NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ AOL Corporate Communications) -
Black Voices, www.BlackVoices.com, the No. 1 online destination for African-American news, culture and community, today debuted its celebration of
Black Music Month, www.BlackVoices.com/black-music-month. The special section will run throughout June, highlighting black music and the incredible range of influence African-American artists have had on all music genres. In addition, AOL also announced it will be launching a new video site on
Black Voices, www.BlackVoices.com/videos, offering searchable videos appealing to the interests of the African-American community.
Highlights of the Black Music Month site include:
* A special essay for Black Voices from 18-times GRAMMY Award-winner, GRAMMY Legend Award-winner and GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Aretha Franklin on the importance of Black Music Month.
* R&B band Mint Condition pays tribute to the iconic group Earth, Wind and Fire in an exclusive online 'Jam Session.'
* YoYo, the legendary rap diva and current host of VH-1's reality TV show 'Miss Rap Supreme,' will be the featured celebrity blogger on the 'Supreme Journey' blog.
* Black Voices users will have the opportunity to vote for the best albums of all time.
* Online quizzes will test users' knowledge of Black Music - from one hit wonders to legendary artists to blue-eyed soul phenoms.
* Interactive profiles of hip hop hit-makers, jazz luminaries and icons in the business of Black Music.
"Black Voices realizes the huge part that music plays in our consumers' lives, so we're excited to celebrate Black Music Month by highlighting legendary artists as well as new artists," said Tariq Muhammad, Director, Black Voices. "Through our celebration of Black Music Month, Black Voices will increase our consumers' awareness of this genre of music and provide an engaging experience that not only tests but expands their knowledge of this important and extremely powerful medium. Our new video site adds more interactivity and engagement to the overall news and information provided on the Black Voices site throughout the year.'
The Black Voices video site is a uniquely comprehensive aggregated video experience, powered by Truveo's video search, https://truveo.com. Users have the opportunity to search videos in a wide range of categories of interest focusing on African-American news and issues.
Renowned music producer Kenny Gamble helped pioneer the idea behind Black Music Month, which was originally recognized in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter. In 2000, President George W. Bush officially proclaimed June as Black Music Month and has continued to host annual celebrations.
In terms of unique visitors, Black Voices is the No. 1 site in the African-American category and had a record number of page views in April with 140 million.
Black Voices
With more than 4.7 million unique visitors, according to April 2008 comScore Media Metrix report, AOL's Black Voices is the No. 1 online destination for African-American news, culture and community. Available at www.BlackVoices.com, this service features original stories and programming areas including News, Sports, Work & Money, Lifestyle, Entertainment and Community, in addition to some of AOL's most popular blogs: Style Spotter, Entertainment Newswire, BV Buzz, Casually Obsessed and More than Words.
