San Pedro Music Festival 2024

Dance the Samba at A Global Celebration of Culture at Brouwerij West

The 4th Annual San Pedro Music Festival, or SPMF, promises an eclectic experience. On Sept. 14, the world will come to San Pedro through music, food, and dance at the Brouwerij West.

“We are excited to bring the 4th Annual San Pedro Music Festival to this unique music-friendly venue on the large grounds of Brouwerij West, popular for showcasing many musical extravaganzas,” said world-renowned soul-jazz veteran Windy Barnes, who is also the creator, host and executive producer of the festival. “Get ready to immerse yourselves in ‘One Love, One Heart, One Song’ the theme for this year’s festival, celebrating the rich cultural tapestry of San Pedro.”

Random Lengths News had the opportunity to speak to Barnes. When asked why the festival moved to Brouwerij West, Barnes said it’s divine.

“We looked at Point Fermin Park,” said Barnes. “It was going to be a lot. We were going to have to do everything, build the stage, and get the security. All we have is the park and the beautiful view, so that was really on my heart.” 

Barnes and her team also considered Cabrillo Plaza on 22nd Street by the Marina, but with the festival expecting 1,500 people, they concluded that the venue would be too small. She was stumped. One morning Barnes decided, “We’re going to find a venue today.” She and her daughter woke early and went exploring. Barnes told her daughter she wanted to show her the Brouwerij West.

“We drove there and we got up on that stage and there’s hardly anybody there. We looked out and she said, ‘Mom, this is it. It has everything you need.’ Now, that’s before we really knew how important this decision would end up being.” 

Barnes explained that when she finally met Britta Wichers, who is the executive director of both Brouwerij West and CRAFTED, and discovered what the venue offered, it was a quick and easy decision. The two venues sit directly across from each other at the end of 22nd Street in San Pedro.

“They provide the security, they provide stagehands, they provide the sound engineers, a lot of the equipment that you will see on stage,” Barnes said. “They vet the food trucks and vendors themselves, so I don’t have to go looking. It was like a one-stop shop, included in the price of course. They even have a cleanup crew at the end of the event.” 

This took all the weight off of Barnes, who still has a thousand things left to do. But here’s the good part; she added,  “We may be there next time. We’re building a relationship.”

Get ready, because the San Pedro Music Festival will present an amazing lineup of performers. New this year, the festival will feature the Samba Angels. When asked how that came about, Barnes discussed how inspired she was by her travels to Latin American countries.

“I always saw a festive [event],” she said, referring to SPMF. “[After] the Warner Grand, which we had a nice run there, all three earlier events were there from the beginning. Then, when it closed down, I said, ‘Here’s my opportunity to make it more spectacular, more visually entertaining.’”

Barnes’ recent travels to Cuba and her upcoming trip to Rio De Janeiro in October to perform R&B concerts inspired this 4th annual SPMF.

“It’s just the colors and the first festivities and the festive look. I love all that. It’s like Vegas to me, the feathers … and Mardi Gras, all mixed into one. So, I really wanted to have Samba dancers. I looked high and low. They are going to close out the festival. They are LA-based, but several of them are actually from Brazil.” 

The SPMF musical lineup includes Dr. Gail Jhonson, the co-founder of Jazz in Pink an all-female jazz band; Windy Barnes, soul jazz vocalist; Victor Orlando, a percussionist who played with The Gap Band and many amazing artists. Barnes said he’s a show by himself. Jonathan Farrington, a Broadway actor and singer whose vocal and theatrical stage performance impressed Barnes; Sunny Daye, foot-stomping country artist; Amirah, hip hop artist; Todd Hunter & the Brazilians, Latin jazz; Nick Gomez, jazz saxophonist and many more. The event includes special tributes honoring Bob Marley and a group from the 2023 SPMF called The Foundation will do a tribute to the O’Jays. Woody and the Longboards will do two tributes at two different points in the evening to The Beach Boys, and then later, the Eagles. 

“Besides that, we have an African drum circle, and these are young kids who are coming to play and are going to interact with the audience with rhythms, sharing their drums, and getting a little participation from the audience,” Barnes said. “Also, we have Young Thunder, [musicians] under the age of fourteen who play jazz music. So it’s a combo, piano, bass, drums and sax, which is played by a young girl who’s about 14. They’re coming here courtesy of the Fernando Pullum Orchestra, which is based out of Leimert Park. 

“It warms my heart. I spent many years teaching kids how to sing and how to be professional on stage.”

Barnes noted the SPMF will also have hometown talent, including Sunny Day and Jonathan Vaughn, a young singer and rapper who Barnes met recently. 

“I said [to him], ‘You are what this festival is about; local talent and international talent. But you’re a San Pedran, we want to hear from you.’” 

In addition to putting on her annual festival, Barnes is the founder and president of Windy City Entertainment. The nonprofit supports families in crisis through its Heal My Family program and musicians in need who are facing health crises. It raises funds through the SPMF VIP reception ticket sales and other platforms like GoFundMe as well as programs and workshops. It assists families in need with health issues, such as in the case of world-renowned trumpeter Nolan Shaheed, who was diagnosed with throat cancer. The nonprofit raised over $60,000 last year. One hundred percent of the funds raised went directly to the families to help cover expenses not covered by insurance. 

Barnes shared her two biggest impressions of Cuba which connect to her goal for the SPMF.

“The people, number one,” she said. “The food, number two. The artistic creativity of the people and the music was amazing. It’s different [from] here. It’s soulful. And the way they present themselves is so free. It felt like they’re not bombarded with a bunch of sheet music in front of them, they’re just playing music.”

Barnes aims for that feeling for SPMF. She said it’s going to be an educational experience because it’s represented in the food, the music, and the artisans that it’s presenting, many of whom are from Crafted. The internationally themed marketplace will offer an array of fare and “eye-popping” merchandise. Brouwerij West will offer its own signature craft beers and cocktails throughout the evening.

“You’re going to get the diversity that [this town] is and I’m so thrilled to bring this to San Pedro because I feel like they’re going to really appreciate it,” Barnes said. “There’s one thing people have in common; music is the universal language that everybody can understand and feel on a soul level. 

“Wherever you go, we have more similarities than we care to admit,” she said.

Barnes and her team are looking forward to the festival and to seeing everybody. 

“We’ve gotten a lot of RSVPs. We know it’s going to be very well attended. We invite people [who] want the VIP exclusive experience to go to SanPedroMusicFestival.com and get their ticket. This is the fundraiser and one aspect of the fundraiser is the VIP reception. We don’t charge for general admission, but we do hope to raise money to help support the artists and everybody that we’re hiring.”

Time: 4 to 10 p.m., Sept. 14
Cost: Free
Details:  RSVP and VIP reservations: SanPedroMusicFestival.com
Venue: Brouwerij West, 110 E. 22nd St., San Pedro