A Night of Timeless Music and Connection

On July 11th, the enchanting Grace Galu and the Haint Blu will take the stage at Studio 9 as part of the Fresh Grass Residency, and we can’t wait to share this unforgettable experience with you. As a chanteuse provocateur, Grace Galu is on a mission to preserve our sacred histories through the universal language of song. She believes that music has the power to transport us, to heal us, and to bring us closer together.

Imagine being part of a collective singing experience, where familiar tunes and improvised melodies blend together in perfect harmony. Grace Galu and the Haint Blu will perform new versions of old songs, crafted just for you, with you, and from the depths of your own heart. It’s an invitation to tap into the songs that we know by heart, the ones we learned without being taught, and the ones we create together on the spot.

Join us at Studio 9 on July 11th, as Grace Galu and the Haint Blu weave a sonic tapestry that will leave you spellbound, inspired, and transformed. Let’s come together to celebrate the beauty of music, the richness of our shared heritage, and the magic that happens when we sing, play, and create together.

Grace Galu Kalambay is a vocalist, musical director, and composer.  Her earliest composition, “Ordinary Sentiment” was featured in the Ed Burns film, “Purple Violets” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Grace Galu then devised The Mendelssohn Electric with Trusty Sidekick. Grace performed as the lead, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, in their production The Gospel Electric, both productions were commissioned by the Park Avenue Armory. Grace is an alumnus of American Music Abroad, a three-time cultural ambassador for the US State department’s cultural exchange fellowship. Grace is also a recipient of the NEFA NTP grant, an alumnus of HARP at HERE Arts, and a Creative Capital Fund awardee. She is the composer, co-creator and lead performer of Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville, produced by HERE Arts and presented by La Mama. The New York Times singled out Grace Galu Kalambay as “a magnetic, powerhouse vocalist.” Grace is the voice of Wisdom in Nia Witherspoon’s production, The Dark Girl Chronicles (premiered 2021 at The Shed). She is currently musical director, composer and a performer with Urban Bush Women.

Alex Gutarts Picture a Brooklyn rooftop in the summer… Loud music vibrates over a peaceful tree-lined street. An eclectic group of friends gathers, wearing everything from vintage t-shirts to striped overalls. The sun is shining, rare IPAs are flowing, and life is a dream. This is where you’ll find Xander Goodheart, the artist. His vision is to create thought-provoking, accessible music that changes the way people think, feel, and live. Xander aims to craft narrative albums that act as sonic movies and create a live act focused on musicianship, improvisation, and reworking his recorded material.

Duv (Jonathan Zaragoza) is a seasoned solo artist, studio vocalist, performer and composer. Native to the Bronx, NYC, Duv began his artistry as a dancer at The Bronx Dance Theatre, where he studied ballet, modern, jazz, and hip-hop styles of dance. There is a seamless connection between the finesse and fluidity of his voice and of his movement. Duv is known for his vocal range, musical versatility, looping and beatboxing.

Osei Kweku (Bass) is a Los Angeles born bassist, Music Director, songwriter and rapper.Having grown up in Los Angeles, oldies/throwback radio was staple in his life, so, much of his major influence comes from the likes of Sly and the Family Stone, Parliament-Funkadelic, Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin….you know the rest.  Kweku attended The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music from 2012-15  and has since traveled the world as a freelance bass player and Music Director. Music Director for R.E.S.P.E.C.T. The National Tour: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin, playing on shows like Michael Jackson tribute shows “I Am King” and “Invincible”, Rennie Harris’s “Funkedified”, “Cannabis! A Viper Vaudeville at La Mama Ellen Stewart Theater,  Øya Festival in Norway, hosting jam sessions and open mics in NYC and has made a couple on screen appearances in “Vinyl”, “The Irishman”, “The Only Living Boy in New York”.

Equiano Mosieri (Production Manager)  Nigerian-American-Brit artist Equiano Mosieri – a TSU alum (TN) and MFA recipient from Brandeis University’s acting program – lives in New York City. His original anti-violence epic poem “Black Body Radiation” was first performed in New Orleans (2016).  With Grusomhetens Teater in Norway he developed his community building device “Esoteriki Maestro” which taps into the unique genius of the individual whilst encouraging positive unity to fight common societal issues.  “Esoteriki Maestro” was first performed in São Paulo (2017), and has been performed multiple times including Tijuana (2019) and Greece (2023). As a musician his work has been used by international fashion company Burberry. As a poet he collaborated with the legendary Craig “muMs” Grant on his last piece titled “Beauteous” (2019).  As an actor he works on a huge range of material from Shakespeare to August Wilson to Athol Fugard to Jean Genet to off-Broadway to international protest theater to modern musicals. He has a Fashion 4 Social Impact brand called 10th Element www.xethebrand.shop. Catch him: @equianomosieri