A riveting artist in the midst of reinventing herself, Eritrean singer-songwriter ASTU left her life as a minister and found her calling in sensuous music. The Oakland-based R&B/soul singer identifies as a queer, gender-expansive artist and her music is a sleek vehicle for expressing her sexuality, identity and life experience. With her candid, often raw […]
Over the past two decades Cuban-born saxophonist, composer and chekere maestro Yosvany Terry has presented some of YBG Festival’s most exciting concerts and he’s ready to add to his legacy. Hailing from an illustrious musical clan from the cultural hotbed of Camagüey, Terry presents his jazz quintet with powerhouse Cuban vocalist Gema Corredera. A rising […]
A key member of some of the Bay Area’s most exciting improvisational ensembles, pianist/accordionist Rob Reich is known for keeping company with adventurous players eager to explore new sonic territory. Looking to meet the needs of the Bay Area’s thriving swing dance scene, he launched Swings Left, a band that puts its own spin on […]
This children’s program has two shows: 11-11:30am with a repeat show 12:15-12:45pm. Led by New Orleans-native Michelle Jacques, a soul-steeped vocalist with a big, bold voice, Chelle! & Friends bring to the Gardens a family-friendly taste of the Crescent City, the cradle of so much essential American music. Chelle! & Friends is made up of […]
This children’s program has two shows: 11-11:30am with a repeat show 12:15-12:45pm. Led by New Orleans-native Michelle Jacques, a soul-steeped vocalist with a big, bold voice, Chelle! & Friends bring to the Gardens a family-friendly taste of the Crescent City, the cradle of so much essential American music. Chelle! & Friends is made up of […]
Update 7/7/23: ASL interpretation will not be provided for this program. We appreciate your understanding. After a week of euphoria, healing and celebration, the Get Free Festival (July 1-8 at Dance Mission Theater) culminates at Yerba Buena Gardens with Timing Is Synchronicity, a playfully inventive interdisciplinary performance that intertwines street dance battle culture, live music, […]
Launched before the pandemic by bassist Giulio Xavier Cetto and former Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen as an improvisation-laced vehicle for exploring state-of-the-art grooves, Big Trippin has transformed into a collective utilizing some of the region’s most talented artists, including alto saxophonist John Palowitch and pianist Javier Santiago. These vibe masters specialize in getting a […]
**Know before you go: This is expected to be a crowded show. Seating is first-come, first-served, very limited and prioritized for seniors and those with accessibility needs. Please come early to reserve a spot. Picnic blankets and low lawn chairs encouraged.** A Latin music legend since the mid-1960s, Joe Bataan was at the center of […]
Founded in 2018 by Rieko Kotoku, who grew up in Japan’s southwestern Tottori prefecture, and Sawako Ama, who was born and raised in a Buddhist temple in southern Japan, KOHAKU is a singular collaboration steeped in traditional Japanese performing arts such as taiko drumming, kagura (a ritual dance associated with Shinto shrines) and a variety […]
A blazing Latin dance band, Conjunto Karabali features a world-class array of talent. The band is co-led by two of North America’s most renowned percussionists, veteran Santana conguero Karl Perazzo and Mike Spiro, a 10-time Grammy Award nominee and the only non-Cuban ever nominated for a Cubadisco award in the Afro-Cuban traditional music category. Describing […]
This children’s program has two shows: 11-11:30am with a repeat show 12:15-12:45pm. Spanning three generations and an array of celebratory Latin American musical traditions, René y Familia is the latest gift from an iconic San Francisco musical clan. Led by educator and songwriter René Peña-Govea, the ensemble includes her son Diego, whose original music appeared […]
This children’s program has two shows: 11-11:30am with a repeat show 12:15-12:45pm. Spanning three generations and an array of celebratory Latin American musical traditions, René y Familia is the latest gift from an iconic San Francisco musical clan. Led by educator and songwriter René Peña-Govea, the ensemble includes her son Diego, whose original music appeared […]
Frida Kahlo loved San Francisco, and Fiestas Fridas show how much we have come to love her in return, in our own unique style, of course. In the 10th year celebrating the inimitable painter (1907-1954), Fiestas Fridas features music, activities and numerous opportunities to demonstrate devotion. The goal isn’t to replace Mexico City’s iconic Casa […]
When Aki Kumar moved from Mumbai to the South Bay to work as a Silicon Valley software engineer the blues changed the course of his life, but that doesn’t mean he left his past behind. Smitten with the celebratory African-American idiom, he became a fixture in blues clubs throughout Northern California as a harmonica player […]
As his band’s name suggests, Rafael Bustamante Sarria created La Gente SF as a vehicle to bring a cosmopolitan array of grooves to the people. A longtime Bay Area resident now based in Madrid, the charismatic frontman has honed a dance-inducing Caribbean sound blending cumbia and reggae, salsa, hip hop and reggaeton. La Gente SF’s […]
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 […]