A loving advocate for the queer community, rooted in Black music and dedicated to wielding music as a transformative force, Oakland vocalist Valerie Troutt has spent years developing songs to inspire and enhance bodies in motion. Steeped in gospel and jazz, she’s a gifted songwriter and improviser who powerfully chronicled the life of her acclaimed 2020 album The Oakland Girl. Performing with her trio featuring piano ace Javier Santiago, Troutt introduces a new collaboration with the Oakland dance company See Through Soul on a set of songs she wrote during the pandemic. Directed by Mika Lemoine and Sheila Russell, the eclectic group draws inspiration from various street and club dance styles, including hip hop, house, vogue, tap and waacking.

Valerie Troutt is a 2020 YBG Festival Commissions Artist.

See updated safety guidelines under Visitor Information.