Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 6-8:30pm will continue our music series held at El Cerrito Natural Grocery Company Prepared Food Annex (The Annex) 10387 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito – “The Annex Sessions”
Soji Sai
Nigerian guitar master and singer Adesoji “Soji” Odukogbe has the distinction of being amember of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s Egypt 80 band during the 1980’s. As Fela Kuti’s lead guitarist, Soji draws on an extensive background in Nigerian Afrobeat, highlife, and spiritual music, bringing a unique sensibility to his West African guitar interpretations. Since settling down in the SF Bay Area, Soji has been active in the African music scene, and is a founding member of The Afrobeat Connexion and The Nigerian Brothers, as well as being a supporting musician for various acts such as The West African Highlife Band and Kotoja. He has recorded and played with Femi Kuti, Babatunde Olatunji and Orlando Julius Ekemode, among others.
Jerry Kennedy Bassist, vocalist, bandleader educator. Jerry Kennedy has opened for and toured with the likes of James Brown, George Clinton and many others in the old school funk world. He has worked in the Bay Area as a bass player, bandleader and singer for the past 20 years and continues to be a force on the scene.
Tosin Aribisala An international rhythm master with infectious groove sensibility, the Nigerian-born drummer, composer, vocalist – Tosin Aribisala – extends his deep roots in the colorful polyrhythms of Africa to other global rhythmic spectrum, from jazz to gospel, from rock to funk. Tosin’s recent single “The Big Illusion” demonstrates the possible cross-cultural musical exchange between Africa and Latin America, featuring Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. Furthermore, Tosin’s “Drum Monologue” compositions continue to inspire drummers across demographic and cultural lines. Tosin’s talent has been shared with artists like Femi Kuti, Taj Mahal, Fatoumata Diawara, Spyro Gyra, and many more.
Kim Agnew is a multi-disciplined percussionist, dancer, choreographer, visual artist and educator. Kim has a degree in Fine Arts, combined with decades of dance studies and performance guided by master teachers from around the world.
Soji Sai Afrobeat & Highlife is Soji’s solo project, featuring a ferocious 10-piece plus
band playing pure Afrobeat a la Fela Kuti – including a smoking horn section, intricate vocal harmonies, and a dance inducing rhythm section, as well as Highlife and Palm Wine Music. Soji and the band sets the dance floors afire with a churning, polyrhythmic style that Soji simply calls, “authentic original Afrobeat like Fela’s type of music, the traditional Afrobeat that nobody does” in a world of endless Afro-fusions. Mixing in his own originals as well as some covers of Fela Kuti’s visionary music, Soji Sai Afrobeat & Highlife provides a pure Nigerian Dance Party – guaranteed to get your feet and hips moving!
Please join us for this more intimate quartet experience!
The Natural Grocery Company is proud to present this series in partnership with SunJams and Javier Navarrette Music.
SunJams is committed to funding children’s music education in underserved public elementary schools. Your donation will help support this ongoing program.
All of the proceeds will go directly to our network of local musicians, each of whom have been severely impacted by the lack of events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whether you donate $10, $100, or $1000 – any amount helps and will allow us to keep bringing music to our community! As always, your donation to SunJams 501(c)3 may qualify as tax exempt.
Javier Navarrette Music continues to bring live music to several venues around the Bay Area. Javier has been a professional musician and music educator in the Oakland Unified School District for the past 20 years. Over the past few years Navarrette has produced outdoors events that have proven instrumental in enabling musicians to deal with some of the fallout of the pandemic and shutdown that followed.
COVID RELATED SAFETY MEASURES
Please be safe. Feel free to wear a mask if you prefer.
TICKETS
Tickets are NOT required for this venue, you can simply come in, order food and beverages at the Annex counter and pay at the registers.