Ella Bric aka Linda Briceño is an increasingly respected voice in the Central American music scene, especially following the 2018 Producer of the Year Latin GRAMMY win that made her that award’s inaugural female recipient. Though she is best known on the other side of the microphone, Briceño has lately stepped forward more boldly as a lead singer and trumpeter, experimenting with R&B, trap, folk, Afro-Latin and jazz via her performance persona as Ella Bric. Her soon-to-be-released second album, focuses on issues of immigration, the personal histories of American immigrants, and newly orchestrated renditions of the work of Latin American writers.

The Brooklyn United Music and Arts Program (BU) is a community-based organization that serves New York City youth. As an art form, marching band combines the elements of musicianship and pageantry, and allows each student to participate in an all-encompassing and life-changing activity. Brooklyn United is focused on the development of youth through academic support, character development, dkills building and performance opportunities. It is through these pillars that BU strives to build strong, well-rounded, healthy, confident and capable young people.

Mahogany L. Browne, selected as one of Kennedy Center's Next 50, is the Executive Director of JustMedia, a media literacy initiative supporting the groundwork of criminal justice leaders, and community members. This position is informed by her career as a writer, organizer, & educator. Browne has received fellowships from Arts for Justice, Air Serenbe, Cave Canem, Poets House, Mellon Research & Rauschenberg. She is the author of Vinyl Moon, Chlorine Sky, Woke: A Young Poets Call to Justice, Woke Baby, and Black Girl Magic, and is the founder of the diverse lit initiative, Woke Baby Book Fair. Browne's latest project is a poetry collection responding to the impact of mass incarceration on women and children: I Remember Death By Its Proximity to What I Love (Haymarket Books). She is the first-ever poet-in-residence at the Lincoln Center, and lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Shaquelle Charles is an Afro-Caribbean solo artist-choreographer who obtained his Bachelors of Fine Arts at Marymount Manhattan College with a concentration in ballet. With an aptitude in numerous forums of creating art—photography, film, and choreography—Shaquelle orchestrates intimate moments drawn on human connection, and the external factors of the world which connect us all. He utilizes the physicality of ballet technique, incorporated with obscure ways the body can be manipulated, to represent a wide array of emotions that extends a sui generis experience for audiences. He gives credence to the body as an individual source of history, and pulls from these histories and experiences to develop expressionist movements. The work he creates investigates raw human expression in performance, while also encouraging dancers and audiences to investigate the significance of vulnerability.

Helga Davis is a multidisciplinary artist and radio host, with feet planted on the most prestigious international stages, and with firm roots in the realities and concerns of her local community, whose work draws out insights that illuminate how artistic leaps for an individual can offer connection among audiences. Davis was principal actor in the 25th-anniversary international revival of Robert Wilson and Philip Glass’s seminal opera Einstein on the Beach. She also starred in Wilson’s The Temptation of St. Anthony, with libretto and score by Bernice Johnson Reagon. Among the collaborations and works written for her are Oceanic Verses by Paola Prestini, You Us We All by Shara Nova and Andrew Ondrejcak, and Yet Unheard, a tribute to Sandra Bland by Courtney Bryan, based on the poem by Sharan Strange. Davis has conceived and performed First Responder and Wanna as responses to Until and The Let Go by multidisciplinary artist Nick Cave.

DJ Spinna is a world-renowned DJ, producer, remixer, label head, promoter, curator, and influencer. His musical spectrum spans all flavors, and his prolific studio work led to his 2002 cult-classic LP, Here To There, released on BBE. Spinna has blessed global dance floors, and has shared the stage with Gilles Peterson, Questlove, Jazzanova, Dimitri from Paris, Osunlade, Q-Tip, and more. Every week on Apple Music Hits, DJ Spinna’s Here To There Radio features two hours of versatile selections from his massive vinyl collection. He is synonymous with ground-breaking, annual tribute events. Since 2001, WONDER-Full has celebrated Guest of Honor, Stevie Wonder. And Soul Slam, 20-years strong, is the authoritative Michael Jackson vs. Prince party. At Spike Lee’s BK Loves MJ, DJ Spinna commemorates Michael Jackson’s birthday in Brooklyn.

