Many an American jazz singer has fallen in love with Brazilian music, but few have pursued the passion as ardently and intelligently as San Francisco vocalist Sandy Cressman. After releasing two albums interpreting Brazilian jazz standards with her excellent band Homenagem Brasileira, she plunged into creating new music herself with leading Brazilian jazz artists on […]
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 […]
Encompassing R&B and rock, funk and electronica, salsa and soul, The Onyx brings a powerfully unified message to an eclectic repertoire. The all-black female combo features six savvy women who revel in making music together, embodying a sound described on one of their songs as “black girl magic.” Formed for a last-minute gig at the […]
This children's program repeats at 12:15pm Friday, 6/7/19. What’s in that box, you ask? In the hands of Ka-Hon, a gentle spring shower, a flamenco troupe, a galloping stallion and a rumba circle. Drawing on a pan-American array of rhythms, the high-energy ensemble displays the astounding versatility of the humble cajón, a simple wooden box […]
This children's program is a repeat of the 11am Friday, 6/7/19 show. What’s in that box, you ask? In the hands of Ka-Hon, a gentle spring shower, a flamenco troupe, a galloping stallion and a rumba circle. Drawing on a pan-American array of rhythms, the high-energy ensemble displays the astounding versatility of the humble cajón, […]
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 […]
Lines and lyrics from Litquake Nation! Enjoy line breaks during your lunch break, as some of the Bay Area’s best poets and musicians share their work in the great outdoors. Lourdes Figueroa was born in Yuba City, California during a trip her parents made from Mexico to the USA when they worked in the campo tilling […]
Under the leadership of Dr. John Calloway, the Latin Jazz Youth Ensemble of San Francisco has served as an invaluable proving ground for creatively ambitious young musicians since 2001. Living up to vaunted expectations set by the ensemble’s alumni, these high school players collaborate with legends like Armando Peraza, Jerry Gonzalez and John Santos. They also write […]
This children's program repeats at 12:15pm Friday, 6/14/19. Silliness is very serious business for the Pi Clowns. A company dedicated to knock-about physical comedy, these performers don’t tell jokes. They embody them with robust and timeless antics. Blending mime, theater, acrobatics, juggling and improvisation, the Pi Clowns deliver delightful and original clown vignettes. Pi members have […]
This children's program is a repeat of the 11am Friday, 6/14/19 show. Silliness is very serious business for the Pi Clowns. A company dedicated to knock-about physical comedy, these performers don’t tell jokes. They embody them with robust and timeless antics. Blending mime, theater, acrobatics, juggling and improvisation, the Pi Clowns deliver delightful and original clown vignettes. […]
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 […]
Renowned Bay Area jazz bassist Marcus Shelby brings his quintet to Yerba Buena Gardens for a free Lunchtime Concert. Musicians in this group are: Rafa Postel (trumpet), Thomas Bombara (tenor saxophone), Luis Peralta (piano), Genius Wesley (Drums), Marcus Shelby (bass). https://youtu.be/5rrnqIHSlCs
Jesús Díaz arrived in the United States from Cuba as part of the chaotic 1980 Mariel exodus, seeking freedom and opportunity. Since settling in the Bay Area some three decades ago, the percussion virtuoso, songwriter, vocalist and educator has taken full advantage of both, performing with everyone from Dizzy Gillespie and Carlos Santana to Andy […]
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 […]
One of the West Coast’s leading Cuban bands, Edgar Pantoja and the Afro-Cuban Tribe is a rhythmic powerhouse designed to deliver Pantoja's original compositions. It’s a book that combines Cuban roots sources of rumba, son, and timba with international rhythms of samba, Moroccan Gnawa, jazz and funk. Born in Santiago de Cuba, Pantoja has spent […]
This children's program repeats at 12:15pm Friday, 6/28/19. A beloved Bay Area institution, the Unique Derique is a prince among clowns, an internationally esteemed performer who has honed a singular blend of physical comedy and hambone body percussion. Derique (aka Lance McGee) started clowning in Berkeley at 15 with Circus A La Mode and later joined San […]
This children's program is a repeat of the 11am Friday, 6/28/19 show. A beloved Bay Area institution, the Unique Derique is a prince among clowns, an internationally esteemed performer who has honed a singular blend of physical comedy and hambone body percussion. Derique (aka Lance McGee) started clowning in Berkeley at 15 with Circus A La Mode and […]
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, […]
This children's program occurs twice this day: 11:00am & 12:15pm. Introduce kids to West African beats from Duniya Dance and Drum! Formed in April 2007, Duniya Dance and Drum Company creates dance and music from Punjab, India, and Guinea, West Africa, as well as unique blends of these forms and beyond. The word duniya means “world” in a wide array of languages, […]
This children's program occurs twice this day: 11:00am & 12:15pm. Introduce kids to West African beats from Duniya Dance and Drum! Formed in April 2007, Duniya Dance and Drum Company creates dance and music from Punjab, India, and Guinea, West Africa, as well as unique blends of these forms and beyond. The word duniya means “world” in a wide array of […]
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 […]