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The U.S. Ban On Chinese Immigrants Led To Mexico's Largest Chinatown

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With President Donald Trump’s controversial Muslim refugee and immigration ban and his divisive Mexican wall on everyone’s mind, a town in Mexico tells a different kind of immigration story ― one of Chinese descent.


The town known as La Chinesca in Mexicali, Baja California is Mexico’s largest Chinatown, currently home to an estimated 5,000 people of Chinese descent, according to Mexican-Southern Californian newspaper San Diego Red.


The Chinese originally arrived to Mexicali between the mid-1800s and the 1940s, with many seeking work as agricultural laborers thanks to a treaty between the Chinese and Mexican governments, Fusion.net reported.


Turns out, it was cheaper for Mexican business owners to employ Chinese laborers than Mexicans at the time. What’s more, Chinese were further encouraged to head to Mexico in search of work instead of the U.S. thanks to the growing anti-Chinese sentiment in the U.S., escalated by the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned Chinese laborers from entering U.S. for a decade.


These immigrants eventually settled on several blocks in Mexicali, building their own businesses and restaurants, and establishing roots for what would become the largest Chinatown Mexico has ever had.


The Chinese “used the city as a base for finding jobs working on the railroad system in the western U.S. and Mexico,” a La Chinesca tour guide told AGringoInMexico.com author W. Scott Koenig during a 2016 tour of the town.


“Some of them never left,” the tour guide added. “They lived in, as well as beneath, the town center and established the Chinesca in 1918.”





Not yet used to Mexico’s scorching summers when temperatures rise above 100 degrees, this new wave of Chinese immigrants built a network of underground tunnels and basements to escape the heat while still being able to move around the city, Vice News reported.


But these subterranean rooms served different purposes as the years went on.


According to the San Diego Red, Chinese-Mexicans fled to La Chinesca’s underground world to escape persecution when anti-Chinese sentiment reached a boiling point in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution.


As Mexicans adopted the belief that these Asian immigrants were taking their jobs and women, they subjected the Chinese to massacre and torture in some Mexican states including Sinaloa and Sonora. To escape this, many immigrants took refuge in La Chinesca in Baja California, where Chinese immigrants outnumbered Mexicans, according to Vice.


During the American prohibition of the 1920s, Chinese entrepreneurs turned the underground rooms into speakeasies, casinos and illegal brothels, which brought Americans south of the border for an indulgent escape.


Chinese-Mexicans continued to use the tunnels until repeated flooding forced them to close in 1970.


Today, the town’s Chinese Association, Asociación China de Mexicali, offers guided tours of the tunnels in order to keep the story of Chinese immigration in Mexicali alive.





The Chinese Association has become an important figure in Mexicali, with more second- and third-generation Chinese-Mexicans working to revive their families’ immigration stories.


“I think things have improved since I was a child because I think before we didn’t talk about Mexicali’s Chinese history as much,” 64-year-old Luis Chong, a second generation Chinese-Mexican and cultural director for the Chinese Association, told Fusion.net. “Now people want to know more, want to engage with it.”


Junior Chen, a 36-year-old Chinese-Mexican who leads historical tours of La Chinesca, believes that immigrants have made the Baja California town what it is today.


“La Chinesca is this: a combination of these physical structures and the stories of the people who have lived here, who marked and represented the vision of the Chinese community,” Chen told Fusion. “You find the essence of Mexicali’s history hidden in these streets.”



¿Lo reconoces?

A photo posted by Facebook: Mexicali 686 (@mexicali686) on



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How This Mom Is Reminding Women They Are Loved

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A Kentucky mom and blogger wants to remind mothers that they are deeply loved and valued. 


Ashley Glass is the creator of “Beloved,” a project focused on empowering moms through photography, interviews and inspirational products.


“I want to take women from every walk of life and show how loved they are by those around them,” Glass told The Huffington Post. “My dream is for these posts to inspire women to see their own worth, their own beauty, and truly know how beloved they are!”



Glass reaches out to women she’s come across in her local community or even on social media platforms like Instagram. She asks if they’d like to appear on her website and then conducts an interview and photo shoot at their homes. 


“I love for them to be in their element, doing the things that they love. The shoots are casual, laid back, and as care-free as possible,” Glass said, adding, “All of them so far have been excited to be a part of this movement.”


The mom said she hopes to interview and photograph one or two women each month and has even traveled to Nashville to meet with a few subjects. So far, she’s featured four different women on her site. 



