Groundbeat Concert Series | Sonic Passports – Caribbean Heritage Month

Travel Through Music Presents: Sonic Passports – Caribbean Heritage Month

Back for our second year, Sonic Passports returns to kick off Caribbean Heritage Month with an unforgettable journey through sound, culture, and community.

Featuring performances by Zama, Safiya, and Roots Alley Collective, this immersive experience highlights the rich musical traditions of the Caribbean, from kompa and calypso to soca and reggae.

Beyond the stage, enjoy a vibrant, family-friendly atmosphere with our Kiddies Corner led by A Tribe Called Funk, featuring interactive dance lessons, creative activities, and cultural exploration for all ages. Guests can also experience live public art and engage with the rhythms, movement, and stories that define Caribbean culture.

Come ready to dance, connect, and travel through music.

Bring a blanket, your dancing shoes, and your crew. Come celebrate the joy of music, the power of community, and the rhythms that bring us all together. Enjoy vendor fair featuring Mexibites, lawn games, and other family friendly activities. We will have a limited number of free picnic blankets and stadium seating chairs we can loan out during the event! 

CONCERT LINEUP

Safiya

Safiya is a rising force in jazz, neo-soul, and reggae, known for her invigorating stage presence and seamless fusion of Afro-Caribbean roots with rich jazz influences. Backed by her dynamic band, she delivers performances that captivate audiences worldwide, blending groove, storytelling, and cultural depth into every show.

A Berklee College of Music graduate, Safiya has earned multiple award nominations, including New England Music Award Jazz Act of the Year in 2022 and 2023 and Boston Music Award Reggae Artist of the Year in 2024. She has performed across the globe, bringing her sound to audiences in Fiji, Colombia, Aruba, Sint Maarten, Portugal, Japan, and throughout the United States.

Her performance résumé includes opening for Grammy Award winner Keznamdi and Caribbean stars Sherwin Winchester, Konshens, and Glen Washington. She has also performed with the National Chorale, backing Alicia Keys and David Guetta at the United Nations. Safiya has headlined festivals including BAMS Festival, Salem Jazz Festival, and Point Sebago Reggae Festival, and completed a mini tour in Tokyo in 2023.

In 2020, Safiya released her debut single, Let’s Pretend, a reflective and emotionally layered track that introduced audiences to her signature blend of jazz harmony and Caribbean rhythm. The song captures the tender aftermath of a relationship that once burned brightly but has reached its natural close. With smoky vocals and lush chord progressions underscored by a subtle island pulse, Safiya leans into the bittersweet desire to remember love at its peak, even while accepting that it is time to let go. The track established her voice not only as a vocalist but as a storyteller unafraid to explore vulnerability through a cross-cultural sonic lens.

In November 2025, she released a reggae-infused cover of Santa Baby as a playful yet soulful preview of her upcoming Christmas album, set for release in 2026. Reimagined with warm basslines and island swing, the cover hints at Safiya’s ability to reinterpret classics through her Afro-Caribbean jazz perspective.

Safiya is currently working on her debut full-length album, scheduled for release in 2026, a project that promises to further explore the intersection of jazz, reggae, neo-soul, and global influences that define her artistry.

Beyond the stage, Safiya is the founder of Travel Through Music, a cultural platform that connects global communities through live performance, curated travel experiences, and educational programming. Featured in Forbes and The Boston Globe, the project reflects her commitment to using music as a bridge across cultures.

Featured on Boston Cityline News andTrinidad and Tobago’s Morning Synergy TV,  Safiya’s influence extends far beyond the stage. Recognized as one of  Boston’s Extraordinary Women for her contributions to music and culture, she continues to redefine the intersection of jazz, reggae, world music, and cultural storytelling. With new projects on the horizon, Safiya invites listeners to join her on a transformative musical journey, one note at a time.

Roots Alley Collective

Roots Alley Collective is an east coast based collective championing the sound of the Caribbean diaspora. Roots Alley is dedicated to preserving their roots and pushing  the culture forward. Fresh off the heels of being nominated for “Best Reggae artist/band” by the Boston Music Awards,  and their latest release “Lifted” and  “Wabash Riddim”

RAC is ensuring us one groovy summer. Since getting started in 2018, this collective has had the pleasure of working with artists like Luciano, Marlon Asher, Lutan Fyah,Richie Spice, Jahriffe, and Glenn Washington to name a few.

Zama

ZAMA is a Haitian-American singer, songwriter, and recording artist hailing from Boston. With a soulful voice and evocative lyrics, she crafts music that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. Her sound, is an expressive blend of genres, is an ode to her journey through life, identity, and the rich duality of her cultures.

Drawing from her Haitian roots and American upbringing, ZAMA weaves together a sound that transcends genre—merging elements of soul, pop, R&B, and Afro-Caribbean rhythms into something entirely her own, with lyrics in English, French, Haitian Creole and Spanish. 

At the heart of ZAMA’s artistry is storytelling. Her songs are intimate yet expansive, offering reflections on identity, resilience, growth, and the in-between moments that define us. Each track is a chapter in the ongoing narrative of her life, shaped by her cultures, her passions, and her perspective as a multidisciplinary creative

ACTIVITIES, TABLERS, VENDORS

Enjoy food, info sessions and family-friendly activities from Mexibites, Wanderful, Friendshipworks, Cool Shades, the West End Museum, and more!

ABOUT GROUNDBEAT

GroundBeat Concert Series fosters opportunities to perform on the Esplanade’s iconic Hatch Memorial Shell for producers and artists across greater Boston who are committed to increasing inclusivity and diversity in Boston’s arts scene. Learn more and register for other concerts on our website. 

EVENT CANCELLATION

In the event of extreme weather or other hazardous conditions, the Esplanade Association will email all participants and post a cancellation notice. Please follow our social media accounts - Instagram (@EsplanadeInBoston)/ Facebook page (@EsplanadeBoston) to keep up to date about potential class cancellations.

LOCATION INFORMATION & DIRECTIONS

NOTE: There is NO PARKING on the Esplanade. Please plan to arrive via one of the options below:

ABOUT TRAVEL THROUGH MUSIC

Travel Through Music is a cultural concert experience that brings audiences on a journey around the world through sound, rhythm, and storytelling.

Founded by vocalist and cultural curator Safiya Leslie, Travel Through Music began as a way to connect people to global cultures through music, travel, and shared experiences. What started as an international music subscription box has evolved into immersive live events that celebrate the artists, traditions, and communities that shape the sounds of our world.

Through concerts, festivals, and community activations, Travel Through Music Live highlights genres rooted in culture and diaspora — from jazz and Afrobeat to calypso, soca, reggae, Latin music, and beyond. Each event blends live performance with cultural education, creating spaces where audiences can dance, learn, and experience the stories behind the music.

In honor of Caribbean Heritage Month, our June Hatch Shell event celebrates the vibrant musical traditions of the Caribbean. From the birthplace of steel pan in Trinidad and Tobago to the rhythms of reggae, kompa, calypso, Salsa , this concert uplifts the cultural legacy and global influence of Caribbean music.

Travel Through Music Live is more than a concert — it is a celebration of culture, community, and the universal language of music.

ABOUT THE ESPLANADE ASSOCIATION

The Esplanade Association (Esplanade.org) is a nonprofit organization that works to revitalize and enhance the Charles River Esplanade, sustain its natural green space, and build community in the park by providing educational, cultural, and recreational programs for everyone.

Stay up to date with the Esplanade by following us on Instagram (@EsplanadeInBoston) and Facebook (@EsplanadeBoston). Visit Esplanade.org/Events to learn about upcoming events and programs on the Esplanade.