THIS WEEK: This is the week Barack Obama becomes president — and you'd better believe people are documenting it in video, audio, and most definitely photographs.
Keeping up with the inaugural spirit, the Associated Press will be showcasing around 80 photos of our nation's presidents — including some Pulitzer Prize winners — at the Armour J. Blackburn Gallery.
AP photographers are responsible for capturing a series of memorable presidential moments. The exhibit, entitled "The American President," is where you'll be able to see the famous "Dewey Defeats Truman" photo — where Harry S. Truman holds up the Chicago Tribune's epic fail of a misprint — among other iconic images.
» Howard University's Armour J. Blackburn Gallery, 2400 6th St. NW; through Jan. 23, free; 202-806-6100. (Shaw-Howard University)
Written by Express' Nicole Ocran
Photo courtesy The Associated Press
ONCE UPON A MICROPHONE, a somewhat shy Marsha Ambrosius dreamed of solo success. Then some personal and Industry obstacles derailed that dream.
"I was like, 'A solo career? Oh, no. That's not for me. ... Let me put all my focus on writing and production for other people,'" said Ambrosius.
While writing and producing, and also singing on the local circuit, she met spoken-word artist Natalie Stewart. That's how Ambrosius became the high-pitched half of soul- and R&B-laced duo Floetry.
"Floetry came about because we were cool. We weren't trying to put a group together; we were just doing poetry gigs together. It so happened that we got a deal out of it when we came over to the States," she explained.
CALYPSO WAS ONCE the musical equivalent of a tabloid newspaper in Trinidad and Tobago.
Songs with lilting melodies about politicians and colonialism were mashed up against percussive and ribald sexual and drinking tales, but they all had rich word play and double-entendre-filled lyrics that could make pointed social criticisms just as well as they could make listeners double over in laughter.
Of course, calypso's clever lyrics usually baffled American artists such as The Andrews Sisters, who had a huge hit in 1945 with a cover of the Lord Invader and Lionel Belasco tune "Rum and Coca-Cola."
The U.S. had set up military bases in Trinidad during World War II, and Lord Invader's lyrics speak to the way women were becoming prostitutes "working for the Yankee dollar."
Meanwhile, The Andrews Singers plowed through "Rum and Coca-Cola's" words in perfect harmony and made the angry tune sound like a happy-go-lucky party jam.
That is one of the better known tales in calypso lore, as is the controversy surrounding Harry Belafonte's massively successful 1956 LP, "Calypso." Both of these stories are recounted in the documentary "Calypso Dreams," but the film also digs deep into the history and artistry of this distinctly Trini roots music.
Trinidad and Tobago will celebrate its 45th year of independence from Great Britain on Aug. 31, and the T&T embassy in Washington, D.C., has prepared a weeklong celebration, which kicks off Friday with a free screening of "Calypso Dreams" at Howard University's Armour J. Blackburn University Center.
BBQ Battle, Caribbean Festival Set for Weekend
Map It:
Federal Triangle
Map It: Shaw-Howard U
Map It: U Street-Cardozo
STREET FESTIVALS — they're great for revelers, but not so great for drivers. With two major annual festivals scheduled for this weekend, street closures will likely slow downtown traffic to a crawl on Saturday and Sunday. After a woman drove her car through a crowd at last month's Unifest in Anacostia, don't be surprised to find police being extra cautious when cordoning off streets. Here's your guide for weekend festivities — and the traffic bedlam they will likely cause.
» NATIONAL CAPITAL BARBECUE BATTLE: The annual gathering satisfies two great American passions: the love of eating and the love of eating things that are free. The festival, now celebrating its 15th year, is sponsored by Safeway and food companies eager to hand out free samples.
Oh yes, there's also a barbecue contest. Dozens of competitors set up booths to compete for supremacy in several BBQ categories. You don't get to taste their offerings, but many local restaurants line Pennsylvania Avenue to sell samples of their delicious wares. For best results, buy a rib sampler from every restaurant.
The festival has two music stages: one for rock and jazz, the other for blues and soul. Headlining on Saturday night is D.C. go-go legend Chuck Brown.
Most of the Federal Triangle area will be closed to traffic from 8 p.m. Friday until 10 p.m. Sunday. Here are the closures:
» Pennsylvania Avenue between 9th and 14th streets NW
» 10th and 12th streets NW between Constitution Avenue and E Street NW.
» 11th and 13th streets NW between Pennsylvania Avenue and E Street NW.
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