Grand Oak Opry is thrilled to present Carolyne Naomi on Saturday the 18th of September at 7:00pm.

To see both her incredible musical skills and her infectious community impact, check out #Japa or #bamijochallenge on Instagram!

As a kid in Nigeria, Carolyne Naomi listened to African music, especially the traditional and modern Nigerian styles that led to Afropop/Afrobeats; as well as Reggae, R&B, Soul and Gospel music.

Carolyne wrote her first song when she was 9, and started playing the guitar during her undergraduate program at the university. Always a good student, she holds an M.Sc. in Media and Communication, but through her formal studies, Carolyne always had music going on in her head and knew she wanted to be on stage. 

She eventually moved to Minnesota to study Guitar and Voice Performance at McNally Smith College of Music. Since then, she has been performing around top music venues in the Twin Cities, including Skyway Theatre, Dakota Jazz Club, The Cedar Cultural Center, IceHouse Minneapolis, etc. 

Carolyne released her first single “Love & Light” in 2018, and went further to release more singles and two music videos for her most recent releases in 2021, “Boss (Oga at the Top)” and “JAPA”. 

As a performer, she finds ways of combining her varied interests in music of the African diaspora into her own Afro-fusion that appeals to contemporary audiences who, like her, have been tuning into varied musical experiences since childhood. 

She has shared the stage with Grammy Award winning international artists like Burna Boy and Wizkid, to name a few. 

Carolyne Naomi’s debut EP will be released in 2021.

TICKETS & LOGISTICS: There are no tickets. For all shows we request a $15 donation/adult, with 100% of the proceeds going to the artist. (No one will be turned away based on the ability to pay, and people can contribute more because 100% goes to the artist.)

Seating is first come first served, with the gate open at 6:30. We ask that you bring your own chair/blanket, and anything that you like to eat or drink. (Adult beverages allowed.) We provide an onsite bathroom in our house. No animals allowed.

FOLLOW:

Instagram: @carolyne _naomi https://www.instagram.com/carolyne_naomi/

Facebook: Carolyne Naomi Music https://www.facebook.com/Carolynspire/

Twitter: @carolyne_naomi https://twitter.com/carolyne_naomi

YouTube: Carolyne Naomi https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCl76HJT5GOJA1NCpy6D9pg

Blue Dream will perform Saturday August 21st at 7:30 pm.

Blue Dream is a new band formed by Minneapolis based saxophonist & composer Josh Johnson, who is an active band member with Jamecia Bennet, Maria Isa, and Blood $moke Body. 

Blue Dream will perform an eclectic set of music with influences from modern jazz, MPLS funk, indie rock, and hip hop. Featuring vocals, rhythms & melodies celebrating our ability to heal, mourn, and organize together through live music once again. 

We are honored to feature another up-and-coming artist like Josh. Josh’s talents were clear when he performed with Maria Isa in 2019, and he was scheduled to perform in 2020. 

This gets to the heart of what Grand Oak Opry is all about. Please join us for this incredible opportunity!

TICKETS & LOGISTICS: There are no tickets. For all shows we request a $15 donation/adult, with 100% of the proceeds going to the artist. (No one will be turned away based on the ability to pay, and people can contribute whatever they can.)

Seating is first come first served, with the gate open at 6:30. We ask that you bring your own chair/blanket, and anything that you like to eat or drink. (Adult beverages allowed.) We provide an onsite bathroom in our house. No animals allowed.

We are thrilled to announce that Nur-D will open our 2021 season. We had Nur-D booked for 2020, and perhaps no other artist has reflected the events of the past 18 months quite like him. His insights, creativity, and energy have reflected back what so many people in the community have been feeling and experiencing during these times.

Since hitting the scene in 2018, Nur-D’s music has been played around the globe, while making friends wherever he goes.  He was voted 2019’s Best New Artist (Citypages) and has gained numerous other accolades in his incredibly young career, including headlining First Avenue’s 2020 Best New Bands show, where he also won Best Local Concert of the Year (Citypages).

With events for Soundset, Paisley Park, US Bank Stadium, The Kennedy Center, and more under his belt, he’s shown that he’s not slowing down any time soon.

TICKETS & LOGISTICS: There are no tickets. For all shows we request a $15 donation/adult, with 100% of the proceeds going to the artist. (No one will be turned away based on the ability to pay, and people can contribute whatever they can afford.)

Seating is first come first served, with the gate open at 6:30. We ask that you bring your own chair/blanket, and anything that you like to eat or drink. (Adult beverages allowed.) We provide an onsite bathroom in our house. No animals allowed.

FOLLOW: You can find @NurDRocks on Twitter, TikTok, Insta, and Facebook. Also: www.nurdrocks.com. Nur-D, aka Matt Allen, is co-founder of FairPlay Entertainment, www.fairplayentertainment.org.

Note: Given the enormous economic hit that musicians and their community are taking in this current crisis, we’ll be working to do whatever we can to help support/promote the musicians that have played for us in the past.

This Sunday the 29th, Gaelynn Lea will be hosting a live-streamed candle-lit meditation concert. Please share this with others who might be interested and join her if you can.

We’re grateful to the folks at MusicInMinnesota.com for featuring us in a recent story. Check it out when you can!

https://www.musicinminnesota.com/sith-grand-oak-opry/