10-Year Anniversary Benefit Concert with Mamajowali

Name: 10-Year Anniversary Benefit Concert with Mamajowali
Start: 2025-08-27T18:30:00-07:00
End: 2025-08-27T22:00:00-07:00
Location: The Freight

Schedule

Wed Aug 27 2025 at 06:30 pm to 10:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

The Freight | Berkeley, CA

Join us for a powerful night of music and meaning as Mamajowali takes the stage—an electrifying trio blending the deep musical roots of West Africa with Americana soul and improvisational brilliance. This special performance is not only a benefit concert for The Sonder Project, but also a celebration of the organization’s 10-year anniversary transforming lives in sub-Saharan Africa through clean water, education, and sustainable agriculture. The dance floor will be open, so come ready to move and celebrate!
Mamajowali brings together three master musicians:
• Joe Craven, a genre-hopping multi-instrumentalist who’s played alongside Jerry Garcia and spent 17 years as percussionist and violinist for David Grisman.
• Mamadou Sidibe, a Malian virtuoso who helped revolutionize traditional hunter’s harp music, working with icons like Oumou Sangare, and pioneering the development of the kamale ngoni.
• Walter Strauss, a fingerstyle guitar innovator whose renderings of West African kora music were called “inspirational” by kora legend Toumani Diabate, and who has collaborated with guitar great Alex de Grassi.
Together, they create a whole new sound —Afromericana— a vibrant fusion of cultures, traditions, and rhythms that defies genre and uplifts audiences with joy, groove, and soul.
Enjoy a night of live music, dancing, a silent auction, and community celebration. Snacks and beverages will be available for sale. All ages welcome.
About The Sonder Project
Over the past decade, The Sonder Project has worked hand-in-hand with communities in Burkina Faso and Malawi to implement high-impact sustainable development. Highlights include drilling 66 clean water wells providing safe water to over 64,000 people, constructing 18 primary school blocks supporting schools attended by over 4,000 students every day, and sponsoring more than 300 students through secondary and post-secondary education—all part of a broader mission that empowers people to lift themselves out of poverty.