"Erykah Badu isn't easily forgotten. Whether for her attire (she wears African head wraps and ornate jewelry), her music or her personality, once you encounter Erykah, she stays with you. She first burst on the scene in 1997 with her debut album, a critical and commercial success called Baduizm. The album hit the No. 2 position on the Billboard Charts, the highest position ever for a first-time album."
"For the reigning queen of soul and R&B, producing music that stands the test of time is reward enough."

Erykah Badu was born on February 26, 1971 to William and Kollen Wright in Dallas, Texas. They named her Erica Abi Wright and she was the first of their three children. She inherited a taste for music from her mother who introduced her to multiple genres of music (Joni Mitchell, Parliament-Funkadelic, Pink Floyd, Phoebe Snow, Chaka Khan). At the tender age of four, Badu began singing and dancing in productions at the local Dallas Theatre Centre. It wasn't until her acting debut in the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreational Center's musical production of "Really Rosie," directed by her godmother Gwen Hargrove, that Badu realized she was a natural performer. "I played Alligator," Badu says, "and at 6 years old, I got my first standing ovation. I knew I wanted to bring people to their feet from that point on."

Badu stayed true to her artistic leanings and enrolled at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts in the late '80s. Tomboyish and a bit of a class clown, Badu devoted most of her time to perfecting her dance form, studying the techniques of Martha Graham and Katherine Dunham, as well as practicing ballet, tap, and modern dance. Badu also sharpened her Hip-Hop skills, freestyling on the Dallas radio station 90.9 FM KNON under the name Apples the Alchemist until she eventually changed the spelling of her name from "Erica Wright" to "Erykah Badu," "kah" being Kemetic (Egyptian) for a human’s vital energy or "inner-self" and "ba-du" after her favorite jazz scat-sound. But later, Badu would discover that her chosen name holds a far deeper meaning.In 1989, her senior year of high school, she decided to dedicate her life to a path of holistic wellness and became a vegetarian.

Badu enrolled at Grambling State University, where she majored in theater and minored in Quantum Physics. She left in 1993 to pursue music full-time. During the day, she taught drama and dance at the South Dallas Cultural Center and worked as a coffeehouse waitress. At night, she recorded and performed songs like "Appletree," produced by her cousin Robert "Free" Bradford. In 1994, her 19-song demo caught the attention of aspiring record executive Kedar Massenburg by way of the SXSW music festival. Massenburg signed her to his upstart label Kedar Entertainment. The company eventually merged with Motown/Universal and Badu started opening for D'Angelo, prepping the world for the massive Neo soul movement to come.

The New York Times described Badu's groundbreaking debut, 1997's Baduizm, as "traditional soul vocals, staccato hip-hop rhythms and laid-back jazzy grooves." Yet, hindsight reveals that Badu’s debut was more than just an album, it was the introduction of a new lifestyle. The muic evoked speakeasies, incense, head wraps, and boho coffee shop culture all in one easy breath. Propelled by the lead single "On & On," the album went multi-platinum, winning her two Grammys for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album. Badu topped Rolling Stone’s Reader's poll for Best R&B Artist, and Entertainment Weekly named her Best New Female Singer of 1997.

In 2003, she founded her non-profit group, B.L.I.N.D. (Beautiful Love Incorporated Non-Profit Development), which is geared toward creating social change through economic, artistic, and cultural development. Among B.L.I.N.D.'s many accomplishments, the organization has provided arts, crafts, and dance classes to children displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Also in 2004, Badu’s charitable efforts helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the scholarship fund at St. Phillips School and Community Center in Dallas, Texas.

Badu continues to use her platform as an alter. By incorporating instruments such as tuning forks, crystal singing bowls, and gem stones and more into her music, she has created a wave of healing energy throughout the planet. But her true instrument is the 'intent' with which she sings. She has become a spiritual midwife, aiding in the rebirth of moral and spiritual consciousness for her generation. Badu's artistic and spiritual contributions to humanity earnd her an honorary Doctorate degree in Humanities from Paul Quinn College in 2000.

