EQ AUSTIN is a non-profit organization whose mission is to stimulate cultural representation and foster economic prosperity in the music and creative sector through an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens.
2024 ACL Fest Lineup Includes Emerging Austin-Based BIPOC Acts
ATX's diverse & accomplished artists shine among national performers
The acclaimed Austin City Limits Festival’s 2024 lineup includes several Austin-based BIPOC performers who will take the stage alongside headliners Dua Lipa, Chris Stapleton, and Leon Bridges. Booked by C3 Productions, the festival emphasizes its dedication to diversity and inclusion each year. This year’s lineup includes soulful Chief Cleopatra, Chicano-rooted Midnight Navy, Afropsych band Kalu and the Electric Joint, Vietnamese-American pop-hip hop artist promqueen, Latina trio The Tiarras, and rising hip-hop star WHOOKILLEDKENNY.
Chief Cleopatra
Former KUTX Artist of the Month Chief Cleopatra, born Jalesa Jessie, is a soul-rock singer-songwriter who honed her skills in her youth as a singer and drummer in her church back home in Corsicana, Texas. Not long after diving headfirst into the Austin music scene, the charismatic performer grabbed attention from KUTX and the Austin Chronicle, with NPR Music praising, “fans of Santigold, Blood Orange, and Thundercat will find echoes of their influence in Chief Cleopatra’s sultry, soulful, and subtly powerful style.”
Midnight Navy
Midnight Navy is Austin-based singer-songwriter, producer, and saxophonist Francisco Rosales. Combining Chicano indie soul, alternative R&B, and psychedelic bedroom pop, his unique musical style showcases his pride in his Mexican heritage. Midnight Navy’s most recent EP, De Melón, pays homage to his Chicano roots through bilingual vocals and high-spirited percussion. The inspiring work encapsulates his interpretation of finding love in the complex digital age.
Kalu and the Electric Joint
Kalu and the Electric Joint blend the powers of psychedelic soul music with the driving beat of rock and roll and the ancient rhythms of Africa. This afropsych musical chemistry comes from the bond forged by frontman Kalu James, who emigrated from Nigeria at age 18, and guitarist Jonathan “JT” Holt, who adds a touch of American soul to Kalu’s West African heritage.
Billboard describes their sound as "blending both West African and American brands of funk with grit and psychedelic ambience". Having played Bonnaroo, Panic En La Playa and opening for acts like The Black Keys, George Clinton & The Parliament Funkadelic, Trombone Shorty, this band is carrying modern music forward while paying tribute to the inspirations of the past.
promqueen
promqueen is a second-generation queer hip hop / pop artist and daughter to Vietnamese born parents who “drops bilingual bars and croons earnestly through eight cinematic tracks” (Austin Chronicle). Her newest album, szn two, combines cutting-edge vocals and vivid instrumentals to reflect their cultural pride and ranges from heartfelt pop to hip hop club bangers. The May KUTX Artist of The Month has performed at the Asian Culture Fair, Asia World Night Market, Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s Pride 2023 and KUTX Studio 1A.
The Tiarras
Eclectic sister trio The Tiarras seamlessly blend musical genres like rock, Latin pop, soul and blues to create music with no boundaries. Inspired by their Mexican-American heritage and passion for inclusivity and advocating social advancement and equality, they have been recognized by the prestigious NPR World Cafe and Mitú as well as their campaigns for Rock the Vote, Voto Latino and Jolt.
WHOOKILLEDKENNY
Austin native WHOOKILLEDKENNY’s debut 2021 EP, No Refunds, features “a healthy dose of a signature style and eclectic charisma that you’ll have to hear to believe,” (Ones to Watch). That musical charisma has landed his music on coveted official Spotify playlists like Fresh Finds and Fresh Finds: Hip Hop and the entrepreneurial artist even has his own tequila brand, Agave Boom. WHOOKILLEDKENNY has opened for Travis Scott and Playboi Carti and his latest release Work showcases his unique style within the hip-hop genre with intricate and rhythmic vocals.
MORE INFO & FULL SCHEDULE: https://www.aclfestival.com
Join a Community Conversation about Music Creative Hubs in Austin
Explore and contribute to the development of music-focused creative incubators at City of Austin park facilities.
September 9th 11:00AM -AARC Community Engagement
September 30th 11:00AM - Carver Community Engagement | RSVP
September 30th 2:00PM - MACC Community Engagement | RSVP
Join us to discuss a groundbreaking vision: creative industries business incubators focused on the development of entrepreneurs in music, film/video, and creative industry-focused technologies at three PARD cultural centers: the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center (MACC); the George Washington Carver Museum (Carver); and the Asian American Resource Center (AARC).
The City is interested in providing underserved local musicians and artist communities with resources to: perform, rehearsal, live stream, and record. The City also wants to provide the artists with assistance in business development, marketing and other entrepreneurial needs.
