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Fifth Annual Westbank Heritage Festival to Feature All-Star Music Lineup
NEW ORLEANS TRIBUNE — Organizers of the 5th Annual Westbank Heritage Festival, taking place Oct. 5-6, have announced this year’s headline performers, which include New Orleans “Queen of Bounce” Big Freedia, 90s hip hop icon Juvenile, internationally-renowned R&B singer Ginuwine, legendary New Orleans DJ and producer Mannie Fresh.
By The New Orleans Tribune
Organizers of the 5th Annual Westbank Heritage Festival, taking place Oct. 5-6, have announced this year’s headline performers, which include New Orleans “Queen of Bounce” Big Freedia, 90s hip hop icon Juvenile, internationally-renowned R&B singer Ginuwine, legendary New Orleans DJ and producer Mannie Fresh.
The festival will also feature performances from local rapper Choppa, known for his hit single and Saints football anthem “Choppa Style,” influential East Coast DJ and rapper credited with birthing mafioso rap, DJ Polo, bounce artist 5th Ward Weebie, and soulful R&B singer Roi “Chip” Anthony.
The Westbank Heritage Festival was founded in 2015 by Jefferson Parish Councilman Mark Spears and the New Growth Economic Development Association to celebrate the unique culture of the West Bank, provide opportunities for local businesses, enhance tourism, and spur economic development throughout the area. The festival has since attracted thousands to the West Bank each year with its nationally-renowned music line-up.
Additional local artists and musical acts, as well as this year’s vendor lineup and the daily schedule of events, will be announced in the coming weeks.
The 2019 Westbank Heritage Festival is free to attend and will include music, food, and fun for children and adults of all ages all weekend long.
Festival-goers will have the opportunity to purchase VIP tickets for the Best Bank VIP Lounge each day for $40. The full Best Bank VIP experience includes all-day access to the luxurious, lounge space and seating, private viewing areas in front of and on-stage, an outdoor gaming area, VIP restrooms, one signature dish from a prominent West Bank food vendor, and unlimited soft drinks and water. VIP tickets are currently available for purchase with a special early bird 25 percent discount on the first 40 tickets sold at westbankheritagefest.com/experiences.
For more information or to purchase VIP tickets, visit westbankheritagefest.com, and follow along on Facebook and Instagram for important updates and announcements.
This article originally appeared in The New Orleans Tribune.
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Tiguan’s AI Touchscreen & Gear Shift: VW Just Changed the Game! #2
Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0xUKM6U2Lpc&autoplay=0&cc_lang_pref=en&cc_load_policy=0&color=0&controls=1&fs=1&h1=en&loop=0&rel=0
Explore the Tiguan’s cutting-edge 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice control, and a new AI assistant. See how VW innovatively moved the gear shifter to the steering column, enhancing the center console and navigation system! #AutoNetwork #Tiguan #Infotainment #AppleCarPlay #AndroidAuto #AISystem #NavigationSystem #CarTech #TechReview #CarInnovation #Automotive
#NNPA BlackPress
IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire
Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.
His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.
Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.
In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.
The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.
Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.
As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.
Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.
His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.
“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”
Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.
“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”
Sly Stone is survived by three children.
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PRESS ROOM: Clyburn on 10th Anniversary of Mother Emanuel AME Church Shooting in Charleston
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.

By Congressman James E. Clyburn
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA – Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06) released the following video on X, paying tribute to the 10th anniversary of the shooting that took place at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina on June 17, 2015.
“Over 6 years ago, the House first passed my Enhanced Background Checks Act to close the Charleston Loophole that allowed a white supremacist to obtain the gun he used to murder nine worshipers at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.
“I’ll never stop fighting to pass this law.”
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