To update information or submit an event, email ACTA.
Generaciones: Three Generations of Mexican Women Immigrants
Through August 20, 2005
San Diego Museum of Man
1350 El Prado
Balboa Park
San Diego, CA
“Generaciones: Three Generations of Mexican Women Immigrants” celebrates the similarities and differences among generations, and enhances understanding of the immigrant experience. The San Diego Museum of Man, Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI), film maker Joyce Axelrod, and artist Viviana Lombrozo are collaborating to bring several public programs to the Museum this spring.
Through a grant from the California Council for the Humanities California Story Fund, BLCI is documenting the lives of women from five Mexican immigrant families. Film maker Joyce Axelrod interviewed and videotaped the women—including grandmothers born in Mexico, mothers who were the first generation to emigrate, and daughters born in California. The families were given video cameras so they could document aspects of their own lives. The videos will be incorporated into a documentary that will be shown regularly in the Museum Orientation Center through June 15.
Artist Viviana Lombrozo has been working with the five families to create art that interprets the individual ways family ties are maintained. For example, one family enjoys cooking and sharing traditional foods, and their project will visually depict their family's culinary history. The art projects will be featured in a Main Floor exhibit.
Admission: $6
Museum Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily
For more information call (619) 239-2001 or visit the museum’s website.
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Imagine the Mission Photography Exhibition
July 15 through August 22, 2005
Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts
2868 Mission Street
San Francisco , CA
Imagine The Mission, as captured through the lens of photographers, reflects the vitality, excitement, vibrancy, and color of the Mission District. The photographs capture bits and pieces of the district’s people, politics, self-identity, arts & culture. The exhibit is a collaboration between the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts and El Tecolote Newspaper (a free bi-weekly, bilingual neighborhood newspaper) in honor of El Tecolote’s 35th Anniversary.
For more information visit the Center’s website.
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MásCaras: Masks of Mexico
Through August 27, 2005
The Mexican Museum
Fort Mason Center - Building D
San Francisco, CA
Presenting examples from the Museum’s extensive collection of masks, the exhibition will highlight the unique confluence of Spanish religious plays, African influences brought by the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and the prolific mask traditions of Mexico’s indigenous population. The exhibition will include mixed media masks of wood, clay, animal skin and papier mâché from various parts of Mexico, and will focus on the eastern coast area of Veracruz, western region of Oaxaca and Guerrero, and central states of Michoacán and Puebla.
Admission: Free
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
For more information call (415) 202-9700 or visit the museum’s website.
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Puppets from Around the World
Through August 28, 2005
Museum of Craft and Folk Art
Fort Mason Center
Landmark Building A
San Francisco, CA
The history of puppet theater spans the world. This selection of more than 50 puppets, drawn from the vast collection of Alan G. Cook, legendary collector and puppeteer, represents puppetry traditions of North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe including all of the main categories of puppets — hand puppets, rod puppets, shadow puppets and string puppets or marionettes. In exhibiting these puppets as folk art, viewers can appreciate the artistic and creative talents manifest in their creation.
Admission: $4
Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
For more information call (415) 775-0991 or visit the museum’s website.
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Art of the Indonesian Archipelago
Through August 28, 2005
Mingei International
Balboa Park
El Prado and the Plaza de Panama
San Diego, CA
The exhibit features more than 100 objects from the Museum’s collection including textiles, jewelry, puppets, baskets, beaded objects, ritual dance masks, architectural ornaments, household objects, and ancestor figures and shrines. Since early times, peoples of Indonesia have prized communal well being, respecting and observing life’s passages — fertility, death and renewal. These elements have long been expressed in the art of the peoples of the Archipelago. Temple art, domestic objects, adornment and ritual and ceremonial objects all embody manifold and powerful expressions of life’s passages and cycles.
Indonesia, the world’s largest archipelago (17,000 islands spanning 3,200 miles, of which 6,000 are inhabited) with 365 ethnic and tribal groups, has a long tradition of creating, by hand, objects for daily use. A trade destination for millennia, the Archipelago has also absorbed traditions from other cultures, thus enriching its own artistic expressions. Still visible in Javanese textiles are motifs derived from Chinese ceramic and embroidery designs, introduced in the eighth and seventh centuries B. C., while Balinese ikats display designs and techniques brought to Indonesia by Indian settlers and traders in the first century AD. Moslem and European influences arrived in the 10th century and the 16th century respectively. The exhibit also includes intricately fashioned Balinese masks for use in ritual performances of traditional myths, a company of shadow puppets from Java and an ancient stone ceremonial seat from Nias Island.
