Electric Circus Disco has found itself in that well known place— between a rock and a hard place. Consider the plight of the investors: one million dollars invested; litigation against the disco by the residents of the area; the fickleness of disco habitués. To counteract these adversities Electric Circus came up with an idea that could be a text book case in public relations.
On April 25 the disco opened its doors to an invited public. The affair was a benefit for the Children Dance Theatre — no paying guests. The drinks on the house — no liquor license needed. The invited guests included some of the entertainment business. Tasha Thomas, Geoffrey Holder, Andy Warhol, Grace Jones, Walter Cronkite, the cast of Ain’t Misbehavin’, Herbie Mann (the list is too long to enumerate) — guaranteed coverage by print and electronic media.
This public relations coup not only will keep the Electric Circus’ name alive, it might also convince the court that the disco is not a nuisance to the area, thus allowing it to open its door to the paying customers.
With most stations going disco, WWRL has changed its format to reflect a more contemporary outlook. The station’s new Program Director, Bob Law, says that “Young adult New Yorkers have a more sophisticated music taste than they are given credit for. They enjoy many types of music, and it’s just a matter of time before jukebox radio, or disco radio as it is currently being called, will bore them.’’ The AM station playlist will include artists like Noel Pointer, George Benson, Cleo Laine, Minnie Riperton, etc…Although these artist are considered jazz-fusion by the music industry, WWRL views them simply as contemporary musicians.
After successful exhibitions in art institutions in Boston, Chicago and Dallas, POMPEII AD79 opened in the American Museum of Natural History 79th St. and Central Park West, on April 22. As of this writing, 23 days since its opening, 125,300 visitors have viewed the exhibit. The exhibit contains 350 pieces of Roman works: paintings, mosaics, marble and bronze sculptures, coins, furniture and pottery. The Museum exhibiting techniques has placed each piece in its most favorable setting. POMPEII AD79’s attraction is that all the items included in the exhibit were buried with ash spewed on the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum from the volcano Vesuvius on August 24, 79 AD. Of interest to some viewers will be Figure 35, labeled Bronze lamp with the head of a Negro. The show will remain in New York until July 31.
The Second Annual Black Brooklynite Awards Dinner Dance hosted by the New Muse was held on the evening of May 4. Spokesman for the community center said that the affair was established as an impetus to restore Brooklyn to levels achieved in the Past and to raise funds for an affiliated project of the New Muse — the construction of the Pediator-Korpe Village School in Ghana. Awards were presented to the Honorable Judge Bruce Wright and Assemblyman Al Vann. Gil Nobel was the master of ceremonies and among many of the invited guests were Assemblyman, Woodrow Lewis, author John Oliver Killens, photographer Roy De Carava and politicians Lucille Rose and Dr. Lonnie Russel.
Last April, the Diplomatic relationship of the US and Africa borrowed a page from history. In a move reminiscent of the great Ping- Pong Diplomacy between China and the US, two basketball teams from the US were invited to participate in the Pan-African Basketball Classic in Senegal. The two teams, North Carolina A&T and Virginia Union, flew to Dakar, Senegal on Air Afrique to represent the US Hall of Fame John McLendon, coach of North Carolina A&T, conducted basketball clinic-workshops and the two schools—conference winner— played teams from Guinea, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria.
Mohamed C. Diop, Vice President of the Senegal Basketball Federation extended the invitation as part of the continuing effort of Senegal Officials to improve the quality of basketball playing in their country and to improve relations between black Americans and Africans.
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