Look To The Stars News: Nikka Costa

Look To The Stars Invites You To The Bash Of All Bashes

Thu, 14 May 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Look To The Stars is proud to be associated with a special charity party being held in Hollywood this weekend featuring a number of celebrity guests.

The Bash has been organized by a group of teenage girls – Teens Helping Teens – including Hayley Hasselhoff – daughter of David – and Autumn Chiklis, daughter of Michael Chiklis, who wanted to support the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The founders of the event are Nathalia Ramos (Disney Bratz) and Bosilika An, and the board includes Mady Feder, Marissa Lepor, Savanah Slotkin, Ellen Basser and Zelda Williams (daughter of Robin Williams).

“Around Christmas, Teens Helping Teens noticed that the teens in the hospital were really lacking things to keep them entertained,” explained David Hasselhoff. "The kids that have to stay in the hospital are often there for a really long time and a lot of them are in isolation wards and can’t really communicate with anyone but the nurses and their families. The girls of Teens Helping Teens went around and asked all these kids what they wanted the most to make their stay more comfortable and almost all of them said they wanted a computer or a PlayStation or something that would occupy them without risking them getting sick.

“The girls decided that they were going to do something about it and have organized a huge Young Hollywood party that’s taking place in May. They’ve got Fred Segal doing a fashion show, Steve Aoki is going to DJ, and Rumer Willis is going to host. All the proceeds will go toward helping these sick kids feel a little bit better. They’re going to purchase Wiis, PlayStations, Macs and all sorts of things that will help these children get through their illness.”

Also performing at the party will be Nikka Costa.

The Bash party will take place at the Crustacean Restaurant in Beverly Hills on Sunday, May 17.

For information and tickets, go to the official The Bash of All Bashes website. To watch Look To The Stars’ interview with David and Hayley Hasselhoff, click here.

Stars Come Out For Black Eyed Peas Charity Gig

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of the Black Eyed Peas were out in droves last Thursday night as the band played a special charity show at the Conga Room in Los Angeles.

Band members Fergie, will.i.am, Taboo and all performed at the show, and there were special guest appearances by Lupe Fiasco, Nikka Costa and Boyz II Men. Proceeds went to The Peapod Foundation, an organization set up by the band to give back to the band members’ communities around the world. Founded by will.i.am and Polo Molina of Grassroots Productions, The Peapod benefit concerts date back to the earliest incarnation of The Black Eyed Peas and began as charity toy drives for Los Angeles based children and local orphanages.

“Music penetrates through all types of boundaries and crosses all kinds of barriers,” will.i.am told the Associated Press before the show. “It gives us a commonality through rhythm and melody. Music has brought the world together.”

“For people without the means or a place to go, it feels good for us to give them opportunities,” added Fergie.

LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was also on hand at the event, and was presented with the Peapod Leadership Award in recognition of his commitment to arts education in the city.

“I believe in what the Peapod Foundation is about,” he said. “When you’ve been blessed, you’ve got to bless others. The Peapod Foundation is all about giving back.”

Also in attendance were Slash and Rihanna.

Black Eyed Peas member apl.de.ap was absent from the event due to the murder of his brother.

Artists Come Out To Shake the Blues

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:17:00 -0000

Written by Crystal A. Johnson

The charity Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) held its annual concert and auctions on Thursday November, 15, 2007 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles. The “Shaking the Blues” benefit supports ANSA’s work fighting HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and Africa, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Treatment Action Campaign, a grassroots organization at the forefront of South Africa’s fight against AIDS.

Among the celebrities in attendance were Blair Underwood, Eric Benet, Anthony Anderson, Alfre Woodard, Heroes star Jimmy Jean-Louis, and Grey’s Anatomy star James Pickens Jr. Event chairs include Jackson Browne, Morgan Freeman, Samuel L. Jackson, George Lopez, Carlos Santana's wife Deborah, Alfre Woodard and Forest Whitaker.

Not only was a baseball signed by Hall of Famer Dave Winfield on hand at the silent auction, but Dave and his wife Tonya attended the event. Close friends with Samuel and Latonya Jackson, the Winfields hope to personally visit South Africa soon.

The musical line-up featured stirring performances by The Roots and friends, Erykah Badu with Edith Funker, Nikka Costa, Doyle Bramhall II, Keb Mo, and Taj Mahal. The Roots roused the crowd with a rendition of Bob Dylan's Masters of War, and the audience rose for Erykah Badu's performance of her classic On and On.

