Visit Berkeley on Saturday June 3rd, for the first annual Berkeley Flea Market Unity Day event – A celebration historical Berkeley flea market & its pioneers!
The market started in the 1970 as an unofficial gathering of artists & activists looking to foster community for marginalized people to thrive in business. They’re still here today and are proud as ever celebrating June 3rd with live music, food, vendors, artists and more!
Enjoy a family friendly and fun event emcee’d by local poet and spoken word artist Cara Lawson and featuring live musical performances from award winning musician and recording artist Kaylah Marin and singer & songwriter Akanke.
Kaylah Marin, A San Francisco Native committed to social activism Kaylah has worked with the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Code Pink, Artist for Literacy, Women of Color Resource Center, Black College Expo, and more! Kaylah has worked in the music industry and been a Billboard charting artist!
Akanke’s energizing performances entail a warm rhythmic spirit that radiates like the sun while transmitting calm mello grooves akin to the sound of ocean waves. Akanke’s music enlivens Jazz, Afro Pop, Folk, Rock Fusion and whatever flourishes from the depths of her soul. Akanke’s sound, earthly defined; RaOmi Soul™.
Akanke has been a member of several bands including; Cultural Expressions and Kolamanjaro awarding her the opportunity to share the stage with such legends as King Sunny Ade, Taju Adeleke and Johnny Guitar Watson. She is currently producing her debut solo project, to be released this year.
We will also have a poetry reading from honorary poet and playwright and lifetime achievement award recipient AVOTCJA.
Avotcja has been published in English & Spanish in the USA, Mexico & Europe, and in more Anthologies than she remembers. She is an award winning Poet & multi-instrumentalist who has opened for Betty Carter in New York City, Peru’s Susana Baca at San Francisco’s Encuentro Popular & Cuba’s Gema y Pável, played with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Bobi & Luis Cespedes, John Handy, Sonido Afro Latina, Dimensions Dance Theater, Black Poets With Attitudes, and many more.
We have another poet gracing us with her presence. Sharron Williams AKA GariWomaPoet takes the stage after Avotjca.
Sharron is a teacher, lawyer and writer currently based in Oakland, CA. She is a Garifuna woman who was born in Belize, grew up in the Bronx, NY and has been writing and performing poetry since the age of nine. She has performed in multiple venues in New York City, San Francisco Bay Area, Japan, East Africa and her home country Belize. Her work has appeared in many collections in same places. Her upcoming collection is due out summer of 2023. She is the mother of three adult children who call New York City home.
Other fun performances include a drumming and martial arts performances just to name a few!
Enjoy a fun day of celebrating the flea market’s history, it’s vendors, community, and shop great deals and finds in Berkeley on Saturday, June 3rd!
