The Bronx’s first home-grown music festival is going to take New Yorkers on a journey through the music that pulses through the community.
Da’ Block Music & Arts Festival is the first major music festival that is setting up shop in the Bronx. Created in collaboration with Bronx creatives — music artist Bryan Durieux, Ayanna Williams, founder of Uptown Melody and Fernando Michael, founder and co-owner of The Fox & King — the festival aims to not only empower local musicians from the borough but also create a safe space for culture and provide a platform for the local community to build a lasting creative legacy.
“When we’re looking at the scope of what’s going on in the Bronx musically and programming across the borough, there’s not really a presence beyond hip hop and salsa,” said Durieux. “We wanted to create a stage for those upcoming artists and also potentially start a movement that inspires either our age or younger to take part in this kind of renaissance that’s happening in the Bronx right now.”
The idea for Da’ Block Music & Arts Festival came around February or March 2022 with the idea to bring all of the Bronx’s music scenes under one show. The team behind the festival wanted it to have a similar feel to the shows that would be put on by Bronx Underground, which were often affordable shows showcasing local talent. All three founders agree that there are aspects of the Bronx music and arts scene that tend to be overshadowed.
“When [Durieux] reached out for this amazing collaboration to bring so many different genres together, I was immediately on board because, in addition to the Bronx not always highlighting all of the genres of music that we have, the creatives can be really scattered,” said Williams. “I know that we have so many talented people in the Bronx, but we want to bring them together and let them know that there are resources and there are collectives and there are artists here that want to shine a light on them and give them the respect and attention they deserve so they can flourish and know that the community has their back.”
On Aug. 27, Da’ Block Music & Arts Festival will be taking over the space at the Bronx Brewery. The day will feature a lineup of different Bronx artists and DJs spanning different genres, including hip hop, pop punk, R&B and more, with a house party closing out the night.
Guests will also be able to check out shop from local Bronx vendors as well as get food and drinks from Empanology and The Bronx Brewery.
“[Attendees] should expect a roller coaster of a day when it comes to music. We have 8 incredible artists that are playing across the board, that span from punk to R&B to hip-hop, then we have three DJ sets that span across the board,” said Duriex. “Vibe-wise, it’s always family oriented at any of our events. When you come to the Bronx, I feel like a lot of the stigma is that people who don’t know what the Bronx is about, they are afraid to come here. I represent the borough everywhere I go and i want people to come through and experience the family vibe that we have there and that we are very loving and welcoming and we want you to see what we have to offer.”
For the founders, having that special home-borough Bronx feel was incredibly important when planning the entire festival.
“The name alone gives it emphasis on, this is the Bronx, this is gonna be us on the block with music, supporting the culture, local arts. That’s the beautiful thing about the Bronx is with this lineup, we’re touching all of the points of the music scene within the Bronx,” said Michael. “So many times I’ve told people outside of the borough, outside of the city, we have this going on, we have hip hop, salsa, this and that — they look at me so confused but that’s what the Bronx is, a community, a melting pot of musical genre.”
“The Bronx touches are there within the music itself, and then the simple fact that it’s in the borough and very Bronx-based from Bronx curators. Not like it’s being produced by someone who’s from outside the borough who doesn’t have the insight of maintaining the culture and trying to capitalize on it,” said Durieux. “The purpose of doing this is to build a community where we highlight those different brands, platforms that outside of this festival these artists can access.”
“I think it’s important that the three of us are all Bronx born and raised and we’ve been doing things in the Bronx. In addition to curating events or performing, we support the many Bronx collectives that exist, the Bronx restaurants, the Bronx business owners,” said Williams. “Even down to the creative process, our aesthetic, the name Da’ Block, the decision to incorporate a graffiti style within our media adds a subway touch as well. It’s the Bronx, it’s BX all day. We’re just very connected to our culture, we know our people, we know our talk, our swag, our music, so i think that’s what makes it that extra little sprinkle of the Bronx.”
Tickets for Da’ Block Music & Arts Festival start at $20 and are available on Eventbrite.com. When tickets initially went on sale, there were early-bird options available for as low as $10. For the founders of the festival, keeping Da’ Block affordable was incredibly important.
“Accessibility is so important and being mindful and realistic of the times that we’re in. There’s a lot going on socially and economically,” said Williams. “I personally believe that when you attend a music event, it’s a space for healing, it’s a space for taking a mental break from everything going on. We want people to have access to that and not feel like they are putting a dent in their pocket.”
“We had to keep in mind these are also local artists that need the support, and keeping it affordable to our community is of the utmost importance to us. Bad Bunny’s not going to be there, so we’re not going to charge $75, $85 per ticket. It’s just unreasonable,” said Durieux. “Fernando and I went to these shows in a Bronx basement for $10, so why not start our festival at that price point?”
The founders of Da’ Block Music & Arts Festival are very excited to get the ball rolling that day and can’t wait to see what lasting impact the festival has on attendees and the music community at large.
“I love my community abundantly so I’m really excited to have so many artists and the attendees to experience so many different styles of music and meet people,” said Williams.
“I’m excited to see what kind of impact it’s going to have, like seeing people’s faces coming in and them seeing themselves on stage,” said Durieux. “Another part of having this festival having people see themselves on stage. I saw myself on the stage at the Bronx Underground at FLC and I said, I want to do that. That’s the hope that I have that the festival has for other people.”
“What we do and what I prefer to do, I like to create memories with whatever event. It’s a memory that’s created that’s going to last forever, and that’s something I hope to do and I know we will do with Da’ Block Fest,” said Michael.
Da’ Block Music & Arts Festival will take place from 1 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27 at Bronx Brewery, located at 856 East 136th Street. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit dablock.eventbrite.com.
