African musician Piwai performs at the Oregon Country Fair for the first time, bringing her classic mix of Afrobeats, mbira, reggae and soul. Piwai’s sets frequently feature vibrant colors, various patterns and elaborate dancing — with an unmistakable mix of traditional African beats and contemporary music. She will play music from her first album, African Turquoise, which blends Afrobeats with jazz. Piwai says her OCF show will include covers of Bob Marley, South African singer Miriam Makeba, “and then just some downright traditional songs from Zimbabwe,” Piwai says. She is singing with her band, Mystic Gong, with Joan Torres on bass, Simon Mulwa on guitar, Oscar Harper on drums and Miracle on keyboards. Piwai centers her music around community involvement and advocacy, frequently collaborating with nonprofits, youth groups and community-based organizations. When filming the music video for her song “Malaika,” she partnered with a youth group based outside of Harare, Zimbabwe, and incorporated different neighborhood kids within the music video. “Advocacy and the community is how music grows. Because when you’re working with the community, sort of like providing impact and acting like cultural ambassadors, they are allowed to have experiences that they would not experience anywhere else,” Piwai says. “That allows us to grow.” — Aishiki Nag

Piwai and Mystic Gong perform 1:15 pm to 2:05 pm Friday, July 10, 4:45 pm to 5:35 pm Saturday, July 11 and noon to 12:50 pm Sunday, July 12 at Monkey Palace at Oregon Country Fair. Tickets for Oregon Country Fair are $60 and available at OregonCountryFair.org.