Saturday Mornings with Joy Keys

FM Laeti was born in Gaudeloupe. Her father was a drummer with Zouk music pioneers Kassav and her mother co-founded and ran a music school. Raised in a travelling musical family, through Guadeloupe, Vancouver, Chicago and Paris,. Laeti has found her own path from this rich, deep vein of soul music that she has inherited. As a child she listened to such luminaries as Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield and particularly Otis Redding. Her approach, though steeped in the tradition of Stax and Motown, is modern and optimistic. There are also reminders of Eartha Kitt and Etta James in her repertoire. Her debut album is entitled, It Will All Come Around (Wagram Records). Laeti delivers brilliantly on first single “Rise In The Sun” a gorgeous bouncing slice of pop heaven. Also on the album, FM Laeti collaborates with Malawi vocalist Fatoumata Diawara  on the song "Coco." Rise In The Sun video: http://youtu.be/kK_OS_zpHTE Coco video: http://youtu.be/c30QKZlPWVI

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer in women worldwide, yet it is almost always preventable – with the Pap test, the HPV test and the HPV vaccine. That’s what the Pearl of Wisdom Campaign to Prevent Cervical Cancer wants women to know – and share with their mothers, daughters, sisters and friends.Tamika Felder, Founder and CEO, Tamika & Friends. After a diagnosis of advanced cervical cancer in 2001 at the age of 25, Tamika Felder triumphed in her fight against this deadly disease, and now uses her experience to help educate other women about ways to prevent it. She is the founder and CEO of Tamika & Friends, Inc., a national non-profit organization dedicated to cervical cancer awareness through a network of survivors and their friends. Her inspiring story and message have been featured in numerous media outlets. Tamika & Friends has served since 2009 as the lead U.S. partner of the global Pearl of Wisdom Campaign to Prevent Cervical Cancer.Tamika and Friends (http://www.tamikaandfriends.org),

#BlackGirlsHack (#BGH) is the first non-profit hackathon series specifically targeting the African American tech community. Our mission is to bring the black tech community around the country, to help black founded startups and non-profits develop the mobile and web apps that they need to take their businesses to the next step, and to benefit a local non-profit with the proceeds from our events. Kat Calvin is an entrepreneur, a lawyer, a traveler, and an avid TV watcher. She is the CEO and co-founder of Character’s Closet, and the founder of Michelle in Training and DC Young Entrepreneurs. kat is a geek who was thrilled to discover that there are a lot of other #blackgirl geeks out there. So she started #blackgirlshack as a way to bring the black geeks of the world together, builds some awesome apps to help other black founders, and raise money for amazing charities. For more about her, see katcalvin.com. http://blackgirlshack.com

Norrinda's love for her grandmother and mother's baking and desire to bring a modern bakery to Philadelphia's pastry scene that focused on taste as much as design (in the way old school bakeries used to) is what compelled her to "convince" her mother to open Brown Betty Dessert Boutique. Brown Betty Dessert Boutique is named after mother/grandmother, Elizabeth Ruth Hinton (friends and family call her either Betty or Liz). It is a good for us (and now you) that Betty's natural gift for baking rubbed off on her only daughter, Linda. Today, Linda and a team of meticulous bakers and creative decorators produce each delicious cake that Brown Betty makes. A lawyer by day and round-the-clock entrepreneur, Norrinda Brown Hayat splits her time between Washington D.C. where she is an attorney with the federal government, and her hometown of Philadelphia where she runs the city’s most beloved bakery, Brown Betty Dessert Boutique. Norrinda has been recognized as both an attorney and an entrepreneur.  Just recently she was featured in the Philadelphia Business Journal.  Brown Betty, which has been featured in local and national publications such as Philadelphia Magazine and O Magazine, was named the ‘#2 Bakery in the Country’ by TLC on their show, ‘Bodacious Bakeries’.  Norrinda can now add “author” to her list of professions that details the family’s history, photos, and recipes that, when mixed together, are the ingredients for her growing cupcake empire with The Brown Betty Cookbook

