We’re experiencing a moment of relative calm in the entertainment world in these few days between the conclusion of Golden Globe Awards and the start of the Sundance Film Festival. But there is still plenty of action. Here’s what’s new and interesting in entertainment and the arts:
Janelle Monáe, Maxwell and Angelique Kidjo will be among the performers taking the stage Saturday as part of the Women’s March on Washington, D. C., event organizers announced Wednesday.
Also set to perform at the National Mall on the first day of the Trump administration: Toshi Reagon, Samantha Ronson, Emily Wells, DJ Rekha, MC Lyte, St. Beauty, Beverly Bond, Alia Sharief, DJ Rimarkable, Amber Coffman, the Indigo Girls, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Climbing PoeTree.
“Music has always been a powerful tool for galvanizing unity and I believe that singing and standing together, our voices will be stronger than any force that tries to repress us,” Monáe said in a statement, calling the march a “critical movement to bring justice and equality to all. ”
“Fistful of Tears” singer Maxwell added, “We are here because women are every bit as capable if not more able to pursue any goal they set forth for themselves. Were it not for the limitless depths of their love we would not be the men that we are. ”
Kidjo, who was born in West Africa, said she wanted to remind people of the importance of cultural diversity.
The rally, which will include speeches as well as performances, begins at 10 a.m. EST. A special version of “Ella’s Song” will cap the rally, with marchers invited to sing along. The march will begin at 1:15 p.m.
The classic protest anthem was written in honor of civil rights leader Ella Baker by Bernice Johnson Reagon , Toshi Reagon’s mom. Reagon’s new take on it can be heard here.
Thousands of Angelenos who can’t make it to Washington on Saturday are expected to gather that day in downtown L. A. for Women’s March Los Angeles. The event will start at 9 a.m. PST with speeches and sign-making at Pershing Square. At 10 a.m., participants will march to City Hall, where a rally will be held.
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