These meetings will provide the community with an understanding of what a music hub is, the process that will take place to assess the needs and create a plan for one, and provide an opportunity to network with musicians and other key stakeholders and identify possible individuals for focus groups and small group sessions.
All Community Engagement Forums will be held at the Asian American Resource Center 8401 Cameron Road, Austin Texas
2023 ACL Fest Lineup Includes Emerging Austin-Based BIPOC Acts
The Festival, headlined by Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters and more, embraces the diversity of the Austin music scene.
The renowned Austin City Limits Festival has announced its 2023 lineup, which includes multiple Austin-based BIPOC artists who will join the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The festival, which is attended by over 75,000 people daily, is booked by Austin’s C3 Productions, which continues to demonstrate its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The addition to this year’s lineup of Latin-psych quartet Caramelo Haze, Empire Records’ (Anderson .Paak, Snoop Dogg) artist Quin NFN, haunting Colombian “power-trance trio” (Mojo) Nemegata, smooth-as-silk neo-soul artist Grace Sorensen, genre-hopping sibling act We Don’t Ride Llamas and rising rapper BLakchyl, adds to ACL’s legacy of supporting local artists of color. This year’s line-up also includes local treasures, The Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Collective and gospel fusion group The Disciples of Joy.
"Diversity in music creates an inclusive and vibrant musical landscape,” says EQ Austin Chair Nagavalli Medicharla. She continues, “C3's commitment to promoting diversity and giving local artists a platform to perform on a national scale has made ACL an invaluable asset to Austin's music scene. Sustainability is key to building artist's careers and the 2023 lineup strengthens the vital connection between C3 and local artists.”
Caramelo Haze is the newly-formed all-star outfit featuring Grammy Award-winning Beto Martínez, Alex Chavez (Dos Santos), Victor “El Guámbito” Cruz (Nemegata), and John Speice (Grupo Fantasma, Brownout). Their debut album on Nacional Records, NOESTASAQUÍ is a bold neon suite that glows in the lo-fi undertow of sunburst EQ sweeps and roasted 808s. From post-cumbia synth vamps to disco-inflected circum-Caribbean psychedelia, the genius and versatility of these musicians shines on this release and their live show, of which Rolling Stone says, “their heady blend of cumbia, funk, electro, and psychedelia hit the spot at an early-afternoon set, spiraling out toward cosmic revelation…”
Born Quinlan McAfee, Quin NFN's breakthrough moment came with his 2018 single "Talkin' My Sh*t," which quickly went viral on social media and earned him a record deal with Universal Records/10K Projects. He has since released a number of successful projects, including his 2019 mixtape 4Nun, which debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 chart, and his 2020 album QUINCHO. Recently, Quin NFN signed a new deal with Empire Records and dropped his latest album Never On Time in March, which features the lead single "Revenue" featuring Money Man. With this new release, Quin continues to push the boundaries of his artistry, showcasing his ability to seamlessly blend catchy hooks and hard-hitting bars with introspective and vulnerable lyrics.
Nemegata is a fierce power trio heavily influenced by their native Colombian traditions such as cumbia, bullerengue, gaita music, Colombian Andean songs, as well as '60s and '70s mind-bending psychedelia from Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. The band’’s futuristic take on tropical Latinx sounds has won over audiences and critics alike, with David Fricke of Mojo declaring their album Hycha Wy, “a bold debut of Colombian roots, afro-blues and acid-spiked grunge.” The band’s forthcoming album will be released this fall on the revered nonprofit label Spaceflight Records.
At the age of 20, R&B / neo-soul artist and dancer Grace Sorensen has already opened for Motown legend, Diana Ross, released 6 singles and an EP, and become in-demand as a guest vocalist both onstage and in the studio with artists like BLK ODYSSY, and Rapsody. In fact, Sorenson has already “graced” the ACL stage twice; once performing vocals with Shiela in 2021 and as a choreographer and dancer for Lilyisthatyou in 2022. Now active in both Austin and Los Angeles, she is working on her sophomore EP with Grammy-nominated producer Bizness Boi, Denmark-born EDM artist Galimatias, and more.
“Defiantly unconventional” (Austin Chronicle) Gen Z siblings Chase (lead guitar), Max (vox), Blake (drums) and Kit (bass), make up the Austin-based, afro rock band, We Don’t Ride Llamas. The tenacious quartet has played Riot Fest, Treefort Festival and was direct support for Willow Smith’s sold-out Life Tour, has toured with Courtney Barnett and both opened for and performed with Jessica Lea Mayfield on the road. Their first EP The Oracle is “a melting pot of jazz, funk, R&B and soul with punk attitude,” (God Is In The TV UK).