Glass lives in Louisville with her husband, 4-year-old son Pierson, and 3-year-old daughter Reese. She came up with the the idea for “Beloved” after writing a viral blog post about body shaming as a “skinny” mom. Glass said many women emailed her after that blog post to share their experiences. 


“There was a common thread among them all and it was that they appreciated the post and were very much so trying to love the woman that they are, regardless of their body,” she recalled. “I am a photographer and have shot quite a few boudoir sessions over the last year. It dawned on me that what I saw was beautiful in them, they did NOT, and all day, we could go back and forth comparing one another, wishing we were more curvy or skinnier, or had longer hair or less wrinkles ― but what resonates with me is this: When are we going to love ourselves?”


Thus, she decided to focus on celebrating women and making them understand how many people truly love them ― from their partners and children to their co-workers and friends.  



“I want women ― especially moms! ― to feel and know that they are beloved,” Glass said. “It is no small feat to be a woman. Our bodies go through SO many trials, so many unique challenges; some of us work hard to get pregnant, others don’t necessarily have to try so hard. But something we all have in common no matter HOW many babies we’ve had: We are a different woman. Our hair is different, our skin, our emotions, the way that we look at ourselves.”


Reflecting on her own sense of self-worth, she added, “It’s been three years since I’ve birthed a baby, and I’m still learning to love the ‘new me.’”


In addition to photographing and interviewing women, Glass also developed a line of motivational quote prints, shirts and other products with her friend Chelcey Tate.




The line includes a 12-month calendar filled with Glass’ photography. They also selected quotes for each month, which appear in Tate’s lettering on the images.


“One of my very favorite quotes is, ‘You are esteemed, chosen, valued, pursued, loved,’” Glass said. It’s one I really hold near and dear to my heart. It really does hurt my heart the many insecurities we all have ... and I pray this is something we as a generation can somehow improve and overcome.”




Since sharing her interviews, photo shoots and products, the mom says she’s received a lot of emails from mothers thanking her for starting the “Beloved” project. She hopes her series will impact more women in the year to come.


Ultimately, Glass wants viewers and participants to know that wanting to feel celebrated does not indicate self-absorption.


“You were born, you are talented, you are unique, and you deserve to be celebrated and empowered, no matter who you are.”


The HuffPost Parents newsletter offers a daily dose of personal stories, helpful advice and comedic takes on what it’s like to raise kids today. Sign up here.

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Jessica Alba Was Told She Wasn't 'Caucasian Enough' To Be A Leading Lady

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It’s been nearly two decades since Jessica Alba’s breakthrough role in James Cameron’s series “Dark Angel,” but landing a lead on television was no easy task.


The star recently sat down for PopSugar’s “Pretty Unfiltered” series to discuss her Latina heritage, her company The Honest Company and her experiences in the entertainment industry. In the video, Alba described how the industry tried to box her in.


 “They couldn’t figure out my ethnicity,” Alba, whose father is of Mexican descent, told the website. “They were like, ‘You’re not Latin enough to play a Latina, and you’re not Caucasian enough to play the leading lady, so you’re going to be the ‘exotic’ one.’ Whatever that was.”


Alba said that while she struggled with being defined in any specific way when it came to roles, it motivated her to succeed in front of the camera. 


“That was kind of a weird thing to wrestle with because I never had to look at myself that way or had to stick myself in a bucket,” she told Popsugar. “Then I was even more determined to become a leading lady to show that: Girls can look like me and we can be leading ladies.” 


The actress turned entrepreneur also addressed being offered roles as just “the girl” during her career in a 2014 interview with The Huffington Post. Alba said one solution was for women in the industry to choose not to play those roles. 


“You know, maybe you get paid more money to play the ‘hot girl’ that really doesn’t have anything to do, but it’s not going to be a role that’s going to make a difference in the perception of women’s roles in movies,” Alba told HuffPost. “So maybe do that gritty independent [film] that you may have to produce and put together, but you get to play a lead and you get to play a dominant, complicated, multi-dimensional character.”

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How The Grammys Gloss Over Great Indigenous Music Being Made Today

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Chimes like raindrops ripple across a soundscape of vaguely spiritual chanting, made ethereal by digital remastering. The sound is inoffensive ― calming, even. A cedar flute, a traditionally Naive American instrument, introduces itself and flits off.


Recorded in 2000, “If I Could Tell You” is one of Yanni’s many contributions to New Age, a musical genre that was given an official Grammy category in 1987 and is still around today.


