Carnegie Hall

The Blacksmiths We Insist Band is a dynamic group of musicians motivated by love, power, wisdom, and joy, who perform music rooted in the African diaspora, including jazz, Afro-Caribbean, R&B, funk, and gospel. The band came together when bassist Mimi Jones and vocalist Candice Hoyes joined the social justice–focused artists’ collective The Blacksmiths as music directors. Comprising mostly women jazz artists, the ensemble spreads messages of Black resilience, joy, and womanhood. Jones and Hoyes wear several hats as vocalists, curators, and arrangers to offer a brass-inflected revelatory message of empowerment.