Admission: $6
Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
For more information visit the museum’s website.
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Corridos Sin Fronteras
Through September 5, 2005
San Diego Historical Society Museum – Balboa Park
1649 El Prado
San Diego, CA
Corridos, or Mexican narrative songs, are the centerpiece of the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibition Corridos sin Fronteras (Corridos without Borders), a musical and visual journey that explores the origins of some of the most famous Mexican songs. Corridos sin Fronteras reconstructs the origins of corridos through objects, documents and wardrobes dating back several centuries. In fact, experts say these narratives can be traced to Spain more than a thousand years ago. Corridos can be about anything from love and betrayal to corrupt politicians and drug smuggling.
Admission: $6
Museum Hours: Open daily 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
For more information see the San Diego Historical Society’s website or the Corridos sin Fronteras exhibit website.
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The Feast of Straw – Harvest of Hope
July 15 through September 25, 2005
Craft and Folk Art Museum
5814 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
The exhibit features mummer costumes (a mummer is someone who goes from door to door during the holidays performing traditional plays) from Ireland, Great Britain, Western and Eastern Europe, including the Wittlesby Bear Costume, and masks from Lithuania, Belarus and the Ukraine, exploring the cultural aspects of celebrations connected to the festivals of agrarian communities.
Admission: $3.50
Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
For more information visit the museum’s website.
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Native Voices . . . Honoring the Animals
Through September 30, 2005
The Maidu Interpretive Center & Historic Site
1960 Johnson Ranch Drive
Roseville, CA 95661
The “Native Voices...Honoring the Animals” exhibit presents photographs, audiotapes and videotapes of native people sharing how they honor the animals for providing food, clothing, tools, and regalia.
Admission: $4.00
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 9:00 a.m.—4:00 p.m.
For more information call (916) 774-5934.
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Woven Legacy: A Collection of Dat-so-la-lee Works,
1900-1921
Through October 31, 2005
Marion Steinbach Indian Basket Museum
130 West Lake Blvd.
Tahoe City, CA
The collection comprises an exhibition of 62 miniatures and models, woven for Amy Cohn, from 1900-1921. Dat-so-la-lee (Louisa Keyser) became well known for her talent while creating baskets exclusively for Cohn's Emporium Stores in Carson City, NV and Tahoe City, CA, producing over 100 recorded large and miniature Washoe-style baskets, from 1895-1925. Her creations have since become well known and remain a lasting tribute to the artist. This will be the first time Amy Cohn's personal collection will be on public display. This exhibition will feature baskets, personal items, photographs and educational materials.
Admission: $3
Museum Hours: Wednesday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
For more information call (530) 583-1762 or visit the North Lake Tahoe Historical Society website.
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Costumes of Kathak: the Classical Dance of North India
Through November 26, 2005
Oakland Asian Cultural Center
388 Ninth Street, Suite. 290
Oakland, CA
This exhibit offers an educational presentation of the traditional costumes of Kathak dance, a classical dance form from North India.
Admission: Free
For more information call (510) 637-0462 or visit the Oakland Asian Cultural Center’s website.
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Hidden Treasures from the Mexican Collections
Through December 23, 2005
Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology
UC Berkeley
103 Kroeber Hall - Bancroft and College Ave.
Berkeley, CA
Tesoros Escondidos presents a selection of objects from Mexico including clothing, textiles, pottery, baskets, gourds, masks, ceremonial objects, toys, and miniatures. Although these pieces have been accumulating since the Hearst Museum's founding in 1901, only a few have ever been exhibited before. A wide range of forms and media is represented, with regional strengths in the central and southern states. While some objects were created self-consciously as tourist and folk arts for sale to outsiders, much of the collection was made for use in daily life. Most of the items were collected in the 1950s and 1960s, but some pieces date as far back as the seventeenth century.
Admission: $4
Museum Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.; Sunday 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
For more information visit the museum’s website.
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Big Drum: Taiko in the United States
July 14, 2005 through January 8, 2006
Japanese American National Museum
369 East First Street
Los Angeles, California
With its thunderous rhythms and energetic movements, taiko is a powerful and popular style of group drumming. In Japanese, the word taiko translates to "big drum" or "fat drum". While drumming has always been a part of Japanese and Japanese American culture, it was not until the latter part of the twentieth century that taiko evolved into the ensemble form practiced and performed today. The pioneering American taiko groups were formed in California during the social and political tumult of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Today, there are hundreds of groups throughout North America and Hawai'i.
