Kingsley Ibeneche | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Five artists to see at O:O Our Black Arts Festival this weekend
O:O Our Black Arts Festival is this weekend, February 9th and 10th, at Circle of Hope in South Philadelphia. The two-day festival welcomes people of all ages, shapes, colors, genders, and orientations. There will be visual work, poetry, and performances from various artists, which you can read more about below.
Kingsley Ibeneche
Kingsley Ibeneche is a natural at performing, and we saw that for ourselves when he came in for a studio session at WXPN. From studying ballet at the University of the Arts to touring as a modern dancer through Europe, the Camden artist has been able to utilize his studies to further his music career as a singer-songwriter. His music can be described as alternative soul, and paired with his soulful voice you are bound to get the chills.
AnnonXL
AnnonXL is a hidden gem. The Philly native’s music brings back an old school hip-hop vibe with a hint of R&B. The sweet-sounds of synths and percussion mixed with his rich vocals are sure to bring you to your knees. Below you can listen to his most recent track “Finer Things” featuring Philly Eli Capella, and hear for yourself.
Lauren Scott
With just an acoustic guitar and a captivating voice, Philadelphia’s Lauren Scott makes music that’s easy to get lost in. The singer-songwriter draws inspiration from a variety of artists, from Laura Marling to The Black Keys to Feist, and is readying the release of her debut EP, Stuck In Time. Below, listen to “The Sand Song,” a single from 2017.
Jasmine Cassell
Jasmine Cassell’s style is a potluck of R&B, Soul, and spoken word. Both her tracks on Soundcloud, “For You” and “Interlock,” have an old school vibe with her mellow vocals and steady yet simple mixture of beats. Cassell’s vocals remind me of hip-hop soul artist Monica; listen to “For You” below, and check out her new EP Seven on Spotify.
Rieko Copeland
Rieko Copeland is a hip-hop artist from Pittsburgh, and an affiliate of the musical group Tsuagaido. However, she will be the only one performing at the Black Arts Festival this weekend. Below, you can listen to Rieko Copeland’s collaborate with LUC: “(R I E KO) x (L U C) = T H E W A V E B E O N”
https://soundcloud.com/rieko-copeland/the-wave-beon
For more information on the event, click here.
FULL SCHEDULE:
Friday (February 9th)
7:00 Rieko Copeland
7:30 Sa’miyah
7:45 Jasmine Cassell
8:20 Natalie P
8:30 Tiphanie Williams
8:45 Jordan Deal
9:00 Mali Fenning
9:30 Randall and Chloe
10:00 Antonito W.
10:20 Trnsgndr/VHS
11:00 Vhybrid
Saturday (February 10th)
7:00 Lauren Scott
7:30 Eugene
7:45 Becca
8:00 Kathia
8:30 Keturah
8:45 Alex Farr
9:00 Annon XL
9:30 Kingsley Ibeneche
Followed by an after party DJ Delish and Randall from Chloe and Randall
