Yaya Bey, Paul Beaubrun, Anika Berry, and More Join BAM's 2026 Free Music Lineup

BAM Free Music will return for its second season with six high-energy concerts running February through May 2026. This year's lineup brings together artists from across the Caribbean and its diaspora whose work pushes musical boundaries while staying grounded in cultural roots. Queens-born R&B artist Yaya Bey, fresh off her critically acclaimed album do it afraid, joins the lineup against a slate of genre-defying performers whose artistry reflects expansive sonic visions shaped by, but not limited to, Caribbean influence. These are musicians creating on their own terms, drawing from heritage, but building entirely new worlds through sound.

Programmed by BAM music curator Lia Camille Crockett, the series continues to draw audiences looking for dynamic performances and a strong sense of connection through sound.

“One of my favorite things about Brooklyn is the way so many different people across the Caribbean diaspora live alongside one another, shaping the borough into both a home and a creative engine for new music,” says Crockett. “With this series, I wanted to honor that exchange, not by isolating sounds by country or language, but by showing how they coexist, intersect, and evolve. Caribbean music has long shaped popular music around the globe, and these artists are pushing that legacy forward in great ways.”

The 2026 series focuses on Caribbean sounds as they exist and evolve across Brooklyn and beyond, reflecting the borough's layered cultural landscape. From Haitian rock and bilingual ballads to steel pan orchestras and Afro-Cuban fusion, each artist brings a distinct perspective and voice to the series.

All performances take place in The Adam Space (Peter Jay Sharp Building at 30 Lafayette Ave). Doors open at 7PM. Each evening includes a set from a featured DJ and a headlining musical performance. The space becomes an energetic, welcoming environment for movement, discovery, and community exchange, where rhythm leads the way.

Now in its second season, BAM Free Music has quickly become a staple gathering point for audiences seeking compelling live music in an intimate setting. The 2025 launch brought in full-capacity crowds for artists including Bilal, Pedrito Martínez, and Riccie Oriach, and was met with strong enthusiasm across Brooklyn's music scene. This year's slate builds on that momentum, with six nights of forward-thinking sounds from artists rooted in tradition and innovation.

Full schedule and artist details follow below.

BAM Free Music 2026 Lineup

Thu, Feb 12 – OKAN with GARO

The JUNO Award-winning Afro-Cuban duo OKAN—violinist Elizabeth Rodriguez and percussionist Magdelys Savigne—infuse Santería, jazz, and global rhythms into a rich blend of soulful vocals and dynamic instrumentation. Based in Toronto by way of Havana, their music celebrates migration, resistance, and feminine strength. Brooklyn-based, Cuban-born DJ, GARO opens the night with an eclectic vinyl and digital set that spans island grooves, house, and deep dance-floor cuts.

Thu, Mar 12 – Yaya Bey with Ayanna Heaven

With a sound that fuses R&B, hip-hop, jazz, and soul, Queens-born Yaya Bey explores themes of joy, pain, and Black womanhood. Her latest album, do it afraid, is both politically charged and deeply intimate, drawing on her Bajan lineage and family musical roots. Ayanna Heaven, a Jamaican DJ and radio producer, curates immersive sets that flow through reggae, Afrobeats, soul, and funk.

Thu, Mar 19 – Anika Berry + Hearts of Steel with GabSoul

Trinidadian-American soca artist Anika Berry brings carnival energy to BAM with her infectious hooks and dancefloor-ready anthems like “Jammin” and “Saddle.” A Caribbean Music Awards nominee and breakout star, she blends traditional soca with R&B swagger. Hearts of Steel, a beloved Brooklyn steel pan ensemble whose joyful, high-octane sound pays tribute to Trinidadian heritage and street parade culture. GabSoul, known as “the Illustrious Eclectic Selecta,” kicks off the evening with a genre-blurring set rooted in her Caribbean-American upbringing, weaving together R&B, funk, house, and global grooves.

Thu, Apr 2 – David Rivera y La Bámbula with Discolocas

A Berklee-trained percussionist and frontman, David Rivera creates a vibrant fusion of Caribbean tropical rhythms, salsa dura, and modern electronic sounds with his band La Bámbula. Their live shows are full-bodied, multilingual, and full of flavor. Discolocas, a collective of women DJs and vinyl selectoras, opens with a set that slides between classic cumbia and electro-psychedelic rock.

Thu, Apr 16 – Lena Dardelet with MPeach

Lena Dardelet, a French-Dominican singer, blends her multicultural influences into fresh bachata, Latin soul, and electronic ballads. Her sultry vocals glide between Spanish, French, and English, supported by lush arrangements and Dominican pride. MPeach, the Venezuelan audiovisual artist and producer, crafts high-energy DJ sets that merge electronic bass with Afro-Caribbean rhythm.

Thu, May 7 – Paul Beaubrun with Zona Libre

Experience the unique sound of Paul Beaubrun, whose signature Haitian Vodou Electric Blues style takes listeners on a mesmerizing musical journey. Son of Haiti's legendary Boukman Eksperyans, Beaubrun blends mizik rasin, blues, rock, and soul in English, Creole, and French. His global charisma and activist spirit light up every stage. Opening is Zona Libre, the DJ duo (Ricardo Luiggi and Morgan Greenstreet) known for global sets that mix Afro-diasporic sounds, vinyl rarities, and resistance rhythms.

BAM Free Music is part of the institution's ongoing commitment to accessible, community-centered programming. Admission is free, capacity is limited, and RSVP is encouraged at BAM.org (does not guarantee entry but ensures latest updates)