Concert kicks off Caribbean Heritage Month in Boston

Sonic Passports, a big and free musical, artistic, dance and culinary celebration of Caribbean life, will hit the stage at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade next month. Organized by Travel Through Music, a cultural organization run by the musician Safiyah Leslie, the event is designed to immerse participants in the diverse and complex cultures of Caribbean nations.

The celebration fits into a series of events taking place all over Boston in honor of Caribbean Heritage Month. By promoting these activities, the city is recognizing its numerous populations from the Caribbean; individuals here are chiefly from the Dominican Republic and Haiti, but also people come from many nations in the region. One in every five Bostonians has a Caribbean background. Sixty-three percent of the population lives in Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan and Roxbury.

The free concert takes place Wednesday, June 10, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with an early start time to accommodate families.

This is the second year that Leslie has organized Sonic Passports. It’s timely: on June 13, Haiti opens its FIFA World Cup campaign against Scotland at Boston (Gillette) Stadium in Foxborough. It will be, “the nation’s first World Cup appearance in 52 years.”

The Banner spoke with Leslie about Sonic Passports, her educational program called Travel Through Music and the richness of Caribbean cultures.

Banner: Tell us about Sonic Passports. Who is performing?

Leslie: You’ll hear the musical traditions of reggae, soca and kompa. Roots Alley Collective will be performing reggae. Zama is Haitian American. I’ll be bringing in sounds from Trinidad and Tobago.

People know about reggae and calypso but may not know about soca and kompa.

Soca originated in Trinidad and Tobago and is derived from calypso. With Indian, African and even Venezuelan elements, it’s a genre that is soul combined with calypso. It’s a more fun scale than calypso, faster, uptempo, with carnival vibes and celebratory.

And kompa?

Kompa originated in Haiti. It’s that nation’s pop music, with synthesizers and heavy guitar sounds and deeply rooted in Haitian identity and pride.

And I see that there will be a lot of children’s activities.

We’ll have a Kiddies’ Corner. There will be a group, A Trike Called Funk, that will have a blow-up book for large-scale coloring. And music and dance opportunities as well as hand percussive instruments for kids to explore. The artist Nadege D. Okotie will be on hand to lead children in the power of healing and art and help them to make their own projects.

Travel Through Music has a teaching component. What is being taught?

The goals of Travel Through Music are to inspire audiences to learn about the different cultures of the world through the arts, music, food and dance. The idea was started in December 2020 and launched in January 2021 and at first we offered subscribers monthly boxes of culture from different countries. Like Madagascar: music and vanilla products from small, mostly women-owned businesses. And access to a Zoom concert given by Niu Raza; she makes use of traditional clapping, which is part of the Malagasy musical heritage. Currently, we have box subscriptions four times a year. The next box, coming this summer, will be about Morocco. Travel Through Music also has kids’ programming and launched an educational coloring book in November 2025.

This event ties in nicely with Caribbean Heritage Month.

And the World Cup! Haiti as well as Curacao are playing. Think of Sonic Passports as a pregame celebration.

Tell us about other Caribbean organizations working in Boston.

One is the Authentic Caribbean Foundation, which continues to create impactful opportunities for cultural celebration, community engagement and Caribbean representation throughout Greater Boston. Their work highlights the vibrancy, resilience and unity of the Caribbean community while fostering meaningful connections across generations and cultures. Through their ongoing programming and community presence, they help preserve and elevate Caribbean culture throughout the city, creating welcoming, family-oriented spaces that support both present and future generations.

You’re a Berklee graduate — what did you focus on there?

I was a dual major in music business and entrepreneurship and engineering with a dual minor in dance and ethnomusicology. I was a vocal principal.

What’s in your future?

I’m working on finishing an album and releasing a Christmas album. Expanding Travel Through Music as a nonprofit developing educational programs with kids:

lesson plans, scholarships. The goal is to promote culture through music.

ON THE WEB

Learn more at events.humanitix.com/groundbeat-concert-series-travel-through-music