ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) — Deputy Director of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center Destiny Brown-Hernandez is bringing some much-needed soul to Ithaca on September 21st.
Since being named the Deputy Director last July, she has tasked herself with finding ways to make a difference in the performing arts scene in Ithaca. Responsible for overseeing two special events, she decided to fill a gap in the music scene here and give R&B/Soul music the recognition it needs.
Destiny La Vibe is her stage name, and she has made impressive connections in the music industry throughout her career. She started singing in the church in a children’s choir and went on to attend a performing arts high school. From there, she spent a significant amount of time in her 20s doing off-Broadway shows and immersing herself in the gospel music scene. During the summer of 2017, she had the honor of singing with Patti Labelle while at the Westbury Music Fair.
It wasn’t until 2022 that she started making secular music, with “Call Me in the Morning” from her first album Up Down Love going to number six on the UK Soul Charts. It wasn’t long until she started on her second album. Her single “Starlight”, which came out in 2023, reached number eight on the UK Soul Charts. Additionally, she was mentioned in an article naming the top four UK budding artists.
“I had bloggers and DJs reaching out and giving compliments, just letting me know that they liked my music and were playing it. Having DJs play your music is what gets it out there and helps expose it to more people, so I was very appreciative of that,” she says of her popularity in the UK.
Stout, Serena Young, and Terrence Cunningham are three of the big names set to perform at Soul Fest, with Cheryl Pepsii Riley as the host. Stout has performed on prestigious shows such as the Grammy’s, the MTV Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, and others. Formerly Destiny’s vocal coach, they became friends in addition to being colleagues.
Serena Young, as seen on BET’s Sunday Best, is someone Destiny met in the gospel church arena in Rochester.
“Gospel music is an inspiration for so many other kinds of music, it’s the foundation for so many genres. I wanted to take community feedback since there used to be a gospel festival in Ithaca and be able to honor that and incorporate that into Soul Fest.”
Terrence Cunningham, as seen on NBC’s The Voice season fourteen, is someone Destiny met in the DMV area. He made a name for himself while on the show and was chosen as part of the lineup to bring serious musical value to the event.
Cheryl Pepsii Riley is known for an illustrious music, movie, and theatrical career that is recognized by many.
“I grew up hearing her music, watching her theatrical performances, seeing her on TV and in movies. She sits on the cusp of multiple generations for the Black community, lots of people remember her from something nostalgic. She’s someone tangible who appeals to many people in the Black community, so having her host Soul Fest holds a lot of significance.”
Not only does Soul Fest provide music and food, but it also fulfills a need in the community to give proper representation and recognition to R&B/Soul and gospel music, as well as how important those genres are to the Black community.
“The festival is about connecting. We’ll have guest speakers talking about health disparities within the community, a mini job fair where people can connect directly with employers, community organizations and resources will be in attendance to help with outreach in the community. It’s really going to be a ‘one-stop shop’. We want it to be an event that becomes annual and is valued highly the way Reggaefest and Grassroots are. It allows for people to be open about their love for the music and its impact and is another way to pursue diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
There are always ways to support the festival and get the word out, including volunteering, donating, and just showing up and being open about showing support for the festival itself. The event is free, but registration is required. Find the link for registration here, use the flyer below, the Greater Ithaca Activities Center’s Soul Fest website, and the Soul Fest Facebook page as resources to find out more about the event and how you can help nourish Ithaca’s Soul Fest.
