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AL ROKER
Al Roker was born in Queens, New York,[6] the son of Isabel, of Jamaicandescent, and Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr.,[7] a bus driver of Bahamian descent.[8]Roker initially wanted to be a cartoonist.[7] He was raised Catholic[7] (in the faith of his mother) and graduated from Xavier High School in Manhattan.[9] He worked on several projects as a member of the school's Cartooning & Illustration Club. He attended the State University of New York at Oswego where he received a B.A. in communications in 1976. Roker is the cousin of actress Roxie Roker, who was most notable for her role as Helen Willis on the sitcom The Jeffersons and the mother of popular rock musician Lenny Kravitz.[10]
Al Roker was born in Queens, New York,[6] the son of Isabel, of Jamaicandescent, and Albert Lincoln Roker, Sr.,[7] a bus driver of Bahamian descent.[8]Roker initially wanted to be a cartoonist.[7] He was raised Catholic[7] (in the faith of his mother) and graduated from Xavier High School in Manhattan.[9] He worked on several projects as a member of the school's Cartooning & Illustration Club. He attended the State University of New York at Oswego where he received a B.A. in communications in 1976. Roker is the cousin of actress Roxie Roker, who was most notable for her role as Helen Willis on the sitcom The Jeffersons and the mother of popular rock musician Lenny Kravitz.[10]
ALPHONSO RIBEIRO
Alfonso Ribeiro was born in New York on September 21, 1971. Alfonso's family is from Trinidad & Tobago. Although rumor has been that he is of Dominican descent, he has stated in an interview that this is false. Neither he nor his family are from the Dominican Republic; they originate from Trinidad & Tobago.
Ribeiro began his career when he debuted on the PBS show "Oye Ollie." After getting the starring role in the Broadway musical "The Tap Dance Kid" Ribeiro was spotted byMichael Jackson who cast him in one of the singer's many Pepsi commercials of that decade. At the age of 10 Ribeiro dabbled as a musician, releasing singles such as "Dance Baby," "Not Too Young (To Fall In Love)", "Sneak Away With Me" and "Time Bomb". It was about this time that he was cast as Ricky Schroder's best friend on the long-running series Silver Spoons (1982).
He attended California State University at Los Angeles after the end of the series, and was later cast as Carlton Banks on the popular series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(1990). An avid race car driver, Ribeiro resides in Los Angeles where he participates in celebrity car races.
Ribeiro began his career when he debuted on the PBS show "Oye Ollie." After getting the starring role in the Broadway musical "The Tap Dance Kid" Ribeiro was spotted byMichael Jackson who cast him in one of the singer's many Pepsi commercials of that decade. At the age of 10 Ribeiro dabbled as a musician, releasing singles such as "Dance Baby," "Not Too Young (To Fall In Love)", "Sneak Away With Me" and "Time Bomb". It was about this time that he was cast as Ricky Schroder's best friend on the long-running series Silver Spoons (1982).
He attended California State University at Los Angeles after the end of the series, and was later cast as Carlton Banks on the popular series The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air(1990). An avid race car driver, Ribeiro resides in Los Angeles where he participates in celebrity car races.
Zoe Saldana was born on June 19, 1978 in Passaic, New Jersey, to Asalia Nazario and Aridio Saldaña. Her father was Dominican and her mother is Puerto Rican. She was raised in Queens, New York. When she was 10 years old, she and her family moved to the Dominican Republic, where they would live for the next seven years. While living there, Zoe discovered a keen interest in performance dance and began her training at the prestigious ECOS Espacio de Danza Dance Academy where she learned ballet as well as other dance forms. Not only did her training provide an excellent outlet for the enthusiastic and energetic youngster, it would also prove to be a fortunate precursor for the start of her professional acting career. At age 17, Zoe and her family moved back to the United States where her love for dance followed and an interest in theater performance became stronger.
She began performing with the Faces theater troupe which put on plays geared to provide positive messages for teens with themes dealing with issues such as substance abuse and sex. These performances not only gave her valuable experience but also a source of great pride knowing that she was making a difference in the lives of young people like herself. While performing with the Faces troupe and also the New York Youth Theater, Zoe was recruited for a talent agency and her dance training years before coupled with her acting experience greatly helped her land her first big screen role as Eva Rodriguez, the talented and headstrong ballet dancer in the film Center Stage (2000). Since her professional career began several years ago, Zoe's talent and determination has allowed her to be involved in blockbuster films and act with major actors, actresses and industry insiders at a pace that very few young professionals have experienced.
She began performing with the Faces theater troupe which put on plays geared to provide positive messages for teens with themes dealing with issues such as substance abuse and sex. These performances not only gave her valuable experience but also a source of great pride knowing that she was making a difference in the lives of young people like herself. While performing with the Faces troupe and also the New York Youth Theater, Zoe was recruited for a talent agency and her dance training years before coupled with her acting experience greatly helped her land her first big screen role as Eva Rodriguez, the talented and headstrong ballet dancer in the film Center Stage (2000). Since her professional career began several years ago, Zoe's talent and determination has allowed her to be involved in blockbuster films and act with major actors, actresses and industry insiders at a pace that very few young professionals have experienced.
