Red Bay Coffee is inspired by the many talented people we are surrounded by in Oakland. Our Great Grinds Campaign proudly features people we admire for their commitment and grind to their craft.
ASTU is a Black, queer, and gender-expansive interdisciplinary artist - vocalist, songwriter, composer, actor, and film director. They left life as a minister and found themself in R&B, expressing their sexuality, identity and life experience in their music and art. Part retro soul, part nineties R&B pastiche, part New Wave synth-pop, ASTU’s music refuses to pledge allegiance to a single vibe, garnering them critical acclaim from Afropunk, Earmilk, KQED and more.
ASTU has composed and written songs for Disney, Pixar and other artists, and is the voice of ‘Miss Motors’ on 3 time Emmy award winning animated Netflix series “Go! Go! Cory Carson.” An organizer and mentor in the Bay Area art and LGBTQIA+ communities, they are co-founder of Boyish, a community-powered and artist-led organization based in Oakland, California with a mission to build sustainable lifestyle pathways and safe spaces that inspire creative freedom for artists, with an emphasis on Black queer and trans artists.
They believe in their rich community of artists and are committed to providing space and opportunity to imagine a radical ecosystem of creative freedom and financial sustainability powered by community.
No doubt Astu is someone to look out for in the future. If you want to know more about ASTU’s music and upcoming events follow her on instagram @astu.music