Charlie Barnett stars as Peter Mills, a young new academy graduate who follows a long line of multi-generational firefighters, in NBC's drama "Chicago Fire."   A graduate of The Juilliard School, he began performing in his hometown of Sarasota, Florida, at the age of seven in opera and musical theatre productions.   On the big screen, Barnett has a supporting role in "Men in Black 3" with Will Smith and Josh Brolin.  Other features include "Gayby," which premiered this year at the South by Southwest Film Festival, "The Happy Sad," a tangled love story, and "Private Romeo," a modern take on Romeo and Juliet.   On television, he has guest-starred on NBC's "Law and Order:SVU" and "Law and Order: CI."

SPECIAL GUEST: Actor Laz AlonsoDeception is an upcoming American television primetime soap opera that will air on NBC. The series, created by Liz Heldens, premiers Monday, January 7, 2013 on NBC at 10pm ET.Description: When Vivian Bowers, a famous socialite, is found dead from what appears to be an overdose, her best friend, Detective Joanna Locasto, is re-embraced by the wealthy Bowers family and in time she begins to uncover the truth of what really happened with her friend's death.Alonso was born in Washington, D.C.. He is of Afro-Cuban descent. He is an alumnus of Howard University. After graduating from Howard University with a BBA in Marketing, he had a lucrative career as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch on Wall Street.In 2008, Laz starred in Miracle at St. Anna for director Spike Lee, in which he played one of four main leads opposite Derek Luke, Michael Ealy and Omar BensonLaz had the supporting role of “Sheriff John Burke” in Rod Lurie’s remake of the Sam Peckinpah classic Straw Dogs (2011) for Sony Screen Gems. In 2009, Laz played the lead villain role of “Fenix” in the fourth installment of Fast and the Furious franchise and the role of “Tsu’Tey” in the highest grossing film of all time, Avatar! In 2011, Laz played lead character Jason Taylor in Jumping the Broom film (2011). From 2011-2012 Laz played Charlie Duchamps in A&E's Breakout Kings TV show.Laz Alonso was chosen as one of Variety’s “Top Ten Actors to Watch in 2009.”Laz plays the role of Will Moreno in Deception.

Special Guest: Samuel F. Reynolds is a practicing astrologer in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. He has trained with some of the most notable minds in the astrological world, like Alan Oken, Robert Zoller, and Christopher Warnock, all of whom have helped him obtain his Level III certificate from NCGR in 2004. He writes for numerous online and print publications, including aol.com and tarot.com. He’s also been a speaker at national astrology conferences, like Moses Siregar’s Blast conference, the International Society for Astrological Research’s National Conference and the State of the Art astrology conference in Buffalo, NY in the fall 2009. Samuel provides astrological counseling for Robert Currey's Astro*Live*Link, a British-based dial-in service dedicated to astrological counseling for people throughout the English speaking world, and on weekends, he has hosted the “Zodiac Lounge”, a NYC-based spiritual bazaar, where he brings together various healers and seers to serve in economically challenged communities. Additionally, he is a co-founder of the Astrology Career Institute (www.astrologycareerinstitute.com), which provides students with the resources and marketing tools to become practicing astrologers themselves.   Samuel has a MA from Temple University.    http://www.return2thesource.net/home.html  

