With Capitol Hill Block Party 2016 passed, this weekend brings free music to Cal Anderson Park. Attendees will be able to enjoy the “the four elements” — DJing, breakdancing, emceeing, and graffiti art not filtered through the Pike/Pine scene.
Sunday evening, Cal Anderson will play host to local DJs, musicians, and visual artists as part of its turn to host a 206 Zulu Park Jam. The jam is organized by nonprofit volunteer organization 206 Zulu, the Seattle branch of a group started in the 70s to bring live music, particularly hip hop, to parks as a way to create a safe place for young people in the Bronx. Zulu has since extended its mission to providing family-friendly music and arts programming in cities throughout the United States.
Organizer Kitty Wu said that while 206 Zulu hosts a series of park jams every summer, this is the first time one will take place at Cal Anderson. This is also the first year that the volunteer organization has received a city grant for the summer series; Wu said the 2016 Zulu Park Jams are a collaboration between 206 Zulu, the Office of Arts and Culture, and the Seattle Parks Department. Zulu received a grant from the Office of Arts and Culture for this year’s jam series, and if the opportunity to apply for that funding comes up again they plan to take it.
“They were looking to get more people into the parks,” said Wu. “It’s great to have the support of the city.”
The jam will run from 4 to 8 PM and is free and open to the public. Wu said Zulu’s programming is family-friendly, so feel free to bring your little ones along. Some highlights to look forward to include music from hip hop duo Golden Alchemy, beats from DJ Seabefore and DJ Riff-Raff, and live painting from graffiti artist JEAH and mural-painting duo They Drift.
If you cannot make Sunday’s jam, 206 Zulu organizes music and art events throughout the year. You can view a full list of the group’s upcoming programming on the 206 Zulu Facebook page.
