Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 4-8-16 Edition

FLORIDA SENTINEL FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016
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Charmettes Planning Junior Debutante Pageant
LUVATOR NELSON ...Chairperson
TATIANA GIVENS
On Sunday, April 24th the Charmettes Inc., will host their annual Junior Debutante Pageant.
The pageant started in 1980 as an opportunity to provide scholarships for local girls. During the last six months, four contestants vying for the title of Junior Debutante participated in work- shops and activities including: charm and etiquette, leadership, public speak- ing and community service.
INDIA GREEN
The Charmettes, Inc. is a community service and outreach oriented organiza- tion. In addition to supporting the Can- cer Research facility at Howard University, a recurring theme in the Charmettes mission statement is: Im- proving the quality of life within our communities.
In keeping that mission, the Hills- borough County chapter supports Met- ropolitan Ministries, Miracles Outreach
VELESSIE WASHINGTON
Center, Relay for Life, C.H.O.I.C.E. group home for boys, Alpha House of Tampa, Athena House for female veter- ans and West Tampa Little League.
Proceeds from the program will be used to continue funding the noted ini- tiatives.
Event chairperson Luvator Nel- son said that “the contestants repre- sent the best of the best in our community.” President Delores B.
VICTORIA WILLIAMS
Williams views the event as an oppor- tunity for the community to show our young ladies that they matter and are supported in their endeavors. The pag- eant will start at 4 P. M. at the College Hill Conference Center, 1002 Martin Luther King Boulevard. The event is free and open to the public. Sylvia Hoard- Salter is the Reporter.
Young ladies vying for the title in- clude:
Former Middleton Grad Making Waves In The Music Industry
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Marcus Boothe grew up in a home where there was always music playing. Both of his parents were music lovers, and they would listen to the great oldies, including smooth jazz.
“Neither one of them played any instruments, but when I was in ele- mentary school, they had a band so I played drums at first.
“After talking with my dad, it was suggested I try the saxophone. My dad always wanted to play a saxophone, but never got to do it.”
Boothe graduated from Middle- ton High School in 2005, then went on to attend Florida A&M University, where he was a member of the March- ing 100.
“I came back to Tampa and started a band. Since then, I’ve had the oppor- tunity to play with a lot of celebrities and I’m now touring with Johnny Nash.
“It’s always been my dream to be an entertainer. I never knew it was at- tainable until five years ago. Now, I’m being asked to play with top artists and be a part of their tours.”
MARCUS BOOTHE
Boothe said he’s working on an album, and looking forward to contin- uing his work with mainstream artists.
“I’m trying to stay as busy as I can. I compose all of my music, and that keeps me very busy. My dream is to return home and put on a big show for my hometown. I’d like to host a big album release party, and invite every- one who has helped me along the way.
“This is a rough industry, but you have to stay humble and focused. You also have to treat people right, be- cause you will probably have to deal with them again later on.”
Boothe said the smooth jazz mar- ket is suffering from a lack of exposure and that makes it very tough to be successful as a jazz artist.
“I’d like to approach it from a dif- ferent angle, and that means doing a lot of collaborations.
“There’s no radio station that plays jazz and that needs to change. Mar- keting yourself as a jazz artist is risky and you almost need to have a gim- mick.”
Boothe said he’s not going to step outside of what’s made him successful to this point, but he understands there are some new ideas he’ll have to adopt to continue in the industry.