Finding Musical Gems in the Bay Area’s African Club Scene
Reporter Jessica Kariisa is Ugandan American, and she’s spent years listening to and writing about African pop music. When she moved to California earlier this year, she wasn’t sure what she’d find in terms of an African music scene. She says as a Black woman living in San Jose and working in San Francisco, she doesn’t see a lot of people who look like her on a daily basis. Gentrification and the rising cost of living have pushed many Black communities out of cities in the Bay Area and beyond. But, after doing some digging, Jessica discovered an African music scene that's thriving. And her journey began with a tip from a song by a Nigerian pop star.
Remembering Art Laboe, the DJ Who Connected Lovers For 80 Years
Art Laboe, widely credited as the first DJ to play rock and roll on the West Coast, died this month in Palm Springs at the age of 97, after a career spanning some 80 years as a broadcaster. He coined the term "oldies but goodies," and his beloved radio show drew a racially diverse audience from across California and beyond. In 2019, California Report Magazine host Sasha Khokha got a chance to interview him. This week, we're reprising that piece.