A wind quintet with a powerful mission, Quinteto Latino is a singular Bay Area-based chamber ensemble devoted to breaking down the racial and social barriers that have long plagued the classical music world. Spotlighting and performing compositions by artists of Latin American heritage, the quintet’s acclaimed musicians are devoted to building community through classical music, […]
When it comes to Afro-Cuban percussion, Jesús Díaz is Bay Area royalty. Whether he’s recording with Grateful Dead rhythm wizard Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum, laying down grooves for Santana or leading his own potent combo QBA, Díaz has been a creative force on the West Coast for some four decades. He arrived in the United […]
The 5th Annual African Arts Festival celebrates the glorious diversity and extraordinary creativity of the continent’s peoples. Co-presented by Duniya Dance and Drum Company and the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, it’s a family-friendly celebration of live music and dance featuring Bay Area ensembles representing different regions of Africa and the African diaspora, including a sneak […]
A joyous celebration of departed ancestors, Bon is a Japanese Buddhist festival that’s been observed for more than five centuries with a traditional folk dance known as Bon-Odori. Returning to the Gardens, this year’s lively and participatory program includes traditional favorites by Japanese folk music and dance ensemble Ensohza, Taiko Peace performing P.J. Hirabayashi’s dance […]
Bay Area percussion maestro Michael Spiro, a 10-time Grammy Award nominee, created Spirology as a vehicle to explore the relationship between Afro-Cuban folkloric music and Cuban popular music. Combining the sacred chants of the Lukumí bata drums with the oldest form of Cuban charanga, the danzón, Spirology brings together some of the region’s finest Afro-Cuban […]
Since moving to the Bay Area in 2009, Chris Trinidad has become a vital voice on the Asian-American jazz scene. Originally from Vancouver, the Filipino-Canadian musician, teacher, multi-instrumentalist and scholar has honed a wide-open aesthetic shaped by his love of jazz, his embracing spirituality and his insistent curiosity about fellow humans. Co-presenting a regular Asian-American […]
After years of showing up to salsa and Latin jazz gigs only to find herself the only woman in the band, conguera and vocalist Rebecca Rodríguez decided she needed to take measures into her own hands. Born out of a desire to highlight the Bay Area’s deep pool of female talent, Agua Pura is an […]
A rising force on the Bay Area music scene, Filipino and Irish-American singer-songwriter Ouida (pronounced "wee-duh") has quickly gained international attention. Since her first release in 2020 her songs have been featured in MTV’s Love & Hip Hop Atlanta and Jersey Shore, NYLON Manila, and leading Irish radio stations. Funded in part by San Francisco-based […]