WORLD FOLK JAM

Our events celebrate diversity and honor ancient traditions, featuring world-renowned folk music and performance arts. These events seek to nurture and support the Bay Area's world folk communities and to facilitate networking, collaboration, friendship, and cross-cultural understanding. Sign up for our events list here.

SAT, JAN 20TH, 7PM TO 2AM

Shuttles Start: 6:30pm  Doors Open: 6:45pm

SAN RAFAEL ESTATE

MUSIC, DANCE & SPA LOUNGING

Drive from: Berkeley: 25mins, Oakland: 30mins, SF: 35mins

THE ESTATE
Shoe-Free Indoors. 
Wheelchair accessible with elevator.

THE LISTENING LIBRARY (Upper Level)
 7:00 PM | Lasya (North Indian Bansuri)
 8:15 PM | Georges Lammam Ensemble (Palestinian Arabic) 
10:00 PM | Sara Saberi (Iranian Oud)
11:00 AM | Andrew Cohen (Eastern European)
12:30 AM | Sass N Harmony (Soul Folk)
Ceremonial Tea Lounge

THE DANCING PARLOR (Middle Level)
 8:30 PM | Soji Sai (Nigerian Afrobeat & Highlife)
10:30 PM | John Brothers Piano Company (American Fusion)
12:30 AM | Vaidehi Amair (Indian Mantra Bass)
Healthy Food & Non-Alcoholic Drinks ($$)

THE SPA GARDEN (Middle Level - Outside)
Ceremonial Tea Lounge
Sauna and Cold Plunge
Bring towels. Shower before using.
11:00 PM | Jake Ross (Fire Arts)

THE DEN (Lower Level)
Open Acoustic Jams (World Folk)

THE POOLS (Lowest Level - Outside)
Full-size Swimming Pool and Hot Tub
Bring towels. Shower before using.

Clothing optional only in Pool, Hot Tub, and Sauna areas.
Clothes required through rest of property including inside.
No sexual activity permitted at this event.

PARKING & SHUTTLES

• Do Not Park Close to the Venue or you will be banned from our events.
• A ticket AND proof that you didn't park nearby (Uber/Lyft or free shuttle receipt) will be required for entry to the event.
• Shuttles: From 6:30pm to 3am, a free shuttle service will run every 5-10 minutes to and from a location 4 minutes from the venue.
• The shuttle location, venue location and Uber/Lyft instructions will be included with your ticket.

PARTICIPATE

• Volunteer: Sorry, all volunteer positions are now full!
• Jam: Low-income musicians can apply for free tickets to come jam using this Guest Musician Application.
• Perform: If you have an act that you would like us to consider hiring, fill out our Band Application.
• Vend: If you're interested in vending at our event, please contact us here.
• RSVP: Join our Facebook Event page and invite your friends.

PERFORMERS

Soji Sai (Nigerian Afrobeat / Highlife)
Nigeria’s legendary guitar master and singer Adesoji “”Soji”” Odukogbe was, among other things, the lead guitarist for Fela Kuti for five years. Odukogbe draws on an extensive background in Nigerian Afrobeat, highlife, and spiritual music, bringing a unique sensibility to his highlife guitar interpretations.
More Info

Sara Saberi (Iranian Oud)
Sara grew up in Tehran, the capital of Iran. At the age of 11 she began her journey at the Music School of Tehran under the supervision of oud masters Mansour Nariman, Hussein Behrouzinia, and Mohammad Firoozi. She went on to receive her degree from Aali Music University. She has performed with many different music ensembles such as Khorshid Ensemble, Maah lead by Majid Derakhshani, Avaye Norouz lead by Siavash Imani, and internationally with the Majnoon Ensemble. Sara was privileged to performed as the concertmaster of oud with the National Orchestra of Iran (Orchestr e Meli Iran) led by Bardia Kiaras and Arash Gooran from 2011-2014. There she had the honor of performing with Master Hussain Alizadeh. She is particularly proud of founding her all-women's group Chista, as she is a strong advocate for women’s freedom in music within her country.
More info

John Brothers Piano Company (American Fusion)
John Brothers Piano Company is an Oakland-based instrumental quartet whose compositions oscillate between incisive part-writing and unrestrained improvisational energy. Guided by this interplay, seemingly disparate influences, from chamber music to hot jazz, are focused through emphatic lyricism.
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Vaidehi Amair (Indian Mantra Bass)
Vaidehi Amair is a creative entrepreneur that loves to share spiritual knowledge and mantra through music and dance. Born and raised in the Bhakti Yoga tradition, she has a love for mantra and hip hop and now produces her own mantra bass hip hop music with ancient Sanskrit chants. Her vision is to bridge the culture of Bhakti Yoga into the world of music and festival culture. She has performed on various stages such as Northern Nights Music Festival, LIB, Love Long Beach Festival, Enchanted Forest, Envision Costa Rica, One Love Fest, BhaktiLoveReunion, Osho Tantra Gathering and more.
More Info

Georges Lammam Ensemble (Palestinian Arabic)
Georges Lammam, of Palestinian descent, was born in Beirut, Lebanon. The second of three brothers who are professional musicians, he is a solo violinist exemplifying the Arab style of instrumental improvisation. His repertoire spans a wide range of Arabic music, form classical to contemporary popular songs. Having performed with the most well-known singers of the Middle East, his reputation as an instrumental accompanist with a strong command of maqamat precedes him. Khader Keileh (from Palestine and Jordan) will be joining him on keyboard. Susu Pampanin will be joining on percussion.
More info

Sass N Harmony (Soul Folk) with Paul Sounder
The music of Sass N Harmony is imbued with mischief, minimalism & magic. With lyrics immersed in archetypes & folk-tales their vocals fly together at times angelic & feathery and other times cackling & edgy, full of tension & resolve, rhythm & playfulness. Featuring Heather Normandale (Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, Ukulele, Bass), and Carolyn Herlehy (Vocals, Percussion). Paul Sounder joins forces with members of Sass n Harmony in a musical collaboration to soothe the soul.  Heather and Paul have been performing together for over ten years creating a watery expression of music, melodic and rootsy. Together this trio offers harmony and groove to ground and elevate the space around them. 
More info

Lasya (North Indian Bansuri)
Lasya (Srishti Biyani) is a bansuri player, composer, and music producer born and brought up in New Delhi, India. She creates music that blends influences from around the world into Hindustani classical tradition. The sound of Bansuri combined with atmospheric soundscapes, vocals, and rhythms is what makes her music unique. Laysa was a a vocalist and flutist on Grammy Nominated Album ‘Shuruaat.'
More info

Andrew Cohen (Eastern European)
Andrew Cohen is on a mission with the accordion. After experiencing an existential crisis common among classically trained musicians, he decided to pick up the instrument and hasn’t looked back. Andrew performed constantly for years as part of the rich Bay Area Balkan music scene, learning traditional folk music from Macedonia, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, and Turkey. After a time, Romanian Gypsy music, Muzica Lautareasca caught his attention. In 2019, after recording his album Californeasca featuring professional Romanian vocalist Ionela Guzic, Andrew was invited to study in Romania with master accordionist Ionica Minune, living for months with him, his wife, and their ten dogs in the village of Stefanestii-de-Jos. To date, Andrew is the first and only American musician to be given the opportunity to study with Ionica who is one of the national figures of Romania, and the experience has inspired him to bring this virtuosic and little-known music to an audience here in the US. Andrew has performed at many venues around California and the western US, and at festivals including Outside Lands and Symbiosis festival.
More info

Jake Ross (Fire Arts)