From Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu to the Boston Celtics and the world of software, the word “ubuntu” means different things to people all over the world. For those who gathered for the 11th annual Peace, Love & Funk fundraiser concert at The Mint in Los Angeles on the final Friday of January, the Nguni term was significant for more reasons than one.

To start, there was a clear connection to Camp Ubuntu, the cause for which Nikki Glaspie, the powerhouse drummer-singer and leader of The Nth Power, and some of her most talented musician friends gathered to support. Proceeds from the evening—including ticket sales, an art auction and Nikki herself appealing to attendees for their largesse—went to the Harold Robinson Foundation, which partners with Camp Ubuntu to bring groups of marginalized students from South LA to the Angeles National Forest for three-day retreats at the Canyon Creek Complex.

In spearheading the effort once again, Nikki also demonstrated the very definition of “ubuntu”—which translates to “I am because we are”—by packing a small space for a good cause.

That includes the stage itself. While The Mint can comfortably accommodate a band in the 4-to-6-piece range, Nikki pushed the limits of what’s possible with as many as 17 musicians onstage at any given time. All told, more than 20 players cycled on and off through the set, including The Nth Power guitarist Nick Cassarino and bassist Nate Edgar, singer Amanda Brown, drummer Mike Mitchell, and a crowd of collaborators from Ghost-Note, among them Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth on percussion, MonoNeon on bass, guitarist Peter Knudsen, Jonathan Mones on alto sax, Mike Jelani Brooks on tenor sax, Dominique “Xavier” Taplin on the keys, and Sylvester Onyekiaja (a.k.a. Sly5thAve) on baritone sax and the ones and twos before, during and between sets.

Related: Denver Comes Alive Spotlight: Soulive & Ghost-Note Connect As Ghost-Live

Not to mention a kid from Japan named Oto Nori, who sat in with the rhythm section toward the end, and Jurassic 5’s Chali 2na, who hosted the event and lent his own baritone bars to a rendition of the O’Jays’ “Give the People What They Want”.

For the better part of three hours, that collection of creators came together for two brilliant sets of music comprised of songs that spanned the spectrum of funk, jazz, soul, and R&B. From Aretha Franklin’s “Jump To It” and Diana Ross’ “Change of Heart”, to the Bar-Kays’ “Traffic Jammer” and Michael Jackson’s “PYT”, Nikki and company kept the full house dancing and grooving to a slew of classics.

And that was just the first set. After an intermission that featured Nikki sharing stories about Camp Ubuntu and Nick serenading the room with his original song, “I Will Never Leave You”—written about his experience at Camp Ubuntu—the rest of the ensemble returned to the stage for another extended run on tracks like Chaka Khan’s “Do You Love What You Feel”, Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U”, and Mick Jagger’s “Let’s Work”.

Through it all, this not-so-ragtag band took turns soloing, dueling and jamming. The vibes vacillated between those of a relatively impromptu group (which this was, to a great degree) and a family that had played together for ages.

Such is the magic and majesty of music, especially when it’s performed by people as talented as those Nikki enlisted for this show. They were there because she was, and vice versa, as was the case for each reveler inside The Mint for Peace, Love & Funk. Thus, in creating a sonic community for a reason bigger than entertainment, everyone came to embody the spirit of “ubuntu,” with the hope of passing it on to the next generation.

Below, check out a gallery of photos courtesy of photographer Josh Martin.

Fans looking to catch Nikki Glaspie perform in a collaboration setting akin to Peace, Love & Funk should head to Denver Comes Alive at Mission Ballroom in Denver, CO on January 31st. Glaspie will perform as part of the Poppa Funk & The Night Tripper: A Tribute To Art Neville & Dr. John set with Ivan Neville, Jon Cleary, George Porter Jr., Ian Neville, Tony Hall, Kerik, and Big Sam. Tickets are available here.