A multifarious duo created by two of the Bay Area’s most creative young jazz musicians, Rice Kings channel original electronic jazz directly from the future. Keyboardist and self-described nerd Erika Oba, a Berkeley High alum and Oberlin Conservatory grad, is a rising force on the Bay Area jazz scene who thrives in stylistically diverse settings. Eli Maliwan, a product of Cal Arts, is a highly expressive saxophonist and vocalist who focuses on the EWI (electronic wind instrument) in Rice Kings. Together they create wildly imaginative Asian-American queer anthems that celebrate minorities of gender, race and sexuality.
Las Cafeteras + Soltron
Music builds community and communities create music, a fact exemplified by this thrilling double bill. Las Cafeteras came together when seven young men and women started taking free music classes at the Eastside Café, a bustling Chicano cultural center in northeast Los Angeles. What started as a casual exploration of their Mexican roots quickly turned into a vital community institution, and now Las Cafeteras’ contemporary take on traditional Afro-Mexican grooves of son jarocho has turned the band into a world music force. Soltron grew out of the Mission District’s vital arts scene, blending Latin jazz, Chicano rock, and Brazilian batucada with strains of hip-hop and electronic music. An 11-piece juggernaut with a relentlessly buoyant sound, the band features some of the Bay Area’s most exciting young players.
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival is proud to present today’s program in association with CRLA, as part of CRLA’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Founded in 1966, CRLA’s mission is to fight for justice and individual rights alongside the most exploited communities of our society. CRLA’s work impacts farmworkers, individuals with disabilities, immigrant populations, LGBT communities, women, children and families in rural areas. For more information, please visit: www.crla.org.
Will Magid Trio
Trumpet player Will Magid is known for his eclectic playing style, never limiting himself to just one musical influence, but always playing with impeccable skill. The trio is Kevin Wong (keyboard), Paul Oliphant (drums), and Will Magid (trumpet, DJ), with special guest vocalist Zeik McCarter.
Visit the artist’s website at: www.willmagid.com