Top: Ivory McFadden, Philip Dawson, Niya Robinson, Mahogany Russell. Abiba Biao Photo. Bottom: The scene later in the day. Lucy Gellman Photo.
Niya Robinson couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate her 22nd birthday weekend than spending a day out with friends. So Saturday morning, she reached out to Ivory McFadden, Philip Dawson, and Mahogany Russell, and the group headed to New Haven for its day-long, now-beloved summer music festival.
Festival goers, food trucks, and multiple kinds of music took over Orange Street last Saturday as Seeing Sounds made its annual return to the Elm City. Now in its fourth year—and its first downtown— the festival included over 30 vendors and took six months of planning. For organizer Orion Solo (a.k.a. Trey Moore), it was all about elevating independent artists.
“We want to make space for all of us to get together and kind of show what we are,” said Solo, who is himself a musician and has been running a Seeing Sounds jam all year long. “ I want people to see what we are as a community. I want people to see how we execute [things] and how we come together. I want this to be a reflection of what New Haven is, of what Connecticut is, that we are a cultural hotspot if you come [here].”
“I want the people who exist here to acknowledge where they are.”
Top: Orion Solo. Abiba Biao Photo. Bottom: Sax player Wes Lewis. Lucy Gellman Photo.
Part of that, he added, was the move to downtown New Haven. For the past three years, Seeing Sounds has unfolded across multiple stages in Edgewood Park. This year, Solo and the Seeing Sounds crew worked directly with CITA Park, where brewer Jamal Robinson has created a Black-owned beer garden and social space in the heart of downtown.
Beyond CITA Park, which sits at the corner of Orange and Chapel Streets, a block party unfolded on Orange Street and in Pitkin Plaza. Next year, Solo hopes to expand the festival to a carnival. He added that he was excited to create a more close knit, community feel and also celebrate the African and Black diasporas in New Haven.
After becoming a volunteer manager last year, Benie N’sumbu knew that she wanted to help again.
“I love this project, I really believe in the vision for this, so I was like ‘Yeah, of course I’ll help out,’” she said.
Whitney Lawson and Alexis Miller. Lucy Gellman Photo.
That sense of community resonated with Russell, who spoke about the importance of arts, especially within the Black community, as a way to escape violence. As an entrepreneur who does nail art, Russell has seen the positive impacts of creating firsthand.
“We come together, we separate way too often,” she said. “There’s always something that starts it [community] and I would love for it to be someone’s ideas instead of someone getting killed.”
Robinson and Dawson, meanwhile, were partly drawn in by the music. Being R&B and neo-soul artists themselves, Seeing Sounds also served as a way for them to explore the local music scene and also make connections. Dawson also underscored the importance of social connection.
“I know it’s hard socially to take that leap and get out of your comfort zone, but certain things in life do take sacrifice,” Dawson said. “Some of those sacrifices are very much worth it, especially in terms of like [exploring things] outside of just yourself.”
Vendor Alyssa Underwood. Abiba Biao Photos.
In Pitkin Plaza, Vendor Alyssa Underwood stood at her table, the booth lined with waistbeads, rings and bracelets, jewels and crystals that glistened in the afternoon light. A rising sophomore at Southern Connecticut State University majoring in political science and public relations.
Underwood turned to jewelry making as a hobby two years ago, she said. She launched her business, Beaded by Alyssa, in April and is slowly building her brand name.
Underwood said that she appreciated the welcoming and encouraging environment of Seeing Sounds, highlighting the event as a great networking option.
“I got to talk to many different owners. It’s very inspirational, especially seeing people of color having their own business, especially in the arts which doesn’t get recognized a lot. It’s been a great experience.”
Top: Charlie “Royal” Reyes. Abiba Biao Photos. Bottom: The Seeing Sounds Jam at CITA Park. Lucy Gellman Photos.
At another booth was second-time vendor Charlie “Royal” Reyes with his business Royal Lifestyle, a unisex apparel brand. Inspired by his three older brothers and father, Reyes founded the brand in 2017, but didn’t start devoting his full time effort to the shop until 2020. Now, he uses it as a way to uplift those around him and provide opportunities for artisans.
“We here for the people,” he said. “We give opportunity to Black women, Black models, videographers, photographers. That’s all I book.”
Reyes hopes to make his brand a household brand, he added— and is already establishing his clothing line in Northeast cities like Philadelphia and Boston. His designs have been featured in local fashion shows at the University of New Haven, Southern Connecticut State University, Central Connecticut State University, and Quinnipiac University.
He was excited to return to the festival, describing the event as a “continued opportunity” to engage with the community, link up with other entrepreneurs, and tap into arts and culture. At one point, he reminisced fondly on Houston-based rapper and singer Monaleo’s guest appearance last year.
“We’re going to come here. We’re going to show love. We’re going to do our thing. People are going to rock with us regardless.”
Back on the CITA Park stage, that love was infectious. At the mic, spoken word artist Frank Brady had stepped onto a cover of Bill DeVoe’s “Poison” and was nailing it as he freestyled over the track. Behind him, sax player Wes Lewis found an opening, and took it. Sharon Dickey, who had been listening from a makeshift front row, hopped onstage and began to dance.
The crowd, now several hundred strong, cheered. Brady pulled the mic closer to his mouth and kept going, setting a vibe that would flow through the rest of the evening. In the audience, it seemed that everyone was wrapped up in music: couples swaying in time with each other, dancers waiting for their turn on the stage, friends playing a game of UNO with comically oversized cards. It was pushing 7 p.m., and it felt like there were hours to go.
“It’s nice!” said attendee Emma as she listened from the street, eying a line for CITA Park that wrapped around the block. “I’m just looking around, enjoying the music.”
Lucy Gellman Photos.
“I love supporting a Black-owned business,” chimed in lifelong New Havener Whitney Lawson down the street—so an event largely by and for Black creatives had felt like a no-brainer.
As they walked up and down the block, musicians Nehway and Ammar—both festival regulars—echoed that excitement. In years past, both artists have performed at Seeing Sounds, on various stages in Edgewood Park. This year was “a good reset” dedicated to simply attending, Nehway said.
Ammar and Nehway. Lucy Gellman Photo.
It was part block party, part cultural reunion, part musical celebration. Or in her words, “nice and normal” in the very best of ways.
“Everyone I’ve ever met in New Haven is here,” she joked, a line she’d already used with Ammar earlier in the afternoon.
“It feels great,” Ammar added. “I like it. I don’t ever get to just talk to people. When you’re in that [performance] space, people are pulling you in.”
Lucy Gellman contributed reporting.