New Orleans Mayor Welcomes NOSACONN’s Celebrate Africa Week “Essence of Africa” Delegation

Today at 3:00-6:00 p.m. New Orleans Mayor La Toya Cantrell Welcomes NOSACONN’s Celebrate Africa Week “Essence of Africa” Delegation at a reception hosted at Gallier Hall, 545 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130.

Mayor Cantrell to Greet NOSACONN Delegation

Mayor Cantrell to Greet NOSACONN Delegation

NEW ORLEANSJune 30, 2022PRLog — Posted Courtesy of Wright Enterprises San Francisco~Dallas Community Spotlight~~

Media Advisory:

New Orleans Mayor La Toya Cantrell  Welcomes

NOSACONN’s Celebrate Africa Week “Essence of Africa” Delegation

Today at 3:00-6:00 p.m. Reception

WHO:          Mayor La Toya Cantrell; Damon Batiste of NOLA’s Royal Family of Music, founder of NOSACONN-New Orleans-South Africa Connection; Pastor George Green, Record Industry Legend; CEO Ernie Singleton of Singleton Entertainment Los Angeles; Michael Johnson; and CEO  Lloyd Ward of Ward Holdings International, LLC.

WHAT:          Mayor’s Welcome Reception to include the Delegation of NOSACONN’S Celebrate Africa Week ‘Essence of Africa’ about bilateral trade between Africa and New Orleans with a focus on tourism, arts and culture.

With the world’s largest free trade area and a 1.2 billion-person market, the continent is creating an entirely new development path, harnessing the potential of its resources and people…The economy is set to expand by 3.6 percent in 2022, (The World Bank in Africa).

WHERE:          Venue: Gallier Hall, 545 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130

WHEN:          TODAY, THURSDAY,  JUNE 30, 2022, 3:00-6:00 p.m.

WHY:          New Orleans is steeped in a history of arts and culture that is recognized worldwide. It’s important to be reminded New Orleans culture and history can uplift the under served.  NOLA’s history plays on with the talents of many artists including Shaka Zulu who just received a National Endowment of the Arts Heritage Award yesterday, Jon Batiste of NOLA’s Royal Family of Music, who earlier this year received 5 of 11 Grammy nominations and others that are too many to list here.

NOSACONN’s African Heritage Series Celebrate Africa Week “Essence of Africa” NOLA Edition is a week-long celebration over the July 4th Holiday, going on simultaneously during Essence Magazine’s “Essence of Culture Festival” (not directly affiliated). Representatives from the following countries will be in New Orleans as a result of Damon Batiste’s vision for bilateral trade between the U.S. and Africa with the assurance of BIPOC communities benefit from equitable exchange: Cape Verde Islands; Gambia; Ghana; Ivory Coast; Mozambique; Nigeria; Senegal; South Africa; Tanzania; Uganda; and Zimbabwe.

DAMON BATISTE: “We want to ensure prosperity for all as we develop business deals centered around tourism, arts, culture and bilateral trade. We want to begin with our home base New Orleans.  NOSACONN (New Orleans South Africa Connection) has extensive ties in Africa, where I have traveled more than 80 times since 1998.”  Batiste’s partnership in “The Grammy Party in the Bush (https://www.thediplomaticsociety.co.za/3679-grammy-party-…)”at the Sensational Sunset Safari Lodge, a Game Reserve in South Africa is a perfect example of equity in entertainment that NOSACONN is working to achieve.

As another commerce related note, the Induction Ceremony of Damon Batiste as as President of Metairie Sunrise Rotary Club takes place tonight.

Venue: Porter and Luke’s Restaurant

Address: 1517 Metairie Road

Metairie, LA 70005

Time: 6:30pm

CEO Lloyd Ward was featured at NOSACONN’s The Power of The Emerging African Economy Amid Global Market Forces Panel at the New Orleans Jazz Museum 6/29/2022:https://youtu.be/LVZwS4Fn94A.