The label ― like so many others in the ever-evolving world of music ― is hard to define. Since its inception it’s been wedded to the New Age spiritual movement, a Western mashup of non-Western cultural practices. And while there are exceptions ― Native American musicians who work within the genre, and others who do their best not to override the cultures their work draws from ― artists like Yanni, who lightly brush over a wide swath of indigenous musical traditions, are regularly rewarded for their efforts.


On the cover of his live album “The Dream Concert,” an image of Yanni holding up an index finger in a “number one” sign is transposed over Egypt’s ancient pyramids, where the project was recorded. Blue and red fireworks burst in the background, in an all-too-literal image of colonization and Western triumph. 


Yanni ― a Greek musician who’s been combining keys and synth with older instruments like the bouzouki since his 1984 album “Optimystique” ― doesn’t set out to appropriate, but to blend different traditions under an overarching philosophy of “one world, one people.” His efforts have raised funds for NASA and PBS. 


It’s an artistic approach that subjects itself to parody. The bad exes in rom-coms such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Serendipity” rock long locks and well-meaning, earth-loving ethos. But it’s also an extant reality in the music industry. In 2012, when a number of Grammy categories including Native American, Tejano and Regional Mexican were axed, New Age remained.


This year’s New Age nominees include White Sun, a group that performs yogic mantras, lead by Santa Monica-based vocalist Gurujas; Vangelis, the composer whose work falls under the more orchestral side of New Age, and who’s scored films including “Blade Runner” and “Chariots of Fire”; John Burke, a pianist whose latest album emulates the formation of mountains by tectonic shifts; Enya, who draws on Celtic traditions; and Peter Kater and Tina Guo, who recorded an improvised album, harmonizing piano and cello.





In previous years, the New Age umbrella also often covered artists using traditionally Native American instruments in inventive ways. Since then, those musicians have been siloed into a separate category called Regional Roots, one that is meant to honor North American indigenous music, including Polka, Hawaiian, Mexican and Cajun. The culturally crowded category is one of the few avenues for these artists to get recognition; although other genres like pop and rock may draw from their influences much in the way New Age does, nominations in those categories are typically awarded to more mainstream artists. 


So, how can we make sense of New Age — its beginnings and what the genre has become?


In a 1988 article about the genre, the Los Angeles Times wrote, “rock and avant-garde enthusiasts who are generally learning that whatever their musical interests may be ― from Third World music to John Cage ― there is something about the adaptability of new-age music to different sensibilities that makes it a force to be reckoned with.”


It’s a potent description, one that recognizes that genres serve a marketing purpose but don’t always align with artists’ intentions. New Age appealed to listeners who wanted to relax and to immerse themselves in cultures different from their own. As New York Times music critic Jon Pareles wrote in 1985, as the genre was emerging, “New Age music shows up at restaurants because it doesn’t distract anyone from the food; it’s just there, oozing along.”


The production of such music often comes at a cost, though: by blending and softening sounds like the Tibetan drum or the cedar flute, band leaders, often white men, can distort the original meaning or intention rather than honoring it.


Although his records are sold in its bins, Yanni has spoken out against the New Age label, which he says implies placidness, whereas he hopes his music encourages more active engagement. He’s not alone in shunning the classification. Several artists who’ve won or been nominated for New Age Grammys describe their work in different terms. Paul Winter, a saxophonist and band leader who’s won Grammys in Traditional Folk, World Music and New Age, categorizes his work as “Earth Music.” His discography includes such album titles as “Wolf Eyes” and “Spanish Angel.”


Other artists reject the New Age label because their work rigorously builds on their own cultural traditions, rather than merely slipping another culture’s influence in, regardless of its history or relevancy to the project. R. Carlos Nakai, a musician of Navajo-Ute heritage whose accomplishments with the Native American flute earned him an honorary doctorate from the University of Arizona, prefers the label of Contemporary Indigenous to New Age.


That didn’t keep him from earning 11 Grammy nominations across four genres, including eight in New Age. Of his placement in the genre, Nakai told The Huffington Post, “I was more technically involved than just making melodies and putting them out there. There was a whole teaching philosophy that came with it. Of course the Grammy situation’s not involved very much in that.”





A producer at Nakai’s long-time record label Canyon Records, Stephen Butler, elaborated. “It was when the Native American flute came along, and it was perceived to be a very relaxing sound, something that was conducive to meditation, yoga, massage. These were things that were embraced by the New Age community, and that’s how Native American flute music then became embraced,” he told HuffPost. “There’s this fascination with Native Americans as being an ancient tribal people. So from the side of some of our Native American musicians, who of course don’t create music with that motivation ― they’re creating it as an expression of their culture ― it’s painful.”


