YolanDa Brown Raises $313,000 for ‘Soul Mama’ Restaurant & Music Venue
June 28, 2023
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Musician, broadcaster, author, and philanthropist YolanDa Brown, alongside music manager Adetokunbo ‘T’ Oyelola have raised £248,148 for Soul Mama, the largest amount ever raised for a restaurant on Kickstarter. Digital Music News took a peek at the Kickstarter campaign period using
Kicktraq, which you can see below.
The new grass roots music venue and restaurant in Islington, London will open its doors this Autumn 2023. Accompanied by live jazz, soul, and reggae music, Soul Mama will provide an inviting and laid-back atmosphere with high quality cuisine, fusing authentic flavors of Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. The launch of Soul Mama comes at a time when a reported 22 grass roots venues have closed since April 2022.
The
Music Venue Trust predicts that 2023 will be the worst year for music venue closures since 2014, with expectations of losing one venue a week. Soul Mama is bringing hope to keep the live music scene alive with performances from emerging artists, local talent, and established artists we know and love.
“Music and food have always been my two great loves, and I’ve always believed that they have the power to nourish not just our bodies, but our souls as well,” YolanDa Brown
says of the new venture. “Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough tos hare countless unforgettable moments with friends and family around a table, whether it’s celebrating life’s joys or finding comfort in its challenges.”
Additionally, YolanDa will be creating the Soul Mama Foundation, a not-for-profit, charitable foundation with five percent of all profits going to the foundation to support causes around women, children, and education. Soul Mama aims to be grounded in the local community, providing a much-needed platform for underrepresented musicians and chefs from across the globe, while contributing to the development of the UK’s live music and restaurant space.
