Friday Nights at OMCA: The Roots of Hip Hop Culture
August 4, 2023 from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
For the month of August, all four Friday Nights at OMCA honor, celebrate, and explore the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop culture and are curated by Bay Area artist and DJ Jahi, who has lived in Oakland for the last 23 years. This marks the first time OMCA will have a practitioner of Hip Hop culture curating its Friday Nights lineup. Each program takes a deep dive into the many facets, history, relevance, and joy of Hip Hop culture, right at home in Oakland! In addition to this special, celebratory programming, there will be plenty of signature Friday Nights features, including two streets packed with Off the Grid food trucks and the OMCA campus alive with music, dancing, OMCA’s award-winning galleries of art, history, and science and more!
Program for August 4
The root of Hip Hop culture is the African continent. As we salute and respect the pioneers of Hip Hop, many of their parents and families come from the Caribbean, by way of various western countries in Africa. As a way to begin our celebration of Hip Hop culture in an authentic way, we lift up the drum, the first instrument, and the power of drums being used as a form of communication. With drum circle, we share a sonic message with the community of culture, confidence, and celebration.
This high-energy evening features international Hip Hop artist and Oakland’s own Jahi, spinning an all-vinyl set of classic Hip Hop, breakbeats, Reggae, and African Rhythms. Let’s Lab with The Reef celebrate beatmakers with beloved Bay Area Hip Hop producers and all-stars Andrew Bearford, Ovrkast, OG Jarin, and Demahjiae inviting you to listen, dance, and freestyle. Enjoy film screenings from KQED’s award-winning If Cities Could Dance series showcasing Bay Area dancers and dance-makers. Oakland’s own Diamano Coura hosts a participatory drum circle in the Garden.
Program schedule
5-7 pm Jahi spins an all-vinyl set, 10th Street Amphitheater
5-8 pm Free Hip Hop-inspired photo booth, Koret Plaza
6-7 pm Let’s Lab with The Reef!, Oak Street Plaza
6-7 pm If Cities Could Dance film Screenings, James Moore Theater
7-8:30 pm Drum circle with Diamano Coura, Garden
8:30-8:45 pm Freestyle Cypher, Garden
About the performers
Diamano Coura is a not-for-profit community African arts organization with a cultural focus. Located at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts in the City of Oakland, the Company is dedicated to: The preservation, education, and appreciation of traditional West African music, dance, theater, and culture through public benefit ventures. The mission of Diamano Coura is to provide global audiences access to the richness of the indigenous African cultural tapestry through professional classes, performances, and the accurate depiction and perpetuation of African folklore to indigenous Senegal, Guinea, Mali, Liberia, and Ivory Coast, whereby it can be understood and appreciated by all. Diamano Coura is committed to partnering with other artists and community members to use the inherent power of the arts to break barriers that stagnate to open corridors that encourage social and economic development while fostering health and spiritual health and well-being. Diamano Coura in the Senegalese Wolof language means “those who bring the message.” While the directors, Naomi and Zak, are respectively from Liberia and Senegal, Diamano Coura embodies generations of carefully trained male and female company dancers, actors, singers, musicians, stilt walkers, and visual artists. Diamano Coura has also performed extensively in major theater houses and universities in the United States and has been invited to tour internationally, including to Canada and Europe.
Accessibility
Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) is committed to providing programs that are accessible, welcoming, and inclusive of our community. Wheelchairs, sensory inclusive devices, and additional amenities are available for checkout on a first come, first served basis at the Ticketing Desk. To request other accommodations, like American Sign Language (ASL), Cantonese, Spanish or another language interpreter, please email [email protected] at least three weeks before the event. Learn about our accessibility options.
About Friday Nights at OMCA with Off The Grid
Reconnect with family, friends, and community at OMCA every Friday night. These free events provide a gathering place to come together each week, including live music, hands-on activities, and Off the Grid food trucks. Take advantage of late-night access to our galleries and special exhibitions with a Museum ticket.
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid is proudly supported by Bank of America.
