2009 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL(R) Presented by Coca-Cola(R) Sets New Record With More...

2009 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL(R) Presented by Coca-Cola(R) Sets New Record With
More Than 428,000 Attendees on Hand for the Annual Cultural Celebration of
Music, Arts & Empowerment July 3, 4 and 5 in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- The ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL hit a new
pinnacle this year when more than 428,000 attendees gathered in New Orleans as
the annual weekend of entertainment and empowerment celebrated its 15th
Anniversary July 3, 4 and 5. Last year, the ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL had
reported its most successful year ever with more than 270,000 attendees. This
year, Friday night's show at the Superdome marked the festival's first
sell-out in its history.

The ultimate party weekend was highlighted by performances from a variety of
today's greatest African-American artists and three full days of empowerment
seminars featuring the biggest names in music and the nation's most
influential speakers, entertainers, artists, authors and leaders.

This year, the ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL raised the bar with ground-breaking
performances from Beyonce, Maxwell, Anita Baker, Lionel Richie and more than
30 acts, along with a momentous tribute to Maze featuring Frankie Beverly.

Beyond the musical performances, this weekend the ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL and
artists would have been remiss not to pay respect to the King of Pop. In
addition to a nightly onstage traditional New Orleans second line parade,
video tributes and Michael Jackson music ringing throughout the Louisiana
Superdome, Beyonce offered a stirring homage -- with an image of Jackson
displayed behind her -- as she merged her Top Five hit "Halo" and "Ave Maria."
Prior to a Commodores reunion -- with original members Thomas McClary and
Ronald LaPread joining Richie for "Slippery When Wet," "Atomic Dog," and
"Easy," along with a Commodores medley of "Fancy Dancer," "Sweet Love, (Just
To Be) Close To You," "Zoom," "Brick House" and the Ohio Players' "Fire" --
Richie performed "Jesus Is Love" saying this song is "for my wonderful brother
who is no longer with us."

In addition to the historic musical performances, this year's ESSENCE MUSIC
FESTIVAL's empowerment seminars hosted Steve Harvey, Bill Cosby, Roland
Martin, Soledad O'Brien, Tom Joyner, Juanita Bynum, Mayor C. Ray Nagin, Ben
Jealous and Donna Brazile, among others. The weekend's empowerment sessions
wrapped up as a standing room only and record setting crowd gathered for the
"Tribute to Bishop T.D. Jakes" featuring special performances by CeCe Winans,
Ledisi, Marvin Sapp, and Smokie Norful.

The ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL -- the nation's largest annual gathering of
African-American music and culture -- started in 1995 as a one-time event to
celebrate the 25th Anniversary of ESSENCE magazine. Now the Festival has been
heralded as one of the country's "Top 10 Leading Brand Events" in 2007 by
Advertising Age; was hailed by USA Today as having "achieved a balance of
old-school homage and cutting-edge innovation at the Superdome" (7-7-08); and
highlighted prominently among well-known consumer events such as NASCAR and
Spring Break. In its 15-year history, the ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL has featured
an array of performers including Alicia Keys, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin,
Chaka Khan, Chris Brown, Destiny's Child, Earth, Wind & Fire, Gladys Knight,
LL Cool J, Jamie Foxx, John Legend, Kanye West, The Isley Brothers, Lionel
Richie, Luther Vandross, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, The O'Jays, Prince, Stevie
Wonder, Toni Braxton, Patti LaBelle and Yolanda Adams.

For the latest information about the 2010 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL, visit
www.essencemusicfestival.com.

The 2009 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL is executive produced by Essence Festivals LLC
and produced by Rehage Entertainment. Essence Festivals LLC is a division of
Essence Communications Inc. (ECI). The 2009 Empowerment Seminars are produced
by GeChar. The 2009 ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL sponsors include Presenting
Sponsor Coca Cola; Major Sponsors: Covergirl Queen Collection, Ford,
McDonald's, Pantene Pro-V, U.S. Army and Walmart; and Official Sponsors: CNN,
Coors Light, Hennessy, Mastercard, My Black is Beautiful, Southwest Airlines,
TBS and TVOne.

About Essence Communications Inc.: Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) is the
leading media and communications company dedicated to African-American women.
With a multi-platform presence in publishing, live events, and online, the
Essence brand is "Where Black Women Come First". The company's flagship
publication, ESSENCE magazine, is the preeminent lifestyle magazine for
African-American women; generating brand extensions such as the Essence Music
Festival, Women Who Are Shaping the World Leadership Summit, Window on Our
Women (WOW I, II & III) and Smart Beauty I, II & III consumer insights, the
Essence Book Club, Essence.com, and ventures in digital media (mobile,
television and VOD). For 39 years, ESSENCE magazine, which has a readership of
8.1 million, has been the leading source of cutting-edge information relating
to every area of African-American women's lives.

Additional information about ECI and ESSENCE is available at www.essence.com.

SOURCE Essence Communications, Inc.

Marcee Rondan of MSO, +1-818-380-0400, marcee@msopr.com, for Essence
Communications, Inc.; or Dana Baxter of Essence Communications Inc.,
+1-212-522-1634, dbaxter@essence.com