Another musician who’s worked with Canyon Records, John-Carlos Perea, who self-identifies as Mescalero Apache, German, Irish and Chicano, voiced his criticisms of the New Age genre as employed by the Grammys. Although Perea’s won a New Age Grammy for the work he did as part of Paul Winter’s consort, he regarded the project not as a New Age album, but as a tribute to Native American saxophonist Jim Pepper, whom he was writing his dissertation on at the time.


About his fellow bandmates, Perea told HuffPost, “they were all jazz musicians, they were all working musicians, they were trying to play. The genre label didn’t come into it until after, so I guess that’s why I say I wouldn’t necessarily support [the genre]. From my experience, it’s at that level of commodification that the appropriation does become problematic.”


“New Age doesn’t cut it,” he continued. “The associations people have with that are justifiably problematic, and we should be critical of them [...] If you’re not seeing diversity in terms of the band leaders, then there’s a problem.”


And indeed, most of the New Age Grammy winners who draw upon Native American, South American, African and Eastern influences are not members of these communities. But, Butler, Nakai and Perea agree that cross-cultural collaborations needn’t always take the form of appropriation.


“I know of some New Age musicians who’ve made at minimum a reasonable effort to connect with the communities of the music that they’re drawing upon,” Butler said. “But those people are in a minority. And I think it’s because it’s so easy to [appropriate]. There’s a precedent for musicians to do that.”


The precedent is already showing signs of impacting the future of the genre, which has seen a recent resurgence. Artists such as Matthewdavid ― a musician from Atlanta, Georgia, whose work blends hip-hop with ambient and even spiritual electronic sounds ― regard “the new new-age community as a refuge for people who once might’ve identified as punk.”


“Weird desert hippie mamas,” he continued in an interview with Pitchfork.





Nakai, who considers himself an outlier in terms of his opinions on the matter, doesn’t take issue with cultural mashups. In fact, he’s headed a few up himself, leading bands that incorporate Tibetan and Hawaiian instruments. But, he emphasizes that his projects are about harmonizing, rather than diluting disparate sounds.


“Much of why I do that is to engage the people that I meet in a kind of dialogue vocally about how connected they are to their own cultural community. And then try to gain an understanding of how they do what they do in this moment of time in music,” Nakai said. “Rather than looking back, I’m more interested in looking forward into the future and seeing what the possibilities are, especially with instrumentation and electronics.”


Perea agrees that collaboration has the potential to be constructive. In addition to making music, he’s an educator ― an associate professor at the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University. At the beginning of each semester, he encourages his students to consider stereotyping and appropriation afresh. They discuss the Washington Redskins; they consider cowboy-and-indian movies.


“I think a lot more students are interested in American Indian music right now because they’ve seen the Standing Rock protests in the news, and so they’re trying to increase their soundscape. I think as tragic as it is that that protest is still ongoing ― if left unaddressed ― as bad as it is that people are still having to fight that fight, it’s bringing people to ask questions,” Perea said.


And this, he says, is a positive development.


“When it’s objectified, when it’s cold and separate, then you can do whatever you want with it,” Perea said. “But when you try to get people to understand how these symbols circulate in their world, all of a sudden there’s that closeness that gets people to be a little more willing to have a conversation and to think about changing.”

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Japan Has A Clever Solution To Overcome The Language Barrier

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Language barriers can be a real struggle when traveling. But never fear, Japan has a clever solution for its English-speaking visitors.


Officials in the Iwate Prefecture have developed a lineup of tourism signs that display info about menu choices, payment options and locker room etiquette in simple, illustrated form.





The signs are already on display around the city of Morioka, a regional development director told The Japan Times. They’re intended to make English-speaking tourists feel more welcome in the area, he added.


Many of the signs have to do with dining. But they also provide advice for using onsens, Japan’s popular hot spring baths.






For more information on visiting Japan’s Iwate Prefecture, check out Lonely Planet’s guide

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'I Am Jazz' Transgender Doll To Debut At NYC Toy Fair

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What’s believed to be the first manufactured transgender doll is about to make its debut at a New York City toy fair, and it’s based on Florida transgender teenager Jazz Jennings, star of the reality TV program “I Am Jazz.”


The doll is being manufactured by the Tonner Doll Co. of Kingston, New York, which makes a range of dolls, including fashionista models and TV, comic book and movie characters, such as Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and Harry Potter.


“I’m a doll!” Jennings, 16, posted on her Facebook page. “Thanks Tonner for being so progressive!”





