Arts and Culture
Bring on the Bands: The Roots of African American Music on Stage at Black-Eyed Pea Festival
Grammy-nominated Andre Thierry of Accordion Soul Music, second-line band MJ’s Brass Boppers, the Oakland School for the Arts jazz band, and vocalist Piwai will grace the stage MCed by Dance-A-Vision’s Carla Service, who will help keep you moving.
Andre Thierry’s Accordion Magic, MJ’s Brass Boppers, Piwai and others provide free entertainment
By Post Staff
They’re gonna sing, they’re gonna dance, they’re gonna play accordions and saxophones, drums and trumpets, fifes, washboards, tambourines, and the mbira (also known as kalimba, the African thumb piano) on the stage at the 10th Annual Oakland Black-Eyed Pea Festival (BEPF).
No, not all at once, but that’s what you’ll see and hear over the course of the day at the festival celebrating traditional African and African American music, food, and art on Sept. 13 at Marston Campbell Park at 17th and West streets in West Oakland.
Grammy-nominated Andre Thierry of Accordion Soul Music, second-line band MJ’s Brass Boppers, the Oakland School for the Arts jazz band, and vocalist Piwai will grace the stage MCed by Dance-A-Vision’s Carla Service, who will help keep you moving.
Piwai brings many talents to her music with conga drums as well as the mbira, the African thumb piano. Courtesy photo.
Below is a schedule of the day’s musical line-up:
11 a.m.: The festival opens for shopping, massage, and activities for children.
12-1 p.m.: Led by Zamora, the Wakan Wiya Two-Spirit Drum honors the land and our native forebears. They are followed by a libation and offering to the ancestors through Bata drums and chant in ancient Yoruba by Awon Ohun Omnira.
1:20-2 p.m.: Under the direction of Daniel Parenti, the students in the jazz program at Oakland School for the Arts will bring us jazz from different eras, from classic to smooth.
2:20-3:20 p.m.: Piwai wows audiences across the globe with her soulful voice and genre-fusing melodies. Fondly known as the girl with the African thumb piano, the mbira, Piwai was born and raised in Zimbabwe. As a gwenyambira, Piwai adds authentic cultural elements to her music, making her performances truly unique. Her collaboration on the Grammy-winning album “Last Days of Oakland” showcases her versatility.
3:40-4:40 p.m. Andre Thierry’s accordion soul music fills up the festival’s midafternoon schedule. The Richmond native and Grammy-nominee received high praise from The Washington Post, calling him “A master at pumping out fast, funky rhythms on an instrument not usually associated with earthy syncopation. A versatile student of the music, Thierry can’t be lumped into Zydeco’s old-school R&B-influenced camp or its nouveau, rap-inspired one: He and his band lay down both soulful, traditional slow-dances and bottom-end-booming kinetic groovers.”
5-6 p.m.: MJ’s Brass Boppers’ singing and swinging brass line brings an authentic second-line experience with true New Orleans flair to San Francisco. Founded in 2008 by Michael “MJ” Jones and other NOLA transplants who were trained by family and community, the band rehearses constantly and lives the music, with the second-line beat pulsing through their veins. Seen at private events and street festivals, they’ve opened for a variety of acts, including George Clinton & Funkadelic, The O’Jays, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave, Funky Meters, George Porter Jr. and more.
Online sources from the musicians’ web sites were quoted in this report.
The 10th Annual Black-Eyed Pea Festival, a free celebration of traditional African American music, food, and art will be held on Sat. Sept. 13, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Marston Campbell Park, 17th and West streets in West Oakland. For more info, go to Oakbepf.com or call 510-332-5851. Bring a chair or blanket for the lawn or reserve a table for six for $150 at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/omnirainstitute/1799229
