Common Folk
September 6th @ 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
UnCommon Corner, Boylston St &, Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116
Common Folk is a celebration of the Black folk tradition; past, present, and future, brought to life on Boston Common. Presented under the We Black Folk Showcase banner, this multigenerational concert brings together artists whose work spans genres, regions, and eras, but is united by the soul of Black expression. From roots revivalists and blues storytellers to alt-folk experimentalists and next-gen voices redefining what “folk” can be, Common Folk honors the multiplicity of Black identity through music.
Set on the historic grounds of Boston Common, this free outdoor concert invites the public to witness the enduring presence and radical evolution of Black folk music in all its forms.
Artist Bios
Albino Mbie
Albino Mbie is an award winning Musician, Guitarist, Singer, Composer, Sound and mixing engineer born in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, a country in southern Africa known for its rich musical and cultural heritage. Fueled by the resourcefulness and determination that have always characterized Mozambicans, he built his first guitar at 16 from a 5-liter can of oil, scrap wood, and strings made out of electrical cords.
Tyler Donkoh-Halm
Tyler Donkoh-Halm is a Boston based multi-instrumentalist that specializes in taking the ukulele into genres you’ve never heard it in before! With strong roots in R&B, funk, jazz, folk, and more, Tyler fuses countless styles together to fit his percussive and melodic ways of playing each instrument in his arsenal. With a wide array of performances both local and international, each show is unique and unlike the last, always keeping things exciting and the audience on their toes!
Andrew Sue Wing
Andrew Sue Wing is a seventeen-year-old R&B singer/songwriter and guitarist from Boston, MA. Equipped with a strong baritone voice and a unique style of rhythm and lead guitar, he’s able to belt out soaring choruses and deliver soulful ballads. He has performed over 100 live shows since he was thirteen, scored Cassie Crowe’s ‘Mid’ Life, a feature-length film, and released his debut EP, Seventeen. With influences such as Stevie Wonder, Gregory Porter, and Gary Clark Jr., his originals combine blues, rock, funk, and soul.
Gabriella Simpkins
Gabriella Simpkins is an award-winning singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Cape Cod, MA. Informed by her experiences across genres and performance setting, her music exists at the intersections of folk, classical, jazz, and indie rock.
While simultaneously independently managing her career, Simpkins attends Salem State University in the Bachelor of Arts Music program and focuses specifically in music theory and classical composition. She performs regularly in the Boston area, teaches applied music theory and songwriting, and hopes to establish herself as a freelance composer in the coming years.
Lydia “The LovelySinger” Harrell
Lydia “The LovelySinger” Harrell is one of Boston’s finest musical treasures. Her sultry, soulful voice and evocative songwriting have garnered her the attention and respect of the nation’s finest musicians and venues. Jazz/Soul is where her heart is, however, Lydia has shown an unbreakable ability to mold herself into any musical situation. Be it performing with the Boston Pops, serenading NBA fans with America’s National Anthem, or lending her vocal talents to a chart-topping deep house singles by British record label, Reel People Music, Lydia’s dedication to extracting the pure essence of song goes virtually unmatched.
Some of her notable musical accolades include singing lead on a Bob Marley Tribute Album distributed by Sony Music Latin, winning the 2015 Duke Ellington Jazz Vocal Competition, performing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC (2016), winning the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival Voice Competition and winner of the Best Song at the 48 Hour Film Project Boston. More recently, Lydia sang on the 2022 Daytime Emmy Winning song, “Grateful For It All” written by Brad Hatfield, Gaye Tolan Hatfield and Jeff Meegan and aired on The Young and The Restless in May 2021. Lydia was invited to sing backing vocals for the great Jon Batiste in September 2022 along with The Boston Pops accompanying.
Buggy Jive
Buggy Jive is a semi-reclusive acoustic soul rock singer-songwriter from Albany, New York, equal parts Zeppelin and D’Angelo and Prince and Joni in sound and sensibility. Recent accomplishments include opening slots for Macy Gray and Ben Folds; a feature as a “Top Shelf” entry for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest; and best songwriter, album and music video wins for Upstate New York’s “Eddies” Awards. New album Icarus Ascending arrives Fall 2025.