KAA NAMI, PHL at Calvary Community Center – Philadelphia, PA

KAA NAMI, Philly.

On September 6th, You’ll enter the red carpetd, between hard wood banisters, underneath stained glass.

The show will begin on time, surrounding you with music, stunning visuals, and intimate poetry. You’ll finish the night winding your hips to a dj set curated for this moment. Located in Calvery Community center, the new location of Philly based arthouse cinema cinéSPEAK, our co-presenter.

The production is the second leg of the Wabiro Kollective’s Black Art Tour, KAA NAMI, centered around the question “What kind of art would you create if your only goal was to be completely honest”. Or said differently, “What would you create if you were completely protected and loved by your community?”

The Wabiro Kollective recognizes that capitalism, patriarchy, and colonialsm are what prevent artists from being able to create freely and live off of their work, and is determined to create studios, tours, and artists residencies to provide resource and support to up and coming black artists.

This tour is a fundraiser and panafrican network building project that brings us closer to our goal: love and freedom for all black people.

(Masks required during the show)

About Us: The Wabiro Kollective

is a Nairobi based queer artivist collective, we are organizing a 4 city concert tour, KAA NAMI (swahili for “sit with me”). Debuting as a intimate concert in March of 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya, and continuing on to Atlanta Georgia in August, and now Philadelphia Im September.

This tour is part of a series of fundraiser performances that combine poetry, music performances, DJs, food, and film from local artists in each city.

The vision for KAA NAMI, in addition to raising $20,000 to kick-start our organization, is to create a space of reprieve, joy, and safety for the performers, the diaspora community, and the queer and trans black community in Philly.

follow us @wabirokollective__

UP NEXT: OAK, NYC.

About cinéSPEAK:

cinéSPEAK is a Philadelphia-based arthouse cinema and journal that cultivates experiences and opportunities for filmmakers and moviegoers, celebrating and strengthening local community and global movements for collective liberation.

Our multidisciplinary work directly supports emerging artists, filmmakers, and writers through screenings, salons, and cultural reporting—all of which center the stories from those historically excluded in the film and media industry. We bring independent films to new audiences, partnering with community organizations to create a more equitable and nourishing cinema ecosystem.

cinéSPEAK is an independent charitable 501(c)(3).

Learn more: www.cinespeak.org

Follow @cineSPEAK