Cava Menzies

Cava is a multidisciplinary musician, visual artist, and educator who resides in Oakland, Ca. She is a Bay Area native and hails from a long line of creators; her grandmother a pioneer in the New York Jazz scene as a dancer at the Cotton Club, her father, Eddie Henderson, an accomplished jazz trumpeter and early member of the Herbie Hancock sextet, and her mother a classically trained flautist and music enthusiast. Cava holds a BA from the Berklee College of Music in Boston where she studied jazz piano and music education. She received her MM from the University of Miami where she studied composition and music production and recording. 

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RustaFunk/Jazz Mafia

A creative force on the Bay Area music scene for more than a 16 years, the loose-knit band of jazz cats, MCs, arrangers and composers known collectively as The Jazz Mafia, has emerged as the most prolific musical organization on the West Coast- and they are all on stage at once here in the Jazz Mafia Symphony.

 

Calle Ocho

Calle Ocho is a charanga ensemble specializing in Cuban son, danzon and jazz for your dancing and listening pleasure. Our members have played with John Santos and the Machete Ensemble, Orquesta La Moderna Tradicion, Orquesta La Pena, and Bahia Son. Rita Hargrave, timbales; Suzanne Schrift, bass; Ismael Rodriguez, congas; Annette Oropeza, lead vocals; Ahni Robinson, flute; Sara Herrera, violin; Kit Robinson, tres guitar.

 

 

 

Piwai Wekuharare

Piwai has masterfully created her own hypnotic sound that layers rabi (vocal based rhythms), jazz, blues, traditional folk and reggae on top of the traditional sacred sounds of the 3,000 year old mbira instrument. Her songs capture the delicate aspects of life and explore the wide realm of the human condition.

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Jacques Ibula

Ibula Mwana Katakanga Jr., better known by his stage name of “Jacques Ibula ”, is a Congolese singer-songwriter, painter, and activist. His unique, captivating voice has a refreshing artistic quality atypical to mainstream depictions of Congolese music. Born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and from an ancestral lineage of Lunda, Jacques emigrated to California in 1997 in pursuit of a higher education.

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Jonah Melvon & Adesha

Jonah is a Oakland legend with dreams to keep holding the game up on his shoulders. Singing, rapping, mentor to young cats, business owner, entrepreneur, activist and connector Jonah lives and breathes the bay. His music draws people to him with a familiar flare that makes people fall in love with his smooth swag. Old school soul with a heart to stand on the cutting edge of music, Jonah brings crowds back time and time again. His music is a cross between Common and Musiq Soulchild with a charisma that can not be defined. Jonah has played with Miguel, Goapele, Ledisi, T.I., EPMD, Black Eyed Peas, and Heiro just to name a few, just listen you won't be disappointed.

 

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Alphabet Soup

Since 1991, Alphabet Soup has been a Bay Area cultural and musical institution. Showcasing virtuoso musicianship, integrated with social conscious lyricism, the artistic synergy between the wordsmiths and players creates a musical landscape unto its own. Injecting Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Spoken Word, and Jazz, this incarnation features Eric “EQ” Young on bass (Con Funk Shun), Alcide Marshall on drums, Andre Marshall on guitar/keys/vocals, Dave Ellis on saxophone (Rat Dog, SF Jazz) Mic Blake on vocals and CB on vocals (Luv Phenomena).

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Oaktown Jazz

The OPC-SFJAZZ Academy brings music educators and clinicians to work with Oakland-based middle and high school age musicians in an after-school program. The program is free to all student musicians & meets weekly.

 

 

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Oakland Public Conservatory of Music 

OPCMusic opens the world of music to all through access to quality instruction in a nurturing environment. We provide economical study in a variety of musical arts. We value rigor, innovation and scholarship in our quest to preserve the musical traditions of Oakland.

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