Keanna Faircloth (K. Charles) has enjoyed a career of nearly 20 years in jazz radio. She is the former host of Afternoon Jazz on WBGO 88.3 FM in Newark, NJ, and was an on-air host at Washington DC’s station for Jazz and Justice, WPFW89.3 FM. She is a graduate of Howard University having majored in Music History, with a minor in Classical Piano. She is a freelance writer for NPR Music, has worked for Radio One as an on-air personality, producer and voice-over talent, and has hosted and produced podcasts for several internet radio stations. To date, she has amassed hundreds of interviews, and hosted festivals both nationally and internationally including the DC Jazz Festival, the NYC Winter JazzFest, and JazzFest Berlin.

Kayla Farrish/Decent Structures Arts is an emerging company combining filmmaking, storytelling, dance, theater, performance, and sound scores. The company has been commissioned by Gibney Dance Inc (2020-2022), Louis Armstrong House Museum (2020), Danspace Project Inc (2019), Pepatian and BAAD! (2018), and beyond. Residencies include Gallim Women + Residency (2021), Gibney Spotlight: New Voices, Barysnikov Arts Center, Arts On Site (2020), Keshet Makers Space Experience, BAX Space Grant (2019), Pepatian Dance Your Future (2018), and Chez Bushwick (2017). Farrish’s live performances and films have been shown at Judson Church, Danspace, Jacob's Pillow, New York Live Arts, Joe’s Pub, BAAD!, film festivals, and beyond. In 2021, she created the dance piece “Broken Record” with Brandon Coleman for Little Island Festival, and the films Rinsing (co-directed by Melanie Charles), and Y’ll D’nt Care Abt Black Women, amongst other projects. In 2022, she releases the feature film Martyr’s Fiction, and will collaborate with Belinda McGuire, Kenyon Adams, BODYTRAFFIC, Louis Armstrong House and others. She is currently a rehearsal director at Sleep No More NYC, and adjunct faculty at NYU Tisch.

Justin Hicks is a Drama Desk-nominated singer-songwriter, and sound artist. He’s worked with notable artists such as Abigail DeVille, Kaneza Schaal, Meshell Ndegeocello, Hilton Als, Bill T. Jones, and Steffani Jemison. His work has been featured at Lincoln Center, The Public, Baryshnikov Art Center, and more. Most recently, he was the composer for Lynn Nottage's play Clyde's on Broadway. Hicks was a member of Kara Walker’s 6-8 Months Space, and holds a culinary diploma from ICE in New York City. His pianist for this performance, Alexis Marcelo, is a pianist from New York City with a deep love for music. Alexis has been blessed to receive an extensive musical education at the Harlem School of the Arts, and The University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he studied African-American Music/Jazz Piano Performance, and composition with Dr. Yusef Lateef. Alexis has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, Alice Tully Hall and more. Alexis is featured on recordings with Yusef Lateef, Adam Rudolph, Mike Pride, and Malcolm Mooney.

French-Caribbean singer, bassist and producer Adi Oasis spent most of the pandemic soothing our frazzled nerves with a constant stream of soulful, heartwarming songs, including 2 EPs, collaborations with Masego, Blue Lab Beats, Pastel, Kraak & Smack, Jean Tonique, and more. Her unique blend of funk, R&B and soul got us through the long hard months as we watched our world go up in flames, both literally and figuratively. With the hustle and shine (and cautious optimism) of a classic NYC immigrant, she kicked off 2021 with a premiere of “Whisper My Name,” the first track off her new EP, Adi Oasis (released Sept 2021). Praised by Rolling Stone, Bass Player, Blackbook and more, the 7-song collection features a handful of previously shared, fan-favorite singles and three enthralling new tracks, including the brand new single, “Stages” ft. KAMAUU.

DMV rapper and record producer Oddisee realized early on that purpose and success are self-designated. Born Amir Elkhalifa in Washington, DC, to a Sudanese father and African-American mother, and raised in Prince George’s County, MD, he bore witness to stark inequity early in life and became as political as the city he was raised in. His music tackles the human condition with unwavering conviction and candor, merging elements of jazz, funk, and go-go into his hip-hop rooted productions. A string of contemporary releases—Rock Creek Park (2011), The Beauty in All (2013), The Good Fight (2015), Alwasta (2016), and The Iceberg (2017)—headlining performances and tours with his 5-piece band, Good Compny, and streams in the hundreds of millions have propelled him to international recognition and acclaim. His latest project Odd Cure (2020) has been hailed as “hip-hop’s first pandemic masterpiece” (Exclaim), and has been praised by Stereogum, HYPEBEAST, UPROXX, Bandcamp, DJBooth, and more.

