Sofar wouldn’t be Sofar without our Curators—independent show organizers who host Sofar shows in more than 300 cities, across six continents. These folks put on live concerts in the most interesting spaces in their cities, bringing incredible local and touring artists closer together with audiences around the world. They’re the multi-talented, multitaskers of our Sofar community, and we want to take a minute to shine a light on them and their gifts. Here are just a few of our stellar curators, bringing Sofar to life all over the globe.
Interested in helping to bring Sofar to your city? Apply to become a Curator here.
Luciana with Sofar founder Rafe
Luciana | Sofar Nuremberg
Meet Luciana, one of Sofar’s longest-standing Curators, who works as a team leader of data analytics for a vacation rental company by day and band manager for MIRRAR by night. Luciana started her Sofar journey in Buenos Aires in 2013, but after a few work-related moves, now dwells in Nuremberg, Germany, bringing a new Sofar community to life.
One of her favorite Sofar memories is when she was organizing shows in Madrid a few years back. She got to know a band called Gentleman Clef at a small apartment show. The audience loved them and they ended the gig with all three bands jamming (including Sala). Luciana has since become great friends with this band and has helped them with their career along the way. Luciana’s hope is that Nuremberg can return to shows safely while keeping the intimate vibe.
Jayme
Jayme | Sofar Louisville
Jayme is the friend who’s always sharing her favorite unknown bands with friends, doing her best to see as many different new artists in the local scene. A senior graphic designer and music-lover, Jayme started Sofar Louisville, Kentucky in the U.S. in February of 2019. She described her first Sofar as truly magical. “It was in an apartment, in a very small and intimate space with the three most unique bands. I just remember thinking that a piece of my heart was there when I saw that show… It’s giving me chills to even think about it.”
One of Jayme’s favorite shows was a “Galentine’s Day” all-female lineup, which was Louisville’s last before lockdown. There were three artists: one rapper, a folk singer and a pop singer. They had never met but by the end of the night they all sang Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own” impromptu– a favorite of Jayme’s. Everyone got up and danced, sang, and cried.
Luv
Luv | Sofar Pune
A little over four years ago, a friend invited Luv as her guest to watch her perform at a Sofar. After the gig, Luv approached the team and said, “I’m not sure what this is but I must be part of it!”
Luv teaches ukulele full time, over Zoom for now, under the brand name Ukulele With Luv, and has been able to build his network of musicians and collaborators with the help of Sofar. “I’ve never been too interested in the commercial music industry of India,” he said. “It’s very different from what we do through Sofar. The independent musician community in India is just such a warm place to be. There’s such a diverse sense of talent that a lot of people don’t even know exists yet.”
He continued, “I most look forward to starting Sofar shows so that I can create the experience again for someone else the way this experience was created for me the first time four years ago.”
Edgar
Edgar | Sofar Puerto Rico
Edgar is not only Sofar Puerto Rico’s city leader, but a professional beatboxer. In fact, he was Puerto Rico’s 2016 Beatboxing Champion. “When people think of music in Puerto Rico, they think about reggaeton and Ricky Martin, which is great, but there’s also Puerto Rican funk, reggae, neo-soul, beatboxing, and many other styles that also need a platform,” he said.
Edgar beatboxes under the stage name Black Rhythm, which has taken him all over the world for competitions (view his TedxUPR performance here). “Black Rhythm is an affirmation of Afro-Latin identity,” he said. “Many African Americans talk about blackness as if being black is strictly being African American. A lot of times they forget that there are Black Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Colombians, etc.”
Edgar is also the director and artist mentor for a local urban arts and cultural exchange program in PR, the director for the Puerto Rican Beatboxing Community and recently became a teaching artist for Beat Global, a NYC-based organization that uses hip hop as a tool to educate kids with disabilities.