Estelle Swaray was born and raised in West London, England. Her mother's family came from the West African nation of Senegal, and her father is from the Caribbean island of Grenada. She was the second born of eight children. Estelle's parents were very religious when she was growing up, and secular music was not allowed in the family's home. Instead, spiritual music—particularly American gospel—and traditional African music were what Estelle grew up listening to. However, she would sometimes listen to hip hop when not at home.[1] Her mother was a reggae fan and her dad built homemade speaker cabinets to play music through.
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Fat Joe was born on August 19, 1970, in the South Bronx area of New York City, where he was raised by parents of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent. Latino rapper Fat Joe (aka Fat Joe da Gangsta, Joey Crack, and his real name, Joe Cartagena) was raised in the South Bronx area of New York. It was through an older brother that Cartagena learned the Eventually going by the name of Fat Joe, the rapper secured a recording contract with the Relativity label in the early '90s, resulting in the release of his full-length debut, Represent, in 1993 (which spawned the single "Flow Joe," peaking at the number one spot on Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart). Two years later, Fat Joe issued his sophomore effort He lived in public housing and began stealing at a young age to support his family. He also admits that he was a bully in his childhood. His brother introduced him to hip hop music. Joseph Antonio Cartagena (born August 19, 1970), better known by his stage name Fat Joe, is an American rapper and actor from the Bronx, New York. He began his music career as a member of hip hop group Diggin' in the Crates Crew (D.I.T.C.), then forged a solo career and set up his own label, Terror Squad, to which he signed Big Pun, Remy Ma, Tony Sunshine, Cuban Link, Armageddon, Prospect, Triple Seis and DJ Khaled as well as discover producers Cool & Dre. Fat Joe's debut solo album, Represent, was released in 1993 and spawned the single "Flow Joe", which reached number one on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs. His most commercially successful album to date was Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) (2001); it was certified platinum by the RIAA and internationally certified silver by the BPI, as well as reaching the top 100 on multiple music charts. |
LAZ ALONSO :
Born and raised in Washington DC, Laz always knew he wanted to be an actor. He remembers at a very early age entertaining his family by imitating relatives and family friends. He graduated from the prestigious Howard University School of Business, earning a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing. After college, he worked on Wall Street at an investment banking firm. He and several partners eventually started their own marketing business, promoting mainstream products to the trend-setting urban market. Owning and operating his own successful business freed up Laz's time to finally explore his passion for acting. Laz began taking classes in the evening to hone his craft and it didn't take him long to begin landing roles in commercials and videos.
From D.C. to New York, Laz feels his upbringing not only taught him how to deal with the school of hard knocks, but also prepared him for his biggest goal, his acting career. He credits the move to NYC as his move into manhood and the city holds many great memories for him. Laz also credits his acting ability to these life experiences, as he is able to bring a little of what he knows or has dealt with into his characters.
From D.C. to New York, Laz feels his upbringing not only taught him how to deal with the school of hard knocks, but also prepared him for his biggest goal, his acting career. He credits the move to NYC as his move into manhood and the city holds many great memories for him. Laz also credits his acting ability to these life experiences, as he is able to bring a little of what he knows or has dealt with into his characters.
Nel Ust Wyclef Jean[1] (/ˈwaɪklɛf ˈʒɒ̃/; born on October 17, 1969)[1][2] is a Haitian-American rapper, musician and actor.[3][4] At the age of nine,[5]Jean emigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees. Jean has won three Grammy Awards for his musical work.[6]
On August 5, 2010, Jean filed for candidacy in the 2010 Haitian presidential election.[7] The Electoral Commission ruled him ineligible to stand for office, as he had not met the constitutional requirement to have been a resident in Haiti for five years prior to the election.[2][8] Jean's efforts at earthquake relief, highly publicized in 2010 throughout Haiti and the United States, were channeled through his charitable organization, Yéle Haiti. The charity, which conducted education and welfare activities in Haiti between 2005 and 2010, effectively closed in 2012. It was investigated for failure to file tax returns and mismanagement of funds; a high proportion of its money went to travel and administrative expense. The New York Times reported that much of the money raised by the organization in the Hope for Haiti Now telethon was retained by Jean for his own benefit.[9][10] In 2012, Jean published his memoir Purpose: An Immigrant's Story.[9]Along with Carlos Santana, Avicii and Alexandre Pires, Jean was chosen to perform the closing ceremony at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Their single, "Dar um Jeito (We Will Find a Way)", the official World Cup anthem, was released on April 29, 2014. |
KERRY WASHINGTON
Kerry Marisa Washington[1] (born January 31, 1977)[2] is an American actress. Since 2012, Washington has gained wide public recognition for starring in the ABC drama Scandal, a Shonda Rhimes series in which she plays Olivia Pope, a crisis management expert to politicians and power brokers in Washington DC.[3] For her role, she has been nominated twice for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series,Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series.