Pedro Pablo “Pedrito” Martinez was born in Havana, Cuba in the Cayo Hueso neighborhood of Old Havana, and began his musical career at the age of 11. He has recorded or performed with Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Paquito D’Rivera, Chucho Valdez, Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Palmieri, Dave Matthews, Jackson Browne, Elton John, Sting, and has contributed to over 100 albums. A master of Afro-Cuban folkloric music and the batá drum, he is also the world’s first-call rumbero—playing, singing, and dancing with dozens of Cuban rumba groups. Pedrito was a founding member of the highly successful Afro-Cuban/Afro-Beat band, Yerba Buena. In 2020, Pedrito began releasing singles that were recorded for his upcoming album Acertijos, starting with “Yo Si Quiero,” an original by Isaac Delgado Jr, and Mitchell Delgado, followed by “My Father’s Eyes,” a duet with Eric Clapton. Pedrito uses LP Percussion, A. Zildjian Cymbals, Vic Firth drumsticks, DW drums, Remo drumheads, and Earthworks audio mics.

Vy Higgensen’s Sing Harlem, directed by Ahmaya Knoelle, is a highly respected and influential force in the New York gospel scene. Sing Harlem serves as a social impact initiative for young people that have graduated from Mama Foundation’s training program, and as a commercial choir delivering acclaimed entertainment nationwide. All proceeds from Sing Harlem performances benefit the Mama Foundation for the Arts, which provides free musical training to the Harlem community. Mama’s mission is to present, preserve, and promote the fundamentals of Gospel, Jazz, and R&B for current and future generations. The ensemble has performed at Lincoln Center, The Congressional Black Caucus, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn’s Afropunk, and more. Television performances include the GRAMMY Awards, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Saturday Night Live. They have accompanied musical artists like SZA, Sting, Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams, Chance the Rapper, and Madonna.

Sly5thAve is the project of multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger, and composer Sylvester Uzoma Onyejiaka II, whose sophisticated compositions are shaped by his faith in hip hop, and a deep understanding of soul, R&B, and jazz. The GRAMMY award-winning horns player has attained much respect for his work with a host of highly fêted musicians including Prince, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, Taylor Swift, Janelle Monae, Freddie Gibbs, and labelmate Quantic. In 2017, Sly5thAve released his Composite EP, featuring his orchestral covers of Rihanna, Drake and Frank Ocean performed with the Brooklyn-based Clubcasa Chamber Orchestra. This was succeeded by the release of his notable project, The Invisible Man: An Orchestral Tribute to Dr. Dre. His second LP, What It Is, was released in 2020 to critical acclaim, delving deeper into the worlds of hip hop, jazz, and soul, and was followed by his recent collaborative release with Roberto Verástegui, Agua de Jamaica.

Damien Sneed is a pianist, vocalist, organist, composer, conductor, arranger, producer, music director, and arts educator ,whose work spans multiple genres. He has worked with jazz, classical, pop, and R&B legends, including Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Ashford & Simpson, and many others. Sneed has performed in Europe, Japan, the U.S. Virgin Islands, South America, Africa and over 42 states in the United States. He has performed with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Minneapolis Symphony, Darin Atwater and Soulful Symphony, Opera Ebony and Opera Noire. Sneed is the founder and artistic director of Chorale Le Chateau, which has gained a global reputation for its vivid interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance period pieces to art songs to jazz, as well as spirituals, gospel, and avant-garde contemporary music. He is featured on the recording of Wynton Marsalis’ Abyssinian Mass as a conductor, with Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Chorale Le Chateau.

Born and raised in Chicago, Mari World grew up surrounded by music through his family and church. After graduating college and working in finance for short stint, Mari World pursued music full-time, starting as a commercial music composer. In 2019, he released a self-produced soulful project titled “Glutton Free” featuring NYC-based group Lion Babe. Mari World had an exciting 2021, starring in a Ralph Lauren campaign alongside Gigi Hadid and Luka Sabbat while his song “Hustle” was featured on ESPN, airing during the NBA Finals. That year Mari World also dove into the into the tech/web3 world as a software engineer and performed for BRIC’s Celebrate Brooklyn festival alongside his band collective “MDRN Family”. This year Mari World has been recording new material and playing acoustic shows in LA and NYC while exploring the intersections of music and technology.