A rising force on the world stage, powerhouse Afro-Venezuelan vocalist Betsayda Machado and her percussion/vocal ensemble Parranda El Clavo play tambor, a celebratory tradition that evolved to accompany parties, parades and processions. Hailing from a central coast village founded by people escaping slavery during the colonial era, their lapidary harmonies flow over thickly textured rhythms tracing directly […]
Little known in the West and rarely heard in the Bay Area since the passing of legendary oud master and composer Hamza El Din in 2006, Sudanese music is an exquisitely expressive and deeply subtle tradition ripe for rediscovery. Tunes of Sudan brings together some of the finest musicians from the vast and troubled North […]
When people in the northwestern Indian state of Gujarat want to celebrate, the ecstatic dance tradition known as garba often provides the fuel. An essential component of wedding celebrations and the nine-day fall Hindu festival Navratri, garba is an intoxicating, high-energy folk dance style marked by hand claps and twirls. Danced in a circle (reflecting […]
A beloved Father’s Day tradition celebrating the creativity of North America’s indigenous peoples, the 20th annual Native Contemporary Arts Festival showcases a diverse program of native music, dance, spoken word, visual artists, vendors and native crafts. Curated by Janeen Antoine Welcome - Lakota Harden Opening Prayer - Kanyon Sayers-Rood Dance - Javier Stell-Fresquez & Ivy […]
Up in the Air: Relishing the Joy of Uncertainty Circus Bella delights in the totally unexpected, with circus feats, ringleader surprises and aerial splendor, and as always, the Circus Bella All-Star Band! The brand new show, directed by Abigail Munn, aka High-Flying Abigail, also features the popular “BIG JUGGLE” - Circus Bella’s loving reference to […]
Up in the Air: Relishing the Joy of Uncertainty Circus Bella delights in the totally unexpected, with circus feats, ringleader surprises and aerial splendor, and as always, the Circus Bella All-Star Band! The brand new show, directed by Abigail Munn, aka High-Flying Abigail, also features the popular “BIG JUGGLE” - Circus Bella’s loving reference to […]
Up in the Air: Relishing the Joy of Uncertainty Circus Bella delights in the totally unexpected, with circus feats, ringleader surprises and aerial splendor, and as always, the Circus Bella All-Star Band! The brand new show, directed by Abigail Munn, aka High-Flying Abigail, also features the popular “BIG JUGGLE” - Circus Bella’s loving reference to […]
Hailing from the indigenous Wolastoq people of New Brunswick, Jeremy Dutcher is a classically-trained tenor who won Canada’s prestigious Polaris Music Prize last year with his strikingly beautiful debut album Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. A musicologist, performer and activist who currently lives in Toronto, Dutcher found his musical mission working in the Canadian Museum of History’s archives, […]
Tribute to Sugar Pie DeSanto When everything goes right with a tribute album the musician making the recording is elevated along with the honored artist. Philippine-born singer/songwriter Aireene Espiritu, a fixture on the Bay Area folk scene for more than two decades, delivered a brilliant hat tip to an overlooked master with Back Where I […]