In keeping with many other recent celebrity events, acknowledgement was given to the writers’ strike; James Pickens Jr spoke of supporting the writers before he introduced the grand finale performance by Taj Mahal.

Movie and K-ville star Anthony Anderson served as auctioneer for the live auction. As Blair Underwood battled for a diamond earring lot, Anderson comically referred to him only as “the man with the orange leather jacket on”. Underwood’s counter-bidder upped the ante, requesting a date with her opponent be included along with the earrings, which she won at $9,000. Not only did Underwood accept, but he promised it would be a dinner at the world-famous restaurant Spagos.

To encourage higher bids on a private lunch with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Anderson jokingly suggested that the winner could take a picture with Tutu and put it on Myspace.com to be the envy of their friends. The lunch went for $15,500.

Los Angeles-based non-profit organization ANSA was originally founded in 1989 by noted members of the entertainment community, with an initial goal of supporting the struggle against apartheid. Over time, the organization’s focus has shifted to the fight against the African AIDS pandemic, advancing democracy, and equality in South Africa.

The effort to raise money is not over. If you want help the cause their are several items available at the online auction. To bid on the online items: www.charityfolks.com/ansa.

ANSA Shakes the Blues With Stars in Los Angeles

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 08:42:33 -0000

On Thursday, November 15, 2007, Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) will host “Shaking The Blues,” a star-studded benefit, at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. The evening combines the power of music and activism to shake off our blues – from the personal to the global – and make a difference in the world. The event will feature blues-influenced musical artists as well as a multi-cultural array of renowned entertainers who are donating their time and talents to the fight against HIV/AIDS in the US and Africa.

The event begins with a pre-show cocktail party for major donors at 6 PM. Shaking The Blues performances start at 7:45, immediately followed by a VIP after-party. Those confirmed to appear include Erykah Badu, Nikka Costa, Keb’ Mo’, Taj Mahal Trio and The Roots, with Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson serving as the event’s musical director. Additional highlights include appearances by George Lopez, Jurnee Smollett, Blair Underwood and other special guest stars soon to be announced.

Shaking The Blues, which continues ANSA’s tradition of presenting one unique and extraordinary major fundraiser annually, is chaired by Dianna Cohen & Jackson Browne, Myrna Colley-Lee & Morgan Freeman, LaTanya Richardson Jackson & Samuel L. Jackson, Ann & George Lopez, Deborah Santana, Alfre Woodard & Roderick Spencer and Keisha Nash-Whitaker & Forest Whitaker. Host committee members include J.J. Abrams, Gillian Anderson, Johnny Clegg, Danny Glover, Dulé Hill, Quincy Jones, Norman Lear, Lebo M, Alexandra Paul, Chris Rock, Cicely Tyson, Blair Underwood, Alice Walker, Denzel Washington and other luminaries.

“Last year, ANSA was honored to host the 75th birthday celebration for our dear friend and advisor Archbishop Desmond Tutu," said ANSA’s Executive Director Sharon Gelman. “He embodies the belief that justice and love will ultimately triumph and maintains a remarkable sense of humor, even in the face of enormous challenges. It is activists like him who inspire us to shake off the blues and take action to fix our world. That’s the spirit of Shaking the Blues, which promises to be one of ANSA’s best events ever.”

Proceeds from the event will support ANSA’s work in the US and Africa. ANSA will also donate a portion of the proceeds to the Treatment Action Campaign, the grassroots organization that is at the forefront of South Africa’s fight against AIDS.

Tickets range from $45 to $100, and are available through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com and (213) 480-3232. For major donor and VIP tickets, ranging from $250 to $75,000, contact Blue Room Events: (310) 491-1401.

A Shaking The Blues online auction of one-of-a-kind items and experiences from President Bill Clinton, Denzel Washington, J.J. Abrams, Dulé Hill, and many others, launched October 29 at www.charityfolks.com/ansa.

ANSA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization working to combat HIV/AIDS, safeguard voting rights and democracy, advance human rights and equality, and assist and empower AIDS orphans and other at-risk youth. By working in partnership with effective grassroots organizations and pivotal movements on the frontlines of these issues, ANSA makes a substantial difference. Founded in 1989 to support South Africa’s quest to end apartheid and build a new democracy, ANSA is now dedicated to eradicating social and health inequities that are the legacies of apartheid, segregation, and generations of poverty. In the past decade alone, ANSA has raised $9 million for effective African programs, shipped 70 tons of medical supplies and books to impoverished communities, and educated millions of adults and young people in the US, South Africa, and across the African continent about HIV/AIDS and voting rights. For more information go to www.ansafrica.org

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