Lighting The Road To The Future Data Zone Page 6 Shoot Ya Best Shot “The People’s Paper” April 28 - May 4, 2012 46th Year Volume 48 www.ladatanews.com Terrance Osborne The Art and Soul of a City Page 2 Opinion Trailblazer What Happened Latoya on Saturday? Cantrell Page 9 Page 8 Page 2 April 28 - May 4, 2012 Cover Story www.ladatanews.com Terrance Osborne The Art and Soul of a City New Orleans Artist Terrance Osborne By Edwin Buggage The subject is Trombone Shorty; it is one of my favorites because Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and I have many similarities .” Continuing he said, “He grew up in Treme and New Orleans: America’s Artistic Mecca so did I, he went to NOCCA and so did I, so it was an easy It’s that time of the year again, when people from around the globe painting for me . And I wanted to paint Troy in the neigh- come to experience the culture of America’s most international City . For two weekends the New Orleans Fairgrounds will be ablaze with art, mu- borhood, and I knew I was certain that it was the setting I sic, and food at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival . The festival wanted . So as he is playing and the neighborhood is bending has grown by leaps and bounds from its early origin in Congo Square to to his note, that’s why the houses are leaning his way . It is become one of the premiere festivals in the world . really about people coming together and living in harmony . Cover Story, Continued on next page. DATA NEWS WEEKLY P.O. Box 57347, New Orleans, LA 70157-7347 | Phone: (504) 821-7421 | Fax: (504) 821-7622 INSIDE DATA editorial: [email protected] | advertising: [email protected] Terry B. Jones Contributors CEO/Publisher Edwin Buggage Glenn Jones George Curry Cover Story . 2 Commentary . 8 Parnell Herbert VP Advertising Terry Jones & Marketing Julianne Malveaux State & Local News . 4 Opinion . 9 Cheryl Mainor Cheryl McNeil Pearson Managing Editor Oliver M. Thomas Edwin Buggage Editor Art Direction & Production Trailblazer . 5 National News . 10 MainorMedia.com Calla Victoria Editorial Submissions Executive Assistant [email protected] Data Zone . 6 June Hazeur Advertising Inquiries Accounting [email protected] Please call 504-309-9913 for subscription information or to obtain a back issue of the paper ONLY. Dated material two weeks in advance. Not responsible for publishing or return of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. www.ladatanews.com Cover Story April 28 - May 4, 2012 Page 3 Cover Story, Continued from previous page. Terrance Osborne year to get settled there because of course something as devastat- ing as Katrina would affect you ”. Continuing he says, “I must say at first I totally rejected living there, we were about an hour north of Atlanta . Things were so differ- ent, the houses were far apart, there was a lake out back and a wooded area, and I am a City boy so I rejected everything about it ”. Osborne creates “Porch Song”, paying homage to Troy “Trombone But after a while he became accli- Shorty” Andrews mated and learn to appreciate his new surroundings saying, “After a “Jazzfest has grown from a small gave me a call and asked me to do while I began to enjoy nature, but I community festival to become the a poster in 2007 and I produced soon realized one thing that while highest grossing festival in the a piece called “Rebirth” and that living there I began to lose one of world . And the Jazzfest poster is became the best-selling Jazzfest my sources of inspiration because the highest grossing poster in the Congo Square poster ever . And the people are not like New Orlea- world, so to anybody who gets the now I think the current poster is nians and I found myself some- poster it is a huge honor, and you selling at record numbers as well times lost trying to discover who I can go anywhere in the world and and is well on its way to become a was, forging a new identity in this see a Jazzfest poster hanging from bestseller .” new place that felt so foreign .” someone’s wall,” says Osborne . Speaking of the uniqueness “And it is my hope that my suc- and the familiar feel of New Or- cess continues as I can be one of An Artist Loses and leans he recalls of how he began the many voices that use my art to Regains His Muse to reconnect with his native City, introduce people to New Orleans “There is a sense of family that JazzFest 2012’s official poster entitled “Porch Song” and its traditions and heritage .” Art is an essential part of the people have in New Orleans that His journey from being an art landscape of the City, from the is unlike any other place . We’ll While the City is an artistic my favorites because Troy “Trom- student at Xavier University study- musicality of the language and walk down the street and speak to Mecca year round, one of the bone Shorty” Andrews and I have ing under renowned Art Instruc- the dissonant but harmonious each other, good morning, good most highly prized treasures for many similarities ”. Continuing he tors John Scott and Ron Bechet sound, rhythm, pace and color evening, good night and that’s an- festival goers is the official Jazzfest said, “He grew up in Treme and and outside of school he refined of life that is New Orleans . For other way of saying we’re all con- poster . This year this honor has so did I, he went to NOCCA and his skills working with Artist centuries this unique backdrop nected and that is our way of doing been bestowed upon Terrance so did I, so it was an easy painting Richard Thomas . He first came has served as the muse for artists it without saying it ”. Continuing Osborne, the wunderkind of the for me . And I wanted to paint Troy to the attention of many when of every stripe and type . Then in he says, “Where I was nobody artistic world whose colorful New in the neighborhood, and I knew I his work was displayed on the 2005 Hurricane Katrina hit leav- speaks unless they know each Orleans themed paintings have was certain that it was the setting walls of MTV’s “The Real World” ing a City damaged and left the other and that is normal to them . I become the inspiration for a City . I wanted . So as he is playing and house when it was shot in New great artistic muse of many artist soon found while living there, we “I am glad I’ve been chosen to do the neighborhood is bending to Orleans . He says reflecting back ram shacked . This turn of events began to be that way and we stiff- the official poster that is entitled his note, that’s why the houses are on this time in his career, “Look- took its toll on many artists includ- ened up, so when we moved back “Porch Song,” says Osborne . Con- leaning his way . It is really about ing back at it I thought I’d arrived, ing Osborne who had to uproot or when we came down to visit tinuing he says, “This is actually people coming together and living since it was the biggest thing I’d himself and his young family to and people would speak and you my third poster for Jazzfest, I did in harmony .” done up to that point, but now a suburb out of Atlanta . Reflect- had that sense of community even the 2007 and 2010 Congo Square I realize I still had a lot of grow- ing back he says of this time and though our community was bro- poster that are for emerging art- ing to do as an artist ”. Continuing how it was a journey into self-dis- ken we still had that sense . I had ists, something I am proud of and An Artistic Journey he says of his life Pre-Katrina, “I covery, “Before Katrina, I’d never to readjust and realize I had lost this year’s poster is what the es- In the world of art, Osborne’s was a Schoolteacher, and I didn’t lived anywhere else, and of course something and so I began speak- tablished artists get .” accomplishment is huge and will have any Jazzfest poster, but I had I visited places over the summer ing to people . What woke me up Speaking of the piece and its add to his already large following . a good following and I was show- and things, but we moved to At- to this is when I was in a parking inspiration he says, “The subject He says of the poster and likens ing every year at Jazzfest . And lanta for three years and when Cover Story, is Trombone Shorty; it is one of it to his own evolution as an artist after Hurricane Katrina Jazzfest we got there it took me about a Continued on page 10. Page 4 April 28 - May 4, 2012 State & Local News www.ladatanews.com Ashe Performing Arts Center Presents Angola 3 Angola3 is an amazing play . ment would probably want to file blessed with a special monolog by It tells the ongoing true story of charges with the United Nations Death row Exonoree #119 Der- three men; Herman Wallace, Al- against another country guilty of rick Jamison detailing his story of bert Woodfox and Robert King .