The 18-inch doll — which has a plastic body with no gender identifiers as do most dolls — was designed by company CEO Robert Tonner, who said Jazz Jennings first impressed him when she appeared with her parents on “20/20” at the age of 6. She told journalist Barbara Walters then that she was a girl. 






“Right from the start I wanted to be my authentic self,” Jennings told The Huffington Post in an interview last year. “I always gravitated toward all feminine things. I insisted that I was a girl, and over the years my parents realized I was a little bit different and decided to love and embrace me for who I am.”






Tonner told CBS News that Jazz and her parents “turned around my thinking on transgender issues.” 


In a company statement, he said, “Jazz stands for everything I respect from a human nature point of view ― she’s incredibly brave, intelligent, warm-hearted and creative.”


On her TLC show, Jennings has shared her struggles with health issues while taking hormones, school problems, taunts and even death threats with the support of her family, friends and health professionals.


She’s the youngest person to be recognized by The Advocate Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” annual list. She’s an honorary co-founder of the Transkids Purple Rainbow Foundation and youth ambassador for the Human Rights Campaign, and speaks around the country in support of transkids. 


The Jazz doll will retail for $89.99. It will debut in New York on Feb. 18 and is scheduled to hit store shelves in July. It initially will be test-marketed in up to 50 specialty retail stores, and will be available on the company’s website.


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Stephen Colbert Suggests The Perfect Title For Sean Spicer's Memoir

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Stephen Colbert says “things do not look good” for White House press secretary Sean Spicer.


On Friday’s broadcast of the “Late Show,” Colbert explained why he believes Spicer’s job may soon be in jeopardy. Not least, President Donald Trump’s reported annoyance at a woman, namely Melissa McCarthy, portraying his aide on “Saturday Night Live.”


Colbert suggested that Spicer “might want to get a head start” on writing his “post-retirement memoir” ― before putting forward what he thinks would be the perfect title for the tome.


Check out the full monologue in the clip above.


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This Sweet (And Sexy) Adult Coloring Book Is A Gay Valentine Treat

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Artist Paul Richmond’s quirky, gender-bending series, “Cheesecake Boys,” is getting a trendy (and topical) revamp. 


Richmond, who recently relocated to Monterey, California from his native Ohio, created the series in 2013 with the idea of putting a gay male twist on mid-20th century pin-up art. Now, fans of Richmond’s cheeky work will be able to make those illustrations their own with a “Cheesecake Boys” adult coloring book that’s due out on Valentine’s Day. (Watch the artist speak about the new project in the video above.) 


“Classic pinup art wasn’t made to be hung in prestigious museums, even though the artists were exceptional,” Richmond said. “Instead, it was printed on calendars and posters, destined to be tacked to the walls of bedrooms, lockers and garages... A pinup painting was successful if it elicited a chuckle or teased the naughty side of the viewer’s imagination.” 



Would-be artists who’ve gotten their hands on the new book already seem to be taken with the chance to add their own colors to Richmond’s work. “It’s such a thrill to see how people around the world are building upon the simple lines to create imaginative, colorful, and totally unique pieces of art,” he said. “And they’re having a blast doing it ― because who wouldn’t enjoy coloring adorable hunks losing their clothes all over the place?”


We won’t argue with that! Read more about the “Cheesecake Boys” coloring book here.


For the latest in LGBTQ culture, don’t miss the Queer Voices newsletter. 


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Gay Man Aims To Balance His Faith And Desires In This Short Film

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A young gay man struggles to reconcile his sexuality with his religious faith in “Abid,” an experimental short film produced in Indonesia. 


Director Fachri Al Jupri said he drew from his own experiences in creating the film, which follows the introverted Farhan as he navigates online dating and his feelings for a new neighbor. The dialogue-less film’s title, he said, loosely translates to “worshipper.”


Regarding his decision to create the film without traditional dialogue, Al Jupri told The Huffington Post. “I just think it’s relaxing sometimes to follow someone’s life and try to understand it visually.” The film’s somewhat ambiguous ending, he added, “shows that even after he returned to the righteous path, his desire for guys was still in him.”


You can catch a sneak peek at “Abid” above, then head to Viddsee, which curates and shares powerful short films, to watch the full-length clip. 

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Ouch, J.K. Rowling Just Burned Trump Supporter Piers Morgan Bad

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On Saturday, author J.K. Rowling tweeted out how delighted she was to watch British TV personality Piers Morgan “being told to fuck off” by comedian Jim Jefferies on the latest “Real Time with Bill Maher.”


