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Sovereign Threads: A History of Palestinian Embroidery
Admission: $5
Museum Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; For more information visit the Craft and Folk Art Museum’s website.
Contemporary and Historic Expressions of Native Peoples Exhibit
For more information visit the Marin Indian Museum’s website.
Symbols of Identity
Traditional work and contemporary design are both on view. Examples of turquoise from the American Southwest, Ladakh and Tibet – belts, necklaces, rings, bracelets, hats and breastplates; an Ainu necklace from Japan and a group of Inuit objects, including a delicate bracelet portraying indigenous creatures, are in the exhibition. A William Spratling-designed necklace fashioned from pre-Columbian beads, looking as if it could have been made yesterday, is displayed next to contemporary jewelry designed by San Diego designer craftsmen Arline Fisch and Helen Shirk. Shell jewelry from Oceania and intricately worked silver jewelry from Ethiopia are also on display. Admission: $6 Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For more information visit the Mingei Museum’s website.
Visits Among Ancestors: Memories and TreasuresOctober 8, 2006, through November 5, 2006 The Armenian Dress and Textile Project (ADTP), with initial funding from The Glendale Historical Society, announces Visits Among Ancestors: Memories and Treasures. This exhibit will feature newly loaned and donated clothing, textiles, and personal belongings of Armenian families, obtained both locally and nationwide, who emigrated from central and western Turkey and came to the United States in the 20th century. ADTP founder Tina Demirdjian and ADTP textile experts Sofi Khachmanyan and Carol Tuntland will provide the interpretive tours. Additionally, this exhibit pays special tribute to and is in memory of Mirielle Kalfayan, poet, friend, and supporter of ADTP. ADTP’s purpose is to add to the growing collection of dress and textile, currently housed in Los Angeles, and to expose to the Armenian and non-Armenian public how women’s dowry items, textiles, clothing/costumes and stories are a means to identify one’s family ties and history. ADTP began in 1998 after the discovery of 100-year-old family dowry items and costumes from Turkey. This material culture had survived the Armenian Genocide of 1915, overseas migration, and time. Digital photographs available. For more information about this exhibit or ADTP, contact Tina Demirdjian at adtp@earthlink.net or (818) 547-9507.
Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts: Dia de los Muertos 2006 October 11 – December 3, 2006 
Jana Weston, Edward, 2000 Photo: Jeff Becom The Oakland Museum of California presents its 13th annual celebration of Días de los Muertos (Days of the Dead). In this year’s presentation—Laughing Bones/Weeping Hearts—guest curator Carol Marie Garcia and the artists explore the ways the Days of the Dead attends to the sorrow of the living and honors and celebrates the Dead. Artists include Juan R. Fuentes, Jaime Guerrero, Todd Herman, Fernando Hernandez, Calixto Robles, Joe Bastida Rodriguez, Herminia Albarran Romero (a former master in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program,) Deborah Rumer, Wende Stitt, Kay Weber, Jana Weston, and Sandra Yagi. Museum Hours: Wednesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Admission: $8 For more information visit the Oakland Museum’s website.
Passage to Panama: Past to Present
A Chocó house, Darién, Panama,
in the 1950s. Through January 2007 Curated by Grace Johnson, Passage to Panama: Past to Present is based on the research, collections, and photographs of William and Evelyn Phillips taken in the 1950s. This exhibit describes the lives and culture of the Guaymí peoples of the mountains of Chiriquí and Veraguas and the Chocó peoples of the Darién in the 1950s. The Chocó, currently known as the Wounaan/Embera people, live along the rivers in the Darién region of Panama. This exhibit centers on their environment and their daily life, including rituals and healing. The Museum's collection of baskets highlights Chocó culture, which is further detailed through displays of wooden bowls, hunting and fishing implements, traditional dress and jewelry, and carved wooden staffs. The lives of the Guaymí, presently known as the Ngöbe, are recounted through their daily lives by looking closely at objects they use in their households, such as gourds and woven hats, as well as musical instruments associated with the balsaría ceremony. The exhibit also looks at how these indigenous groups are affected by other cultures by considering their art and economy, and examining the wide range of contemporary baskets, jewelry, and woodcarvings made for sale. Photographs taken by Dr. Julie Velasquez-Runk and Dr. Philip Young between 1997 and 2004 give a sense of the current life of indigenous peoples of the Darién. Contemporary photographs of Panama and historic and contemporary images of the Panama Canal illustrate life in Panama as it is today. Admission: $6 Museum Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily For more information visit the museum’s website.
