Rock/funk/soul outfit Sweet HayaH have been a welcome fixture in the San Jose music scene for a while now, and have coaxed audiences all around the Bay Area to sway their hips to the global rhythms underpinning their unique sound. Vocalist Nehal is a powerful force, her energetic vibrato and sunny charisma providing a one of a kind atmosphere for their live performances. At Art Boutiki, they’re joined by local alt-rockers Periscope and Relapse for a holiday show that’s quickly becoming a sweet, sweet holiday tradition.

Sweet HayaH
Sat, 8pm, $15
Art Boutiki, San Jose

This year’s fall installment of the SoFA Street Fair marks a number of milestones. It’s the 10th edition since the festival returned in 2014 after a 10-year hiatus. Interestingly enough, the original SoFA Street Fair ran from 1994 to 2004. You can do the math there. The free live music runs until 9pm. With four outdoor stages and 11 indoor venues, there will be no shortage of great tunes to take in. Be sure to stop by the women-powered XX Stage to see a number of great female-fronted San Jose acts, including Soccora, Sweet Hayah, Steely Nash and Chloey Zelma.

SoFA Street Fair
Sun, 2pm, Free
SoFA District, San Jose

Another South Bay band could be joining locals, Picture Atlantic, Anya and the Getdown and the Trims on the Soundcheck Local Band Stage at BFD this May.

Live 105 has opened up one additional slot, and the San Francisco radio station is letting its listeners vote on who it should fill it. There are 19 bands in the running and six are from the South Bay: 1989 (from Gilroy), Dogcatcher (from Mountain View) and San Jose bands All City Elite, Conversions, Curious Quail and Sweet HayaH.

Voting continues until 3pm on May 3. The winning band will be announced on air at 7pm on May 5th. Visit the voting page for more info.

More info on BFD 2013.

PHOTOS: Images from BFD 2012

The Hedley Club at Hotel DeAnza will host a variety of vocal talents at SVSX that play along nicely with the art deco decor of venue. Anya & the Get Down headline with Amy Dabalos and Sweet HayaH on the bill.

Anya and the Get Down
11pm, Hedley Club at Hotel De Anza
Led by classically trained singer/songwriter Anya, the Get Down’s first EP got the local scene buzzing, its Amy Winehouse-type confessional rock blending effortlessly with dubstep, reggae and hip-hop. Then there was the revelation of Anya’s vocals—powerful, sensual and unpredictable. But if that first release established the noir side of Anya and her talented, versatile band, their newest EP expands their range, especially on the slow-burn “Gotta Be Got” and the emotional “Maybe.” The Bangerz’s DJ Cutso also contributes a wild remix of “C’est La Vie” that puts a dance-floor spin on an already disorienting swirl of genres wrapped into a single anthem. “Gone Baby Gone,” however, remains their signature song, its video especially capturing the mix of vintage style and dark, futuristic edge that makes Anya and the Get Down one of the most exciting bands to hit the South Bay scene in years.

Sweet HayaH
10pm, Hedley Club at 
Hotel De Anza
World beat may be a minor influence on Sweet HayaH’s sound, but its subtle undercurrent can definitely be discerned. With a mish-mash of rock, soul, blues and folk music, Sweet HayaH’s songs sound like the self-reflective work of songwriters like Tori Amos and Alanis Morisette at their core but flushed out into more diverse musical settings—almost like No Doubt, but with more passion.
As far as their penchant for the international, they not only sing songs in English, but in French and in Spanish as well—not to mention the second half of their name, HayaH, which is Arabic for “life.” But where their worldliness really reveals itself is in the stripped down, bare-bones, acoustic versions of the songs. (They have been known to play electric and acoustic sets.) The rhythms have a slight Latin and African bent to them. Meanwhile, the vocals evince a poetic timing and intonation that tie in smoothly with the music. This isn’t to say that Sweet HayaH aren’t a rock/soul band. They are. Lead vocalist Nehal Abuelata combines the soul of Aretha Franklin and the heart-on-the-sleeve cries of Janis Joplin.

Amy Dabalos
9pm, Hedley Club at Hotel De Anza
Young jazz/R&B vocalist Amy Dabalos is noted for her song interpretations. Beginning her musical journey in the jazz world, Amy was inspired by the improvisational freedom of the music. Her style and approach to singing are greatly influenced by vocal jazz legends, as well as her undergraduate training in classical voice.
Amy takes standards, and some songs not so familiar, and makes them all her own—new harmonies, different rhythms and a modern take on beloved numbers. Most recently, she has performed at City Lights Theater, Left Coast Live, the San Pedro Square Market and the San Jose Jazz Winter and Summer Festivals.

The Silicon Valley Sound eXperience highlights more than 20 local bands at nine venues in downtown San Jose starting at 3pm on September 22. Purchase tickets HERE.