Transcript

Adai Lamar (00:00:00 -> 00:00:09)

I’m so excited to talk about this. We’ve been talking about it for the last few days, The Apollo and Kwanza Jones teaming up to take the show on the road.

Kwanza Jones (00:00:09 -> 00:00:09)

That’s Right.

Adai Lamar (00:00:09 -> 00:00:11)

To take the show on the road.

Kwanza Jones (00:00:11 -> 00:00:41)

That’s right. You know, it’s amazing to me because I’m on the board of The Apollo, and for me it’s a full-circle moment. Because when I… my dad and I grew up in D.C. But I had to keep going to New York a lot because the law offices were there.

So I would go back and forth diagonally across from The Apollo. So I grew up with The Apollo in my sights. And then when I was at Princeton, I performed at The Apollo Amateur Night. And I won and had a whole lot of students and friends hop on, get this, a bus…

Adai Lamar (00:00:41 -> 00:00:43)

To go, to come on.

Kwanza Jones (00:00:43 -> 00:00:50)

To come up and see. Now, Princeton, you know? A lot of… I would say not the most diverse, certainly at that time.

Adai Lamar (00:00:50 -> 00:00:51)

At that time.

Kwanza Jones (00:00:51 -> 00:00:54)

Now it’s a little bit more. And there’s a dorm named after me, Prince—

Adai Lamar (00:00:54 -> 00:00:56)

Oh, wait a minute. I saw that. I saw that

Kwanza Jones (00:00:56 -> 00:01:11)

A different story for a different day. Bring it back, but to me, it’s almost like the seeds that were planted. I always say I dream in decades, even without knowing. Sometimes you’re led to do things, and you don’t even understand why, but you just know you need to keep going. That’s that boost.

And when I say people… no one succeeds alone.

Adai Lamar (00:01:12 -> 00:01:13)

Yeah.

Kwanza Jones (00:01:14 -> 00:01:18)

Apollo doesn’t succeed alone. I don’t succeed alone. You don’t succeed alone. KJLH, the connections.

Adai Lamar (00:01:18 -> 00:01:19)

Right.

Kwanza Jones (00:01:20 -> 00:01:22)

I think about the history in this building.

Adai Lamar (00:01:22 -> 00:01:23)

Yes.

Kwanza Jones (00:01:23 -> 00:01:24)

That’s connected to The Apollo.

Adai Lamar (00:01:24 -> 00:01:30)

Very strong. Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. Ninety-two years. The Apollo has been driving the culture.

Kwanza Jones (00:01:30 -> 00:01:31)

Yes.

Adai Lamar (00:01:31 -> 00:01:33)

And it’s closed down right now for renovations.

Kwanza Jones (00:01:33 -> 00:01:35)

Right, which is unfortunate, but necessary.

Adai Lamar (00:01:36 -> 00:01:36)

Exactly.

Kwanza Jones (00:01:36 -> 00:02:00)

So I looked at it as the opportunity, the opportunity to take The Apollo out of the space and place that people know it from, The Apollo in Harlem. It’s almost like a mecca.

But people come to The Apollo, they bring their history, they bring their dreams, they bring their energy, they bring themselves, their communities, and their culture. So I say it’s like an appreciation tour.

Adai Lamar (00:02:01 -> 00:02:02)

I love it.

Kwanza Jones (00:02:02 -> 00:02:08)

It’s an appreciation tour that The Apollo is having for all of these folks who have been in Apollo’s hearts and minds.

Adai Lamar (00:02:08 -> 00:02:14)

Let me tell you, we wouldn’t have an Ella Fitzgerald. We wouldn’t have a D’Angelo. We wouldn’t…

Kwanza Jones (00:02:14 -> 00:02:15)

Exactly. You wouldn’t have Stevie Wonder.

Adai Lamar (00:02:15 -> 00:02:23)

Thank you. It has been that for our culture, a place for us to go and show the best of the best talent and let the community engage.

Kwanza Jones (00:02:24 -> 00:02:59)

And there it is. And that’s why you’re not an audience member. You are a participant.

You are co-creating, co-collaborating. And that’s what this entire Boost Bus, Culture In Motion™, Apollo, and Supercharged by Kwanza Jones roadshow is.

It is about coming together in the spirit of what The Apollo does for so many people. Because for me, it’s not about, “Oh, Apollo’s a stage where the performers are there.” And you have the artists here, and you have the dancers here, and the comedians here, and the singers and so on and so forth. And the musicians. You have the audience there. That’s the heartbeat.

Adai Lamar (00:02:59 -> 00:03:01)

They have a say. So that’s, yes. That’s part of it.

Kwanza Jones (00:03:01 -> 00:03:09)

So it’s about how do you use your voice and understand that you have power. The Apollo helps folks understand that.

Adai Lamar (00:03:10 -> 00:03:10)

Yeah