Even three evocative names can’t contain the protean nature of Martin Luther McCoy’s talent. The San Francisco native is an actor, guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer and imploring soul-man who refuses to confine himself to any one creative pursuit. Since emerging as a charismatic frontman on the Bay Area’s fertile 1990s neo-soul scene he’s continued to find new avenues for expression while serving as a conduit for socially conscious music. In some circles McCoy is best known for his work with the seminal hip hop collective The Roots. Others discovered him through his incendiary performance starring in Julie Taymor’s 2007 film Across the Universe. He’s performed with Dave Matthews, Jill Scott, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the SFJAZZ Collective and many other marquee acts. If there’s one thread connecting all of his endeavors it’s McCoy’s grounding in the verdant soil of African-American culture. In other words, he’s a natural for the AfroSolo Arts Festival, which has nurtured and promoted art and culture from the African Diaspora via solo performances and the visual and literary arts for more than a quarter century.

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