-30-

Editors’ Note: For B-Roll and information about recent delegations to Africa, African Artists and NOSACONN’s collaborations with African government officials visit the Youtube Channel-The Pulse:New Orleans by LyfePulse:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Cu03_SkEmxaUbxFzG3JvQ

Specific to CELEBRATE AFRICA WEEK “ESSENCE OF AFRICA NOLA EDITION see the following video sources for B-Roll

https://youtu.be/LVZwS4Fn94A -Lloyd Ward was featured at NOSACONN’s The Power of The Emerging African Economy Amid Global Market Forces Panel at the New Orleans Jazz Museum 6/29/2022

https://youtu.be/pjJgsPrqu_k  News Conference & Performance June 28th  at New Orleans Jazz Museum

Visit www.nosaconn.com for more about NOSACONN- New Orleans South Africa Connection.

Sad Notes From New Orleans Music World in Hurricane Ida’s Aftermath As COVID-19 Hits Home

Memphis ABC 24 Covered News of Peters Passing

Memphis ABC 24 Covered News of Peters Passing

DALLASSept. 11, 2021PRLog — Posted courtesy of Wright Enterprises San Francisco~Dallas Community Spotlight~~~

Amid the winds, rains, and all the weather-related despair, the everyday occurrences of life continue and among them is having to say a long goodbye to loved ones.  Damon Batiste of NOLA’s Royal Family of Music, the Batistes and founder of NOSACONN (New Orleans South Africa Connection), shared the news of the loss of his business partner Tommy Peters and fellow musician Bennie Pete, like Batiste, also a New Orleans cultural ambassador.

Their unexpected deaths due to COVID-19 could be considered a one-two sucker punch amid the perfect storm of the worldwide pandemic and a hurricane.  Just nine months ago, Tommy Peters, cast a great vision for the music industry’s fight against the pandemic sharing his optimism of BB King’s Blues Club New Orleans under the leadership of Batiste.

“I have all the confidence in the world that Damon Batiste will be a strong force in resisting the economic impact of the Coronavirus in New Orleans,” said Peters.  Discussing the impact of the worldwide pandemic bringing the entertainment industry to its knees, Peters talked about the economic impact on business. “Congress has got to get out of gridlock and do something to help small businesses with PPP, not just the major corporations who are more equipped to ride the storm.”

Peters’ additional comments about overcoming the pandemic’s effect can be found in the article: New Year New Vision Damon Batiste & NOSACONN Inc. Take On Call To Action For Nation’s Healing:” https://louiseagle.com/lad/new-year-new-vision-damon-batiste-nosaconn-inc-take-on-call-to-action-for-nations-healing-louiseagle-10086428.

“Tommy was a dynamic and successful businessman with a big heart,” said Batiste.  He and his wife, Liz Peters, complemented each other.  He built venues for musicians to bring healing to the world.  Tommy was a blessing in my life and will be deeply missed, added Batiste.  My prayers go out to all of the family, friends, and fellow employees all with a hole in our hearts.”

Batiste who has been traveling along the southeast with his daughters’ dog “Buddy,” who he rescued from the family home amid the onslaught of Ida’s rains and winds while his wife Johanna Maison, with daughters Nala and Leilah and son, “DJ-Damon Jr”., escaped ahead. He first landed alone with Buddy in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, about two hours from Orlando, where Peters died. He then followed his family who first stayed in Houston, Texas but eventually landed in Dallas.

Speaking from the Sheraton Galleria in Dallas, Batiste said: “I just found myself just driving in a state of unbelief.  The real storm hit and then the emotional whirlwinds of having Tommy leave us September 5th and Bennie gone, September 6th have me still trying to find my footing.  I know their inspiration to be resilient will bring us all through this.”

Batiste sent out to his worldwide network of musicians and friends from New Orleans to San Francisco to Ghana and South Africa, the news of loss with a message of condolences to Grammy-nominated Hot 8 Brass Band.  “This excerpt from the band’s website is the core of who Bennie was, a true leader and a caring icon,” added Batiste.

“Bennie was a rock in our lives. Yes, he was a leader, a teacher, and a mentor. More than that, Bennie was an inspiration to our band and to many other musicians, and the entire musical and cultural community.”  (Full Statement: http://www.hot8brassband.com/)

Complete article with mention of Peter Batiste Sr., Jon Batiste, Sir Earl Toon, Alan Blankstein, Sam Pollard and Dallas’ TBAAL Founder Curtis King posted at: http://www.wrightnow.biz/articles_view.asp?articleid=83845&columnid=2898

Damon Batiste on New Orleans Resilience at the Sheraton Galleria:

https://youtu.be/13gbjHJvEXI