Kinnara AAPI Music and Food Festival

Kinnara is an outdoor celebration of Asian American Pacific Islander music, food, and culture.
Named after the half human, half bird mythological creature known for their musical prowess, the festival will feature industry established AAPI musicians while giving up-incoming artists and young local talent a platform to showcase and develop their craft.
Opening ceremonies will include pan-asian traditional music and dance. Food and non-musical art vendors will also be on the premises for the audience to experience.

Music Headliners include Justin Nozuka, Alan Z, and Joe Sonza!

Justin Nozuka

Fresh off his sold out European and North American tour, Justin Nozuka is riding the momentum from his 5th studio album, “Daydreams & Endless Nights”. Born in New York City and raised in Toronto among a family of musicians, Justin reached global success with the RIAA gold certified albums “Holly” and “You I Wind Land and Sea”, the latter debuting at #1 on the Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart. JUNO nominations for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Best Alternative Album followed, along with world tours, performances including the Glastonbury and Fuji Rock Festivals, and TV programs like The Late Show with David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel Live! which sparked a dedication to touring he maintains to this day. Justin’s musical style has organically evolved from his acoustic, folk-infused roots to a spellbinding brand of alternative R&B as seen in his most recent releases. This unique musical diversity is resonating with his devoted fanbase and new listeners alike, setting the stage for an exciting new era of music.

Alan Z

With an audience of 100,000+ cumulative followers, Alan Z surpasses the confines of genres and racial barriers with his signature concoction of hip-hop aggression, R&B melodies, and pop sensibilities. His music is featured in Netflix, HBO Max and The CW, and he has worked with Ruby Ibarra, King Los, Raphael Saadiq, AJ Rafael, and Full Force. Alan Z headlined a tour in 2022, and he regularly performs at festivals and conventions, including TAN Asia Festival, Atlanta Korean Festival, NOLA Nite Market, AsiaFest, MomoCon, BlerdCon, and K-Pop All Night.

Joe Sonza

Joe Sonza is a lone wolf. Born and raised in New Jersey, R&B artist Sonza blends introspective lyrics about isolation and independence with sensitive delivery. A first-generation Filipino American, Sonza started recording while studying music at his alma mater, Georgetown University. Prior to his college years, he cut his teeth busking at local cafes and restaurants, immersed in pop and singer-songwriter song-forms. Then, his debut project, 'SONZA 1', released in 2018 catapulted his recognition on his college campus from a Battle-of-the-Bands-winning blues-rock frontman to an R&B and rap artist still rooted in his singer-songwriter foundations. Later, Sonza's 2021 EP 'Everything or Nothing' took on the task of autobiographically portraying a reflection of family roots and personal identity. Later that year, Sonza's conceptual EP 'Halloween' captured a relationship from finish-to-start in a reverse timeline narrative. Joe has worked with many industry talents including Grammy-award winning mixer Derek "MixedByAli" Ali, mastering engineer Chris Athens, and a collaboration with YouTube sensation Composerily on their song "Roulette." His 2023 collab tape 'U & Me' with New Jersey rapper Globin, cemented Joe as a versatile songsmith able to hit hard and dig deep. Now with his latest single "Midnight" Joe Sonza endeavors to take his unique twist on pop and R&B to a different, nocturnal level.

Host or Publisher East Brunswick Arts Coalition