“I can dream and I can dream big, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that Taste of Soul would turn into the institution it has now become,” said TOS Founder/Creator and Bakewell Media Founder and CEO Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., who calls the event a “party with a purpose.”
On Saturday, October 15, hundreds of thousands of people lined Crenshaw Boulevard once again to take part in one of Southern California’s largest gatherings of family, friends, community leaders, city officials and vendors. 2016 marks the 11th year of Taste of Soul, presented by Bakewell Media to highlight businesses in the Black community, bringing together loved ones to enjoy food and live entertainment. Most importantly however, it was created to show the community’s positive side.
“The Crenshaw District is on fire for community, culture and fellowship today and that’s why I’m here,” said Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas the day of the event.
“We are here and we are turned up for progress. This is the best networking, employment, food fair I have heard of. We are turned all the way up together, this is an important year and if we just vote, we gonna be alright,” he added, referring to the significance the Black community will hold this election year.
Recently, both Black men and women have been the target of police brutality and trending hashtags on social media. The Republican candidate for President, Donald Trump, believes stop-and-frisk is the appropriate way to handle the community’s relationship with police officers. Events like the Taste of Soul, which since its inception has taken place without incident, has helped to defy stereotypes and negative preconceived notions about Black culture.
“Taste of Soul is more than just a festival,” said Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson.
“It is a demonstration of all that is good within the Black Community. It has become a celebration of ourselves, our community, our culture, our family, our struggles, and our ability to continue forward no matter what the challenges may be.”
“This event for this community means hope. It means encouragement,” said Eulanda Lynn Matthews of the Ivie, McNeil and Wyatt law firm, a TOS partner.
“It’s showing people, especially those in our community that we are business owners, we are professionals, that we know how to come together as a people and do something for pure enjoyment without any incident, without any violence…”
“This is something that gives people the opportunity to see the great things happening in Los Angeles,” said State Assembly member Mike Gipson.
“It’s just a big family affair. We network, we fellowship, we connect with old acquaintances. It’s great for the entire Los Angeles City and County area.”
“It’s been a great experience,” said Ngoma Ali who has been a part of TOS nation since 2006.
“There have never been any two Taste of Souls alike, so it’s always a different experience.”
This year TOS nation had the chance to experience both new and old booth vendors. Attendees had the chance to choose from African, American, BBQ and Soul, Creole and Jamaican, Mexican style food, peach cobblers, cupcakes, ice creams, pies, slushies, clothing, jewelry and more.
Taste of Soul partners include Mothers In Action, Brotherhood Crusade, City of LA, LA County, Radio FREE 102.3 KJLH, 94.7 The WAVE, KCBS 2, AAUC and Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt.
“Taste of Soul could not and would not be the ‘free’ day of family and fun that it is without the help of corporate partners who help underwrite many of the costs for Taste of Soul,” said Pamela Bakewell, COO of The Bakewell Company.
“The City of Los Angeles and especially Council President Herb Wesson, Marqueece Harris Dawson, Curren Price and Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas are truly our partners in bringing this wonderful event to the community”
Sponsors included: Chevy, LA County, City of LA, Hep C Hope, McDonald’s, South Coast Air Quality Management District, Walsh/Shea, Metro, Fox Audience Strategy, PWA Los Angeles, Wells Fargo, Airbnb, USC, Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt, Chase Bank, California Resources Corporation, Metropolitan Water District, SEIU Local 2015, Watts Health, Nielsen, US Bank, Uber, Charles Drew University, American Heart Association, Metro Health Station, Comerica Bank, Los Angeles World Airports, UCLA Health, Walmart, Kaiser Permanente, LADWP, Metro PCS, Cedars-Sinai, Hyundai, AT&T, Easy Choice Health Plan, Whole Foods, New York Life, St. Vincent’s IPA, Southern California Gas Company, UCLA, CA Lottery, Californians for Energy Independence and California Legislative Black Caucus.
“A Special thank you goes to LAFD, LAPD and Able Solutions for keeping Taste of Soul a safe and fun-filled event for the last 11 years,” said TOS officials.
“By 3am with the help of Los Angeles Sanitation, The Department of Transportation and Walsh Shea Construction, Crenshaw Boulevard was back to normal and no one would have known that hours earlier over 350,000 people were eating, singing, dancing and just celebrating life in South Los Angeles…”
Dale Bonner, executive chairman of U.S. operations of the Plenary Group, an affiliate of the Plenary Group, was the VIP Courtesy Tent sponsor on the day of TOS. He shared a little about his business and working with the festival.
“We are in the business of designing buildings and maintaining infrastructure,” said Bonner.
“We always try to understand the communities that we serve. So an event like today is a great opportunity to go out and be a part of the community for a day, so that we understand the needs and interests of the communities that we want to serve.”