Apache Life, Spirit, and Art
For more information visit the Riverside Metropolitan Museum’s website.
Art of Being Tuareg: Sahara Nomads in a Modern WorldOctober 29, 2006 through February 25, 2007
Admission: Free Museum Hours: Wednesday through Sunday 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Thursday 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Photo: Fowler Museum For more information visit the Fowler Museum’s website.
Body Ornamentation: Artistic Representations of Self
Through March 27, 2007 There is no known culture in which people do not paint, pierce, tattoo, reshape, or simply adorn the unique canvas which is the human body. Diverse cultures throughout the world decorate their bodies in countless ways and for various reasons. This exhibit presents the beautiful designs and artwork depicted in body painting, tattooing, scarification, and piercing. While seemingly a modern phenomenon, the practice of permanently adorning the body has been prevalent in societies around the globe for thousands of years, and has been traced back to ancient nomadic gypsies in India and the Middle East. While tribal customs of permanent body decoration have almost disappeared, there are some regions on earth (northeastern India, the Amazon, and southern China, for example) where body ornamentation is still practiced in the same way it has been for generations. In other areas there has been a resurgence of interest in the old ways: throughout the American west, women wore chin tattoos celebrating rebirth and maturity and marking them, in the words of Julian Lang in News from Native California, as "people who had a deep connection to and understanding of our most important cultural knowledge." Today, Indian women in northern California are again bearing tattoos as expressions of cultural pride. Elsewhere, new customs and practices have enabled people to continue the tradition of decorating their bodies using different types of implements and different stylistic devices. (Excerpted from an article by Tori Heflin, Curator of Physical Anthropology) Admission: $6 Museum Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily For more information visit the Museum of Man’s website.
Of Grass and Gold: Nomads of KazakhstanOctober 21, 2006 through April 15, 2007 
Photo: Mingei Museum The land of Genghis Khan and the crossroads for the major religions, Kazakhstan comes to life through artifacts at the Mingei Museum. Gold, silver, and bronze animal figures from archaeological discoveries, including those at frozen burial sites in Berel (a nomadic region on the border of Russia, Mongolia and China), are on display for the first time in this country. The exhibit also tells the stories behind these artifacts’ recovery, which weaves together the history and culture of Kazakhstan along with its mythology and tradition of craftsmanship. Admission: $6 Museum Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Guatemala! Celebrations of Weaving
Opening October 14, 2006 Guatemala! Celebrations of Weaving showcases textiles made by women of the Mayan villages in Guatemala. The exhibit includes examples selected from 30 villages located throughout the country. For ages before the Spanish arrived in Guatemala in 1524, the Ancient Mayan people wore clothing that they made on backstrap looms. This tradition has survived with their descendants in the mainly rectangular handwoven garments worn today. These include a woman's upper body garment called a huipil, skirts that can be wrapped around the body or tubular ones that can be stepped into, utility cloths called servilletas for everyday use and for ceremonies, and men's or women's headcloths called tzutes. They also make men's kilts (rodilleras), men's pants, women's shawls (rebozos and perrajes), sashes, and hair ribbons, all woven by hand. Men from some villages also knit wool carrying bags for themselves and for their sons. The clothing items shown in this exhibit were chosen principally for their beauty. Some were woven for daily wear, but most are special garments made to wear to fiestas, to funerals, for masses and weddings, and for cofradía, the religious ceremony unique to Guatemalan Indians. The women spend extra time and effort on clothing that they and their family members can wear to these events, making it more elaborate than clothing for everyday wear. Admission: $6 Museum Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. daily For more information visit the Museum of Man’s website. September10th Annual Cajun-Zydeco Music FestivalSeptember 23, 2006 – 10:00 a.m. This event features Cajun-Zydeco music performed by local artists and groups from Louisiana. The day includes dance lessons, specialty vendors, and Cajun food. Performers include Mark St. Mary and His Blues & Zydeco Band, Les Amis Creole, Queen Ida & her Zydeco Band, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas & Nathan Jr., Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic, and dance lessons by Olivia ("Tee") Guillory. Admission: $18 For more information visit the Artsopolis website.