Big Drum: Taiko in the United States is the first major museum exhibition about taiko in America. Through media arts pieces, artifacts, photographs, and artwork, the exhibition explores how the development of taiko in this country reflects the resilience of cultural traditions, the historical journeys of Japanese Americans, and the cultivation of new diverse communities.
Admission: $8
Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Thursday evening until 8:00 p.m.
Visit the museum’s website to learn about a series of Taiko Concerts which complement the exhibit.
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Shadows, Masks, and Music: Aspects of the Performing Arts in Asia
Through January 22, 2006
Asian Art Museum
Tateuchi Thematic Gallery
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA
The worlds of the performing arts and the visual arts intersect in numerous ways. Musical instruments, set designs, costumes, and masks, while intended to accent performances, have also been valued as aesthetic objects in their own right. This exhibit explores this connection featuring a selection of more than 50 instruments, masks, and other items that were used in various Asian theatrical, dance or musical performances. It also draws from the museum’s collection of painted and sculptural works that depict such objects or performances.
Admission: $10
Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with extended hours every Thursday until 9:00 p.m.
For more information visit the museum’s website.
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Tibetan Sand Mandalas
July 2 – 10, 2005
10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Asian Art Museum – Samsung Hall
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA
Monks from the Dzindu Monastery of Tibet will create a sacred sand mandala (a mystic diagram of the universe used as an aid to meditation) of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Prior to the mandala’s creation, the monks will perform a public consecration ceremony on July 2 at 10:30 am. A short blessing ceremony will be repeated each morning at around 10:15 am before the monks begin working. Visitors may observe the process of the mandala’s creation during regular museum hours from July 2 through July 9. The mandala will be deconstructed in a deconsecration ritual on Sunday, July 10 at 2:00 pm.
Admission: Free with museum admission of $10
For more information visit the Asian Art Museum’s website.
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Fandango Jarocho
July 8, 2005, 7:30 p.m.
Leandro Duran Theater
Los Cenzontles Mexican Arts Center
13108 San Pablo Ave.
San Pablo, CA
This event features live traditional music and dance of Veracruz, Mexico. Participants are invited to bring their instruments and shoes to join in the festivities.
Admission: Free
For more information call (510) 233-8015 or visit Los Cenzontles’ website.
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In Her Own Words: Julia Parker – Grandmother’s Prayer
July 9, 2005
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Sonoma County Museum
425 Seventh Street
Santa Rosa, CA
The Sonoma County Museum will present a public preview of a recently completed video documentary featuring Native American basket maker Julia Parker. Grandmother’s Prayer, created by Wallace Murray, Executive Producer of Storyteller Video, offers insight into the creative work of Julia Parker, a well-known California Indian basket maker who creates traditional works of the Kashia Pomo, Coast Miwok, Valley Miwok and Mono Lake Paiute people. Following the documentary preview, Julia will share some of her personal stories about the traditions of basket making, in addition to offering a display of her creative works.
Julia Parker began studying basketry with her husband's grandmother, premier Yosemite Miwok basket maker Lucy Telles. She later studied with teachers from her own tribe, including prominent Pomo weavers Elsie Allen and Mabel McKay. Julia Parker's work is included in the permanent collections of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C. and in California at the Yosemite Museum. Her work is also in many private collections.
Admission: $7.50 for adults; $2.00 for students
For more information visit the Sonoma County Museum’s website.
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Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu
July 9 – 10, 2005—8:00 p.m.
Grand Performances
California Plaza
350 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
These free performances feature the Bay Area’s award winning Hula company, Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu, led by Patrick Makuakane. Na Lei Hulu I Ka Wekiu blends traditional and contemporary forms of hula in a “talk-story” format that incorporates narration and dance to provide a rich cultural context.
Admission: Free
Fore more information visit Grand Performances’ website.
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North American Taiko Conference
July 10 – 17, 2005
Summer Taiko Institute
July 10 – 13, 2005
Japanese American Culture & Community Center
244 S. San Pedro Street, Suite 505
Los Angeles, CA
The Summer Taiko Institute program strives to help participants broaden their perspective of taiko by learning different styles, techniques, and approaches. The Summer Taiko Institute is open on a workshop-to-workshop basis so any interested individual can purchase each workshop separately and take workshops to fit their own individual needs. Each workshop has a maximum capacity of 20 people. The focus of the workshop will be an intensive based on a particular specialty of the workshop leader.