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Junkyard band is one of the most successful Go go bands, performing consistently since the 1970's. They created such smash hits as "Sardines" and "Ruff it Off". They were once the band of Heavy One, one of the greatest drummers in Go Go history, who is now deceased.

Junkyard Band in 1980, a group of kids ages 8 to 11 living in a government housing project in Washington, D.C., were inspired to play music upon continually seeing performances of go-go bands in their neighborhood. Not having resources to buy traditional instruments, the kids scoured "hood" to find what resources they could that would emulate real instruments. The resources they found obviously turned out to be junk - hubcaps, plastic buckets, crates, cans and old pots & pans. The group performed regularly in their housing project named Barry Farm; and after just a few performances the group was dubbed the name "Junkyard Band". In the early '80s (and at an early age for the members) Junkyard began performing on a regular basis as go-go music was increasing in popularity and the kids had perfected the craft of performing. The band played at go-go concerts, schools, recreation centers, for civic organizations, fundraisers and government agencies. The band also performed on the streets of Washington, D.C. which is it's claim to fame. Junkyard undoubtedly became a tourist attraction which led to the band's appearances in a TV commercial and two movies - "D.C. Cab" with Mr. T and "Tougher Than Leather" with Run-DMC. The band's popularity led to a recording contract with Russell Simmon's Def Jam Records.

THE BAD BOYS OF GO GO... (NO FURTHER EXPLANATION NEEDED)

Backyard also known as BYB is the most successful and widely known Go-Go band in the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia area as well as nationwide. BYB consists of Anwan 'Big G' Glover (lead talker) whom is nationally known for his role on HBO's the Wire as Slim Charles. Leroy 'Weensey' Brandon (vocals), Earl Vincent (vocals), Tiffany 'Sweetthang' White (vocals), and Carlos 'Los' Chavels (rapper) who all make up the frontline. Keith 'Sauce' Robinson (percussion), Paul 'Buggy' Edwards (percussion), Bobby 'Bob' Terry (lead guitar), Nathaniel 'Nate' Field (Bass Guitar), Eric 'EB' Britt (keyboard), Michael 'Mike' Dunklin (keyboard), and Marcus Johnson (keyboard).

The band core members have been a group for 30 years with only a few additions over time. They gained their start and edgy sound of rock inspired music in the streets of Washington, DC beating on buckets. All after, Backyard has gone on to be one of the highly anticipated and requested bands in the Washington, DC metro area with consistent shows 3 to 4 days a week as well as many invitations to perform in front of the areas elite. They have produced 5 albums with one album "Hood Related" debuting at 69 on the billboard chart.

Besides the Washington, DC metro area, the band has toured around the country performing shows along the east coast to include New York, Atlanta, and Miami as well as New Orleans and gracing the stage with the likes of Scarface, 2pac, Biggie, Devin the Dude, French Montana, Meek Mills, Wale, 2chainz, and many more.

The band takes the most popular songs and genres of music and incorporate their originality spin, inserting their Go-Go flair to each. This provides a rigorous harmonizing sound that consists of the transmission and engine of which is the core of the band's music.

The Chuck Brown Band toured the world with the Godfather of Go Go for the most prolific period of his life, when he had 5 Billboard charting releases and a Grammy nomination over a ten year period. They continue to honor him by carrying the torch, keeping the beat alive and the party going. Chuck Brown was always known for having only the best musicians from DC in his band. This often translated into having the best musicians, period. With the addition of Frank Sirius leading the band forward on guitar and vocals, the Chuck Brown Band is arguably the Crankin'est Band on the Planet. Chuck's daughter KK has always been a part of the show, and Chuck's son Wiley Brown often makes an appearance, keeping Chuck’s "Family Affair" vibe as much a part of the band as it is a part of the relationship between the band and the audience. Digging through the vault of Chuck Brown classics from Run Joe and Go-Go Swing to more recent hits like Chuck Baby and Beautiful Life, the Chuck Brown Band combines the best of the Godfather and the best of Go-Go in an uplifting, show stopping performance. Infusing the Godfather's mix of jazz, funk, and soul, along with audience call and response, his legacy continues. The Chuck Brown Band has been joined on stage by Ledisi, George Clinton, Dwele, Raheem DeVaughn, Lil Mo, Doug E Fresh, and others.

