A soulful evening: Askari's Place presents Mother's Day event

May 5-For those seeking an evening of smooth music, smooth vibes, and a place to celebrate Mother's Day, Mz. Askari Sowonde will present her latest production event, "Askari's Place: A Mother's Day Soulful Experience."

"Askari's Place: A Mother's Day Soulful Experience" will take place on Friday at the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum on 734 Marin St.

Doors open at 7 p.m. The two-hour event will begin promptly at 8 p.m. and end at 10 p.m.

Though it is held at the museum's upstairs theatre, it is not officially hosted by the museum.

Rather, the Mother's Day evening event marks a return "to the spirit of Askari's Place" - a concept Sowonde created and produced years ago.

"Askari's Place is not something new. It's always been special and near in my heart. Right before Easter, I decided this is what I was going to do," Sowonde said. "This is a part of me, music is me. I wanted to bring out something that's different, a new vibe."

Greg Ballad and the Dream Band will headline the evening, joined by special guest Sharday.

Sowonde said she first encountered Sharday's singing while walking down Marin Street.

"One day, I was walking down Marin Street, and on the corner of the street, I heard this young girl singing Neo Soul. It stopped me in my tracks," said Sowonde. "She's just a phenomenal singer."

Sowonde added that Greg Ballad and the Dream Band's music will be reminiscent of Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass, Will Downing, and more.

"Performing at Askari's Place in Vallejo feels personal for me. This is a city that gave me real experiences, real people, and real love," said Ballad. "Being able to come back and share my music here means everything."

Sowonde said she wanted to create an experience that felt "intentional, intimate and rooted in quality."

"Vallejo has room for many expressions of music. This is simply another offering, one that brings a different kind of energy to the space," said Sowonde. "We've got a lot of music and things going on in our community. There are enough people out here for us to be able to bring an addition to what's already going on in the community."

The event is designed as a pre-Mother's Day celebration, allowing people to attend without missing out on the actual day.

"It's like an additional Mother's Day gift," said Sowonde.

Trevor Allen, executive director of the Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum, said, "We have wanted to have cultural events like this taking place in our museum, specifically in our theatre."

Allen said that when Sowonde approached him about renting out the theatre for "Askari's Place," he was fully in support of her.

"We have hosted (Sowonde's) annual Kwanza event in December. For a number of decades, Kwanza has been synonymous here at the museum. I love what she does for the community. She really enlivens it and brings a sense of lightness and beauty," Allen said. "Even though this isn't a museum event that we are hosting, the music she has picked and the musicians she has reached out to for this event, we are very lucky to have."

Guests will be able to choose between general admission tickets and front-row VIP seats.

General admission tickets are $40. VIP tickets are $60.

To purchase tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/askaris-place-a-mothers-day-soulful-expedience-tickets-1987310488167

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