Takin' It to the Streets Festival at Marquette Park: Photo gallery

Photos: Max Herman

Billed as a kind of Muslim Woodstock in some corners of the internet and as an "urban international" fest on flyers, this past weekend's Takin' It to the Streets festival was surely an intriguing mix of performers, culture and unity politics. Sponsored by non-profit the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) and featuring 100 performers on four stages in Chicago's Marquette Park, a broad range of styles, cultures and homelands were represented—and astoundingly, tickets were free. Headliner Mos Def's conscious rap, Tinariwen's desert drone blues, Morroccan trio Fnaire's hip-hop , Kindred the Family Soul's jazzy neo-soul and rhythms of Seneke West African Percussion Ensemble all drew crowds on a blazing Chicago summer Saturday afternoon.

There was more than music, of course. The festival's Faith & Justice sessions featuring speakers on spirituality and social change. Elsewhere there was an international bazaar, food vendors offering the likes of Kefta Kebob pita, green workshops, a basketball tournament as well as prayer areas and health information tents. Break dance crews demoed their skills and taggers painted a mural for the park. Underlining all—including Mos Def's set—was a call for unity and positivity among Chicago Muslims. It was certainly not the same old fest. If you're kicking yourself because you missed out, take a look at the images above and then kick yourself again and keep your fingers crossed that it comes back next year.

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View a Mos Def at Takin' It to the Streets video excerpt after the jump.