Running the Rift follows Jean Patrick Nkuba, a gifted Rwandan boy, from the day he knows that running will be his life to the moment he must run to save his life, a ten-year span in which his country is undone by the Hutu-Tutsi tensions. When the killing begins, Jean Patrick is forced to flee, leaving behind the woman, the family, and the country he loves. Finding them again is the race of his life. Winner of the Bellwether Prize for Fiction. Naomi Benaron is a fiction writer and a poet. Her short story collection, Love Letters from a Fat Man, won the 2006 Sharat Chandra Prize for Fiction. She has an MFA in fiction from Antioch University Los Angeles. She teaches through the UCLA Extension Writers' Program and is a mentor Afghan women through AWWP, the Afghan Women's Writing Project—an online group where Afghan women can express themselves in safety and in freedom. Benaron is a marathon runner and an Ironman triathlete. In her first career she worked as a seismologist and geophysicist for companies including Mobil Oil and a consulting company for JPL. Benaron has degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Wade Davis is a nationally-recognized speaker, activist, writer and educator. Davis is a former NFL football player who played for the Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins and Seattle Seahawks, as well as two different teams within the NFL Europe league. Since retiring, he's owned a media business through a partnership with the New York Times called InMotion Media, but currently he works at the Hetrick Martin Institute (HMI) as the Assistant Director of Job Readiness. At HMI, he teaches at-promise youth how to define success for themselves and thrive in society.  His writings and interviews have appeared on Huffington Post, The NY Times, Out Sports, TheGrio.com, and other media outlets, like President Obama's Whitehouse blog. He has appeared on NPR, CNN, and BET. He is also an LGBT Surrogate for President Obama. In the role of surrogate he speaks at events on behalf of the President. Also he's a member of the GLSEN sports advisory board - where he advocates to create safe spaces for LGBT youth.

Special Guest: Several years ago, Dr. James struggled with obesity and prediabetes, and his LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) was elevated. He started to eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and to include exercise, as well as yoga/meditation in his daily routine. He was soon “cured”. Dr. James drew inspiration from his personal experiences, and in 2011 founded Heal2BFree, LLC  where he serves as President. Heal2BFree focuses on helping individuals and organizations, including churches, to develop and implement action plans for healthy lifestyles.. Dr. Ed James is a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a Certificate in Plant Based Nutrition from Cornell University.  His Radio Show, Funerals and Fried Chicken™, provides practical information on making healthy lifestyle changes to prevent and reverse many chronic diseases. He received his BS in Biology from Bucknell University and earned his MD and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania.

Special Guest:  Twenty Eight year old French Singer and Songwriter Laetitia Dana. Born of a Tunisian mother and an Ivorian father. Growing up, Laëtitia Dana was influenced by Soul, Hip-Hop and Jazz. She has opened for Michael Mc Donald, Ryan Leslie, The Pharcyde, Wu Block ( GhostFace Killah x Sheek Louch), Féfé and many others.   Check out her first single “Courant D’Air”  video:  http://youtu.be/BJwdtcaDAns Check out her newest video “Meanness and Profit": http://t.co/EfBg9j6X FREE download of A.F.R.I.C..A song by Laetitia Dana Feat K. Sparks:  http://laetitiadana.bandcamp.com/track/a-f-r-i-c-a Website: http://www.laetitia-dana.com/

  Professor Devin A. Robinson is a Pulitzer prize-winning newspaper columnist, social activist, author, and an Economics Professor at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Georgia and the Founder of Going Against the Grain Group.   He was born and raised on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands and spent 6 years in the U.S. Army before completing his service as a decorated Airborne Non-Commissioned Officer.   He is a highly sought-after entrepreneurial trainer, consultant and speaker across the nation. His latest book, "Power M.O.V.E.: How to Transition From Employee to Employer"teaches individuals how to use their talents to secure personal economic control. He is a regular commentator and subject matter expert on multiple radio programs.   He has a Bachelor's in Business Management, a Masters in Business Administration and is completing a Doctorate in Business Marketing.    www.devinrobinson.com