Pre-registration is required.
Taiko 10 Concert
July 15, 2005—7:30 p.m.
Japanese American Culture & Community Center Plaza
244 S. San Pedro Street
Los Angeles, CA
“Taiko 10” is a free community concert where conference participants and other interested groups can perform.
Taiko Jam ‘05
July 16, 2005—8:00 p.m.
July 17, 2005—3:00 p.m.
The George & Sakaye Japan America Theatre
244 So. San Pedro Street
Los Angeles, CA
This year's Taiko Jam features four groups from various regions of North America and the Pacific. The groups include: Mu Daiko from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, Stanford Taiko from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, Taikoproject from Los Angeles, California and Zenshin Daiko from Maui, Hawaii.
Admission: $27 – 30
For more information about North American Taiko Conference events visit the Conference’s website.
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Viver Brasil Dance Company
July 11 – 15, 2005
10:00 a.m. and 11:15 a.m.
Hollywood Bowl
2301 N. Highland Avenue
Hollywood, CA
Viver Brasil Dance Company presents a performance for children featuring Afro-Brazilian dance, live percussion and vocals, and traditional costumes.
Admission: $3
For more information visit Viver Brasil Dance Company’s website.
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Traditional and Contemporary Native American Beadwork using Appliqué
July 13 – August 17, 2005 (every Wednesday)
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Sherman Indian High School
9010 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, CA
This course introduces participants to the methods and techniques of traditional and contemporary Native American beadwork done by various tribes and includes a slideshow presentation of traditional beadwork. Participants will construct a medallion approximately three inches in diameter of flat fabric solidly covered with beads, applying an appliqué technique using the backstitch.
Fee: $135
For more information or to register online visit UC Riverside Extension’s website.
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14th Annual San Jose International Mariachi and Folklórico Workshops and Festival
July 14 – 17, 2005
San Jose McEnery Convention Center
150 West San Carlos
San Jose, CA
The Mexican Heritage Plaza will host three days of educational workshops taught by the musicians of Mariachi Cobre. José Tena from Las Cruces, New Mexico will be the ballet folklórico instructional staff. Linda Ronstadt will perform with Mariachi Cobre at the Gala Concert on July 16th at 8:00 p.m. The events will conclude with a Mass and Festival on July 17th in Guadalupe River Park.
For more information visit the Mexican Heritage Plaza’s website.
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Flor de Serena: Ladino Ballads and Romances
July 14, 2005
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Craft and Folk Art Museum
5814 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA
Vanessa Paloma, Jordan Charnofsky, and David Martinelli will perform Judeo-Spanish songs.
Admission: Free
For more information visit the LA County Arts Commission website.
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Indian Music and Dance Festival
July 17, 2005
1:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Albert Park
B Street and Albert Park Lane
San Rafael, CA
Ali Akbar College will hold its 2nd Annual Free Outdoor Indian Music and Dance Festival with an opening lecture and demonstration by Maestro Ali Akbar Khan, dance performances by Odissi Vilas Dance Company, and a closing tabla solo performance by Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri.
Admission: Free
For more information visit the Ali Akbar College of Music’s website.
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Princess Firuza and the Horse Prince
July 23, 2005, 10:00 a.m.
August 27, 2005, 8:30 p.m.
John Anson Ford Theatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd., East
Hollywood, CA
Gulistan Dance Theater presents classical and folkloric dance and music traditions of Persia. Carolyn Krueger and Gulistan have been featured on Tashkent Television in Uzbekistan, Persian Television in the U.S. and Iran, and in a variety of venues across the Southland and the Southwest. In this performance Gulistan Dance Theater brings a traditional Persian tale to the stage through dance and music.
Admission: $5 for adults; free for children
For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Ford Amphitheatre’s website or call the Ford Box office at 323-461-3673.
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Bluegrass Concert
July 23, 2005, 8:00 p.m.
John Anson Ford Theatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd., East
Hollywood, CA
Presented by the Bluegrass Association of Southern California, banjo player J.D. Crowe will perform with his band The New South. J.D. Crowe began playing with Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys as a teenager in the 1950s, recording many classics and earning a place in the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame. The Lampkins Family Band will be the opening act.