Bayanihan Philippine National Dance CompanySeptember 23, 2006 – 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Demonstrating the charm of the nation of 7,000 islands, the Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Company celebrates one of the rich music and dance traditions of the Philippines. Bayanihan takes its name from an ancient Filipino tradition that signifies working together for the common good, and the company's programming is inspired by the diverse indigenous, Chinese, Spanish, and Islamic influences that have formed Philippine culture. For more information visit the Cal Performances website.
Uma DograSeptember 23, 2006 – 5:00 p.m. This is a solo performance by Kathak dancer Uma Dogra, disciple of Pandit Durga Lal. She is a visiting artist from Mumbai, India. Admission: $15 For more information visit the Rangoli Dance Company’s website.
Celebrate Indian Day 2006September 23, 2006 – 4:00 p.m. This event features drumming, dancing, storytelling and more. Author Kristy Orona-Ramirez presents her brand new fully-illustrated children's book, Kiki's Journey, the story of a young girl's visit back to the Pueblo where she was born. The Mankillers womens drum group and Sherman Indian High School's Apache Mountain Spirit Dancers will perform. Admission: Free For more information visit the Inland Arts website.
Movements of Bliss 2006September 23, 2006 – 7:00 p.m. Vishnu Tattva Das will perform with the Odissi Vilas Dance Company and Odissi Vilas students in an annual recital of East Indian Odissi dance, one of the classical dances of India. Odissi Vilas is a participant in ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program. Admission: $15 For more information visit Odissi Vilas’ website.
Kaiser Permanente San Francisco International Dragon Boat FestivalSeptember 23 – 24, 2006
In addition to dragon boat racing, the Festival features cultural activities including an entertainment stage with live dance and music performances, Dragon Land, a children’s activity tent, and a variety of food, arts & crafts, and other vendors. Dragon boat racing originated over 2,000 years ago as part of an ancient Chinese legend. It is only during the past 25 years that dragon boat racing has become an organized international sport. Dragon boat racing is often described as the ultimate team sport and has grown by leaps and bounds since its beginnings in the Bay Area 11 years ago. For more information visit the Dragon Boat Festival’s website. Photo: Kaiser Permanente San Francisco International
14th Annual Thai Cultural DaySeptember 24, 2006 This one-day festival is comprised of Thai classical music, folk dances, fruit and vegetable carving, a costume contest, children’s workshops, and Thai drama performances, which will take place throughout the day. Admission: Free For more information visit the Thai Cultural Center’s website.
Polish Festival For more information visit St. Albert’s website.
Vern Williams Memorial Concert
A great tenor singer and mandolinist, Vern Williams was one of the artists responsible for introducing bluegrass music to the west coast. After leaving his native Arkansas for California in the 1950s, Vern joined up with singer and fiddler, Ray Park, to form the Carroll County Country Boys, the forerunner of the famed bluegrass outfit known as Vern and Ray. For a decade and a half, their influential band won over a generation of Californians to bluegrass with their hard-driving, rawboned sound and high lonesome vocal harmonies, topped by Vern's piercing tenor. Jerry Garcia played banjo with Vern and Ray before he gained fame with the Grateful Dead. Other well-known alumni include Sandy Rothman, Herb Pedersen, Keith Little, Rick Shubb, Ed Neff, Steve Pottier, and Laurie Lewis. Last May, Arhoolie Records released a live recording of one of their exciting shows, Vern and Ray With Herb Pedersen: San Francisco 1968. After Vern and Ray parted company, Vern carried on the bluegrass torch with his son Delbert, in the Vern Williams Band. Admission: $22.50 For more information visit Freight and Salvage’s website.