Growing tired of Morgan defending President Donald Trump’s travel ban during the show’s panel debate, Jefferies finally told Morgan to “fuck off.”


Then repeated it multiple times. Much to Rowling’s delight. The author enjoyed it so thoroughly, she piled on via her Twitter account.






Morgan didn’t take too kindly to being targeted, and returned fire.






Never one to back down when it comes to attacks on her beloved Harry Potter book series, Rowling responded.






Morgan was now badly beaten and hanging on the ropes, barely a leg to stand on in this fight. But Rowling wasn’t going to let him catch his breath. She wound up for her finishing move, the “Avada Ka-daaaaaamn.”




Beating level: savage.


Rest in peace, Piers Morgan’s Twitter account. It was just 6 years old.

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Singer Al Jarreau Dead At 76

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Al Jarreau, the voice behind several hits and the winner of seven Grammy Awards, died Sunday. He was 76.


Jarreau’s death was announced on his official website Sunday and confirmed to The Huffington Post by his rep, who said Jarreau was in the hospital surrounded by family and friends when he died. 


The singer had been recently hospitalized in Los Angeles due to exhaustion, forcing him to cancel upcoming tour dates and retire from the road.


Critics praised Jarreau for his musical range over the years. The Chicago Tribune called him “the voice of versatility,” and the Detroit News described him as “one of the world’s greatest natural resources.”


Jarreau was born March 12, 1940, in Milwaukee. He sang for fun growing up and didn’t pursue music seriously until after college. He graduated from Ripon College with a psychology degree  in 1962 and earned a master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation from the University of Iowa.


This story is developing. It will be updated. 

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'La La Land' Wins BAFTA's Top Prize, Continuing Its Hot Streak On The Road To The Oscars

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Musical “La La Land” won big at Britain’s main film awards on Sunday as it scooped the prize for best film, while Emma Stone and Damien Chazelle picked up awards for best actress and best director respectively.


It won five gongs in total to keep its hot streak in the movie awards season going before the Oscars later this month, as it also picked up awards for cinematography and original music.


A throwback musical about an aspiring actress and a jazz pianist who are trying to make their way in Hollywood, “La La Land” had been nominated for 11 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards. Its success follows on from the Golden Globes, where it picked up seven awards.


However, co-star Ryan Gosling lost the best actor nod to Casey Affleck, for his performance in family drama “Manchester by the Sea”.


Kenneth Lonergan’s screenplay won “Manchester by the Sea” a second award.


Viola Davis took home the prize for best supporting actress for her performance in “Fences”, an adaption of a Pulitzer Prize winning play about the life of a black family in 1950s Pennsylvania.


And in a popular pick among the audience in the Royal Albert Hall, Londoner Dev Patel, 26, won best supporting actor for his performance in “Lion”, which charts the real-life story of an Indian boy adopted by an Australian couple.


(Reporting by Alistair Smout; Editing by Larry King)






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People Are Super Mad The Chainsmokers Accepted David Bowie's Grammy

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The Chainsmokers might already be the most hated band of the moment, but the duo of bros found a way to ignite even more vitriol at the 59th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday.


Presenting the Best Rock Song category with “American Idol” Season 5 runner-up Katharine McPhee, The Chainsmokers ended up accepting the award on David Bowie behalf after his song “Blackstar” won. Bowie released the song shortly before his death in early 2016.


Bowie fans and Chainsmoker haters alike quickly took to Twitter to express their immense displeasure with what occurred onstage. Many couldn’t even believe The Chainsmokers were given the opportunity to touch Bowie’s gramophone trophy to begin with.






 


Some used sarcasm ... 






 


Most expressed outright anger ...






 


It’s been a bad few months ...






 


Really, why were they even allowed near Bowie’s award?






 


The moment was bad enough to drag the whole ceremony down.






 


Why does this show exist?






 


Basically ...





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Chance The Rapper Finally Won A Grammy. Then He Won Another One.

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Chance The Rapper scored big at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.


The 23-year-old Chicago rapper won his first ever Grammy award for Best Rap Performance for the track “No Problem” earlier today.  During the primetime ceremony, he also took the home the prestigious awards for Best New Artist and Best Rap Album. The rapper, who earned seven Grammy nominations this year, released his mixtape “Coloring Book” to mainstream success last year and has been on a wildly successful streak since. Then, there’s this impressive fact: 






“Glory be to God. I claim this victory in the name of the Lord,” he said onstage accepting the award for Best New Artist. The rapper also acknowledged what the accomplishment means to him as an independent artist. “I know that people think independence means you do it by yourself but independence means freedom. I do it with these folks right here,” he said. 






