Jesse Chuy Varela

A six-time Grammy nominee, Omar Sosa launched his career as a solo artist here in the Bay Area and lived in Oakland until relocating to Barcelona, Spain where he’s been embraced by a European audience with open arms for years now.

Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea — better known as La Doña — is the voice of a Latinx working-class movement that is unapologetically queer, brown and feminist. Born and raised in the Mission District, the barrio star and singer-songwriter blends her care for culture and community with a bold, socially conscious sound. On December 8, La Doña headlined Encuentro Del Canto Popular, a music festival at The Chapel (777 Valencia St.) hosted by Acción Latina, the nonprofit publisher of El Tecolote.

During the pandemic lockdowns, a group of Mission District musicians formed a “germ pod” to combat the stifling loneliness and fear of the unknown. From this collective came Inti Mystica, a band dedicated to transforming solitude into survival and resistance through art. Now an eight-member powerhouse, Inti Mystica is set to perform on December 6 at The Chapel as part of the 43rd annual Encuentro del Canto Popular.