In honor of Black History Month, Jalopy Theatre and School of Music is hosting a fundraising series for The Black School. Learn more about their work here: https://theblack.school/ Proceeds will be split between The Black School and the artist.

February 12th, 2021 at 6pm EST
Kashiah Hunter

Join us for a performance by Kashiah Hunter (of Kashiah Hunter and the ATL Crew!) A favorite at the Brooklyn Folk Festival and the Steel Guitar UnConvention, Kashiah Hunter plays lap and pedal steel guitar in the Sacred Steel gospel tradition. Sacred Steel is a musical style and African-American gospel tradition that developed in a group of related Pentecostal churches in the 1930s. Since then, Sacred Steel has grown and flourished in churches and beyond!

February 21st, 2021 at 6pm EST
Vienna Carroll

Vienna Carroll is a singer, playwright, actor, historian and herbalist. Vienna learned music from the Black Ladies of her youth, including her fearsome great grandmother who played guitar to country singer Minnie Pearl on Saturday night radio but only proper Pentecostal chords in church on Sunday. Vienna’s latest CD, “Harlem Field Recordings,” grew out of her project “Folk First: Black Roots Music” celebrating early Black music and its influence on the music of today. Vienna draws unexpected folkloric connections and notes specific historical moments in African American history. Produced by Keith Johnston. Featuring Vienna on vocals; Stanley Banks (George Benson) bass; Newman Taylor Baker/Washboard XT (Billy Bang) washboard; Keith Johnston (Lisa Lisa) guitar; and other guest artists.“Carroll’s new album includes both politically-charged reinventions of classic blues and gospel themes as well as more traditional numbers and originals which sound like 19th century standards. It’s classic music as you’ve probably never heard it before”— New York Music Daily

February 28th, 2021 at 6pm EST
Queen Esther

Queen Esther is an American actor, musician, and songwriter. A member of guitarist James Blood Ulmer’s Black Rock Experience and a jazz vocalist, she cultivates a sound that she describes as Black Americana. Her most recent self-released Black Americana album The Other Side (2015) garnered airplay internationally and praise from Country Music People (UK), Americana UK, Living Blues, Vanity Fair, Paste and many more. A member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA, Queen Esther is currently developing The Billie Holiday Project, a musical based on Zora Neale Hurston’s newly discovered Harlem based short stories augmented by Lady Day’s rare sides, The Tears of a Megyn, a serio-comic romp in one act about police brutality, black feminism and white privilege and Blackbirding, a one person show that uses music, soundbites, imagery, newsreels, video, storytelling and more to show how American history repeats itself at our blackest expense.

Feb 28, 2021 at 7pm EST
Yacouba Sissoko

Yacouba Sissoko was born in Kita, Mali, to a well-known djely family. Djelys for centuries have been the traditional musicians and keepers of the factual history and fables of past rulers, nobles, social groups and families. The kora was the traditional instrument that djelys played. At the age of 9, Yacouba started learning the kora and the oral traditions associated with it from his grandfather until he moved to Bamako, Mali’s capital, to attend the National Institute of the Arts. Based in the capital, he caught the attention of the music world and began touring with noted international African artists which eventually led him to settle in the United States in 1998. Yacouba, not limited to African music has also recorded and performed with a variety of artists including Harry Belafonte, Paul Simon, and Lauren Hill. He has recorded tracks on over 15 CDs. Yacouba regularly performs for cultural programs and benefit concerts. In recognition of his commitment to educating others in 2007 he was selected as a Teaching Artist by the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall and returned again to Carnegie Hall in 2016 and 2019 as a featured artists in the Musical Explorers Program in New York, NY and Savannah, GA. Yacouba can be seen regularly touring with Regina Carter, Rachel Brown, Jordana de Lovely, Oran Etkin, Kavita Shah, Benyoro and his own band SIYA. His first solo CD SIYA was released in 2017.