“Flashing Lights” is more than a Kanye West song.
It is also the name of an upcoming variety show that will go from 6-9 p.m. April 30 at The Granada Theatre at 807 Commercial St. “Flashing Lights” will be presented by MSQUARED ENT.
“I think that, by having the show at the Granada and showcasing talents, it will improve the view or enlighten people about the local music scene,” said Andre Jfirson Mboule, senior political science major and MSQUARED founder. “Like my ad on the radio said, to show Emporia’s got talent… I’m trying to take it to the next level.”
MSQUARED Entertainment is a company headed by Jfirson Mboule. Among those performing are Anchondo, B. Sharp, ZOIKS!, the ESU Stingers and possible surprise guests. The event is open to students and to members of the community, including children, though Jfirson Mboule said that he would give it a rating of “PG-13.”
“It’s something he wants to do as a career choice,” said Ammie English, ESU alum and MSQUARED member. “He loves doing it and he’s really good at it… I think often a lot of people think that there’s nothing to do in Emporia and that’s given him the motivation to get something that’s kind of different for not only college students, but anyone in the community.”
Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door and seating is limited. Tickets can be purchased at Wheat State Pizza at 1120 Commercial St. and at The Sweet Granada at 805 Commercial St. or through Jfirson Mboule via Facebook. MSQUARED is also selling tickets via their MySpace.com page. KISS 103.1 FM will be present at the event and part of the proceeds will go to Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND).
“The main reason I’ve done this is that I love doing this,” Jfirson Mboule said. “When I was 16, I went and I met a bar owner in France and I told him I want to throw a party. He looked at me and asked me, ‘What do you have in case my bar gets broken?’ So, basically, I gave him a cushion and I had some people co-sign for me and I’ve been doing it since then.”
MSQUARED is an international entertainment group operating in places like Paris, Berlin, Madrid, London and South Africa and they hope that this event will help them become more popular in Emporia.
“Worldwide, the group has almost 3,000 members, but active members are something like 1,000,” said Fabrice Epoh, junior communication major and MSQUARED president. “It’s a non-profit event because we want the local group to be promoted in Kansas and to make our group known to most of the people here.”
For Jfirson Mboule, the music and entertainment business is something that has been present for all of his life. His father was the lead singer in a band in the 1980s in France, which played Rhythm and Blues, French pop, and Zouk, Carribean music. Another important family member who influenced Jfirson Mboule was his uncle, who was also an entertainment manager.
“He used to organize concerts in Europe and in Africa, like huge concerts and stages, bringing in acts from different countries,” Jfirson Mboule said. “I was 12 and I got on stage with a performer. I saw how my uncle liked what he was doing, so that’s how I got into doing this.”
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