Because of Black Music IAM Festival
Day 1: June 10th, 2023 10 am - 5 pm, $35 (includes brunch)
Geffoery’s Inner Circle 410 14th @Franklin Oakland, CA 94612
Day 2: June 11th, 2023, 3 pm - 6 pm, $25
The Devil’s Parlor (address provided upon ticket purchase)
(Oakland, CA) —Valerie Troutt Projects presents the first ever “Because of Black Music IAM” Festival. Because of Black Music IAM (BOBM), is a two-day music festival in celebration of Black Music Month being held on June 10th and 11th, 2023. BOBM is a soulful conversation piece developed to bring together local artists, industry professionals, and the community to make connections and create awareness about the impact of Black music and the need to establish new music industry infrastructures ensuring the longevity of not only Black music but Black Artists.
The festival will include a Soulfood brunch, an artists’ mixer and panel, and two live music concerts on June 10th and 11th. This festival has been made possible by grants and donations from The Akonadi Foundation, The Eastbay Community Fund, The African American Art and Culture Complex SF, and The Queer Cultural Center of San Francisco, ca.
June 10th, 2023 - Day 1, 12:30 pm-2 pm The artist’s panel includes Ethnomusicologist Dr. Niva Flor, Author Andrew Gilbert, Entrepreneur Bosco of HIWAA, Pianist, and Oakland School for the Arts Choral director Cava Menzies, Jay Whittington Berkeley Unified Performing Arts Diversity Equity Inclusion Specialist and Joi Rhone Artist Manager and Event Promoter. The panel will be hosted by Artivist Preston Justice. Music curation by Blak Shyne.
2-5 pm The concert includes SF Poet Laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin, Vocalist The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol, Singer SoLauren, Rapper JWalt, Saxophonist Howard Wiley, and Valerie Troutt’s MoonCandy Live Music Ensemble. Comedian Micia Mosley will host the concert.
June 11th, 2023 - Day 2, Concert lineup includes Singer-songwriter Amie Cota, Poet Marvin K. White, Singer-songwriter Cadence Myles, and The Valerie Troutt JazzSoul Quartet featuring Poet Joyce Lee.
BOBM is the vision of partners Valerie Troutt and Audacious Wilson who believe that now is the time to center conversations about the future of Black artists. “By studying the past, we can build new music industry infrastructures and 1frameworks to create a more sustainable and beneficial future,” Says Troutt. Join the conversation by following us on Instagram - @becauseofblackmusiciam
About Valerie Troutt Projects
Valerie Troutt Projects (VTP) creates multiple music-based platforms for Black people to thrive mentally, physically, and spiritually. VTP hopes to inspire, empower, and develop new frameworks to help build healthy alternatives to the constructs of white America. VTP nurtures community and is part of a vast network of BIPOC, Womyn, and Queer artists revitalizing Oakland’s music scene. During this time of displacement, poverty, and struggle our projects and events are a call to remember love by gathering community and uplifting song and the arts as medicine.
MEDIA INFO AND CONTACTS:
Because of Black Music IAM (BOBM), is a two-day music festival in celebration of Black Music Month being held in Oakland, ca on June 10th and 11th, 2023. The festival will include a soulfood brunch, an artist’s mixer, a musician’s panel, and two live music concerts. For more information contact: (510) 626-0118, becauseofblackmusic@gmail.com www.becauseofblackmusiciam.com Tickets are available on Eventbrite 2 Day Pass $50 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/because-of-black-music-iam-festival-tickets-623391870867?aff=erelexpmlt
