Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation

Home
United States
Chicago, IL
Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation

To promote and integrate Pan-African art music globally, celebrating its cultural richness and significance across diverse communities and diasporas

08/05/2026

African Art Music Podcast Series S2 Episode 4 - Whose Vocabulary? Rethinking Arts Administration in Africa

Listen to the full podcast at akojopo.org/podcast (link in bio)

Kevin T Dozwa has lived the language shift firsthand, from Shona-speaking Zimbabwe to Rwanda's evolving mix of French, Kinyarwanda, and English, and now teaches arts administration inside that transformation. In this episode, we explore what's lost and gained when concepts like "value" and "management" cross languages, and what it would take to build an arts framework rooted in African traditions rather than borrowed from the West.

08/03/2026

🎉 And the winners are…

Congratulations to our raffle winners at the July 25th South Side Sisters Concert at Kenicott Park.

The first winner went home home with a fresh streetwear pack courtesy of Sound Off. While the second winner walked away with a beautifully curated gift basket from Carver 47th. Two incredible prizes. Two very lucky people.

Thank you to everyone who participated every ticket was a vote for this music, this community, and this mission.

And a huge thank you to Sound Off and Carver 47th for donating these prizes and showing up for the South Side. You made the night even more special. We are grateful. 🙌🏾

07/29/2026

You showed up. And it meant everything.

Last Saturday at Kennicott Park, something beautiful happened. The 2nd Edition of South Side Sisters came alive with the music of Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, Nora Holt, Betty Jackson King, Irene Britton Smith, and Undine Smith Moore — and you were there to hear it. Every note carried and every story told to people who were ready to receive it.

Thank you for coming out. Thank you for bringing your family, your friends, your neighbors.

We also appreciate you for donating to keep this music alive and this community growing. You didn't just attend a concert, you became part of the story.
Immense gratitude goes to Chicago Park District and the generous support of the Chicago Community Trust, Driehaus Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, and Puffin Foundation.

We'll be back. And we hope you will be too.

With Love from all of us at Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation
akojopo.org

07/28/2026

Akojopo presents Jazz as African Trickster: A Black Atlantic Essay Film, featuring Johnson Juwon Adenuga. This virtual documentary experience explores how West African trickster lore, play, and resistance crossed the Atlantic to give jazz its soul.
https://akojopo.org/jazzafricantrickster

Through a blend of live storytelling, music, and poetry, this premiere offers a fresh look at Black history through sound.

Event Details:

Date: Sunday, August 2, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM EST / 8:00 PM WAT
Location: Zoom (link provided upon registration)

RSVP: akojopo.org/jazzafricantrickster

07/26/2026

Akojopo X Johnson Juwon Adenuga Presents: Jazz as African Trickster: A Black Atlantic Essay Film
Register akojopo.org/jazzafricantrickster

What if jazz was never just American? What if embedded in its rhythms, its improvisations, its defiance and play, was a figure far older — a West African trickster who survived the Middle Passage and found a new voice on the other side of the Atlantic?

Join Juwon Adenuga has he unpacks all these in this virtual documentary premier, a virtual storytelling experience that features stories, music, and poetry in a Black historical grounding.

Details:
Date: Sunday, August 2, 2026
Time - 3:00 PM EST / 8:00 PM WAT
Location: Zoom (register to get the zoom link)
Register akojopo.org/jazzafricantrickster

07/24/2026

1 day to GO!!! akojopo.org/noitp

Our musicians have poured their hearts into every rehearsal, every note, every moment leading up to tommorow — and now the stage is set.

Join us by 4PM at Kennicott (Jonathan) Park, 4434 S. Lake Park Ave. performance filled with passion, precision, and pure magic.

✨ This is your chance to witness Caribbean steel pan come to live

Register today👉 akojopo.org/noitp

Don’t miss out on an experience that will stay with you long after the final bow.

See you there!

07/23/2026

This weekend, Saturday, July 25th, at South Side Sister Concert, we've got something special for you! To show our appreciation for everyone attending our Saturday concert, we're giving away TWO amazing prizes to lucky attendees, chosen at random.

One prize is a streetwear pack from Sound Off, featuring a graphic tee, a snapback hat with a Chicago Star Icon Patch, and a set of interchangeable patches designed by four Southside Chicago artists.

The other prize is a beautifully curated gift basket from Carver 47th. Winners will be announced after the concert, so make sure you're there Saturday, we can't wait to see you! A huge thank you to Sound Off and Carver 47th for supporting local artists and giving back to our community.

Register to join us akojopo.org/noitp

07/22/2026

Meet the Caribbean steelpan—the only widely recognized acoustic musical instrument invented in the 20th century. Every note is carefully hand-crafted into steel, producing a sound that is warm, vibrant, and unlike anything you've heard before.

If you've never experienced the steelpan live, this is your chance.

Join us this Saturday, July 25 for South Side Sisters: Sounds and Stories, where you'll experience the captivating sound of the steelpan alongside an inspiring celebration of music by Black women composers from Africa, Chicago, and the Caribbean.

Whether you're discovering the steelpan for the first time or you're already a fan, this is an evening of music, culture, and storytelling you won't want to miss.

📍 Kennicott Park, Chicago
📅 Saturday, July 25, 2026
Time: 4pm to 5:30pm
🎟️ Register akojopo.org/noitp

Bring your family, invite a friend, and come experience the beauty, power, and joy of live music in the park.

07/20/2026

African Art Music Podcast Series S2 Episode 3 - Lango Language and Music Making in Uganda featuring Kia Sharon Peace
Listen to the full podcast at akojopo.org/podcast

In this episode, we spoke with Ugandan artist Kia Sharon Peace about the Lango language and its role in music-making. She shares how indigenous language informs rhythm, melody, and storytelling, offering a powerful perspective on the ways linguistic heritage shapes musical creativity in Uganda.

akojopo.org/podcast

07/19/2026

We're sad to share that tomorrow's South Side Sisters Run has been cancelled due to Chicago's forecasted poor air quality. Your health and safety come first! In the meantime, please register for our Saturday, July 25 concert here: akojopo.org/noitp

Address

2100 W Hubbard Street HPK409/2
Chicago, IL
60612

Telephone

+2349038080710

Website

http://akojopo.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Àkójọpọ̀ Music Foundation:

Want your organization to be the top-listed Non Profit Organization in Chicago?