Admission: $24 – 30
For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Ford Amphitheatre’s website or call the Ford Box office at 323-461-3673.
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Panama Celebration
July 28, 2005
San Diego Museum of Man
1350 El Prado, Balboa Park
San Diego, CA
The Panama Celebration will honor the Panamanian community of San Diego with food, drink, music, and dance, featuring demonstrations and presentations by local arts groups. The event will complement two new exhibits on the cultures of Panama, The Art of Being Kuna: Layers of Meaning Among the Kuna of Panama and Peoples of Panama which open in late July.
Admission: $20
For more information visit the museum’s website.
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Maria de Barros
July 29, 2005—12:00 p.m.
Grand Performances
California Plaza
350 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
Maria de Barros’ creative heart lies in the culturally rich land of Cape Verde, the birthplace of her parents. The performance will feature songs flavored with African, Portuguese, Argentinean and Cuban influences in Cape Verde style.
Admission: Free
For more information see the Grand Performances website.
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Workshop on Southern California Indian Basketry
July 30, 2005
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sherman Indian High School
9010 Magnolia Avenue
Riverside, CA
This one-day workshop taught by Lorene Sisquoc introduces participants to the materials and techniques used in Southern California Indian basketry. Participants gain an appreciation for the art of basket weaving and have the opportunity to complete a basket.
Fee: $75.00 plus materials fee of $12 which is payable to instructor
For more information or to register online visit UC Riverside Extension’s website.
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Stories of the Andes
July 30, 2005, 10:00 a.m.
John Anson Ford Theatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd., East
Hollywood, CA
“INCA,” the Peruvian Ensemble presents Peru's multi-cultural heritage of folkloric music and dance. INCA performs music and dances from the Andean region (Inca heritage), from the central and northern coasts (Criollo heritage), from the southern coast (Afro-Peruvian heritage), and from the Peruvian Amazon jungle. INCA’s dancers wear traditional costumes from these various regions.
Admission: $5 for adults; Free for children
For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Ford Amphitheatre’s website or call the Ford Box office at 323-461-3673.
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Seven Valleys – Persian Classical Music Concert
July 30, 2005, 8:00 p.m.
Julia Morgan Theater
2460 College Ave.
Berkeley, CA
Mohammad Reza Lotfi, an interpreter of traditional Persian music, will be making an appearance with his son Omid Lotfi. A virtuoso of the tar and setar (long-necked lutes), he will perform extended improvisations from the classical Persian repertoire. Born in Gorgan in northern Iran, Lotfi graduated from the College of Fine Arts at Tehran University, where he later taught and served as dean. He studied tar, setar, and radif under such masters as Shahnazi, Boroumand, Davami, and Salehi. In the 1970s he was the director of the Center for the Preservation and Propogation of Traditional Iranian Music in Tehran and Chavoosh Conservatory. He contributed for many years to Iranian National Radio and Television and founded the group Sheyda. After an extensive concert tour of Europe, he moved to the United States in 1987. In addition to performing widely throughout this country, he established the Shayda Cultural and Artistic Center in Washington D.C. to continue his teaching and scholarly activities.
Admission: $40
For more information visit the Theater’s website.
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Enduring Traditions
July 31, 2005—4:00 p.m.
Barnsdall Gallery Theatre
4800 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
This event features a Bharatanatyam performance by Lakshmi Iyengar, presented as part of the Alliance for California Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program. The performance also features folk dances by guest artists from India and Rangoli Dance Company.
For more information call (866) 881-8399 or visit Rangoli Foundation’s website.
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August
Tibetan Appliqué Demonstrations
August 4 – 28, 2005
12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Asian Art Museum – Samsung Hall
200 Larkin Street
San Francisco, CA
Husband and wife artists Tsering Penjor Bajracharya and Asha Devi Shakya team up to create Tibetan-style sacred images using fabric appliqué. Penjor creates the design based on his years of religious art training while Asha, an appliqué artist, implements the fine details of the image. Participants can make their own artwork inspired by the special exhibition Tibet: Treasures from the Roof of the World and learn more about Tibet from videos and books .
Admission: Free with museum admission of $10
For more information visit the Asian Art Museum’s website.
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Rangoli Dance Company
August 6, 2005, 10:00 a.m.
