Art and Soul Oakland to Celebrate 16th Anniversary

From Art + Soul Oakland:

Oakland’s iconic Art + Soul festival celebrates its “sweet 16” with another dynamic showcase of local talent honoring the city’s rich musical heritage and unparalleled cultural diversity. The two-day festival will be held Aug. 20-21, kicking off on Saturday with the return of the Blues & BBQ Blowout, featuring the third, annual Oaktown Throwdown BBQ Competition. Still smokin’ as it enters its third consecutive year, the premier contest is expected to draw up to 40 top pit masters from all over California, competing for cash prizes. On Sunday, Oakland super-group Tony Toni Toné will headline the festival, joined by Bay Area jazz/R&B singer Chanté Moore and rising R&B sensation Samaria. Famed blues guitarist Sonny Rhodes, gospel star Chrystal Rucker, local funk favorites The Funkanauts and Oakland up-and-comer John Brothers Piano Company will also be featured in the festival’s eclectic lineup of more than 40 artists on four stages.

Elevate Oakland, a local nonprofit co-founded by Oakland native Sheila E., Lynn Mabry, Jason Hofmann and Yoshi Akiba to support music in the schools, will host an exciting stage on Sunday headlined by Latin jazz great John Santos and honoring the 10th anniversary of the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music.

The ever-evolving festival blends annual favorites with new highlights, including the return of the popular artisan marketplace, scores of food booths reflecting the myriad cultures that abound in Oakland, America’s most diverse city, an urban dance stage, presented by Oakland’s Dance-a-Vision, and the largest Family Fun Zone of any festival in the Bay Area, complete with kiddie rides, carnival games and interactive arts in addition to free festival admission for ages 12 and under. New activities include an instrument petting zoo hosted by the Oakland Symphony, where festival-goers of all ages are invited to pick up and play horns, strings and other instruments under the tutelage of local musicians and music instructors.

Back by popular demand after serving up a bird’s-eye view of pit masters at work – and thousands of delectable barbecue samples happily gobbled up by appreciative festival-goers – the third, annual Oaktown Throwdown BBQ Competition is a true crowd-pleaser. Forty top professional pit masters and backyard teams will bring savory aromas of beef, chicken, pork and ribs hot out of their smokers. Festival-goers can once again feast on smokin’ samples for a small sampling fee – while supplies last – and vote for their favorite.

The Oaktown Throwdown is a fully sanctioned Kansas City Barbeque Society and California Barbecue Association “Team of the Year” competition, which means that participants will compete for the attention of accredited judges and cash prizes, in addition to trophies hand-crafted by local artists. Popular, local purveyors Smokeland and Just The Tip, both of Oakland and Butcher’s Daughter BBQ of Alameda will be among the scores of competitors hailing from cities all over California. The 2015 Grand Champion Son of Smoke, 2015 People's Choice awardee MzKettle BBQ Chicken & Ribs and 2014 Grand Champion Ric's Righteous Ribs are returning this year to defend their titles.

In a perfect pairing, Saturday’s Blues & BBQ Blowout jams with non-stop live blues produced by Ronnie Stewart’s West Coast Blues Society. This year, the barbecue competition and blues stage will be located together on 12th Street, making it easier to grab barbecue samples and a cold beer while listening to live blues up-close. Legendary blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Sonny Rhodesheadlines the always-crowd pleasing show that will also feature Tebo’s Howlin’ Wolf Revue, West Coast Blues Society Caravan of
Allstars and many other blues greats hailing from Oakland, the birthplace of west coast blues music.

Also on Saturday, Art + Soul Oakland continues its annual tradition of hosting a live Gospel Showcase, presented by the famed Edwin Hawkins and Community of Unity. A trailblazing force behind the evolution of contemporary gospel, Hawkins is perhaps best known for his 1969 classic “Oh Happy Day,” one of the biggest gospel hits of all time and a major pop radio smash as well. This year’s rich showcase will feature rousing performances by national recording artist Chrystal Rucker, Edwin Hawkins and Community of Unity Mass Choir and scores of local gospel singers and choirs.

On Sunday, Aug. 21, the festival continues its tradition of celebrating star talent straight out of Oakland as the KBLX 102.9 FM stage hosts national recording artists Tony Toni Toné. One of the biggest R&B acts of the 1980s and 1990s, their stats are impressive by any music industry standards, past or present: 14 Billboard-charting R&B singles, including five number-one hits and three top 10 pop singles, one gold album, two platinum albums, one double-platinum album and over 6 million albums sold. From upbeat, smash hits like “Feels Good” to blues-leaning classics like “The Blues” to their signature love ballads like “Anniversary,” the Tony Toni Toné sound is soulful, organic, classic and instantly recognizable. Their ability to create songs that perfectly married the stylings of the soul and funk gods of the 70s with the technology and hip-hop infused R&B of the 90s made them icons of their generation.

The Sunday KBLX stage will also feature award-winning R&B and jazz singer, songwriter and actress Chanté Moore. Since arriving on the R&B scene over 15 years ago via her sensual debut single, "Love's Taken Over," Moore has flourished into an accomplished artist with more than 5 million albums and singles sold. A San Francisco native, Moore propelled to stardom with Billboard singles "It's Alright," "This Time" and the number-two smash, "Chante's Got a Man.” Her 2013 album, “Moore for More,” was synchronized with R&B Divas: Los Angeles, a TV One reality program in which the singer starred with fellow R&B artists Dawn Robinson of En Vogue and Kelly Price.

Opening the KBLX stage will be rising Oakland-born R&B sensation Samaria, an amazing, young talent whose music embodies self-love and mindfulness. Her style, voice and willingness to take chances make her a rarity in today's R&B scene. Despite only being 19 years old, her artistry is destined to make her a timeless artist. Her EP "The Story of Right Now" is seasoned with soulful production, live instruments, outstanding vocals and excellent story telling (the EP is accompanied by a short film of the same name). Samaria’s songwriting brings to life vivid adaptations of relationships, heartache, life lessons and more.
Also on Sunday, Elevate Oakland, the non-profit co-founded by Sheila E., Yoshi Akiba (owner of Yoshi’s), Lynn Mabry and Jason Hofmann, will present a powerful lineup. The organization was established in 2013 to bring innovative music and arts programs to underserved youth. Oakland Latin jazz great John Santos headlines and will be joined by the rousing Linda Tillery & The Cultural Heritage Choir and Oakland R&B newcomers Thr3ee. An ensemble from the acclaimed Oakland Public Conservatory of Music (OPCM) will perform and the institution will be honored with a “key to the city” in honor of its 10th anniversary. Oakland’s only music conservatory, OPCM, was established by founding director and famed trombone player Angela Wellman. Oakland hip-hop and spoken word artist Ryan Nicole will host what is certain to be a memorable showcase on the Elevate Oakland stage.

Art + Soul Oakland 2016 is Northern California’s most accessible festival with direct service via both BART’s 12th Street City Center station and AC Transit in addition to $5 parking in the adjacent City Center West Garage, 12th Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Way. Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for seniors (65 and older) and youth (ages 13-17). Children 12 and under enjoy free admission.