“I’m tired of people talking. You’ve just got to do it,” says Catherine Morris, founder, curator and executive director of the Boston Art & Music Soul Festival, which debuts from noon to 8 p.m. this Saturday, June 23, in Boston’s Franklin Park.

With musical and spoken-word artists performing on two stages at Playstead Field along Pierpont Road, plus live art, graffiti painting, food and vendors, the free festival “aims to promote, connect and celebrate Afro-centric culture, heritage, and contributions to the American fabric as expressed through art, music, food and entertainment with a global community.” In doing so, they’re looking to reimagine the possibilities and future of Boston—by making it happen, by serving as a model.

“We have over 20 artists and more than 90 percent of that lineup is local,” Morris says. “I’m excited for people to see what Boston has to offer.”

The lineup ranges from R&B to funk to soul to spoken word to fusion, beginning with headliners Kindred the Family Soul, Aja Graydon and Fatin Dantzler’s wife and husband neo soul duo from Philadelphia. Rising local rappers include STL GLD (two-time Boston Music Awards Hip Hop Artist of Year Moe Pope’s partnership with producer The Arcitype), Oompa, Latrell James (pictured at top performing at the 2017 Boston Music Awards), and Billy Dean Thomas.

Morris describes singer Valerie Stephens as “Nina Simone meets hip-hop” and Niya Norwood as a “powerhouse soul singer.” Spoken word artist Jha D is the founder of “If You Can Feel It, You Can Speak It,” which launched eight years ago as the first monthly open mic in Boston dedicated to the voices of the LGTBQIA communities of color. And then there’s Dzidzor Azaglo, Ballad, DJ Bobby Bangers, Marcela Cruz, Alonzo Demetrius & The Ego, Tamara Goldinella, Dom Jones, The Lightworkers, Rex Mac, RickExpress, D. Ruff, Sam Trump, and The Woo Factor Band.

“All those artists are independent, because that’s who we support. … We’re looking for artists who are on their way, will be on their way, or are already there,” Morris says. “Independent artists, they don’t have to worry about being shaped by a label. … You get raw emotion where people are at right now.”


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The Boston Art & Music Soul Festival—or BAMS Fest—is organized by a 3-year-old, volunteer run nonprofit offering event curation and workforce artist development. The festival’s title expresses their interest in people “mind, body and soul.” Morris says, “People are looking to be connected in a kindred way and in that process my thing is be yourself. If you can be yourself, your soul opens up.”

The festival is also their answer to the challenges of making culture in Boston because of systems and policies, city departments that don’t talk to each other, racism and sexism and classism and abelism, the favoritism and lack of funding that often frustrate artists and event producers.

“We can easily be separated and segregated. I’m trying to make sure a festival like this brings people together,” Morris says.

A lot of cultural events are pushed to Boston City Hall, she notes. “You’re forcing people to go where they’re not traditionally welcome anyway. That creates risk and tension.” Instead, she’s programming in Franklin Park, “ground zero for black arts and entertainment.” The park is “one of the largest green spaces that’s accessible to everyone and not everyone knows about it. … This space is for everybody, it doesn’t discriminate. You should come use it more often.”

Morris wants BAMS Fest to return year after year and grow—more stages, more days, “to encourage people to see how this gem in your backyard can really be done with a Boston twist to it.”

Morris says, “I want to see the day where there’s less of a bad attitude of what Boston doesn’t do and there’s more hope and attitude, bragging of what it’s accomplished.”


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Oompa performs at Hojoko at the Verb Hotel, May 18, 2018. (Greg Cook)
Oompa performs at Hojoko at the Verb Hotel, May 18, 2018. (Greg Cook)