John Anson Ford Theatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd., East
Hollywood, CA
Malathi Iyengar, a participant in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program, and the Rangoli Dance Company will perform a dance called Punyakoti, which depicts the story of a cow.
Admission: $5 for adults; Free for children
For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Ford Amphitheatre’s website or call the Ford Box office at 323-461-3673.
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Annual Scottish Games and Celtic Festival
August 6 - 7, 2005
Toro Park
501 Highway 68
Salinas, CA
The Festival features many traditional Scottish activities including pipe band performances, Irish step dancing, and Scottish athletic competitions including the Caber Toss. Featured performers include John Taylor and Hamewith, the Wicked Tinkers, and the Barnes Academy of Irish Dancing.
Admission: $16 for one day; $20 for two days
For more information see the Festival’s website.
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11th Annual San Francisco Aloha Festival
August 6 – 7, 2005
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Presidio Main Parade Grounds
Lincoln Blvd.
San Francisco, CA
The Pacific Islanders of the San Francisco Bay Area offer their talents in music and dance during this two-day festival of the arts. Performance highlights include Pacific Islander music as well as Polynesian dance. Hālau 'o Keikiali'i is one of the featured performers. The festival will also include arts & crafts vendors, island cuisine, educational exhibits and workshops, and an "Ohana Korner” with simple games for kids.
For more information visit the Festival’s website.
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Aarohi – Avarohi
August 7, 2005, 6:00 p.m.
Rangoli Space
14802 Huston Street
Sherman Oaks, CA
As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations the Rangoli Foundation presents Aarohi – Avarohi, a series of arts events in an intimate setting. This concert features Indian classical vocal and flute music with Veeraraghavan S. R., Sarvothama A.P., Sankara Subramanian, and Gurumurthy G. The performance is followed by a discussion with the artists. There is only floor seating available and prior reservation is recommended.
Admission: $12
For more information call (818) 788-4154 or visit the Rangoli Foundation’s website.
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Music of Celts, Caravans, and Constantinople
August 9, 2005 - 7:30 p.m.
Starlight Patio Theatre
Benito Street & Fremont Avenue
Montclair, CA
This free summer concert features the Koroyar Folk Ensemble of Los Angeles playing authentic traditional music from six different Eastern European and Near Eastern countries. The program will be highlighted by several melodies in uneven or asymmetric rhythms, such as 11/16, and in unusual scales. Also, the folk string instrument tambura, the hand drum dumbeg, and the large double-headed drum tupan will be very prominent.
For additional information, call Richard Unciano at (909) 986-4321.
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Viajem
August 11, 2005, 8:00 p.m.
Skirball Cultural Center
Skirball Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA
Sevillan Marta Santamaria takes the stage with her ensemble Viajem, led by Brazilian bassist and arranger Antonio de Sant'anna. The ensemble performs flamenco, sevillanas, boleros, Spanish songs, Brazilian bossa nova, and samba.
Admission: Free
For more information visit the Center’s website.
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Mariachi Divas
August 11, 2005 – Los Angeles
August 26, 2005 – Hollywood
The all-female Mariachi Divas play traditional mariachi spiced with drums, percussion and flute incorporating the sounds of cumbia, salsa, merengue, and cha cha.
August 11, 2005, 6:00 p.m.
Museum of the American West
Griffith Park
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA
Admission: $5
For more information visit the Museum’s website.
August 26, 2005, 8:00 p.m.
John Anson Ford Theatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd., East
Hollywood, CA
Admission: $16 – 30; $12 for children
For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Ford Amphitheatre’s website or call the Ford Box office at 323-461-3673.
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Workshop on Southern California Indian Basketry
August 13, 2005
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Cabazon Cultural Museum
84-245 Indio Springs Parkway
Indio, CA
This one-day workshop, taught by Lorene Sisquoc (Mountain Cahuilla/Fort Sill Apache), introduces participants to the materials and techniques used in Southern California Indian basketry. Participants gain an appreciation for the art of basket weaving and have the opportunity to complete a basket.
Fee: $75
For more information visit UC Riverside Extension’s website.
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Pistahan – Filipino American Arts Exposition
August 13, 2005
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Yerba Buena Gardens
760 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA
Yerba Buena Gardens hosts this 12th annual Filipino festival of arts, culture and cuisine, including displays, crafts, entertainment and food.
Admission: Free
For more information visit the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival website.
