Saltwater People
A new tide is coming in
Saltwater People is a monthly rooftop party that celebrates the global flow of Black cultures with a combination of music you won’t hear anywhere else in Honolulu. A mixture of genre-breaking live music, DJ sets, vendors, food, and learning, Saltwater People brings the flavors of African and Pacific diasporas together where our lineages and histories converge here in Hawai‘i.
The Black Pacific poet and scholar Teresia Teaiwa writes, "We sweat and cry salt water, so we know that the ocean is really in our blood.” The name "Saltwater People" comes from an old practice among African diaspora communities in the western Atlantic to describe people born in Africa or on the ocean voyage as "saltwater Negroes" or "saltwater Creoles." Here in Hawai‘i, however, we are all saltwater people. The ocean links us and is a source of our nourishment, sustenance, healing, and joy. A new tide is coming in. Come through.
July 21 line up
Live music by
Afro-Criollo Sound
Hawai‘i-based Afro-Criollo Sound is a music endeavor that focuses on the danceable Africa-derived folkloric sounds of the Caribbean and Latin America, bringing samba, Afro-Peruvian, and salsa rhythms to move you in body and spirit. Featuring live percussion and vocals, Afro-Criollo Sound combines ancient beats and soaring melodies that you can feel pulsing from across the diaspora.
Fat Moxy and the Bombay Collective
Multi-dimensional singer and emcee Mox fronts this new band with an old soul. Calling what they do "hip rhythm and soul funk hop vibes," Mox and the Bombay Collective's guitars, keys, horns, and percussion draw on a deep well of soul, R&B, hip-hop, funk and more to craft music that will keep you grooving.
DJ sets by
Shy Shonnie
O‘ahu-grown DJ Shy Shonnie built her chops in the New York City scene before returning home to build up a following at her monthly party, Auto Body, at Bevy on first Saturdays. Playing R&B, hip-hop and more, Shy Shonnie brings a deep musical knowledge and skill to keep the dance floor in constant motion.
Lonnie Bonds
Lonnie “007” Bonds came up as a dj in Chicago under hip-hop and house legends and has performed with Nico & Vinz, Public Enemy, Gangstarr, DMC of Run-DMC, Malik Yusef, Rhymefest, and Matthew Santos; DJed sets attended by David Guetta, Kanye West, Michael Jordan, Steve Aoki, Jamie Foxx, Chaka Khan, T.I., and David Beckham; and worked with many rising acts from the Chicago music scene. Newly relocated to Hawai‘i, he’s currently working on a collaborative mix of hip-hop and electronic music and creating beats with a music partner for highly-anticipated releases on Interscope, DefJam, and Atlantic.
* children 12 and under free
* Food and beverage available for purchase *
* $5 flat-rate in-building parking*
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Saltwater People is a monthly party curated by the Pōpolo Project in partnership with 23rd Elevation.
The Pōpolo Project is a Hawai‘i-based community organization that works to make the lives of Black people visible among what we commonly think of as Local, highlighting the vivid, complex diversity of Blackness.
Through progressive programming, 23rd Elevation connects venues, museums, non-profits and DIY arts organizations with mission-aligned sponsors in order to create and/or sustain social platforms that will embolden, educate and empower communities through the shared experience of artistic expression.
In partnership with Guayakí Yerba Mate
Sponsored By