Essence Music Festival: Maxwell, Anita Baker Join Beyonce As Headliners

"The 15th Annual Essence Music Festival" may very well turn into an old episode of 'Soul Train' come this Fourth of July weekend.

In addition to the aforementioned Beyonce, the much anticipated "Party With A Purpose" has also added Maxwell, Anita Baker, Al Green, John Legend, Teena Marie, En Vogue, Jazmine Sullivan, Janelle Monae, Raphael Saadiq, Robin Thicke, and Salt-N-Pepa to their star studded line-up.
As if that wasn't enough, ladies and gentleman who are donning their finest threads can also attend various seminars which will take place at New Orleans' Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Keynote speakers include activist Bill Cosby, Juanita Bynum, Tom Joyner, Hill Harper, Roland Martin and Sheryl Lee Ralph among others.

With such a diverse line-up of activities and performances, Essence Communications president, Michelle Ebanks wanted to make sure their 15th anniversary is represented in the proper perspective.

"To mark the Essence Music Festival 15-year anniversary, we wanted to really celebrate all the forms of music that have been central to the event's history," she said. "Our audience is truly loyal, and we made every effort to come up with a special line-up that's multi-generational and spans diverse genres; it brings together heritage artists, new chart-topping acts and local favorites in New Orleans."

Other performers include Solange, Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi, Brand New Heavies, and Keri Hilson. "The 2009 Essence Music Festival" takes place July 3, 4 and 5 in New Orleans.