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32nd Annual Nihonmachi Street Fair
August 13 – 14, 2005
11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Japantown
Post Street between Laguna and Fillmore
San Francisco, CA
The Nihonmachi Street Fair features Asian Pacific American foods, artisans, children’s activities, nonprofit information tables, musicians and dancers. Taiko Dojo and Gen Taiko, a participant in ACTA’s Traditional Arts Development Program, will be featured performers.
For more information visit the Fair’s website.
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Warsaw Village Band
August 18, 2005, 8:00 p.m.
Skirball Cultural Center
Skirball Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA
Warsaw Village Band was founded in 1997 by six young Polish musicians who play violin, suka (Polish fiddle), cello, and traditional polish drums. Their repertoire consists of Polish roots music including folk dance melodies, haunting ballads, and rural songs.
Admission: Free
For more information visit the Center’s website.
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San Francisco International Music Series
August 20, 2004
12:30 – 1:30 p.m.
Yerba Buena Gardens
760 Howard Street
San Francisco, CA
Melody of China performs Chinese classical, folk, and contemporary music. Hong Wang will talk about the musical synergy created from the synthesis of an ancient cultural tradition and the youthful, diverse American culture. Players include multi-instrumentalist Hong Wang, yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer) virtuoso Yangquin Zhao, Lu Xian, a master artist in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program, on dizi (Chinese bamboo flutes), Gangqin Zhao on guzheng (table harp), Zhang Yu on suona (double reeds), Wanpen Guo on sheng (mouth organ), and Wang Wei, also a master artist in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program on percussion.
For more information see Melody of China’s website.
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Conga Masters
August 20, 2005, 8:00 p.m.
Grand Performances
California Plaza
350 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
This concert features three Conga masters: Carlos “Patato” Valdez, Francisco Aguabella, and Milton Cardonas. Conga (or tumbadora) originated as a musical instrument in 19th century Cuba and was part of Havana’s inner-city parties called rumbas.
Admission: Free
For more information see the Grand Performances website.
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Irish Step Dancing
August 21, 2005, 3:00 p.m.
Fowler Museum of Cultural History
UCLA Campus
Los Angeles, CA
Máire Clerkin will perform jigs, reels and other kinds of Irish step dances .
Admission: Free
For more information visit the museum’s website.
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Johnny Polanco
August 25, 2005
6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Museum of the American West
Griffith Park
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA
Bandleader Johnny Polanco and Conjunto Amistad will perform salsa music at the Autry’s outdoor plaza on the closing evening of the Sizzling Summer Nights series. The event includes a free dance lesson and visit to the museum. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Admission: $5
For more information visit the Museum's website.
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Yasmin Levy
August 25, 2005, 8:00 p.m.
Skirball Cultural Center
Skirball Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA
Yasmin Levy, born in Jerusalem, will sing romantic songs from the Ladino (Judeo-Spanish) heritage.
Admission: Free
For more information visit the Center’s website.
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Oakland Chinatown StreetFest
August 27 – 28, 2005
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Oakland Chinatown
7th to 11th Street and Broadway to Harrison Street
Oakland, CA
The StreetFest will feature Asian foods, demonstrations by crafts artists, and music and dance ensembles. Craft demonstrations include Korean knot-tying, Korean origami, and Indian Henna tattooing. Featured performers include White Crane Lion Dance, Wadaiko Taiko, and Kariktan Dance Academy.
For more information visit the StreetFest’s website.
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Korean Dance Festival
August 27, 2005, 8:30 p.m.
John Anson Ford Theatre
2580 Cahuenga Blvd., East
Hollywood, CA
Ten companies and solo artists from the U.S. and Asia, including Korean National Treasures, gather to display the full range of this folk tradition. This event is presented by Jung Im Lee Korean Dance Academy.
Admsision: $16 – 40
For more information or to purchase tickets visit the Ford Amphitheatre’s website or call the Ford Box office at 323-461-3673.
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The California Cowboy
August 28, 2005
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Museum of the American West
Griffith Park
4700 Western Heritage Way
Los Angeles, CA
The Southern California Chapter of the Western Music Association presents a musical salute to the California cowboy, starring Dave Stamey, Justus and the Montanas, and others.
Admission: $20
For reservations call (818) 725-2996. For more information visit the Museum’s website.
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County & Regional Calendars
A calendar of Festivals and Celebrations in San Diego is available from the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture.
Let us know if you have special information that should be posted here.
To update information or submit an event for the calendar,
please email ACTA.
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