BLACK LIVE MUSIC FUND
'There is no Austin without US.'
ABOUT
On November 13, 2020, Jonathan 'Chaka' Mahone, an artist, entrepreneur, advocate, and one-half of the dynamic hip hop duo, Riders Against the Storm, introduced the Black Live Music Fund in support of Austin-area Black musicians and music industry entrepreneurs. This fund aims to raise $50,000 in private donations byJune 2021 to support Austin’s current cultural foundation with small micro grants for local Black musicians and music industry workers in 2021 and beyond.
The Black Live Music Fund intends to create artist education and economic initiatives to help recipients sustain their music careers while fund organizers develop a long-term platform to promote Black music in Austin. A longer-term goal of the Black Live Music Fund is to establish a Black-owned music venue with a revenue structure that directly benefits artists and helps establish an environment for Black artists to flourish in Austin.
there is no austin without US.
in the news
PHOTO by Robert hein
'Austin Organization Committing $100K To Black Musicians, Promoters, and Studios'
'Long before South by Southwest (SXSW) made Austin an annual destination for entertainment lovers, the city had already been deemed the Live Music Capital of the World, and, as with many metropolises, its reach can be attributed to the contributions of Black creatives.'
The monthlong showcase, co-presented by local arts organization DAWA (Diversity Awareness & Wellness in Action), will feature musicians from across Texas in celebration of the nationally recognized Black Music Month. Also observed: the relaunch of the musician-supporting Black Live Music Fund, conceptualized by DAWA founder and Austin Music Commissioner Jonathan "Chaka" Mahone in 2020 before he took the effort to the private sector.
