Music event leaves downtown, brings life to North Vallejo – Times Herald Online

Tia Carroll will perform at Richardson Park on July 27 as part of a Blues and R&B music event hosted by Askari Sowonde Productions (submitted photo, Askari Sowonde Productions)

An upcoming Blues and R&B music event is going all out to reach a new audience.

Presented by Askari Sowonde Productions, the music event will depart from its original downtown location on July 27 in Richardson Park to bring music to North Vallejo. From 12:30 to 7 p.m., attendees are encouraged to bring folding chairs and blankets to enjoy performances by Alvon Johnson, Tia Carroll, Native American Sweet Drumming Circle and current America’s Got Talent contestant Dee Dee Simon.

Not to be confused with a music festival, Mz. Askari Sowonde sees the event as more of a block party. The music is the main event, but there will be other activities including a family train and traditional park games like tug-of-war. There will be food stalls, but these will be kept to a minimum to help participating businesses make their money back.

With a long history of hosting events in downtown Vallejo and along the waterfront, Sowonde admits, “I’ve always felt like there are other parts of the city that don’t come to that.”

When Sowonde discovered the northern Vallejo Park at an event for the Boys and Girls Empowerment Group, she saw the importance of moving the event.

“We are ignoring those people in the community,” Sowonde said. “Why don’t we just take some music to other areas that are not receiving the same blessings.”

The event received its funding from a grant provided by the Vallejo Arts Fund, leaving the unrestricted, creative planning up to Sowonde. “I don’t worry about what anyone else thinks I should do,” she says.

In creating a community event, the event planner chose to honor those in the community who had made a lasting impact. Chief among them is the late Richard Freedman, a longtime writer for the Vallejo Times-Herald.

“What can I say about the man? He was phenomenal, funny and cared about people,” Sowonde said, recalling his tireless efforts to give events the support and exposure they needed.

Additionally, the event will honor trailblazer Cassandra James, the first black female Solano County Supervisor in Vallejo, who will be in attendance on July 27. Sowonde also wanted to highlight Orlando Graham and his work in the community as CEO and founder of Boys and Girls Empowerment Group.

“That organization is not really seen. It is in North Vallejo and they are not getting what they deserve in that community,” Sowonde said.

The robust roster of artists ranges from newcomer to veteran, from teenage poet Noa Santa to longtime Bay Area R&B singer Tia Carroll. “I’m looking for big talent and something different. I’ve always been this way and I’m not going to change,” Sowonde said. Sometimes she sources that talent from Vallejo, and sometimes from the broader Bay Area.

Previously held at the Empress Theatre and the Marquee Club, the event marks Carroll’s return to Vallejo and her first collaboration with Askari Sowonde Productions.

“I think it’s a beautiful thing because it embraces the community itself, because not all members of the community can make it to the empress,” Carroll said. After four decades in the business, Carroll’s biggest takeaway is the value of the audience experience.

“When the audience comes to me, even if it’s just one person out of 100,000 people, I still feel like I’ve done something for that person,” Carroll said.

Combining blues, R&B and jazz, Carroll considers himself an out-of-the-box artist who simply loves making music.

“I want my music to be accessible and listenable to a wide audience, from young five-year-olds to people who are older than me. I get my joy from bringing some joy.”