The Seventh Annual San Francisco World Music Festival September 24 – October 7, 2006 For the past five years the San Francisco World Music Festival has commissioned musicians and artists from different countries to collaborate together to create a new evening-length performance as the centerpiece premiere of the festival. The commissioned centerpiece of 2006, premiering at the Fort Mason Cowell Theater, is “Voices of Kurdistan,” a new collaborative work in three parts, combining traditional and newly composed Kurdish music, poetry, and dance by Kurdish artists from Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Although the Kurds have existed for thousands of years with a unique cultural identity, they have no country. Today, there are more than 35 million Kurdish people in the world—geographically, politically, culturally, and artistically divided between the four countries of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Turkey. They continually search for unity in their sense of community and cultural identity. “Voices of Kurdistan” will bring together artists from each of these regions for the first time. They will explore their common threads of Kurdish ethnic identity and ancestry through the singing of Kurdish poems and folk tales in several Kurdish dialects and through new music based on Kurdish melodies, which have regional variations. Featured performers include Aynur, Ali Akbar Moradi, Rojan, Mico Kendes, Hussein Zahawy, Kourosh Moradi, and Ulas Ozdemir. Other events include a film screening of “AnTEAcipation” about tea growing in the culture of the Laz people of Turkey, performances by Tabla Rasa and the Alice Fong Yu Percussion Troupe, a Lighthouse for the Blind & Visually Impaired Community Concert featuring Kurdish musician Ozden Oztoprak, and a series of lecture demonstrations on the Art of Cantonese Opera. For more information visit Door Dog Music’s website.
Oktoberfest September 28, 2006 – 6:30 p.m. Gemütlichkeit, the German word for the warm, comfortable feeling one receives from pleasant surroundings, cheerfulness and the absence of anything hectic, is what Bowers' Oktoberfest is all about. Participants can enjoy authentic German foods prepared by Tangata Restaurant that will include grilled bratwurst and sauerkraut, their very own soft pretzels with mustard dipping sauce, and a great selection of German and domestic beers. Complete with leiderhosen, the LA BlueBirds, a five-man ensemble, will provide festive music to dance the night away. Admission: $14 For more information visit the Bowers Museum website.
Kathak at the Crossroads: International Festival & Symposium
Presented by the Chitresh Das Dance Company/Chhandam School of Kathak Dance, in collaboration with Chhandika, Boston, and Nritya Bharati Institute, India, Kathak at the Crossroads is a three-day festival that includes main-stage performances, smaller showcase performances, academic presentations, lecture demonstrations and panel discussions relating to the history, evolution and current ecology of Kathak in its artistic, cultural and global contexts. The festival and symposium will include artists, scholars, teachers, presenters, critics, funders, students, and other dance enthusiasts from around the world. Invited artists include the foremost practitioners of Kathak today as well as emerging dancers. Kathak at the Crossroads is a major convening of the international Kathak and performing arts community and is the first festival created with an emphasis on thetraditional Kathak solo, the reasons for and implications of its decline and what can be done to increase the visibility of the performance tradition. This event is partially funded by ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program. For more information visit the Chitresh Das Dance Company’s website.
Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Company
September 28 – October 1, 2006 The professional 41 member Guangzhou Opera Company from China will be performing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Some of the featured performances include Princess Ba Bao and General Qi Ding, Tale of Madam White Snake, Little Imperial Sister, and Beautiful Sai See. The tour also includes a “Sing with the Stars” evening and a chance to meet the performers at the Silicon Valley Moon Festival. Admission: $40 – $100 For more information visit the Cantonese Opera Association Silicon Valley’s website.
