Artist. Producer. Educator. Author. Connector of dots. One man encompasses all this and more: KOKAYI, a virtuoso emcee who came up on D.C.’s underground hip-hop scene, collaborated with jazz royalty as far back as the ’90s, and has become one of the District’s standard-bearing creative voices.

KOKAYI is probably the only emcee today who’s a first-call collaborator with such a wide swath of jazz virtuosos: Terri Lyne Carrrington, Melvin Gibbs, Nate Smith, Dafnis Prieto and Ambrose Akinmusire are just a few of the world-renowned improvisers who consistently call upon KOKAYI’s genius.

But on Sunday, April 28, it’s time for him to take center stage in his hometown. CB returns to Songbyrd to present KOKAYI and his live band in a one-of-a-kind double-bill with Baltimore’s Konjur Collective, a spirit-summoning new group whose music is a perfect fit. Curated by CapitalBop co-founder and artistic director Luke Stewart, this is a night of music that pulls together the past, present and exciting future of music in the District of Columbia. Don’t miss this one.

In KOKAYI’s words: “My work is an amalgamation of my life experiences as filtered through D.C., go-go, and the African/African-American cultural influences created and passed on throughout the African diaspora.”

A 2023 Guggenheim fellow, KOKAYI is currently touring with his own band as well as with Ambrose Akinmusire’s Origami Harvest, Terri Lyne Carrington + Social Science, Whose Hat Is This?, Melvin Gibbs, Ego Mondo, Nate Smith + Kinfolk, Quite Sane, Sanity, Dafnis Prieto and more.

Konjur Collective, a Baltimore-based group that encompasses ancient traditions, free-form improvising, conscious hip-hop and much more, will play an opening set. Konjur’s major D.C. concert debut will be an event unto itself. Grab your tickets now.