Maimouna Youssef also known as Mumu Fresh is GRAMMY-Nominated, Indigenous Music award-winning, 3 X Washington Area Music award (WAMMIE) winning, Urban World Music Video award-winning, Musical and Cultural Ambassador for the US State Department, former elected governor of the DC chapter of The Recording Academy, co-creator of the Recording Academy&aposs "Best Song for Social Change" award, IMAN central roster artist and an Ambassador of The Black Music Collective.

Mumu Fresh has performed on two separate NPR Tiny Desk concerts which both surpassed 1 Million views each. She has toured internationally as a critically acclaimed singer, Emcee, songwriter, activist, workshop facilitator and now audio engineer who's been called a "quadruple threat" by The Roots' Black Thought, a musical "Quasar" by Indie rap legend TechN9ne, & "groundbreaking" by Oscar-winning artist, Common.

While touring 6 continents, Mumu Fresh has built a relationship with over 275K engaged fans who have shared and streamed her recorded music millions of times in at least 192 countries throughout the world to date. Mumu Fresh has shared the stage and or collaborated with the likes of Dave Chappelle, Amy Schumer, The Roots, Salaam Remi, D Smoke, Sting, Lalah Hathaway, Anderson Paak, Bruno Mars, Femi Kuti, Angelique Kidjoe, Nas, Jill Scott, Ed Sheeran, Common, Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Raphael Saadiq & Tobe Nwigwe just to name a few.

Her soul-stirring performances stole the show at the Black Girls Rock Awards 2019 and Black Music Honors 2019 and 2021. She's rocked stages at acclaimed music festivals including the Forbes Blk Summit Essence Music Festival, Global Citizens, The Roots Picnic, Dubai's Sole Fest DBX, Montreux Switzerland's Jazz Festival, Mind Valley's A-fest in Cartegena Columbia, The ESPYs and SXSW. Mumu Fresh's music and philanthropic endeavours have been featured in publications and on platforms such as Variety, Ebony, Essence, BET, NPR, Al-Jazeera, Rolling Stone, AfroPunk, Sway in the Morning & more.

Among her most recent accomplishments is her contribution to creating and launching the Recording Academy's historic trustee award entitled "Best Song For Social Change" which went live in 2023 at the 66th GRAMMY awards show and was presented by The First Lady, Jill Biden. The award was created by Mumu Fresh and her co-chair Wayna, assisted by NY chapter’s Carlos Chirinos, supported by the DC Chapter and ratified by the Recording Academy's board of Trustees to bring awareness to social awareness justice themes that may have been under-represented or marginalized in the mainstream music scene in the past. It is their hope that this new award will foster a path to greater awareness, understanding, communication and empathetic action amongst communities worldwide.

Maimouna serves on the board of the copyright alliance and has advocated on artists' rights in Congress. Maimouna has served as a mentor for several Grammy U affiliated young aspiring artists. In 2020, she founded her own online music education platform called "Muniversity Studies" to teach aspiring and reemerging artists how to reimagine the music business and thrive independently with purpose. In 2023 she partnered with The Duke Ellington School for The Arts' Theater department as the Musical Director to compose and arrange the score for their rendition of George Orwell's Animal Farm.

Most recently Maimouna has founded a non-profit organization with her mother, renowned sound healer, water pourer and culture keeper, Wapajea Walks on Water. The organization houses their family retreat center called Mountain Eagle Place, located in Freeman Virginia. Mountain Eagle Place is named after their matriarch Mountain Eagle Woman and is a haven for cultural preservation and restoration of indigenous practices and connectedness to the natural world.

Mumu Fresh is quickly becoming renowned as a sound healer and an independent music mogul for her generation. She is committed to 'Art Activism' and has performed and given lectures at dozens of Universities throughout the US and abroad as well as within the US prison system, The Congressional Black Caucus, I.M.A.N. Central in Chicago & Atlanta, The W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Ford Foundation, The Indigenous People's Movement and more,. Mumu Fresh is a global citizen, musical healer, cultural philanthropist and community pillar.

Mumu Fresh will embark on a national tour this spring to promote her new album "The Healing" coming in May 2024.