“Taste of Soul takes me back to family,” said Michelle Victorian of Mrs. Bea’s Louisiana Chicken and Waffles, who catered as well as sponsored the VIP tent.
“Like most families, conversations are built around a meal, sitting down and breaking bread together, and enjoying each other’s company. Whether we do it on Sundays or holidays. Taste of Soul in an annual event like Christmas, Thanksgiving where we come together appreciate one another, enjoy good food, good music and just have a great time.”
Those lucky enough to dine under the tent enjoyed a meal of Bea’s fried chicken wings, legs, breast tender strips, collard greens, red beans and rice, candied yams, buttermilk and cornbread waffles topped off by white chocolate covered popcorn, homemade tea cakes and lemon cake.
To wash it down, diners were provided with lemonade from Pucker Up and high end waters from Refresh.
Two out of town patrons summed it up nicely.
“Coming from out of town, this lets us know that there is a good sense of community here in the Los Angeles community and that is something that is important to us as a family,” said Courtney and Aaron Walker, who heard about the event on the radio.
“We will absolutely be back next year.”
Artists Jazmine Sullivan, MAJOR. and many more to rock Radio FREE 102.3 KJLH music stage
LAWT News Report
The 11th annual Taste of Soul (TOS) is officially two days away and the lineups for the stages are well underway.
Since 2008, Radio Free 102.3 KJLH, which is sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings this year, has been a media partner with the Taste of Soul Festival providing some of Hollywood’s hottest talent.
Danny Bakewell Sr., creator and founder of Taste of Soul and chairman of Bakewell Media, believes it’s empowering to have a great partnership with the station. “We are very excited about the artists performing at this year’s Taste of Soul. KJLH’s history is just like the Sentinel’s history—it’s one about serving the community and always making African Americans the priority. So, we are excited to have KJLH as a part of Bakewell Media’s eleventh annual Taste of Soul,” he said.
Stevie Wonder, legendary musician and owner of KJLH, has participated in the Taste of Soul for several years now. Who knows, you may see him pop up at the KJLH music stage during the artist’s performances.
This year, the radio station is celebrating TOS’s eleventh anniversary by bringing back some local talent and artists such as MAJOR., Guordan Banks, Mike Phillips, and Jazmine Sullivan.
Major.
Major Johnson Finley aka Major. made his debut this year but he’s been working behind the scenes with music credits in box office hit movies such as “Think Like a Man 2.” On May 6, Major. released two singles: “Keep On” featuring Kevin McCall and “Why I Love You.” Both songs can be found on iTunes. Producer and friend Harmony Samuels compares Major.’s sound to the great Frank Sinatra. Major. has a distinct voice that fuses the charm of yesteryear with the high power impact of today. His live show is incredible as he has the infectious ability to bring us all to the table for one epic exchange of greatness. On July 22, Major. release his album “I Am MAJOR.”
Guordan Banks
Philadelphia native Guordan Banks is a songwriter and contemporary R&B singer with a smooth, mildly raspy delivery. His mood-diverse debut EP/mixtape “A Song for Everyone” appeared in 2014 and offered featured performances by Ayo and rappers Meek Mill, Omelly, and Wale. It was released on Mill's Dream Chasers Records. Guordan’s music is steeped in conversation, rich with textured melodies and velvety harmonies. His subjects range from the big moments to the small ones—the need for world unity and healing, the ins and outs of romance lost and found, the intricacies of incarceration.
Mike Phillips
Mike Phillips hails from Mount Vernon, NY. He became interested in music at a young age eventually settling on the saxophone. By the age of 16, he decided to play professionally. Phillips and his soulful yet funky grooves have wowed fans across the globe and earned standing ovations from audiences at the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival and the inaugural balls for President’s Clinton and Obama. His television credits include performances on the Grammys, BET Awards, BET Honors and the Soul Train Awards. Phillips also served as musical director and host of the popular BET program “Lyric Café”.
Jazmine Sullivan
Contemporary R&B sing Jazmine Sullivan spent several years learning the ropes of the recording industry before signing to J Records and making her solo recording debut in 2008 with the number one R&B single "Need U Bad." The Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter began her career at a young age, making her national television debut on Showtime at the Apollo at age 11 and signing to Jive Records at age 15. Her stint at Jive lasted only a couple years, however, and she was dropped by the label before any recordings were released. Afterwards, she began working behind the scenes with artists like Missy Elliott on productions for Fantasia’s debut album, “Free Yourself” (2004), and writing a couple songs for Christina Milian's third album, “So Amazin’” (2006), including the hit single “Say I.” Sullivan was then offered a solo recording contract with J, which released her debut single, “Need U Bad,” featuring and co-produced by Missy Elliott, in 2008. “Fearless”, her debut album, featuring productions by Salaam Remi and Stargate, among others, was issued that September. It topped the R&B chart and crossed over to reach number six on the Billboard 200, aided by “Bust Your Windows” and “Lions, Tigers & Bears” — both of which went to the Top Ten of the R&B chart. Sullivan followed it up with November 2010’s “Love Me Back”, which was previewed with the July single “Holding You Down (Goin’ in Circles).” After her success and an impressive total of 11 Grammy nominations, Sullivan took a break. She returned in 2014 with “Dumb” (featuring Meek Mill), “Forever Don’t Last,” and “Mascara” were released as the first singles from her third album, “Reality Show”.