Persian Music by Koroush ZolaniSeptember 28, 2006 – 4:00 p.m. Kourosh
Zolani presents an introduction to Persian music. Born in Iran
in 1970, he performs on the santour. He began his musical training
at the age of 14 and at 18 began composing music. Kourosh studied
classical music and received his Bachelor’s degree in musical
composition in 1998. He got numerous awards for his creative composing
in different competitions. One of his most important contributions
to the field of music has been the invention of a chromatic santour.
The traditional santour can only play diatonic intervals, which has
excluded the instrument from Western classical orchestras. Kourosh's
chromatic santour can now perform both altered notes and chromatic
intervals over a two and a half octaves range. For more information visit the Levantine Center’s website.
The Peony Pavilion
Photo: UCLA Live September 29 – October 1, 2006 The Peony Pavilion is a Chinese Kun opera, an art form refined over centuries combining literature, music, dance and drama. Taiwanese literary scholar and producer Kenneth Pai interprets Tang Xianzu’s epic love story. This abridged version of the original sweeping text is presented in three parts over three nights, and features a young cast from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China, with handmade costumes. Admission: $30 -65 For more information visit UCLA Live’s website.
Los Compas & La Familia Govea
Photo: Arte Américas September 29, 2006 – 8:00 p.m. Lead by Miguel Govea, Los Campos performs the diverse Latin sounds
of salsa, merengue, cumbia, mambo, son Cubano, Latin Jazz, and more. For more information visit the Arte Américas website.
OctoberOakland Asian Cultural Center Student ShowcaseOctober 1, 2006 – 2:00 p.m. This is the first annual showcase of Oakland Asian Cultural Center’s classes. This year's showcase will feature Chinese folk dance, Chinese music, and ballet. Admission: $5 For more information visit the Oakland Asian Cultural Center’s website.
Three SoundOctober 1, 2006 – 7:00 p.m.
The 15th Annual San Jose International Mariachi Festival and Conference Photo: Mexican Heritage Plaza Various San Jose locations During the educational workshops more than 400 students from all over the U.S. will attend master classes with professional mariachis including Mariachi Cobre, Mariachi Azteca, Jose Tena and Maria Luisa Colmenares to perfect their technique and learn more about mariachi music and folkloric dance. On October 6, a Gala Concert will be held at HP Pavilion featuring Juan Gabriel and Linda Ronstadt and Mariachi Cobre, Mariachi Azteca, and Los Lupeños de San José. There will also be many more mariachi concerts and events. For more information visit the Festival’s website.
The Monkey King at Spider Cave Photo:
Asian Art Museum October 6, 2006 – 2:00 p.m. Admission: Free with museum admission of $10 For more information visit the museum’s website.
Croatian Dance Workshop with Zeljko JerganOctober 6, 2006 – 8:00 p.m. Since moving to the United States in 1986, Zeljko has created over 350 original choreographies for 70 different amateur, semi-professional and professional ensembles, including Les Sortileges, Brigham Young University, Radost Folk Ensemble and the Duquesne University Tamburitzans. A native of Varazdin, Croatia, Zeljko was a performer with the Croatian National Folk Ensemble LADO for twelve years. He also performed with the Zagreb National Ballet and Modern Dance Companies for several years. He is a graduate of the Varazdin School of Music, Cakovec School of Architecture, and worked under the tutelage of Milica Glavocic Pininsky, a consultant to the Zagreb Ethnographic Museum. Admission: $12 For more information visit the Croatian American Cultural Center’s website.
Maidu Indian Day: A Native American Celebration October 7, 2006 This event features demonstrations of traditional Maidu skills such as acorn cooking, basket making and flint knapping, dancing, and basketry. There will also be crafts, ethnobotany walks, storytelling and hand-on activities for children and adults. Admission: $3 For more information visit Effie Yeaw’s website.
