Set to the backdrop of Navy Yard Waterfront, R&B on the Water returns to the nation’s capital with a three-part toast to the transcendence of music and its power in molding generations of Black culture.
The annual celebration, founded by Baltimore native Diamond “Dymo” Watson, dawns its fourth year of timeless R&B classics, while nodding to the breadth of Black excellence that thrives throughout D.C., a sentiment touted by opening local artist Simone Agoussoye at the June 22 series debut.
“I feel like everything about this event speaks to Black excellence, especially being in D.C.,” Agoussoye told The Informer at the first of this year’s trip of events, held during Black Music Month. “They try to take from us, but we are still standing here. Just being here in itself really speaks volumes.”
For attendees like Agoussoye and Carlton Marlow, an education research analyst for the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), the cultural celebration stands as more than an evening of socialization and dancing, but a chance to reflect on the extensive impact of Black artistry.
In addition to curated food trucks and hookah and cigar lounges, guests attending the upcoming July 27 and Sept. 14 events can enjoy a showcase of emerging local artisan brands, such as Agoussoye’s self-made portraits of various R&B moguls at the June 22 opening, which included on-the-spot paintings of Aaliyah and Jimi Hendrix.
“I listen to music all day long, it helps me think and clear my mind, and so does art. When I hear the lyrics, they’ll make me think of a painting,” Agoussoye said, reflecting on her own appreciation for Black art. “I feel like art is everyone’s first means of learning, and I never stopped learning that way.”
Other local regional talent includes a performance from house favorite band Too Much Talent, with a stacked lineup of rotating DJs, bands, vendors and hosts. The July 27 celebration headliners include DJ Tre, DJ Money and returning crowd-favorite King Flexa as host, while DJ Lelyand and DJ Oowwee are set to shake the scene in the all-white finale on Sept. 14, with a surprise vocalist to be announced.
Meanwhile, Marlow commended R&B on the Water as a space to drive community engagement beyond mingling and revenue.
The native Washingtonian highlighted the infrastructural growth of Navy Yard evident through the signature music series, which he added was “completely different” with “one building and nothing else” when he was growing up.
Further, he shouted out some of the benefits of the citywide staple, from uplifting African Americans in a time of political turmoil, to the diverse crowds basking in generations of hitmakers like Frankie Beverly, Aaliyah, Keyshia Cole and Muni Long.
“This is our culture, this is our music. This is how we feel good,” Marlow told The Informer. “It’s a great feeling for us to be able to come out and celebrate no matter what.”
Amid reflections at the June 22 opening, native Washingtonian Anthony High, who now resides in Colorado, seconded this notion as he touted hopes to see future crowds embrace R&B on the Water as a moment of empowerment for African Americans.
“[Black music to me is] empowerment, reaching back and really uplifting our community. I see a lot of other communities doing that for their people, but I don’t think we do enough of that for each other,” High told The Informer. “The people, the energy, the culture [at R&B on the Water]. It definitely is a type of event and atmosphere that kind of speaks to the vibe that we live [in D.C.].”
