Music Festival Musicans 2025
Rockin' Solidarity Labor Heritage Chorus
The Rockin’ Solidarity Labor Heritage Chorus is a Bay Area ensemble dedicated to preserving labor and social justice music. Founded in 1999, the chorus performs at rallies, festivals, and community events, using music to inspire, educate and unite.
With a repertoire of labor classics, folk songs, and original compositions, the chorus highlights the struggle and triumphs of the labor movement. Collaborating with unions and community groups, they ensure the legacy of labor music continues to inspire new generations in the fight for justice and equality.
LA PEÑA COMMUNITY CHORUS
The La Peña Community Chorus formed in 1979 at Berkeley’s landmark institution La Peña Cultural Center in support of Chilean refugees who fled the dictatorship in Chile after the brutal military coup on September 11, 1973. The Chorus reflects the spirit of the La Peña Cultural Center in its community and solidarity work. We sing songs from the Latin American musical tradition known as Nueva Canción, songs of working people, and songs that support peace and political and cultural work for social change.
Vukani Mawethu
Vukani Mawethu is a multi-racial community based social justice choir which sings freedom songs of Southern Africa, as well as songs showing links between struggles in the United States and around the world. We are united in our strong opposition to racism and injustice, and by our love of rhythms, melodies and harmonies which have grown out of many struggles for freedom. We collaborate, perform and organize to inspire and unite people to strive and work for peace, justice and equality for all.
Francisco Herrera
Francisco Herrera, from Calexico, California, grew up blending rancheras, mariachi, and garage rock. Influenced by Liberation Theology, he used music to champion social justice, performing at events and church meetings while traveling Latin America and attending seminary. “Reflection and prayer matter, but they should inspire action,” he says, sitting under portraits of Che Guevara and Monseñor Oscar Romero. His album Honor Migrante tackles immigrant rights and globalization, fusing norteño, corrido, electro-cumbia, and Latin rock. Produced by Greg Landau, it embodies his mission to unite music and activism. Available at livingwage-sf.org.
Hali Hammer
Hali Hammer is an award-winning singer-songwriter who performs with her partner Randy Berge and sings with Pat Wynne and Liliana Herrera in the trio The ReSisters. She sang with Freedom Song Network for decades and was a member of the chorus that sang onstage behind Nelson Mandela at the Oakland Coliseum. She is a founding member of Occupella and has been performing for many causes for decades. Hali is active in the San Francisco Folk Music Club (she is currently the Vice President) and was the coordinator of the 2003 Berkeley Free Folk Festival. She worked with Country Joe McDonald on the Berkeley Protest Music Festival which was held at the Berkeley Unitarian Fellowship for several years. In her native New York she worked with Citizens to Save Minnewaska, which is now Minnewaska Lake State Park instead of a Marriott Hotel. She also worked on saving the Berkeley Post Office, which is still there. Currently she is writing and posting songs on YouTube. Visit her website at www.halihammer.com.
Avotcja
Avotcja, a Bay Area icon, is a Poet, Playwright, Multi-Percussionist, and Teacher whose work has been published widely in English and Spanish. An award-winning artist, she has performed with legends like Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Nikki Giovanni, and Sonia Sanchez and leads the group Avotcja & Modúpue.
Her poetry and music have been featured in anthologies, recorded by notable artists, and performed by groups like The Purple Moon Dance Project. A popular DJ, founder of The Clean Scene Theater Project, and dedicated teacher, she continues to inspire through her artistry and advocacy.
Kaylah Marin
Artist, filmmaker, and writer Kaylah Marin is dedicated to social causes, having worked with organizations such as the Dolores Huerta Foundation and the Garifuna International Indigenous Film Festival. As a former board member of Community Services United, she focused on health and economic restoration in Berkeley.
Kaylah contributes her expertise to KAJE Creative, a consulting business that leverages media, music, art, and film to enhance branding, marketing, and promotional efforts with a focus on community building through stories and visual media. She co-directs the SF Social and Economic Justice Film Festival and chairs the UPS Pride Alliance.
Kaylah is most proud of her invitations to perform at the Ron Dellums Memorial, Dolores Huerta’s 80th birthday, and WorldPride NYC – Stonewall 50.And as a Billboard-charting artist, Kaylah has collaborated with top industry names, including Narada Michael Walden, the Perry Twins, Josh Harris, Mike Rizzo, and Tracy Young. Her work with the Garifuna International Indigenous Film Festival earned her the title of Ambassador of Music in both 2017 and 2018.
Rashida Oji (Regina Wells)
Rashida Oji (Regina Wells) is the voice of love. She makes every song her own whether singing from gospel, jazz, blues, rock or folk traditions, or her very own creations. She was a founding member of Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir, and has also performed with two iterations of Ojalá! as well as Rashida Oji and Middle Passage and Just Now Band. Rashida is proud to serve on the staff of GLIDE Church’s Center for Social Justice.
David Worm
David Worm began his singing career in 1985 with the Bay Area groups Jazz Mouth and Vocal Front. In 1989, he became a founding member of Bobby McFerrin’s Voicestra and has remained a regular performer with McFerrin, featured on recordings, videos, and touring internationally. Most recently, David Worm performed with McFerrin at the San Francisco debut of McFerrin’s Vocabularies with the Pacific Mozart Ensemble.
David Worm is also a founding member of the a cappella group, SoVoSo, an internationally acclaimed vocal ensemble that has released six albums and tours worldwide. Other current performing projects include touring and teaching in the innovative improvisational trio, WeBe3, where he teams up with Rhiannon and Joey Blake, collaborating with spoken word artist PC Munoz and his band Left Hook, and singing and performing with the Bay Area’s Miribai Ensemble.
David Worm has more than 50 recoding credits as a session singer, vocal percussionist, and songwriter, and his original music has been recorded by groups both nationally and internationally.
Workers’ Voices Storytelling for Justice
“Workers Voice” is a powerful performance featuring the stories of everyday workers. Through captivating theater and spoken word, participants share their journeys, exploring themes of resilience, joy, and the challenges they face in the work place. This moving performance is a testament to the human spirit and the transformative power of storytelling.
Voces De Los Trabajadores (Immigrant Workers Speak)
Immigrant Workers Speak is a powerful performance that gives voice to the extraordinary journeys of immigrant workers. Through captivating theater and spoken word, participants share their unique experiences, exploring themes of resilience, hope, and the challenges of building a new life in a foreign land. This moving performance offers a glimpse into the strength, courage, and cultural richness of immigrant communities.
West Coast Blues Society
The West Coast Blues Society (WCBS) is dedicated to preserving blues music as a cornerstone of American culture. Rooted in the work songs of enslaved West Africans, blues has influenced genres like rock, jazz, and soul, shaping artists from The Rolling Stones to Michael Jackson. While often overshadowed by cities like Chicago and Memphis, West Coast communities such as Oakland, Richmond, and Los Angeles have deeply contributed to the development of blues, jazz, gospel, and R&B. WCBS celebrates this legacy through workshops, performances, and educational programs, ensuring these rich traditions thrive for future generations. The society also supports musicians by providing resources, recognition, and opportunities to connect with audiences.