Abhinaya October 7, 2006 -7:00 p.m. Rangoli Foundation presents Abhinaya - the craft of expressing and
conveying in words, art, music, and movement - by the esteemed Bharatanatyam dancer
from Chennai, India Bragha Bessell. Bragha Bessell, invited by
Rangoli Foundation, is a Bharatanatyam master artist in residence from
August - October 2006. The performance will showcase Bragha Bessell
and senior dancers who have studied under her guidance during the residency.
The event includes an interactive question and answer session with
the featured artists and the audience. Lighting design is by Eileen
Cooley and set design is by Suresh Iyengar. Admission: $15 For more information visit Rangoli Foundation’s website.
Tapestry of CulturesOctober 7, 2006 – 8:00 p.m. Irvine commemorates its 35th anniversary with a tapestry of performances representing the rich cultural heritage that is Irvine. The event will feature traditional music and dance, kung fu, and more. The performance features Arpana Dance Company and a percussion performance featuring B.P. Haribabu on mridangam, and Jothi Prakash on tabla. Admission: $15 For more information visit Ektaa Center’s website.
Face of the Ancestors
For more information visit La Pena Cultural Center’s website. Photo: Obakoso Drum & Dance Ensemble
Autumn Moon Fall Family FestivalOctober 8, 2006 The gathering of the harvest and the rising of the autumn moon is
observed by cultures everywhere with art, dance, music, family, and
feasts. An annual museum-wide event Photo: Asian Art Museum Admission: $10 For more information visit the Asian Art Museum’s website.
5th Annual Croatian Autumn FestivalOctober 8, 2006 This festival features performances by Koraci Folk Ensemle, Novi Stari Tamburasi, Kolibrici Croatian Folkdancers, Dalmacijo Singers, and many more. For more information visit the Koraci Croatian Folk Ensemble’s website.
Indian Music ConcertOctober 14, 2006 – 7:30 p.m. This concert presented by Ali Akbar College of Music features Shrimati Lakshmi Shankar on vocals, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri on tabla, Sri Alam Khan on sarode, and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri on tabla. Admission: $20 – 50 For more information visit the Ali Akbar College of Music website.
Kali Yuga: A Contemporary Dance DramaOctober 14, 2006 – 2:00 p.m. & 8:00
p.m. 
Photo: Cal Performances Gamelan Sekar Jaya, which has long specialized in the music and dance of Bali, Indonesia, presents a new work featuring a full gamelan orchestra, dance, poetry, and projected imagery. The title Kali Yuga refers to the fourth, destructive, age of mankind from Hindu philosophy, which many feel we have now entered. On a dramatic level, the work explores historical transformations of mankind, ranging from cycles of violence and revenge to the hope for transformation and rebirth. The stories are drawn from the ancient Mahabharata epic, interpreted by the Javanese poet Goenawan Mohamad. Directed by Ellen Sebastian Chang and choreographed by Wayan Dibia. Admission: $20 – 32 For more information visit the Cal Performances website.
Kulturang PinoyOctober 14, 2006 This event features performances by Kaisahan of San Jose Dance Co., Master Danongan Kalanduyan and the Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble, Shri Krupa Dance Company, and more. Admission: Free For more information visit Kaisahan’s website.
Ekaantha Seetha: A Lonely FurrowOctober 15, 2006 – 6:00 p.m. Ekaantha Seetha, presented by Ektaa Center, will be a true dance drama, with dance, music and drama as intrinsic components. The production's dance styles and music will range from the highly classical to folk, from evocative ragams to martial rhythms, from foreign adversaries to village bullies and from uplifting moments to rustic humor. In line with its protagonists, the languages used in the production will include Valmiki's Sanskrit, the Hindi of Tulsidas and Subhadhra Chauhan and India's most recent language, English. Choreography by the Dhananjayans, music by T.V. Gopalakrishnan and 16 hand picked dancers make for this to be a very exciting production. Admission: $28 For more information visit Ektaa Center’s website.
