Join us March 1st for an generative and healing concert to raise funds and awareness to support the Palestinian people in the war in Gaza. Come channel your grief and prayers into healing and action as we join together, connecting with local activists. You'll be serenaded by Adrienne Shamszad, Austin Willacy, Joyous Dawn, and Wildchoir!
We will be gathering at First Congregational Church of Oakland, a historic church in downtown Oakland.
Note: This will be a masking-required event. Help us protect our community - masking is community care!
Doors @ 6:30pm
Show @ 7pm
This event is co-sponsored by Healthcare Workers for Palestine - Bay Area.
Tickets
Proceeds from concert tickets will go to support MECA: Middle East Children’s Alliance. The Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) works to protect the rights and improve the lives of children in the Middle East through aid, empowerment and education. In the Middle East, MECA provides humanitarian aid, partners with community organizations to run projects for children, and supports income-generation projects. In the US and internationally, MECA raises awareness about the lives of children in the region and encourages meaningful action. More info about them below.
T icket pricing:
Note that the concert is No One Turned Away For Lack Of Funds - if you can’t afford a ticket but want to come, contact us at wildchoirmusic@gmail.com.
*All ticket sales are final. Refunds will only be initiated in special circumstances where we cannot deliver on or must significantly change this event.
Any questions, or want to collaborate? Drop us a line - wildchoirmusic@gmail.com.
About the organizations and performers
About Wildchoir:
“Wildchoir” (noun): a harmonic act of nature that arises in counterbalance to violence and hatred; the Earth sounding itself alive; a collective of voices, undomesticated and free.
Wildchoir, formerly “Thrive Choir”, was born to sing the music for the revolution. Based in Oakland, California, they are a diverse group of vocalists, artists, activists, educators, healers, and community organizers who join together in big harmony. They celebrate the confluence of their many cultures & identities, including african-american, latinx, asian-american, native american, middle-eastern, immigrant, jewish, & queer. Their music illuminates the joy, pain, and beauty of what it means to be human in this time of systemic transformation.
They have performed and recorded with nationally-acclaimed artists for social change including Rising Appalachia, Esperanza Spaulding, Climbing Poetree & MaMuse. They also frequently share the stage with progressive heroes of our time, such as Bernie Sanders, Ericka Huggins, Joanna Macy, and Fania Davis. Their music has inspired thousands at marches, conferences and festivals across California, most recently at Bioneers, Lightning in a Bottle, Institute for Noetic Sciences, the North America Permaculture Convergence, the Women's March, & the Rise for Climate March.
Wildchoir originated as “Thrive Choir”, and spent its first years as the musical voice of Thrive East Bay and the global Thrive Network. Thrive is a community and movement devoted to love in action by building equitable systems where we can flourish as individuals, as communities, and as a planet.
Learn more about Wildchoir at our website and follow us on Instagram
About Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA):
The Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) is a nonprofit humanitarian aid organization based in Berkeley, California.
MECA is a nonprofit organization working for the rights and the well-being of children in the Middle East. MECA supports dozens of community projects for Palestinian children and refugees from Syria. Since 1988 we have delivered $31 million in food and medical aid to Palestine, Iraq, and Lebanon. MECA welcomes the support of all people who care about children and their future.
We support children and families in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon through:
Direct aid including food, medicine, medical supplies, and clothes as well as books, toys and school supplies. Since 1988, we have sent more than $31 million in aid to children in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon
Financial support and professional assistance to community organizations in the West Bank and Gaza that help meet Palestinian children’s needs, including clinics, kindergartens, counseling centers, libraries; accessible parks and playgrounds; sports teams, and dance, music and art programs
University scholarships for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank
Educational and cultural programs in the US and internationally to increase understanding about the lives of children in the Middle East and the impact of US foreign policy on people in the region.
For more information, visit the MECA website.
About Adrienne Shamszad:
Adrienne Shamszad sings revolutionary anthems, prayerful power ballads, blues, lullabies, and love songs written from the depths of her heart. Her strong and soulful voice, expressive guitar work and bold performance style push her into the outer reaches of the singer-songwriter genre, and far beyond.
Her musical artistry is indeed something to behold. She is mystical, yet earthy. At one moment lofty, the next low-down. Adrienne’s poetry is intimate and genuine, inspired by the mystic Poets of Iran as much as the folk poet-songwriters of the 60s and 70s. She can transform a stage into a sacred place with the magic of her voice. Then, she sweeps you away on a musical journey through improvisation, folk melodies, Indian mantra, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and Iranian classics.
Her mixed cultural background, international travels, and deep love of people reside in her music. It can open listeners’ hearts to the unfamiliar and, in doing so, invite more understanding, courage and curiosity into this world. Since beginning formal training in Traditional Iranian vocal arts and music in 2016, Adrienne's music has expanded to a genre of it's own as she brings the messages of her ancestors into the present moment.
For more information, visit her website.
About Austin Willacy:
Austin Willacy is a veteran member of The House Jacks with whom he has produced 10 full-length albums and completed multiple world tours. For the past 20 years, Austin has directed 'Til Dawn, Youth in Arts’ award-winning teen a cappella group that empowers youth to find their voices in many ways.
Austin is also an award-winning singer/songwriter with 4 CDs and 2 EPs to his name. His music is soulful and raucous, tender and comic. Austin’s music has been featured on The Sing-Off, Road Rules, an Australian ad campaign, and three feature film soundtracks, including Thrive, a documentary with over 90 million views. He’s appeared in Rolling Stone and has performed with icons such as Bonnie Raitt and up and coming artists like Jem, Vienna Teng, Rachael Yamagata and Amos Lee.
Austin is an organizer and facilitator for YES! and a former board member for Rainforest Action Network and the Freight & Salvage. He is one of the co-founders of the Arts for Social Change Jams in the US, Turkey, and India. He has co-organized over 20 YES! Jams in the US, Canada, India, and Turkey.
For more info, visit Austin's website.
About Joyous Dawn:
Joyous Dawn is a singer-songwriter, nature lover, circle facilitator, and youth educator. Through their floating harmonies and nature-inspired melodies, they creates music that is a balm for the heart & soul. A founding member of the Wildchoir, Joyous delights in vocal harmonies that uplift spirits, and ignite movements. When not singing or coordinating gigs for the choir, you can find Joyous tending to plants, concocting delicious plant-based meals, and soaking in the good.
For more info, visit their website.