CO HOST: Khethukubonga ‘Khethi ‘ Ntshangase exemplifies African Evolution. She was aptly born on Africa Day, 25 May 1980 in the city of Pietermaritzburg, KZN; raised by Johannesburg’s lively underground poetry scene and came of age in quaint Tanzania. Khethi’s  album ‘Exemplify’ is a musical journal of a passionate and soulful African ambassador. A message of hope amplified by her own courage and patience. The 16-track album features an array of upbeat and sultry soulful grooves. Khethi on http://www.facebook.com/pages/Khethi-her-Afro-twist/134095893316 Special Guest: THE MUFFINZ: The group began in 2010 when Mthae, Simz and Atomza met while singing in the UJ (University of Johannesburg) choir. They entered a competition at Cool Runnings in Melville and their performance was so good, recalled Atomza, that they caused one of the judges to cry. By April 2011 Skabz and Keke had joined the band and they found a residency in the same suburb of Melville. In August 2011, the independent label, Just Music offered them a recording deal. This led to the boys recording their debut album at the famous Jazzworx studios where artists like HHP and LIRA call their recording home. The album was produced by the band themselves as well as the Jazzworx team of Robin Kohl, Tebogo Moloto and Leroy Croft. The result of this intensive recording experience is an eleven track aural adventure called ‘Have You Heard?’ released in late May 2012. http://www.facebook.com/TheMuffinzLive

Laura Jane has performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in the business, such as Latin Superstar Enrique Iglesias, Dave Matthews Band, Kelly Clarkson, Anastacia, the late Teena Marie, Smash star Katharine McPhee, Kid Rock, Joe Walsh, Aaron Neville, and Florence and the Machine.  Laura Jane’s debut album TO MY PLANET BOO was released in 2005. Her first single off the album SUMMERTIME IN THE CITY was a drum n bass track, which pulsated and was woven with what now would be called her signature sweet vocal texture.  This song got international airplay and great reviews.  Laura Jane most recently released her second solo album, called EVERYTHING CHANGES.It features upright bass, acoustic piano, percussion and acoustic guitar.  The sound is a cross between Roberta Flack and Karen Carpenter or for a newer reference Norah Jones and Corrine Bailey Rae.  Laura Jane enlisted Jamiseson Trotter as the producer for the album to help achieve the sound and  their  two heads together created beautiful tracks like Everything Changes, a thoughtful and carefully produced song that is melancholy and yet hopeful.  She once again features Brazilian percussion on the song THE ANSWER – which is more of a mantra than a song – and definitely has that signature Laura Jane vocal texture on it, with vocal arrangements by Jason Paige.  Other stand out tracks are My Confession which is funky and soulful about a woman being scorned by a man but yet rising up to overcome it. And the beautiful duet called the VOW – featuring Jason Paige could surely be a classic love song. http://www.laurajanemusic.net/

Special Guest: Willard Wigan is a sculptor from Birmingham, England, who makes microscopic art. Willard’s micro-sculptures are so minute that they are only visible through a microscope. Each piece commonly sits within the eye of a needle, or on a pin head. Willard’s artwork has been described by many as “the eighth wonder of the world”. Such accolade resulted in him being honoured by HM. Queen Elizabeth II with an MBE for his services to art, which was presented by HRH. Prince Charles in July 2007. Owners of Willard’s work now include:  HRH. Prince Charles, Sir Elton John, Sir Philip Green, Lord Bath, Mike Tyson and Simon Cowell to name but a few.  Willard’s latest piece, the Coronation Crown was requested by HRH Queen Elizabeth II in tribute to her celebration to her Diamond Jubilee. http://www.willard-wigan.com  Special Guest: Horologist Stephen Forsey partner in the Greubel Forsey watch making company. In 1999 Greubel and Forsey began working on a new generation of tourbillon specifically designed to improve the timekeeping of the mechanical watch. Four years later they unveiled "Greubel Forsey" and stunned horological aficionados with their innovative Double Tourbillon 30°, a timepiece clearly demonstrating their twin goals of innovation and excellence. http://www.greubelforsey.com Art Piece 1 is collaboration between Robert Greubel, Stephen Forsey and Willard Wigan, and features one of Wigan’s micro-sculptures, observable through special optics.