Her father is African-American and her mother is of Jamaican ancestry (including African, English and Scottish)
Kerry Marisa Washington[1] (born January 31, 1977)[2] is an American actress. Since 2012, Washington has gained wide public recognition for starring in the ABC drama Scandal, a Shonda Rhimes series in which she plays Olivia Pope, a crisis management expert to politicians and power brokers in Washington DC.[3] For her role, she has been nominated twice for aPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series,Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series.
Her father is African-American and her mother is of Jamaican ancestry (including African, English and Scottish)
Thomas was born in Washington, D.C., the son of immigrants from Guyana. He was raised in Wilmington, Delaware, the son of Cheryl, a financial analyst for DuPont, and Carlton Thomas, an engineer who also worked for DuPont.[1][2]
Thomas, who has two younger siblings, graduated from Brandywine High School in Delaware and attended the University of Virginia. He originally intended to study law, but upon successfully auditioning for a role in the film A Raisin in the Sun, Thomas changed directions and decided to attend New York University's prestigious Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1995.[3]
Thomas, who has two younger siblings, graduated from Brandywine High School in Delaware and attended the University of Virginia. He originally intended to study law, but upon successfully auditioning for a role in the film A Raisin in the Sun, Thomas changed directions and decided to attend New York University's prestigious Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School of the Arts, graduating in 1995.[3]
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter (/biːˈjɒnseɪ/ bee-yon-say)[3] (born September 4, 1981)[4][5] is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she performed in various singing and dancing competitions as a child, and rose to fame in the late 1990s as lead singer ofR&B girl-group Destiny's Child. Managed by her father Mathew Knowles, the group became one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Their hiatus saw the release of Beyoncé's debut album, Dangerously in Love (2003), which established her as a solo artist worldwide; it sold 11 million copies, earned five Grammy Awards and featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Crazy in Love" and "Baby Boy".
Her father Mathew Knowles — is of African American descent, while her mother Tina — a costume designer and hair stylist — is of so-called Créole heritage (a French term for a person of Afro-European ancestry). More specifically, she is a Louisiana Créole — a mix of African, Native American and French. (The region was a French colony from 1682 to 1763, and from 1800 to 1803).
Her father Mathew Knowles — is of African American descent, while her mother Tina — a costume designer and hair stylist — is of so-called Créole heritage (a French term for a person of Afro-European ancestry). More specifically, she is a Louisiana Créole — a mix of African, Native American and French. (The region was a French colony from 1682 to 1763, and from 1800 to 1803).
NICKI MINAJ
Onika Tanya Maraj was born on December 8, 1982, in Saint James, Trinidad and Tobago.[2] Her father, Robert Maraj, a financial executive and part-time gospel singer, is of Dougla (Afro-Trinidadian and Indo-Trinidadian) descent.[15][16] Her mother, Carol Maraj, is also a gospel singer with Afro-Trinidadian ancestry.[17][15] Carol worked in payroll and accounting departments during Minaj's youth.[18][19] Minaj's father was addicted to alcohol and other drugs, and had a violent temper, burning down their house in December 1987.[20] She has two siblings.[21]
As a small child, Minaj and a sibling lived with her grandmother in Saint James.[15][20] Her mother, who had moved to The Bronx in New York City to attend Monroe College,[20] brought the family to Queens when Minaj was five.[15] By then, the family had a house on 147th Street.[20] Minaj recalled, "I don't think I had a lot of discipline in my household. My mom motivated me, but it wasn't a strict household. I kind of wanted a strict household."[22] Minaj successfully auditioned for admission to LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, which focuses on visual and performing arts.[2] After graduation, Minaj wanted to become an actress, and she was cast in the Off-Broadway play In Case You Forget in 2001.[23]
At the age of 19, as she struggled with her acting career, she worked as a waitress at a Red Lobster in the Bronx, but was fired for discourtesy to customers.[24] She said she was fired from "at least 15 jobs" for similar reasons.[
As a small child, Minaj and a sibling lived with her grandmother in Saint James.[15][20] Her mother, who had moved to The Bronx in New York City to attend Monroe College,[20] brought the family to Queens when Minaj was five.[15] By then, the family had a house on 147th Street.[20] Minaj recalled, "I don't think I had a lot of discipline in my household. My mom motivated me, but it wasn't a strict household. I kind of wanted a strict household."[22] Minaj successfully auditioned for admission to LaGuardia High School in Manhattan, which focuses on visual and performing arts.[2] After graduation, Minaj wanted to become an actress, and she was cast in the Off-Broadway play In Case You Forget in 2001.[23]
At the age of 19, as she struggled with her acting career, she worked as a waitress at a Red Lobster in the Bronx, but was fired for discourtesy to customers.[24] She said she was fired from "at least 15 jobs" for similar reasons.[
CARIBBEAN TALENT THAT'S INFLUENCED AMERICA'S CULTURE
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STREAMED CARIBBEAN MUSIC
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