Connect with us

Events

Charlie Wilson’s “In It to Win It” at the Paramount Theatre, April 13 

Published

on

With a long list of number one singles, sold out tours and a best-selling memoir, Charlie Wilson has more than proven that he’s “In It to Win It,” the title of his latest album. Prior to having his twelfth number one single, Charlie Wilson gave fans “Burn Rubber on Me,” “Outstanding” and “Early in the Morning,” as the founder of the Gap Band. Nowadays as a solo artist, the hits keep on coming with “There Goes My Baby,” “I’m Blessed” and “Chills”.

Having survived addiction, homelessness and prostate cancer, Wilson says, “You can do anything in life; just keep it simple, believe in God and make God your first love,” he said.

In his darkest moments Wilson said he simply asked God to preserve his life and give him a chance to make music. “God is amazing—ask, trust and believe,” he said

Often referred to as Uncle Charlie, the solo star has collaborated with Snoop Dogg, T.I. and says he hopes to work with John Legend one day.

“I was actually with John one day and mentioned working with him. All of a sudden he pulled up an entire file labeled Charlie Wilson,” Charlie added.

“In It to Win It” was nominated for three 2018 NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Male Artist, Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration and Outstanding Album.  The set boasts the Billboard number one lead single “I’m Blessed” featuring T.I., which was one of the fastest rising top ten singles on the Urban Adult Contemporary chart and was Wilson’s first number one on the Gospel Singles chart.

Wilson was recently honored at the 2018 NAACP Image Awards with the first ever Music Makes A Difference Award, a tribute to his 22 years of sobriety, assisting the homeless and educating the African-American community about prostate cancer.  “It was truly an overwhelming experience to receive this award,” stated Wilson.

“Early detection is key in the fight against cancer and I urge men to be your brother’s keeper and encourage one another to see a doctor regularly,” he said.

“’I’m Blessed’ says exactly where I am in my life, blessed to still be making music that people want to hear,” says Wilson. “2017 was a tough year for so many people around the world, so I was proud to release a song to remind us that we can all find some blessings in our lives.

As far as 2018 and the future, Wilson says he’s going to continue making great music. “I love performing for people – it keeps the little boy inside of me alive.”

“In It to Win It” features songs with Pitbull, Wiz Khalifa, Robin Thicke, Lalah Hathaway and Snoop Dogg. True to his faith and life testimony, Wilson unleashes his powerful tenor on the uplifting track, “Amazing God” and romance songs “Precious Love” and “New Addiction.”

Before launching his solo career in 2000, Wilson racked up a string of hits in the late ‘70s and ‘80s as front man with the Gap Band. He chronicled his odds-defying life and career in his 2015 best-selling autobiography, “I Am Charlie Wilson.” On April 13, Wilson performs at the Paramount Theater in Oakland.

 

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of October 23 – 29, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of October 23 – 29, 2024

Published

on

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Continue Reading

Arts and Culture

Soaring Birds and Towering Waves Greet Attendees at 29th Annual Maafa Commemoration at Ocean Beach

The 29th Annual MAAFA Commemoration San Francisco Bay Area was held at Ocean Beach, Sunday, Oct. 13. Warm and cloudy with waves as high as tall buildings, we gathered to honor African ancestors who died by the millions over the centuries of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

Published

on

Ayikwei H. Scott (drummer standing), Dr. Uzo Nwankpa (seated), Iya Nefertina Abrams (in background), unnamed participant to the left. Next frame: co-founder, Sister Wanda Sabir at mic. MAAFA winged chorus (center frame). We are singing the MAAFA song Brotha Clint composed. Chorus: Sister Wanda and Antwuanette Queen-Pope, Brother Desmond Iman, Baba Darinxoso Oyamasela. Minister Alisha Teasley (Lower right). Photo montage by Zochi.
Ayikwei H. Scott (drummer standing), Dr. Uzo Nwankpa (seated), Iya Nefertina Abrams (in background), unnamed participant to the left. Next frame: co-founder, Sister Wanda Sabir at mic. MAAFA winged chorus (center frame). We are singing the MAAFA song Brotha Clint composed. Chorus: Sister Wanda and Antwuanette Queen-Pope, Brother Desmond Iman, Baba Darinxoso Oyamasela. Minister Alisha Teasley (Lower right). Photo montage by Zochi.

By Wanda Sabir

Special to The Post

The 29th Annual MAAFA Commemoration San Francisco Bay Area was held at Ocean Beach, Sunday, Oct. 13. Warm and cloudy with waves as high as tall buildings, we gathered to honor African ancestors who died by the millions over the centuries of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.

The 50 or so children and adults attending Maafa, Kiswahili word meaning ‘great disaster,’ came from as far as Monterey and Sacramento to just up the block.  We all felt the ancestors’ ethereal embrace as Min. Imhotep and Min. Alicia of Wo’Se Community Church poured libations and invited us to call their names with our mouths, feet, and hands.

