Oshun Headlines Free KCSB Show

On Friday, May 10, visionary Afrofuturist hip-hop/soul duo Oshun headlines a free show hosted by our jewel of a community radio station, KCSB-FM 91.9, starting at 6 p.m. in the UCSB Storke Tower radio station courtyard. Joined by rap artists Jaji Preme from Oakland and Jupiter Black from Los Angeles, the all-ages event will expand your musical mind with fresh, future-focused, vibration-raising sounds.

“Jaji Preme, Jupiter Black, and Oshun all offer unique perspectives on their experiences of being black, queer, and femme in today’s society. Their lyricism and video production are critical of politics, gender, spirituality; they artistically convey agency and influence others to choose their own path to expression,” KCSB General Manager Alyssa Saldaña said in a statement.

Oshun vocalists Niambi Sala and Thandiwe met as undergraduates at NYU, and their souls were instantly, creatively entwined. Calling back to Yoruba traditions with contemporary aesthetics, they sing an ancestral song of iya-sol (their own genre, iya meaning “healer/teacher,” and sol meaning “sun/source”). Musically, they carry on the deep-thinking, deep-feeling, politically conscious R&B/hip-hop torch lit by greats such as Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, groovily meditating on gratitude, fortitude, and positive attitudes amid a sensually swirling cosmos. Their debut studio album, bittersweet vol. 1, dropped in early April, featuring a collaboration with U.K. soul singer Jorja Smith (who’ll be performing at the Santa Barbara Bowl with Kali Uchis on May 17).