WHAT’S GOOD: ANDREW KAHAN

In 2021, Andrew Kahan launched ShakaSounds to fuse his deep love of music with a desire to create social impact. He pulls records from dusty basements and his extensive collection to raise money for nonprofits that tackle issues important to him. To date, he’s sold thousands of records and raised over $20,000 for NGOs like Play On Philly, People’s Kitchen Philly, NAACP, Planned Parenthood, Black Girls Code, CHOP, Ars Nova Workshop, Trevor Project, and many more. Andrew also DJs under ShakaSounds, playing sets around Philly that celebrate the connective threads between music that spans across eras and continents; from Brazilian Tropicalia, to Japanese Jazz Funk, to Nigerian Afrobeat, to Soviet-era funk, to Peruvian Cumbia, along with a steady mix of jazz, funk, reggae, and hip hop. Andrew is always down to collaborate on a pop-up fundraiser, a First Friday or Gospel Brunch, music curation for your store or restaurant, making you a playlist, or helping you set up your first turntable.

We asked Andrew to tell us about a few of his favorite spots around Philly.