Birds on the beach lifted their wings in flight moving towards us and flying overhead the way legends say African ancestors flew away from plantation fields. Their collective Aṣé!

The theme for the 29th Maafa event was accountability and as Zochi led us through Mu-i (pronounced moo-ee, a movement meditation) we embraced our power from our roots through our crown chakras. Dr. Uzo Nwankpa, a healer in residence at Freedom Community Clinic, taught us the Igbo war chant —“Eyinmba” which was also an embodied movement.

Our ancestral poet this year was Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911), born in Baltimore to free parents. She was a poet, abolitionist, suffragist, educator, and freedom fighter who lived in Philadelphia.
“It’s time to be a grown person,” Wanda Sabir, Maafa CEO stated. “Own up, fess up, get righteous. Accountability means we don’t blame others for our poor choices and their consequences. We don’t blame the system, genetic weakness, structural racism, poverty of the soul, families of origin, peer pressure, ignorance….
“We are more than the worse thing we have suffered. We are more than what our ancestors survived.
“Our ancestors do not want us to be functional. Our ancestors want us to be free.”
The drummers were phenomenal, and the section of the program open to reflections was filled with song, poetry, dance and prayers. A special treat was “Amkara Music” by Karamo Susso and Amina Janta, who will perform at Bissap Baobab in San Francisco on Oct. 20.
Join us for a Zoom dialogue on adrienne maree brown’s article, “Murmations: Love Looks Like Accountability” (Yes! Magazine, 7/25/22): Sunday, Nov. 10, 2-4 pm PT. Register in advance: MaafaSFBayArea.com, 510-397-9705. Here is the MAAFA 2024 program (https://qr1.be/CPFI).

Continue Reading

Subscribe to receive news and updates from the Oakland Post

* indicates required

CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE OAKLAND POST

ADVERTISEMENT

WORK FROM HOME

Home-based business with potential monthly income of $10K+ per month. A proven training system and website provided to maximize business effectiveness. Perfect job to earn side and primary income. Contact Lynne for more details: Lynne4npusa@gmail.com 800-334-0540

Facebook

Exclusive interview with County D.A. Price days before recall election. Photo by Ken Epstein.
Activism4 hours ago

‘Jim Crow Was and Remains Real in Alameda County (and) It Is What We Are Challenging and Trying to Fix Every Day,’ Says D.A. Pamela Price

“People have no idea what the vision is for the next district attorney, or where the office will go if I am, in fact, recalled, she continued. “I'm just running against a billionaire,” who does not show his face in public, she said. Courtesy photo.
Activism5 hours ago

‘Criminal Justice Reform Is the Signature Civil Rights Issue of Our Time,’ says D.A. Pamela Price

Activism1 day ago

Oakland Post: Week of October 30 – November 5, 2024

Keyanna Ortiz-Cedeño at her graduation from UC Berkeley after receiving her master’s degree in City Regional Planning. Alongside her, are her parents holding a Puerto Rican flag. Courtesy photo.
Activism3 days ago

“Two things can be true at once.” An Afro-Latina Voter Weighs in on Identity and Politics

PPIC
California Black Media4 days ago

Ahead of Nov. Election, Event to Check Pulse of California’s Political Landscape

Stock Photo
Alameda County4 days ago

Access Better Health with Medically Tailored Meals – Transforming Health Through Nutrition for Medi-Cal Patients

Courtesy of National Archives, Washington, D.C.
Art4 days ago

A Prolific Painter: Artist and Advocate Lois Mailou Jones

iStock Photo
California Black Media4 days ago

Not So Sweet: California State Health Campaign Highlights Dangers of Sugary Drinks

Yahushua Robinson
California Black Media4 days ago

New California Law Will Protect Students During Extreme Weather

California Secretary of State Dr. Shirley N. Weber. Photo Courtesy of ShirleyWeber.com.
California Black Media4 days ago

More Than 1.2 Million Youth Pre-Registered to Vote, Secretary of State Weber Announced

Courtesy of Art Harris.
Black History4 days ago

Health is Our Wealth: An Afrocentric Perspective to Health & Wellness

On Sept. 19, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bipartisan legislative package to improve housing initiatives and address the homelessness crisis.
California Black Media4 days ago

Gov. Newsom Signs Legislative Package to Increase Housing, Improve Accountability

Shutterstock
Activism4 days ago

On Your November Ballot: Prop 6 Could End “Involuntary Servitude” in California Prisons

Minister King X
Activism4 days ago

Minister King X, Civil Rights Group Sue California Prisons Over Right to Protest

Photo courtesy UC Berkeley News.
Community4 days ago

Advanced Conductors Provide Path for Grid Expansion

Trending

Copyright ©2021 Post News Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.