There truly seems to be no stopping his #BlackBoyJoy, a phrase Chance himself has embraced and helped to popularize on social media. Fellow rapper Drake, who also won a Grammy on Sunday for Best Rap Song on Sunday, sent along his congratulatory remarks to share in the delight ― which Chance shared on Instagram shortly after. 



More Love @champagnepapi

A photo posted by Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) on



Chance The Rapper, who is a vocal advocate for equality and has worked alongside social justice causes, also joins singer Solange as a first-time ever Grammy-award recipient. The “Don’t Touch My Hair” singer also won her first Grammy award on Sunday for Best R&B performance. 


Congrats to them all and welcome to the club, Chance. 






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David Bowie Posthumously Sweeps Through Five Grammy Categories

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The late David Bowie was honored at the 59th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night as the artist swept through all five categories he was posthumously nominated for.  


Bowie won for Best Rock Song, Best Rock Performance, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Recording Package and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. All of the awards were related to his album “Blackstar,” which was released just days before the singer died of liver cancer in January of last year


Oddly enough, Bowie had never won a Grammy for his music before Sunday. During his lifetime, he was nominated for 12 Grammys, but only ever won for Best Short-Form Video back in 1985. In 2006, the Recording Academy also awarded Bowie with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.


Bowie wrote and recorded “Blackstar” during the final months of his life as he was secretly struggling with the cancer that would eventually take his life. Tony Visconti, Bowie’s collaborator and “Blackstar” producer, said Bowie created the album as his “parting gift” to his fans. 


“He made ‘Blackstar’ for us, his parting gift. I knew for a year this was the way it would be,” Visconti wrote on his Facebook page. “His death was no different from his life — a work of Art.”


Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones, celebrated the Grammy victories on Twitter Sunday night. 






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Katy Perry Makes A Political Statement With A 'Persist' Armband At The Grammys

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Katy Perry has always spoken her mind.


On Sunday night, she took the opportunity to make a political statement while performing her new song “Chained to the Rhythm” at the Grammy Awards


The singer, who was a vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton, wore a white pantsuit with an armband that read “PERSIST” during her performance with Ziggy Marley, finishing out the act by yelling out “No hate!” while standing against a backdrop that showed the beginning of the Constitution.


While the statement wasn’t explicitly about President Donald Trump’s administration, we can read between the lines. Her armband seems like a nod to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s quote about Elizabeth Warren’s attempt to read a letter criticizing Jeff Sessions, which soon became a feminist rallying cry: “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted.”










Perry released the song on Friday and tweeted that we are now in the era of “purposeful pop.”





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Adele Restarts Touching George Michael Tribute At The Grammys: 'I Can't Mess This Up For Him'

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Adele dropped an F-bomb and restarted her tribute to George Michael at the Grammy Awards on Sunday, not wanting to botch her memorial to the late singer. 


Less than a minute into an arrangement of “Fastlove,” Michael’s 1996 ode to casual gay sex, Adele asked the orchestra to stop playing. Her exact grievances were unclear, but she seemed off-key. The telecast bleeped her, and Adele then apologized repeatedly for swearing. “I can’t mess this up for him,” she said, referring to Michael, who died in December at age 53.  






Adele, who opened the Grammys with “Hello,” has endured a long battle with stage fright, which could help to explain the snafu. Whatever the backstory, it takes incredible daring to start a performance anew on live television, and with such dignity. From what we can gather, Adele understood the importance of a proper tribute for Michael, who faced years of scrutiny over his sexuality and was bold enough to come out in 1998, when the LGBTQ community was still reeling from the AIDS crisis. 


After the performance ended, Twitter was flooded with messages of support for Adele. This is the second consecutive year she’s had a rough time during a Grammy performance. Last year, while singing “All I Ask,” Adele suffered a piano bungle


“I really do apologize for swearing,” she said of the “Fastlove” performance after winning a Grammy for Song of the Year for “Hello.” “George Michael, he really does mean a lot to me.” 






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Top Moments You Missed From Grammys 2017

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The 59th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday were filled with musical moments, big winners and lots of glitz and glamour. The ceremony at Los Angeles’ Staples Center included a few hiccups and awkward moments, too. 


Here are the top things you may have missed from the show.