Download the Taste of Soul app, for the latest TOS alerts including food, vendors, stages, parking and much more!
94.7 the WAVE music stage returns to Taste of Soul
LAWT News Report 
Let the Taste of Soul Family Festival countdown begin! TOS is two days away from the eleventh anniversary. TOS goers get to experience another year filled with infinite food choices, celebrity sightings and endless sounds of music.
Danny Bakewell Sr., creator and founder of Taste of Soul and chairman of Bakewell Media, is grateful for the partnership he has with the station. “Over the years 94.7 The Wave has continued to play a major role in the success of the Taste of Soul festival. My good friend Pat Prescott is one of our community’s icons,” he said. “Pat and the WAVE are a demonstration of what community partnerships and community empowerment is all about. We look forward to continuing this partnership through this year and into the future.”
94.7 The WAVE, whose music stage is sponsored by Budweiser this year, has been a media partner and radio sponsor with the Taste of Soul Festival since 2008. Providing some of music’s most legendary acts, now they are back to bring us some more!
This year, the radio station is taking music lovers back to some of the greatest hits from artists including Chosen Recovery Gospel Group, On Tour, Tom Browne, Troop and War.
Tom Browne
R&B artist Tom Browne was on the charts from 1979-1989 when he was recording pop-oriented material for GRP and Arista. His major hits in 1980 and 1981: the No. 1 US Billboard R&B single “Funkin’ for Jamaica (N.Y.)” and the No. 4 US R&B single, “Thighs High (Grip Your Hips and Move)”. Later in 1982 he released a minor hit called, “Fungi Mama (bebopafunkadiscolypso)” which was also recorded on the Arista record label. It reached number 58 in the UK chart. Browne studied piano for a year when he was 11 and then switched to trumpet, attending New York City’s High School of Music and Art. Originally interested in classical music, Browne discovered jazz while in college in the mid-’70s. He worked with Sonny Fortune, recorded with Lonnie Smith, and then signed with GRP. Although influenced by Freddie Hubbard and occasionally recording a hard bop number, most of Browne's output during that era was clearly geared toward the marketplace. A commercial pilot, Browne largely dropped out of music by the late ’80s, but came back in 1994 with a recording for Hip Bop in several settings that included the credible jazz date “Another Shade of Browne.”
Chosen Recovery Gospel Group
The Chosen Recovery Gospel Group is a local trio composed of Bryant A.M.E. members Reverends Darlene Watley, Carolyn Cookie-Brown and Tony Jones. Some of their popular songs include “Holy,” “Emmanuel,” “Roller Coaster,” “What’s On Your Mind” and “Heaven.” The trio music is about delivering a message of salvation and engaging the crowd. The gospel group has performed at past Taste of Soul festivals giving the everyone hope in the Lord.
Troop
Troop began as a teen group that won $1000 on “Puttin’ on the Hits”, a nationally televised contest, by dancing and lip-synching to New Edition’s “Cool It Now.” The Pasadena, California quintet — Rodney Benford, John Harreld, Allen McNeil, Steve Russell, and Reggie Warren — were then signed to Atlantic, and their 1988 debut single, the LeVert-produced “Mamacita,” taken from their self-titled album, reached number two on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart. Their second album, 1989’s “Attitude”, featured two number one Hot Soul singles — including the Chuckii Booker collaboration “Spread My Wings” — and earned an RIAA gold certification. “Deepa”, released in 1992, was a creative step forward and contained yet another Hot Soul chart topper in “Sweet November,” a Deele cover, but the group subsequently went independent with two more full-lengths released later in the decade. Troop went inactive for several years but occasionally recorded and toured. In 2013, they released a single titled “Forever”.
War
One of the most popular funk groups of the ’70s, War was an eclectic group, freely melding soul, Latin, jazz, blues, reggae, and rock influences into their music. Although War's lyrics were sometimes political in nature (in keeping with their racially integrated lineup), their music almost always had a sunny, laid-back vibe emblematic of their Southern California roots. Even if the jams sometimes got indulgent, they demonstrated War's truly group-minded approach: no one soloist or vocalist really stood above the others (even though all were clearly talented), and their grooving interplay placed War in the top echelon of funk ensembles. They’re known for their hit songs “Spill the Wine”, “The World Is a Ghetto”, “The Cisco Kid”, “Why Can’t We Be Friends?”, “Low Rider”, and “Summer”.