The San Francisco Croatian Festival: A Taste of Croatia
This event features Croatian music, dance and cultural life. Traditional food and wines will be available for purchase. Croatian songs, dance and crafts will be taught in workshops, and traditional crafts and costumes will be on display. Throughout the two day festival, performances by musical groups Vela Luca Croatian Dance Ensemble and Ruze Dalmatinke will take place, culminating in their concert in full costume Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Another highlight of the festival takes place Saturday evening at 7:30 pm – a viewing of the Croatian film “A Wonderful Night in Split,” Croatia’s entry to the 2006 Academy Awards, followed by music and dancing. Admission: $15 Photo: Croatian American Cultural Center
Daughters of Haumea October 21 -28, 2006 Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu is a current grantee in ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program. For more information visit Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu’s website.
13th Annual Community Celebration for the Days of the Dead October 22, 2006
Admission: Free For more information visit the Oakland Museum’s website.
3rd Annual Keli'iokahekili Ho'ikeOctober 22, 2006 – 4:00 p.m. This event celebrates the life and legacy of Uncle John Manu'ia. The celebration features a lu'au followed by hula performances by by Halau 'O Keikiali'i & Friends and musical performances by Kawika Keikiali’i Alfiche and special guests. Admission: $35 – 50 For more information visit APOP Hawaiian Cultural Center’s website.
The Four Most Exquisite Women of China October 26, 2006 – 6:30 p.m. The heroism, sense of duty, beauty, and brains of four "exquisite women" in Chinese history (Lady Xi Shi, Elegant Cicada, Wang Zhao Jun, and the Precious Concubine) have inspired poems, dances, operas, plays, paintings, and storytelling throughout the centuries. This evening of dance, poetry, and music celebrates these women with performances by dancer Diana Ming Chan, choreographer Jacie Wang, vocalist and pi pa musician Linda Wang, and flutist Zhu Jing Yao. Admission: $10 For more information visit the Asian Art Museum’s website.
Fés Festival of World Sacred Music
Photo: UCLA Live October 26, 2006 – 8:00 p.m. Following its 2004 U.S. tour debut, this cross cultural celebration of music and dance returns with another program promoting peace and unity through art, culture and spiritual transcendence. Touted by the United Nations as one of the seven most important events in the world that furthers the dialogue among civilizations, the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco features an array of revered artists from around the globe. This year's program includes early-music singer Susan Hellauer from Anonymous 4, South Indian vocalist Aruna Sairam, Lebanese American percussionist Jamey Haddad and the Moroccan Sufi ensemble Daqqa of Taroudant, performing an evening of Judaic, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu sacred music. Admission: $25 For more information visit UCLA Live’s website.
Indian Music ConcertOctober 28, 2006 – 8:00 p.m.
Photo: The Music Circle This performance features Debashish Bhattacharya on guitar and Subhashish Bhattacharya on tabla. Debashish Bhattacharya is an internationally acclaimed guitarist and winner of the President of India Medal. He is the inventor of a twenty-four-stringed guitar that has been introduced worldwide as the "Hindustani slide guitar." An accomplished tabla player, Subhashish Bhattacharya was trained by several eminent tabla artists. His skill and aesthetics, blended with the quality of his improvising, have made him a popular accompanist who tours extensively in India and abroad. Admission: $25 For more information visit the Music Circle’s website.
Annual Concert of Philippine Dances & Music October 28 – 29, 2006 This two-hour theater presentation showcases dances from different regions of the Philippines performed by dancers of the Samahan Performing Arts, with live music accompaniment by the Rondalla, Gangsa and Kulintang Ensembles. Admission: $15 For more information visit the Samahan Philippine Dance website.
