Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 5 March 2018

This Oct. 6, 2017 photo provided by the Kennedy Center, shows Q-Tip performing at the Kennedy
Center in Washington.
In this Oct. 22, 1981, file photo, Jamie Farr, from front left, plugs Associated Press
from left, Mike Farrell, Alan Alda and David Ogden Stiers cel- Next up at the Kennedy Center?
his ears as cast members of the "M.A.S.H." television series cast
Harry Morgan, Loretta Swit, William Christopher and, from back
ebrate during a party on the set of the popular CBS program in
Los Angeles. Associated Press A new focus on hip-hop
'M.A.S.H.' actor By ASHRAF KHALIL and Kendrick Lamar per- to having hip-hop as an

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was forming with the National ongoing program."
David Ogden Stiers late October 2017 and a Symphony Orchestra. Hip- Last year's Kennedy Center
Honors program — an an-
packed house of VIPs had hop has also been show-
nual centerpiece event —
gathered at Washington's cased regularly at the cen-
dies at age 75 Kennedy Center to watch ter's daily Millennium Stage may have been one of the
David Letterman receive concerts.
blackest nights in the history
the Mark Twain award for The process is accelerating. of the institution. In addition
LOS ANGELES (AP) — David also showed an empathy a career in comedy. A The center has tapped two to LL Cool J — whose pro-
Ogden Stiers, a prolific ac- and wit his predecessor stream of comedians took members of hip-hop roy- gram included a speech by
tor best known for playing lacked. the stage to sing Letter- alty to act as bridges into Queen Latifah and a per-
a surgeon on the "M.A.S.H." Stiers did voice acting in man's praises, and several the rap world. Q-Tip from formance by rapper Busta
television series, has died. several Disney animated couldn't resist taking good- A Tribe Called Quest has Rhymes — the honorees
He was 75. films, voicing the charac- natured shots at the crowd. been named artistic direc- included African-American
The actor's agent Mitchell ter Cogsworth in "Beauty Martin Short deadpanned, tor for hip-hop culture. Last singer Lionel Richie and
Stubbs confirmed Saturday and the Beast" and played "It says a lot about America year, LL Cool J became the dancer Carmen De Laval-
night in an email that Stiers characters in "Lilo & Stitch" when people from different first rapper inducted into lade. Cuban-American
died after battling bladder and "Pocahontas." He was white backgrounds can the elite ranks of Kennedy singer Gloria Estefan was
cancer. also the voice of an an- gather together like this." Center Honors recipients. also saluted. The only white
No additional details were nouncer in George Lucas' Jimmie Walker — J.J. from "I consider them as impor- honoree was TV producer
provided, but Stubbs' 1971 feature directorial de- the 1970s sitcom "Good tant to our culture as Bach Norman Lear, the man who
agency tweeted that Stiers but, "THX 1138." Times" — put it more blunt- or any other composer," helped bring black fam-
died at his home in New- Stiers received two Emmy ly: "Look at the diversity in said pianist Jason Moran, ily life into mainstream cul-
port, Oregon, on Saturday. nominations for his work on this crowd! I feel like Ben the center's artistic director ture with shows like "Good
In addition to playing the "M.A.S.H." Carson at a Trump Cabinet for jazz. Times" and "The Jeffersons."
aristocratic Maj. Charles He had more than 150 meeting." Moran is credited with The 2017-18 season, Q-Tip's
Winchester III on "M.A.S.H." film and television credits, Walker may have been go- pushing for this change. He first at the helm, kicked off
beginning in its sixth sea- including appearances ing for the easy joke there, was part of the committee with a performance by him
son, replacing Larry Linville on the "Mary Tyler Moore but he spoke to a deeper that chose Q-Tip to found and Moran. The veteran
after he left the series. Stiers' Show" and several Perry belief — that the Kennedy the hip-hop department. rapper calls it "just a flash of
character, while arrogant, Mason television movies.q Center exists to serve an "He's the perfect person to our potential."
elite white audience de- advocate for us," Moran He plans to appoint a "brain
spite its presence in a large- said. "It had to be someone trust" council of fellow rap-
ly black city. That percep- from the bedrock of hip- pers and says the real im-
tion may linger for a while, hop." pact will be felt around
but the reality is changing. Equally important was the year four or five when both
One of America's pre-emi- hiring of a full-time staffer, sides are more comfort-
nent performing arts institu- Simone Eccleston, as direc- able with each other.
linda.reijnders@cspnv.com tions, the Kennedy Center is tor of the new hip-hop cul- "I have to grow into the
embracing hip-hop culture ture department. position and the Kennedy
in a major way. The center "This is not a diversity ef- Center has to get accli-
has gradually introduced fort. We're not just check- mated to the nuances that
rap music into its program- ing boxes," Eccleston said. exist in our thing," Q-Tip
/arubatoday/ ming, with rappers like Nas "This is a firm commitment said.q