at the new Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.

Artifacts from the band’s archive have recently gone on display, next to Count Basie, at the newly- opened Grammy Museum Experience in Newark, NJ.

Induction into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Kool & the Gang continues to delight fans around the globe with their timeless hits and amazing live performances.

For more information about Robert “Kool” Bell

and Kool & the Gang

visit…

https://www.koolandthegang.com/

Hobey Ford’s Golden Rod Puppets

Winner of puppetry's highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence, and recipient of three Jim Henson Foundation grants, Hobey Ford is known for excellence in puppetry performance and craft. 

Hobey's intricate shadow puppetry work and creation of the original rod puppets, the "Foamies", have earned him a place on stages across the world. Hobey's performances incorporate a variety of puppetry styles including Bunraku, rod, marionettes, "Foamies", and shadow puppetry. Hobey adapts folk tales from various cultures for many of his performances, always adding a special "Golden Rod" twist. He uses his own voice to create characters and sound effects, tell stories, and sing. 

Hobey utilizes his artistic study at The State University of New York at Purchase and the University of North Carolina at Asheville to design and construct all of his Golden Rod Puppets and the beautiful sets that surround them. Hobey also draws on his early experiences growing up in coastal Connecticut or living in a Nevada Native American community in writing the scripts for some of his performances such as "Whale Walker" and "Turtle Island Tales".  

Hobey is considered both an innovator in puppetry craft and a master storyteller. He has created both the "Foamies" and the clever hand puppet known as "Peepers". The "Foamies" are large animal puppets carved from blocks of foam. After studying each animal's characteristic movements, Hobey designs various control mechanisms to make the puppets themselves move in a life-like manner. The "Foamies" are presented using both stage and house performance space.

Hobey tours a variety of shows for educational performances and family concerts including: World Tales – puppetry techniques and stories from around the world; Animalia – the beautiful story of the animal world, ecology, metamorphosis, and animals who are endangered; Turtle Island Tales – Native American stories with moving scenery and exquisite shadow puppetry.

Hobey’s production Migration is a sequel to the popular Animalia. Migration is the story of Beatriz, a young girl who travels with her family from their home in Mexico to work the harvest in Maine. The story of Beatriz’ journey is juxtaposed with the stories of other animals that migrate: Monarch Butterflies, polar bears, the Godwit bird and the Sperm Whale.   These extremely realistic puppets are performed behind a thin circular theatrical scrim onto which is projected Hobey’s original artwork.  The puppets appear to be performing within the video projections on a hypnotic dance between the puppeteer, puppets and original artistic scenery.

Hobey’s latest production, Sea Song,  is about a city boy, addicted to video games is sent to at a remote beach house with his grandmother far from any internet.  There the boy discovers the wonder of sea turtles and nature.

In conjunction with The Kennedy Center's Partnership In Education program, Hobey provides teacher workshops in puppetry across the country: "Telling Folktales With Shadow Puppetry", “The Magic of Peepers Puppets: Exploring Writing Through Puppetry” and "From Larvae to Butterfly: Metamorphosis Through Puppetry".

Dr. Ameet Aggarwal ND has helped thousands of people around the world with his online course, bestselling book and free webinars.

Be prepared to learn how to connect your mind and body to treat anxiety, depression, stress and chronic diseases with this Kenyan born naturopathic doctor, psychotherapist and international teacher and speaker.

Dr. Ameet has been voted Top 43 practitioners in the world because he combines naturopathic medicine, gestalt psychotherapy, EMDR, family constellations and intuitive healing for many health conditions. His online program helps people with emotional issues, weight loss, hormonal balance, leaky gut and adrenal fatigue. It’s the only online program to be approved by both the Commission of Dietetic Registrants (CDR) and by Naturopathic Professional Associations for naturopaths, nutritionists and dietitians.

Dr. Ameet started mobile clinics for poor communities in Kenya through his charity FIMAFRICA and loves to support communities with your help when you buy his online course and book.

Luvafoodie is a brand that connects people who share a passion for food and beverage. In 2014, Michelle Mazzara, CEO of Luvafoodie, decided to follow her dream.  She had worked for large consumer brands companies in sales for the previous twenty-five years. 

She began by adding candy and started selling caramel with the Luvafoodie brand at select grocery stores. Consumers categories beyond confections.  In 2016 she introduced a line of gourmet spices under the Luvafoodie brand.  Following the success, she experienced with spices, she added Belgian chocolates and drink mixes to the portfolio. 

Unexpectedly, in August 2016, Michelle was diagnosed with heart disease having an 80 % blockage in her left anterior descending artery, LAD.  She had been misdiagnosed with costochondritis for 10 months even though she had complained of chest pain, shortness of breath, had a family history of heart disease and a cholesterol reading of 330.    Unfortunately, during recovery, after placement of the stent, Michelle suffered a heart attack.  “This changed my life and my perspective of what I really wanted to do with the brand and my vision of the company, “Michelle stated.  Because of living with heart disease, in January 2017, Luvafoodie launched a salt free spice line and a new Happy Heart Dark Chocolate Belgian Bar.

Michelle is a Brand Ambassador for the Twin Cities American Heart Association Go Red Women Ad Campaign in Minnesota.  She shares her story in order to build awareness about heart disease among women.  She states, “My mission is to help increase awareness of the prevalence of heart disease and stroke among women in order to inspire other women to take charge of their own health.  Heart disease is the #1 killer of women causing 1 in 3 deaths. My mission is to make a difference in peoples’ lives and help prevent heart disease.”

At the end of June, Michelle launched a new line of spice blends created for dogs and cats. The new spice blends for dogs and cats was inspired by Michelle’s aging dog Lucy. Michelle wanted to boost Lucy’s nutrition and help her feel better. The specific herbs used in the Dog and Cat Lovers spice blends are to help boost a cat or dog’s nutrition as a supplement to their dog and cat food.

Luvafoodie products can be found in local Twin Cities grocery stores and on Luvafoodie.com and Amazon.com. Luvafoodie Salt Free Recipe Cookbook is available in Kindle and hard copy on Amazon.com.

Michelle goal is to continue to expand Luvafoodie spice distribution across the country. Our goal at Luvafoodie is to create clean eating good for your products. Our mission statement is Eat Clean, Be Well & Stay Well.

Rommel Sacan

Rommel is an LA-based singer songwriter from the Philippines. He has taken his music in venues like the Pasadena Cable Channel, UC Irvine, Fullerton College as well as Hollywood venues like Viper Room, Pig ‘n Whistle, etc.

Rommel’s songs are bluesy love songs elevating eco-social consciousness musically documenting how our hearts are shattered by the kind of world we create and time and time again resurrected by the love in the music we share.