Don’t miss out on the fun, download the Taste of Soul app to get the latest TOS alerts delivered straight to your mobile device. See you there!
On Saturday October 15 over 350,000 residents will converge on Crenshaw Boulevard for Los Angeles’ largest street festival and the largest gathering of African American Businesses in the country TASTE OF SOUL!
This year’s festival themed: "It's A Family Affair" has become the 11th in what is now known as a destination event for all of not only the city of Los Angeles but Los Angeles County and surrounding communities.
Founder/Creator Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. says this year’s event will be the biggest and best ever.
"Taste of Soul has grown into an institution within our community,” said Bakewell Sr.
“When I first came up with this idea it was driven by a desire to create an event that allows our community to celebrate ourselves, our own community and be proud of who we are. This event would not be possible without the great support we have received from our media partners KJLH and 94.7 THE WAVE who will be providing the entertainment stages for the event as well as The McDonalds Gospel Stage and StarQuest stage which will feature some of Los Angeles’ most celebrated local talent.”
Along with the entertainment, the day will be filled with food and fun for everyone. Challengers Boys & Girls Club is hosting a Children's Zone to provide entertainment and activities for kids. This area is sponsored by Walsh/Shea Construction the lead contractors on the Crenshaw Line Metro Project. The event will feature over 300 food and non food vendors who will be selling everything from Barbecue, Soul food and other community staples to snow cones and grilled shrimp.
Also as part of the day’s events several community service providers will attend including the Los Angeles County, METRO and The University of Southern California (USC) who will be promoting services and opportunities that community residents will have access to at Taste of Soul and throughout the year.
This year’s event will also have a heavy emphasis on Voter Registration and Get Out To Vote. The Los Angeles County Registrar Recorders Office, New Frontier Democratic Club and several fraternities and sororities including Kappa Alpha Psi will be doing voter education and voter registration to ensure that the African American Community is aware of the importance of this year’s election.
"I am so excited about this year’s Taste of Soul,” said Council President Herb Wesson who has been serving as a co-chair of Taste of Soul since its inception.
“Taste of Soul has grown to be the pillar event within our community. When Danny and Brenda (Marsh-Mitchell) first came to me to share the vision, I was all in but I 
could never have imagined that it would have grown into what is has become. Los Angeles is a very diverse city and to have an opportunity to host the premier street festival in the city right in the heart of my district is both a pleasure and an honor that all of Los Angeles looks forward to every year.”
Taste of Soul will be held on Saturday October 15, 2016 from 10am to 7pm on Crenshaw Boulevard between Stocker and Exposition. For more information, go to www.tasteofsoulla.com or download the Taste of Soul App. See you October 15th!
McDonald’s is bringing its Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour to the 11th Annual Taste of Soul Family Festival on Saturday, October 15, 2016. Southern California McDonald’s will join local gospel choirs along with today’s biggest names in gospel music for a day of fellowship and fun for the community festival on Crenshaw Boulevard.
Hosting the tour is Stellar-nominated artist and radio personality Lonnie Hunter along with Christian comedienne Small Fire. Joining him on stage will be music director and songwriter Donald Lawrence along with legendary gospel singer Bishop Marvin Sapp, songwriter and vocal powerhouse Karen Clark-Sheard, award-winning Pastor Charles Jenkins, Christian rapping sensation Canton Jones, gospel crooner Jonathan McReynolds and famed Williams Brothers member Doug Williams. Stellar Award winning artist Lonnie Hunter will once again resume hosting duties while Christian comedienne Small Fire brings laughter! The good times kick off at 10 am.
As with previous years, McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour emphasizes the importance of serving and giving back to the community through its support of local Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC)® Chapters. Concertgoers will have the opportunity to learn more about RMHC and the important role it plays in keeping families close to their sick child and the care and resources they need, here in their local community – and worldwide.
The nationwide tour kicked off May 25 and culminates through October 15, making stops in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Detroit, Greensboro, Houston, Jackson, Los Angeles, Memphis, Philadelphia, Raleigh, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour is an extension of the brand’s 365Black 
platform, an initiative that celebrates the pride, heritage, and achievements of African-Americans year round. Dr Pepper® also returns as a tour sponsor, showing its appreciation and commitment to the African-American community.
Visit www.365Black.com to learn more about the 10th annual tour and McDonald’s 365Black initiative. Follow @365Black on Twitter for tour updates and join the conversation using #365BlackGospel.