The historical Cincinnati Jazz Festival aka Cincinnati Music Festival is a Midwest tradition making it the 2nd largest RnB Music Festival in the United States. Hosting over 90,000+ people for a 3-day musical, empowerment and cultural experience connecting music lovers with the sights, sounds, and spirit of the Queen City.
The Cincinnati Music Festival was held at the Paul Brown Stadium and included an exciting lineup of performances that featured Charlie Wilson, Tamar Braxton, Common, Xscape, Jill Scott, Keith Sweat, O’Jays, The Roots, After 7, Boyz II Men, and Cincinnati’s own Bootsy Collins.
The festival kicked off on Thursday with the Party with a Purpose Pre-Party hosted by MC Lyte and DJ Jazzy Jeff. The event included local performances and an Epic Fashion Show with Lead designer Chanel Meyers the creator of Shingo Fashions.
Procter & Gamble was this year’s lead sponsor and they included several brand experiences for spectators to enjoy during the festival. The experiences included the Gold Goddess Patio Spa that featured a self-service beauty bar for hair touch-ups and stylist consultations. The Old Spice Man Cave where men (and women) could kick back and play cards, or even air hockey. And the Ultimate Pre-show plaza that featured performances from local artist and musicians.
More than Just A Music Festival…
This year’s festival included many activities throughout the Queen City that promoted Women’s Empowerment and Black Entrepreneurship.
The Women’s Liberation Workshop (WLW) was held Saturday, July 28th at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in the center of the Cincinnati Music Festival festivities. The event included a day of dance, fitness, yoga, a financial panel, and a marketplace full of women-owned brands. The event creator Carmen Gaines created this event to be an incubator space for collectively conscious women to grow through fitness, entrepreneurship, connectedness, and education. It included an “interactive” empowerment workshop that highlighted key elements of feminism by addressing the intersecting oppressions of classism, racism, and sexism.
P&G’s My Black Is Beautiful collaborated with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and the Greater Cincinnati Association of Black Journalist to host the “Navigating Barriers and Possibilities” community event. The event included an opening keynote regarding entrepreneurship advancement for women by the legendary Hip Hop pioneer MC Lyte and Financial and Business Guru Dr. Lynn Richardson.
The weekend also included The Cincy Soul Black Taste this was a city-wide event created by Julian “Jay” Rodg. The event was held on Fountain Square in the heart of Cincinnati, it included free concerts, Black-owned food vendors and a plethora of black-owned businesses that created a “Wakanda like” vendors market for the 3 day weekend.
Capturing a National Platform…
Capturing the excitement of the weekend and bringing the events and conversations surrounding CMF to a national platform P&G partnered with the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) and their high-rated series, Love Is. This partnership will give the OWN audience an all-access look into the “best of the fest.” From celebrating empowerment amongst Black women at the community event to engaging with the festival’s hottest musical acts, and offering an up-close tour around P&G’s interactive brand experiences. These festival moments will air on August 7th during commercial breaks with the show.
Proctor & Gamble and will continue to support its home city by sponsoring the Cincinnati Music Festival through 2022. P&G’s Chief Diversity Officer, William P. Gipson shared that “during the past four years, we’ve witnessed the power of music and its authentic ability to encourage empowering messages, establish strong community connections, and foster an inclusive spirit while celebrating diversity.
Check the events photo gallery highlighting the weekends best moments.