Rapper BLakchyl (formerly known as T-Fly) was embraced by the local hip hop community at the age of 14 eventually becoming a member of collective Mindz of a Different Kind. Her journey as a queer rapper found her collaborating with multiple nonprofits, producing/starring in short films and honing her craft as a wordsmith via three European tours. The artist has opened for multiple hip hop legends, including Talib Kweli, Snow Tha Product, Jean Grae, Bizzy Bone and Scarface and her upcoming album, produced by The Mask, drops July 2023
Austin, TX– Easterseals Lone Star and EQ Austin have joined forces to create DIA on Día: A Día de los Muertos Concert on Wednesday, November 2nd at 3TEN in downtown Austin. The jam-packed event is sponsored by KUTX, was created in conjunction with the official City of Austin-proclaimed Day Of Diversity And Inclusion Awareness and coincides with the fourth anniversary of EQ Austin. DIA on Día features a non-stop, one night-only event showcasing over 30 local BIPOC artists on one stage and benefits Easterseals Lone Star, which serves individuals with disabilities.
Among the Austin-area based acts that will be featured over the course of the evening, is the “hardest working woman in American roots music” (Huffington Post) Carrie Rodriguez, hypnotic Ethiopian-American R&B artist Mélat, the “tumbling brilliance on nylon strings” (Rolling Stone) of Del Castillo and scholar emcee Bavu Blakes. The event has a unique take on the live concert experience; artists will guest with backing bands fronted by soul powerhouse Tomar Williams (Tomar and the FCs), avant-garde Eastern Soul songstress Nagavalli and Latin rock legends Vallejo. And speaking of Vallejo, the show is being produced by drummer Alex Vallejo of the award-winning Austin band, who says, "DIA on Día will be a really special night event bringing artists of all color on one stage, which to me personally, is a real representation of what Austin not only should be, but really looks like." Featured artists include: Willie Alvarado, Quentin Arispe, Bakbonz, Stephanie Bergara, Bavu Blake, Como Las Movies, Del Castillo, DJ Crash, Nubia Emmon, Perri Jones, Sangeeta Kaur, Lady Shacklin', Lolita Lynne, Mélat, Nemegata, Patrice Pike, Lesly Reynaga, Carrie Rodriguez, Sami Serrano, Ter'ell Shahid, Shiela, Grace Sorensen, Sugaree, Tee Double, The Tiarras, Salih Williams
Easterseals Lone Star have been celebrating Dia de los Muertos with events and festivals at Stubbs and other Austin spaces since 2013. In fact, three-time Austin Music Awards winners The Tiarras even performed at their very first event and the “genre-defying” (NPR) sisters are performing again this year. Easterseals Texas President and CEO Tod Marvin enthused, “The rich cultural traditions of the Dia de los Muertos connect profoundly with us all and we are excited to invite every Austinite to join us in this unique one-of-a-kind celebration.”
The event celebrates the rich diversity of artists we enjoy in The Live Music Capital of the World. “Austin has long been renowned for its music cross-fertilization,” observes Nagavalli Medicharla, performing artist and EQ Austin Chair. “This event will spotlight that legacy while embracing the dynamic genres of music being made today, a testimony to how Austin music stages can look, feel and sound.”
Tickets are $13.50 in advance and $15.00 day of show and are on sale on Friday, September 30th at 12noon. More info is available at 3TEN’s website.
About Easterseals Lone Star -
Easterseals is leading the way to full equity, inclusion, and access through life-changing disability and community services. For more than 100 years, the organization has worked tirelessly with partners to enhance quality of life and expand local access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities.
Through its national network of affiliates, Easterseals provides essential services and on-the-ground support to more than 1.5 million people each year — from early childhood programs for the critical first five years, to autism services, to medical rehabilitation and employment programs, to veterans’ services, and more. Their public education, policy, and advocacy initiatives positively shape perceptions and address the urgent and evolving needs of the one in four Americans living with disabilities today.
About EQ Austin -
EQ Austin is a non-profit organization whose mission is to stimulate cultural representation and foster economic prosperity in the music and creative sector through an equity, diversity, and inclusion lens. The organization was officially launched in October 2018, to address Austin’s creative sector’s need to better reflect the demographic make-up of the community.
EQ Austin acts as a shared repository for the music community that is a central equity, diversity and inclusion resource database to shepherd resources available to the industry. Through engagement, dissemination of information, media and references, we build consensus among divergent groups and individuals.
About KUTX 98.9, the Austin Music Experience -
Named “Best Radio Station” in the Austin Music Awards poll eight times since it launched in 2013, KUTX 98.9 is the destination for new music from the diverse artists driving the sound of Austin today – from new and local artists to music that has stood the test of time. Programming includes more than 300 live, one-of-a-kind performances in Studio 1A each year; the Austin Music Minute, the KUTX Artist of the Month and the KUTX Song of the Day, as well as KUTX Live events that connect music fans to local and national talent. More at kutx.org.
