Brent Faiyaz performs during Sol Blume Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento on Aug. 19, 2023. Courtesy Sol Blume. All other photos: Marisela Delgado/STAFF.

SACRAMENTO — A flood couldn’t stop soul and hip-hop fest Sol Blume from returning to Discovery Park.

Postponed from the spring due to last winter’s storms that put the park under water, organizers pivoted to August, keeping a good chunk of the lineup intact, including headliners Brent Faiyaz and Kehlani. Sol Blume grew this year to include a market and “wellness village” that offered classes like “Thai Yoga Massage” and intuitive movement therapy.” Pop-up lounges, meanwhile offered cocktails to the mostly millennial and Gen-Z crowd.

Brent Faiyaz added a dramatic flourish to his appearance with two portals that emitted light and images from within while the “VILLAIN’S THEME” intro from his album Wasteland played while the crowd waited.

Ella Mai performs during Sol Blume Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento on Aug. 19, 2023.

Donning all black, cornrowed braids tucked under a black cap and eyes hidden behind black shades, he launched right into “Loose Change,” singing the verses and hook unfettered of backing tracks. He added some swagger during the rap break in the song, showing equal prowess in rapping as in singing, hands gesticulating aggressively.

The first part of his set included more songs from Wasteland. “FYTB” featured live violins and cello that added a dramatic flair. “Fuck the World,” the title track from his 2020 EP, led into “All Mine,” to which the audience sang much of the song, and Wasteland track “Gravity.” Another highlight of the confident yet moody performance was “Jackie Brown.”

While Faiyaz was closing out the first on the Blume Stage, soul singer Ella Mai had top billing on the Bless Stage across the festival grounds.

P-Lo performs during Sol Blume Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento on Aug. 19, 2023.

Mai kicked off with “Not Another Love Song,” from 2020’s Heart on My Sleeve. Like Faiyaz, she used her hands and body to accentuate her lyrics. Mai was all smiles as she continued through a set of hits like “10,000 Hours,” “Shot Clock” and “Leave You Alone.”

“You gonna sing it with us? OK, don’t let me down!” she yelled.

Ella Mai went into an a cappella version of “24/7” and “Naked,” before concluding with “Trip,”and the song that put her on the map, “Boo’d Up.”

Bay area native P-Lo drew a large crowd earlier in the evening as the sun blazed overhead. Some looked for shade under tables while others braved the intense heat, hyped up by the hyphy producer and rapper’s energetic and lively performance. The Pinole-born rapper danced jubilantly and rapped before saying he was happy to make the quick drive out to Sacramento.

Amber Mark performs during Sol Blume Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento on Aug. 19, 2023.

P-Lo went on to perform a few songs before bringing out Bobby Brackins and Ray J, who sang his song “One Wish,” jumping off the stage into the crowd. The trio also performed “On Top,” before P-Lo brought out some young family members to finish out his performance.

Amber Mark looked comfortable stalking the length of the stage, stopping to dance every so often. She started with an extended “All Damn Night.” After “Lose My Cool,” the audience danced to throwback jam “Love Me Right,” which the German-Jamaican singer performed at a mellower pace before finishing with a dramatic flourish.

Other highlights:

Sabrina Claudio performs during Sol Blume Festival at Discovery Park in Sacramento on Aug. 19, 2023.

Sabrina Claudio showcased her beautiful voice, backed by her band on songs like “Stand Still.”

Rapper Joey Bada$$ confidently handled the stage throughout his set during songs like “TEMPTATION,” “FOR MY PEOPLE” and 1999’s “Righteous Minds.”

Rapper Isaiah Rashad was backed by an amazing band from Manchester, U.K., including a DJ live sampling loops, a drummer improvising tracks and a guitarist.

— Mel Bowman