There’s no question that the Essence Music Festival is the nation’s premiere music festival for the grown and sexy set. Every year the biggest names in music rock the New Orleans Superdome for tens of thousands of attendees. While there are other activities, including many empowerment seminars and book signings, it’s the music that defines the Essence Music Festival experience. And, for the second consecutive year, TV One gives its viewers a front row seat with TV One Night Only: Live from the Essence Music Festival, airing tonight, August 29, from 9-11PM (ET).
The who’s who in Black music roster includes Janet Jackson, Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J, Jill Scott, Earth, Wind & Fire, Charlie Wilson and Raphael Saadiq. Atlanta is strongly represented by the legendary Gladys Knight, Monica, Keri Hilson and Trey Songz, who is a resident. Instead of straight performances, there are some behind-the-scenes moments as well as crowd reactions and artist interviews. Celebrities like Atlanta resident Boris Kodjoe, whose new series The Undercovers debuts on NBC September 22, and Tyler Perry offer congratulations to Essence, which is celebrating 40 years in continuous publication, an extraordinary feat in this digital-crazy age.
Making it to the Essence mainstage is not something an artist takes lightly so they definitely bring their A game. Both Trey Songz and Raphael Saadiq speak on that. Janet Jackson was a pleasant surprise for many of these year’s attendees and her performance got rave reviews. Here, she definitely gets her moments to shine.
All in all, Essence, as many call it, is definitely a diva fest in the best way. “We are delighted to bring our viewers a taste of the experience, with a front-row seat to the most incredible music concert they could ever imagine,” shared TV One President and CEO Johnathan Rodgers in a press release. With this year’s success surely on pace to match last year’s, TV One Night Only: Live from the Essence Music Festival is well on its way to becoming a much-anticipated annual event in its own right.
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