Grammys Host James Corden Took A Fall ... And A Dig At Trump During His Monologue  



The late-night host showed off his rapping chops during a monologue that included mentions of Rihanna, Prince and Drake, along with a shot at President Donald Trump


Chance The Rapper Scored Best New Artist, His First Grammy



Chance the Rapper walked away with the Best New Artist honor, topping Kelsea Ballerini, The Chainsmokers, Maren Morris and Anderson .Paak.


“Glory be to God. I claimed this victory in the name of the Lord,” he said onstage. “I want to thank God for my mother and my father who supported me since I was young.”


The rapper also picked up wins for Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance. 


Beyoncé Thrilled The Crowd With A Stunning Performance  



Beyoncé, who’s pregnant with twins, graced the Grammy stage to sing “Love Drought” and “Sandcastles,” while husband Jay Z and their 5-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, looked on from the audience. “Do you remember being born?” Beyonce said at the start of the performance, which sparked a flurry of excitement from fellow celebrities across social media. 


James Corden Surprised Us With A Grammys Version Of “Carpool Karaoke”



A batch of stars joined Corden for what looked like an impromptu version of his “Carpool Karaoke” bit. Jennifer Lopez, Neil Diamond, John Legend and even Blue Ivy joined in for a version of Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”


David Bowie Won Posthumous Honors  



The legendary singer, who died in January 2016 from cancer, won all five awards for which he was nominated, including Best Rock Song for “Blackstar,” which was announced during the telecast at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday. Bowie’s co-winners, pictured above, accepted the pre-telecast awards on his behalf. 


Adele Stopped Mid-Performance — Only To Start Over Again 



The British singer stopped smack dab in the middle of her George Michael tribute, dropping the F-bomb because she wasn’t happy with the way the performance was going. “I can’t mess this up for him,” Adele said, referring to the late singer. She later apologized for swearing on live television while accepting the Song of the Year honor for “Hello.”


Metallica And Lady Gaga Rocked Amid Mic Issues  



The rockers and pop star hit the Grammys stage for a joint performance, but experienced a few hiccups when Metallica singer James Hetfield’s mic malfunctioned. But he took it in stride, joining Gaga on her mic once he realized his voice couldn’t be heard.


Rock on.  


Beyoncé And Adele Had A Moment 



Adele swooped up the last two awards handed out Sunday night: Record of the Year and Album of the Year. During her acceptance speech, she couldn’t help but express her love for Beyoncé, also nominated in both categories. “I adore you. You move my soul everyday ... I adore you and I want you to be my mommy,” Adele said.


Sigh. Don’t we all.  

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Bruno Mars And The Time Rock Out To Prince Medley During Grammy Tribute

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The Time, a band that Prince built, performed a rousing medley of the Purple One’s songs at Sunday’s Grammy Awards, with a little help from Bruno Mars.


The Time opened with excerpts of “Jungle Love” and “The Bird,” two songs that Prince wrote and produced under the pseudonym Jamie Starr. Mars, dressed in Prince’s iconic plum suit, then joined the band for “Let’s Go Crazy.” 






Mars and The Time’s performance was the latest among many Prince tributes since the singer’s death last April. Madonna did a sweet cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U” at the Billboard Music Awards in May, where she was joined by Stevie Wonder for part of “Purple Rain.” A month later, the BET Awards featured a series of tributes involving Erykah Badu, The Roots, Steve Wonder, Tori Kelly, Jennifer Hudson, Janelle Monáe and others. In October, an all-star concert in Minneapolis included Anita Baker, Chaka Khan and Christina Aguilera. And Bruce Springsteen opened his Brooklyn show with a cover of “Purple Rain.” 


Good night, sweet Prince. Your legacy lives on. 






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Busta Rhymes Slams 'President Agent Orange' And His Muslim Ban At Grammys

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Rapper Busta Rhymes did not hold back at the Grammy Awards on Sunday. 


Rhymes joined rap group A Tribe Called Quest and Grammy-nominated artist Anderson .Paak for a politically-charged performance during which Rhymes called out President Donald Trump for his immigration ban. 


“Thank you, President Agent Orange, for all of that evil that you’ve been perpetuating throughout the United States,” Rhymes said. “I want to thank President Agent Orange for your unsuccessful Muslim ban.”


The rappers, who were introduced to the stage by singer Solange, dedicated their performance to the late, great ATCQ group member Phife Dawg. They performed the group’s latest hit single, “We The People,” and were joined by a parade of diverse individuals onstage, including Muslim women wearing hijabs who raised their fists and chanted alongside the rappers as they collectively recited “resist!” 


Watch their epic performance in full below.





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