Pre-show music begins at 12:30pm. Born and raised in Havana and based in Oakland since the early 1980s, conga master Jesús Díaz is an international force whose music encompasses Cuba, the U.S. and West Africa. When trumpet star Ambrose Akinmusire wanted to infuse his 2020 album on the tender spot of every calloused moment with […]
With a dozen horn players and two percussionists, Inspector Gadje is a leading force on the Bay Area’s thriving Balkan music scene, specializing in the gorgeous, celebratory music of southeastern Europe’s Roma people. Adding a 1000-watt jolt of energy to the band is special guest Ismail Lumanovski, the Macedonian-born clarinet virtuoso who was the first […]
SOMA Pilipinas Community Engagement begins at 12:30pm. CAAMFest presents a dynamic music showcase featuring fresh contemporary voices in the Asian American landscape to celebrate the festival's 40th anniversary. CAAMFest40 Directions in Sound: Pinays on the Rise spotlights the SOMA Pilipinas Cultural District featuring emerging Pinay artists. From Union City, singer-songwriter Kiyomi brings R&B stylings based on […]
The most celebrated gamelan ensemble outside of Bali, Gamelan Sekar Jaya has spent four decades forging deep and abiding ties to the art form’s greatest Indonesian practitioners. This concert features the world premiere of Sudamala, a new work from internationally acclaimed Balinese-American composer I Dewa Putu Berata. Sudamala, supported by a Gerbode Foundation Special Award […]
If difficult times call for extraordinary voices, Berkeley singer, songwriter and guitarist Diana Gameros is the woman for the hour. The Mexican-born songstress draws on her experience as an immigrant in exploring the plight of border crossers of all stripes, bringing luminous humanity to a topic too often addressed with searing heat rather than clarifying […]