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Earth, Wind & Fire took turns singing about the 12th of Never and the 21st of September night, but it was all about June 19 as the veteran group proved an obvious crowd pleaser during “Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom.” a multi-artist, multi-genre show at the Hollywood Bowl that will be televised live on CNN on Sunday to commemorate the National Day.
The concert, held to celebrate the anniversary of Black Emancipation in the United States, featured almost as wide a range of music and performance styles as could be packed into a single prime-time slot, from soul to classical to country to jazz . Once that breadth was established, the lineup had a particular focus on artists who dominated the R&B world of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, leading to a compere cracking jokes to the sold-out crowd about a time “before all of those.” knee prostheses out there” made .”
Even as EWF, Chaka Khan and others got the crowd on their feet, there was perhaps no greater burst of joy during the three hours than that which took place during a short set by Bell Biv DeVoe. “I wanted to be Mrs. Ronnie DeVoe,” said Leslie Jones of SNL fame as she introduced the trio, sounding like she still hadn’t gotten over contemplating the prospect. “But everyone knew it was me poiii-soon.”
Bel Biv DeVoe backstage at the Hollywood Bowl
Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging
Lighter moments like this abounded, but the concert and broadcast never strayed very far from the event’s commemorative purpose, particularly in a handful of pre-recorded segments, including an opening rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Yolanda Adams, President’s Speeches Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former First Lady Michelle Obama, plus a fiery video poetry reading by Jill Scott. Beyonce made a voiceover appearance in a video segment about Opal Lee, 95, the activist many believe to be primarily behind charges of making June 16 a federal holiday, which finally happened just last year.
Socially conscious numbers broadcast live included Billy Porter and several dancers, who took to the platform surrounding the poolside seating area to deliver “Children” (“I’ll Let These Kids Know What Time It Is”) and country -Music favorite Mickey Guyton, who dropped in not one but two era-specific anthems – Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Goin’ On” and her own current power ballad “Black Like Me”.
Billy Porter at the Juneteenth Concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Farah Sosa
Mickey Guyton at the Hollywood Bowl Juneteenth Concert
Timothy Norris
Khan celebrated the emancipation of women and blacks by yelling “I’m Every Woman” at the beginning of the proceedings; That and “Ain’t Nobody” had the R&B great joined by roots, whose Questlove was one of two music directors for the program (Adam Blackstone was the other).
Khalid at the Hollywood Bowl Juneteenth concert
Timothy Norris
Current R&B hasn’t gone unnoticed, and Khalid stepped up with a song to deliver his 2019 R&B chart-topping “Talk.” Ne-Yo hasn’t released an album since 2018, but that didn’t stop the crowd falling in love with a sensuality that was only perhaps only accentuated by the hat that kept his face in constant shadow. That prompted the presenter to wonder what extraordinary means the singer used to keep from flying away amid the sweaty choreography as he performed a medley of “Miss Independent,” “Because of You,” and “Give Me Everything.” went through.
Ne-Yo backstage at the Hollywood Bowl
Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging
The rising star on the list, Lucky Daye, went old school with one of his two numbers, covering Leon Russell’s classic ballad “A Song for You” and playing “Over” from his second album “Of” last fall. Robert Glasper received cross-genre MVP marks for incorporating a great jazz piano and teaming up with D-Smoke for Shine off Glasper’s recent Black Radio III album.
Touted as the first all-black orchestra on the Hollywood Bowl stage, the Re-Collective Orchestra supported several of the performers and, under the baton of Thomas Wilkins, a familiar face on Bowl, burst into the spotlight themselves. Visitors as Principal Conductor of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and Derrick Hodge. Despite being a little more formal than some of the other cast members, you could even see some of the strings stand up and dance when Bell Biv DeVoe took the stage. Meanwhile, members of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, introduced by the head of the org, took center stage and ensured that choreography throughout the evening was not limited to Ne-Yo’s or Porter’s backup dancers.
It can be considered sacrilege to follow gospel music with secular music, so the final portion of the show and television broadcast was turned over to three artists performing gospel numbers individually and together, Mary Mary, Anthony Hamilton and Michelle Williams. This was gospel with a dance music tempo, so the bowl ushers didn’t have it any easier than they did during the EWF or BBD, when all those artists got together to keep the aisles free from dancing for Mary Mary’s “The God in Me.”
Mary Mary, Anthony Hamilton and Michelle Williams at the Juneteenth Concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging
The show was put together by an all-Black creative team led by creator Shawn Gee of Live Nation Urban and Jesse Collins Entertainment, and produced in association with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Chaka Khan at the Juneteenth concert at the Hollywood Bowl
Farah Sosa
The Roots backstage at the Hollywood Bowl
Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging