Bronzeville Vendor Fair and Wildflower Music Festival

Join us on Saturday, June 22, 2024, from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. for the annual Bronzeville outdoor vendor market and bazaar that will take place on 33rd Boulevard between Michigan Avenue and State Street.

Shop among the area's finest merchants, makers, and artists. Dance to the music provided by greater Bronzeville musicians and vocalists. Bring the entire family—there is something for everyone including a bouncy house where you will supervise your kids! Are you a merchant or maker and interested in vending, please complete the following form.

The Wildflower Music Festival stage will feature Chicago’s most well-loved and popular musical artists. Senabella Gill, also known as the Bronzeville Diva, will host the events on the Wildflower stage. Gill is a renowned, multi-awarded jazz vocalist, music activist, youth mentor, and founder of The Chicago Living Legacy Awards.

The Office of Community Affairs and Outreach Programs has partnered with the Cultural Access Collaborative to make this event accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing. The equipment is being loaned by Cultural Access Collaborative with special thanks to the Chicago Academy of Sciences and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

Headlining acts for the Bronzeville outdoor vendor market and Wildflower Music Festival include:

Leon Q. Allen

Since his entrance into the professional arena in 1994, Leon Q. Allen has given his gift of music to audiences around the world. Leon Q., in his personal, versatile way, has shared the stage with such dynamic musical icons such as Common, Kanye West, James Brown, Wynton Marsalis, Carl Thomas, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Drake, The Isley Brothers, Ginuwine, Tony Toni Tone, and countless others. The world has not seen such a musical force with the power to inspire people, like that of Leon Q. Allen. Undoubtedly, Leon Q. will move your heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit through his powerful gift of music, that he bestows upon audiences worldwide. Leon Q. is a product of the vibrant Windy City music scene, and attributes his success as one of the most internationally requested trumpeters to his musical upbringing. As a child, he was heavily exposed to multitudes of music, ranging from jazz, blues, and R&B to Afro-Latin and a wide range of international music forms.

Listen: https://on.soundcloud.com/fxxusBGaRz1kUz4u5

Performance time: 7:45–9 p.m.

Julia Huff

Julia Huff, songstress, actress and model, is an outstanding talent with an exuberant personality to match. Julia’s most recent album, Meet Julia Huff was written and produced by Grammy award winner Jerry Peters and has been featured on many urban radio programs and dance sets in Chicago and throughout the world. To benefit businesses that lost revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she lent her vocal talent to the We Are Chicago project that was written and produced by yet another Grammy award winner, Darius Brooks. Julia has continually displayed her vocal versatility while singing songs ranging from “Ol’ Black Magic” and “I Concentrate on You” in the traditional jazz genre to show tunes such as “Alfie,” “People,” and “Home.” She also displays versatility with spicy versions of hip R&B tunes such as “Neither One of Us,” “Sweet Love,” “Ain’t Nobody,” “River Deep,” “Mountain High,” and “Simply the Best,” to name a few.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/T9tcNoZizPA?si=jZGZOGnl1rNbjx8X

Performance time: 6:45–7:45 p.m.

Ryan Nyther

Ryan Nyther (trumpeter), coming from Dixon Elementary School under the direction of Diane Ellis (trumpeter), Nyther developed an early interest in music ranging from all aspects of Black American music. He attended Lincoln Park High School, numerous after-school/city programs, and performed with and learned from Chicago Bebop/avant-garde legends including Fred Anderson, Von Freeman, and Willie Pickens. This granted him the opportunity and skill set to acquire a scholarship to college to study jazz at Northern Illinois University.

Ryan is also currently in residency at Illinois Institute of Technology with his quintet which is a collective made up of musicians playing in the tradition of instrumental Black American music of the modern era. He is currently a freelance musician having graced the stage with Hannibal Burress, Isaiah Sharkey, Jamila Woods, Lupe Fiasco, Eric Roberson, Wynton Marsalis, Ivan Neville, Ramsey Louis, Roy Hargrove, Buddy Guy, Maurice Brown, Carl Weathersby, R&B group Mint Condition, James Carter, and many more!

Youtube: Ryan Nyther Quartet; MCA an Evening with The Ryan Nyther Quartet 3/31/12

Performance time: 5:45–6:45 p.m.

NaDiMa

Introducing the captivating sounds of the vocal trio NaDiMa: Nanette Frank, Diane Madison, and Mae Koen. After years in the background with some of the most popular artists in the biz, such as Aretha Franklin, Otis Clay, Brian Culbertson, Phil Perry, Vesta Williams, Angela Bofil, Miki Howard, Billy Branch, Willie Dixon, Mississippi Heat, and Linda Dixon, this vocal trio has decided to step out from the background and to strike out on their own.

Performances have included travels abroad to such places as Italy, Japan, Poland, Singapore, China, and Switzerland.

NaDiMa has had performances at Blues Alley, City Winery, Carnegie Hall, The Apollo Theater, Madison Square Garden, and the Chicago Theater. NaDiMa’s sound covers a broad range of musical genres including world, jazz, R&B and pop music. Sit back and prepare to be mesmerized by the vocal versatility that is NaDiMa.

Experience NaDiMa: www.nadima.org

Performance time: 4:45–5:45 p.m.

Aquillah Sadallah

Aquilla Sadalla is a dynamic performance artist who has helped to cultivate an entire legacy of creative music using the first instrument: the voice. Over many years, through many a song, Aquilla has reminded us to “remember the breath” and it’s power as a featured vocalist with Samana (1992–1998), The Circle of Sound, Thrill Jockey’s National Trust (2005), and The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Moving gracefully through an entire life of music, Aquilla brings together a seven-piece unit named “Sedallah” (a respelling of Sadalla, which translates to mean “angel of God”). Sedallah performs using flute, reeds, keyboard/synth, guitar, electric bass guitar, drums/percussion, and vocals. Stylistically drawing from Latin-jazz, soul, electronic, Caribbean and African blues harmonies and rhythms, Sadallah furthers “freedom of the mind” and “movement of the soul.” Aquilla Sadalla tours in Europe with Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and currently is completing the recording of her newest album to be released in 2024.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/at_En-1vJCg?si=WP_qxsEEwRAqT5nB

Performance time: 3:45–4:45 p.m.

Gregory Stewart

Gregory Stewart’s talent inspired him to live abroad in Osaka, Japan, where he completed a two-year foreign entertainment contractual agreement with Universal Studios. While also in Japan, Gregory produced multiple independent musical performances that featured in night clubs and other entertainment settings. He has established himself as a cross-cultural entertainer that appeals to a wide range of audiences with his renditions of historical artists that have made indelible marks in the music industry. Gregory recently became a Jeff Award Nominated Actor for a supporting actor in his portrayal of Philip Bailey in the Tribute to Earth, Wind, and Fire at the Black Ensemble Theatre. In his spare time, Gregory continues to produce other musical events throughout Chicago and the greater Chicago areas. Gregory plans to expand his talents with Stewart Music Emporium, Inc. (SME), as the owner, talent, and musical director.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/dJzRSvUvjNI?si=MXnmE4xjOjMg-NRl

Performance time: 2:45–3:45 p.m.

Rodney Gipson

Rodney Gipson is a Chicago-rooted pianist, guitarist, and composer/producer. Gipson is the CEO of Audible Edge Music, a label that creates and distributes traditional jazz, Neo Soul, and Afrobeats music. His influences include Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, the jazz fusion group Weather Report, as well as the Portuguese fado artist Mariza, and Shona music icon Thomas Mapfumo.

Gipson has performed in several respected local venues from Epiphany Center for the Arts and Grant Park to the blues venue Kingston Mines. Additional Chicago performance credits include: Velvet Lounge jazz club, the iconic Heartland Café, and the University of Chicago International House. He’s performed at Harlem’s Shrine World Music Venue; Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit; and Ria Ras in Louisville. Rodney Gipson collaborates with Coffee Jazz Collective and The Back Alley Jazz series often. In addition to leading his own bands, Rodney has collaborated with composer Regina Harris-Baiocchi, as well as members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) such as Dushun Mosley, Saalik Ziyad, and Edwin Daugherty. Current projects include a collaboration with Chicago muralist Robert Valdez that pairs original music with new paintings to celebrate legendary jazz musicians. Gipson is in the final stages of completing the production of his documentary film focused on community gardening on the South Side of Chicago.

Rodney Gipson link to music: 

http://www.reverbnation.com/rodneygipson 

https://youtu.be/-JAyoBrpMDY?si=LvmmoUG9URYLQca1

Performance time: 1:45–2:45 p.m.

FATi

A star is born! Born in Monrovia, Liberia, taking her first steps in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivorie, the beautiful story between music and FATi began. Her eyes see the world and her voice tells the story. FATi spins in the musical universe with softness and a radiant color that shines through. The new face of Afropop: FATi takes us on an amazing and explosive musical voyage with her melodic soulful voice. Give Me More, the title of her newly released first album, featuring singles “L.O.V.E.” and “Love & Queen.” Written, composed, and produced by FATi, she shares her personal experiences through intimate notes supported by an Afropop rhythm. It’s sexy, it’s sassy, it’s soulful, it’s…FATi.

Fati’s single release of “L.O.V.E.” streamed more than 118K views on YouTube. A music management major at Columbia College, she’s opened for Kool & The Gang at Uhuru Park, Nairobi Kenya, with more than 500,000 people in attendance. Fati has theater background working with The WIZ and The Color Purple, has toured with Disney, and has had more than 275 performances in the past seven years.

Management team: Wafeeq Rauf at manymusic@gmail.com

Listen to “L.O.V.E.” at https://youtu.be/Gl1uPTH3hAM?si=IqUWThIXXgvvRFOp

Performance time: 12:45–1:45 p.m.

Danny Jamison Experience

Danny Jamison has been playing on Chicago stages since the early 90s, beginning at the Cotton Club in the South Loop where he was the band leader for the Cotton Club house band for the Monday and Thursday night open mics from 1996–2002, where he had the opportunity to meet and play with many of the greats including jazz guitarist George Benson and Chicago’s own Malachi Thompson. Danny has since played with several different bands at various venues including being recently featured at Chicago’s Buddy Guys Legends Blues Club where he was the featured soloist for the Sunday Jazz Night.

Performance time: 11:45 a.m.–12:45 p.m.

Robert “Baabe” Irving III, Wildflower Music Festival Grounds

Five-time Grammy nominee, master musician, composer, arranger, and spirit/master Reiki healer Robert “Baabe” Irving III

will be on the grounds under a tent at the Bronzeville Vendor Fair and Wildflower Music Festival throughout the day in an open space where all can join him in providing his soulful uplifting music that elevates consciousness and brings inner peace and restoration. All are welcome to participate!

Learn: www.sonicportraitsjazz.com

Listen: https://youtu.be/KN2RzYxPinc?si=zjhRZLqhU_48GuSf

Performance time: noon–9 p.m.

Your Host of the Wildflower Music Festival Stage: Senabella The Bronzeville Diva—Open to Close.

Seasoned jazz vocalist, Senabella—better known as The Bronzeville Diva—manages multiple roles as an interdisciplinary artist beginning with her music. A Chicago favorite since early 2000, she catapulted to the forefront after headlining across the United States as a member of the four-part harmony jazz group Back In Time. Senabella won the attention of jazz lovers as well as the press acclaiming her voice as an instrument of sound harkening old school jazz temperaments that put you to mind of Ella, Nancy, and Phylis Hyman. Senabella was given the moniker as “The Bronzeville Diva” by the late jazz master hornist, Malachi Thomas, who mentored and guided her along the path to music activism where she began to use her moniker to build productions around herself and her contemporaries including Dee Alexander, Joan Collasso, Maggie Brown, and Julia Huff, to name a few, building showcases. She went on to teaching and producing youth on the West Side of Chicago where she taught them how to use music to articulate their lives. Singer/songwriter, music activist, speaker, producer, author, and youth mentor is also the founder of Chicago Living Legacies and Young Diva Young Divo. She is also a multi-awarded artist for three albums with Best New Jazz Artist.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/72J3Cz8DuEA?si=fs_BJhYQZHt6eFr-

https://youtu.be/QiI7dMScLxM?si=a89snwZJT8mMKWFW

Free parking is available along Michigan Avenue and in Illinois Tech parking lots D1, D2, and D4, which are accessible from 34th and State streets when traveling northbound. Should it rain, the alternate venue is Hermann Hall (3241 South Federal Street), with free parking in Lots B2–B5.