The 2022 Greater Austin Area Music Census is now OPEN!
From July 15 - August 15, 2022, music industry workers living or working in the Greater Austin area are invited to participate. Over 50 community partners have signed up to support the new Greater Austin Music Census and Assessment Study seeking to capture diverse and pivotal voices of Austin’s music community
The Office of Mayor Adler and KUTX, and EQ Austin announce that the Greater Austin Area Music Census has launched to gain an understanding of the current needs of Austin’s music community, providing new data from which to develop community driven policy solutions and serving as a “health check” for the local music sector. The census will collect data from a variety of music industry members living and working in Austin and surrounding areas, and analyze the results to establish a new baseline of data. As a community-led pro-bono effort by all entities involved, additional local orgs are still welcome to become an official community engagement partner participate in the outreach efforts.
“We’re all excited about this year’s music census survey, plus we are looking forward to hearing from each and every participant that is on board,” said Tomar Williams of Carnival Beats Production and board member of EQ Austin. “Growth and being connected while growing in this great city of Austin, Texas is so important and essential to the movement and the future.”
The Greater Austin Music Census will be implemented by Austin-based Sound Music Cities.
GREATER AUSTIN AREA MUSIC CENSUS RETURNS
(AUSTIN, TEXAS — May 17, 2022; source: Juice Consulting) — The Office of Mayor Adler and KUTX are proud to announce that a new Greater Austin Area Music Census will launch Monday, June 20 to gain an understanding of the current needs of Austin’s music community. This launch marks the first time in nearly a decade that the music community will have new data from which to develop policy solutions and approaches.
The census will collect data from a variety of local music professionals and analyze the results to establish a new baseline of data for Austin music industry members living and working in the Live Music Capital of the World, including musicians, venue owners, music nonprofits and music business professionals. To become an official community engagement partner, please email here.
“EQ Austin is honored to be a part of the census survey, and will lead the diversity and inclusion outreach for the program,” said Nagavalli Medicharla, Chair of EQ Austin. “We are keen to see broad participation across Austin’s diverse music communities.”
Details for the 2022 Census will soon be announced. For information on Sound Music Cities, visit here.
OFFICIAL SXSW 2022 SHOWCASE!
EQ Austin invites you to join us for our Official 2022 SXSW showcase at THE VENUE ATX on Wednesday, March 16th, 2022 starting at 8PM.
Featuring BETTY SOO, SHIELA, KIKO VILLAMIZAR, NAGAVALLI, LESLY REYNAGA, EIMARAL SOL and QUENTIN & THE PAST LIVES.
HOT SUMMER NIGHTS Returns August 26-29!
.Hot Summer Nights is back on Red River y’all!
RRCD presents four nights of live music, comedy, and food in Downtown Austin, TX on Thursday, August 26 - Sunday, August 29th.
Stay tuned for the full lineup announcement coming soon!
#austinmusic #atxmusic
EQ Austin Presents “KUTX The Breaks” at SXSW
Talent on Austin’s hip-hop scene runs deep, and it’s time for the city as a whole to get on board. The three rappers at the top of this bill — “Ballsy” spitta Mama Duke, trap king the Teeta and soulful lyricist Deezie Brown —all feel poised on the verge of a breakout. Producer, JaRon Marshall, whose jazzy meditation “The Black Power Tape” was a potent reflection on last year’s unrest, and uplifting rhyme slinger J Soulja are also on the bill. — D.S.S. (Austin-American Statesman)
EQ Austin Partners with EPS Presents to produce ONE ROAD AUSTIN
In 2018, EQ Austin partnered with local turn-key production company EPS Presents (Event Production Services) to curate a one-night event that showcased Austin’s diverse music community.
EQ AUSTIN Partners With BLACK FRET for SXSW 2021 Virtual Showcase
A second Black Fret showcase teams the music patron group with EQ Austin, which works to “stimulate cultural representation and foster economic prosperity” in the local music and creative scenes, according to its website. A great lineup for this showcase is anchored by Jake Lloyd and Ray Prim, along with singer-songwriter Betty Soo, cumbia purveyors Como Las Movies and rapper Mike Melinoe. — P.B. (Austin American-Statesman)
“EQ Austin is about creating opportunities, creating awareness, helping to drive the political will that’s necessary to actually put real resources against these issues. It’s also about opening up doors and making it so that when people are programming music in this city they’re thinking about diversity and equity. It needs to be happening in the music industry because we have a lot to celebrate in this city, but it doesn’t happen unless it’s intentional.”
— Mayor Steve Adler
New non-profit EQ AUSTIN will promote diversity in Austin’s music industry
In the past year, the city of Austin created a task force dedicated to increasing equity, diversity and inclusion in the music industry. On Wednesday night, a new nonprofit dedicated to promoting diversity and underrepresented genres in Austin music was launched from that working group’s efforts.