2024 Circles of Light

2024 Circles of Light - Celebrating 25 years - a benefit event for URI

Join us for an unforgettable Circles of Light Gala at SFJazz, produced by Dr. Oscar Williams, Jr.

Experience an evening filled with inspiring stories, captivating music, joyful dance, and heartfelt songs.

Immerse yourself in a world of soul music and the legendary voices of Regina Belle and
Peabo Bryson.

Be inspired by URI stories of resilience and impact worldwide.

Join the beat of the performances from Duniya Dance and Drum Company and the special musical participation from students at The Bowes Center | SFCM.

Get your tickets now, the first step to making a difference together for our communities.

See you there!

Event Information - Tuesday, June 18, 2024
SFJAZZ
201 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102

Event Program
6:30 p.m.- Arrival of Ticket Holders (includes Light Refreshments)
7:00 p.m.- Program, Music, and Stories
8:30 p.m.- Dancing, Drumming, and Desserts

To Sponsor the 2024 Circles of Light event, please find more information here.

Ticket Pricing
$50-$100 Sliding scale, please support URI as generously as you can.

Backgrounds
URI 's purpose is to promote enduring, daily interfaith cooperation, to end religiously motivated violence, and to create cultures of peace, justice, and healing for the Earth and all living beings. Click here to learn more about Violence Prevention efforts at URI.

Special Performances
Regina Belle is an American singer-songwriter who started her career in the mid-1980s. Known for her singles "Baby Come to Me" (1989) and "Make It Like It Was" (1990), Belle is most notable for two hit duets, both with Peabo Bryson: "Without You", the love theme from the comedy film Leonard Part 6, recorded in 1987; and "A Whole New World", the main theme of the Disney's animated feature film Aladdin, recorded in 1992, with which Belle and Bryson won the Grammy award. The theme song "Far Longer than Forever" from the animated movie The Swan Princess, performed with Jeffrey Osborne, was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1995 for Best Original Song.

Robert Peapo "Peabo" Bryson is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for singing soul ballads (often as a duet with female singers) including the hit singles "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" with Roberta Flack, "A Whole New World'' with Regina Belle, and ''Beauty and the Beast'' with Canadian singer Celine Dion. Bryson has contributed to two Disney animated feature soundtracks. Bryson is a winner of two Grammy Awards. is an American singer and songwriter. He is known for singing soul ballads (often as a duet with female singers) including the hit singles "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" with Roberta Flack, "A Whole New World'' with Regina Belle, and ''Beauty and the Beast'' with Canadian singer Celine Dion.[2] Bryson has contributed to two Disney animated feature soundtracks. Bryson is a winner of two Grammy Awards.

With the Participation
Duniya Dance and Drum Company was formed in April 2007. The Company creates dance and music from Punjab, India, and Guinea, West Africa, as well as unique blends of these forms and beyond. The word duniya means “world” in a wide array of languages, including Punjabi, Arabic, Susu and Wolof. Duniya’s work embodies this word, as it explores the forces that have brought together the members of the company and their dance and drum styles, including, but not limited to, colonization, globalization, immigration, art, dance, music, and love.

The Bowes Center | SFCM dramatically amplifies the scale of opportunity SFCM provides for students and deepens our engagement with the community of San Francisco’s Civic Center. A “vertical campus” designed by Mark Cavagnero Associates, The $200 million, 170,000 square-foot Bowes Center incorporates affordable student housing, dining, classrooms, rehearsal rooms, performance spaces, faculty and partner offices, and a radio station all under one roof. The building enables students to create, learn, and share music in an integrated, collaborative environment.

Host and Producer
Dr. Oscar Williams Jr, a musician, educator, speaker, and cultural ambassador has traveled the world spreading the message of love and life through the medium of music. Having obtained a Masters in Music Composition and a Doctorate in Education, Oscar has positioned himself to be at the cutting edge of innovation and change when it comes to challenging the status quo and cultivating change in all communities. His musical career has spanned 20+ years, traveling domestically and internationally with programs such as: Rhythm Road, American Music Abroad, The Golden Gospel Singers, and touring his own Cultural Music show entitled “Speak life”.