Concert of Classical Persian Sufi Music October 29, 2006 – 7:30 p.m. This concert features the Lian Ensemble performing Persian Sufi (Mystical Islamic) music with Soleyman Vaseghi on vocals, Houman Pourmehdi on tonbak, daf, ney, percussion, and vocals, Mahshid Mirzadeh on santur, Randy Gloss on daf, Andrew Grueschow on percussion, Austin Wrinkle on percussion, and Pirayeh Pourafar on tar. Houman Pourmehdi is a current master artist in ACTA’s Apprenticeship Program. Admission: $25 For more information visit the Lian Ensemble’s website.
Dia de los Muertos CelebrationOctober 29, 2006 This event features live entertainment by Fiesta Ballet Folklorico, singers Sonido Mexico and Saddleback High School Guitar Club, traditional altars, and food. Admission: Free For more information visit the Bowers Museum website.
NovemberABADÁ Capoeira San Francisco’s Annual Batizado/Jogos 2006 FestivalNovember 1 – 5, 2006 The Festival will include a Master Class Series, a Batizado/Graduation Ceremony, and a capoeira competition. For more information visit ABADÁ-Capoeira’s website.
A Russian Winter’s TaleNovember 1, 2006 – 7:00 p.m. November 3 – 5, 2006
By special arrangement with the Russian Ministry of Culture, the famed Moscow Circus presents its production, A Russian Winter’s Tale. Narrated by a mythical Russian “Winter Queen,” the show itself is based on centuries-old Russian traditions and features human puppets and ornate costumes and backdrops. This dramatic fable combines drama, cultural history and circus performances. For more information visit the Center Arts website or the Cal Performances website.
Mexican Day of the Dead Family FestivalNovember 4, 2006 This event features papel picado (Mexican cut paper) demonstrations by Olga Furginson, dances by Xipe Totct, and Axteca Dance, traditional food and crafts. Admission: Free For more information visit the Bowers Museum website.
25th Japanese Music Institute Shakuhachi ConcertNovember 4, 2006 – 3:00 p.m. This concert features performances by Shintakasago, Hill Top Teahouse, Sakura, Shakuhachi Trio, and many others. Performers include Tim Hamano, Jordan Simmons, Alan Johnson, Peter Frentzel, Stuart Goodnick, Tom Anderson, Kallan Nishimoto, Margo Hinkel, Peter Young, Tom Lew, John Morris, Terry Brophy, Joe Meeker , Yuya Sekiya, and Masayuki Koga, with special guest Jimi Nakagawa. Admission: $10 For more information visit the Japanese Music Institute’s website.
Remembering George Harrison and his Love of Indian Music
Photo: The Music Circle Saturday November 11, 2006 – 7:00 p.m. This performance features Lakshmi Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar, on vocals, and Grammy award winner Vishwa Mohan Bhatt on guitar. Other performers include Shubhankar Banerjee on tabla, Gopal Marathe on harmonium, and Jagan Ramamurthy on violin. This event will highlight George Harrison’s support of Indian musicians and the musical tradition they have shared with western listener for over 50 years. Admission: $25 For more information visit the Music Circle’s website.
Preserving the Sprit: Coil Juncus Basket MakingNovember 18 -19, 2006 Lorene Sisquoc (Cahuilla/Ft. Sill Apache) of Sherman Indian School and of the California Indian Basket Association (CIBA) will give an introduction course in the traditional form of coil juncus basket making. This class will be limited in seating. Workshop fees include basket materials. Admission: $75 For more information visit the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum’s website.
Golden Dragon AcrobatsNovember 24 – 26, 2006 For thousands of years, Chinese acrobats have astounded audiences with their practice of one of the longest-running folk art form in history. In their homeland, they are as revered as prima ballerinas and opera singers are in the West. The performance features acrobatics, traditional dance, and ornate costumes. Admission: $22 – 42 For more information visit the Cal Performances website.
County & Regional CalendarsA 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, |
Through October 8, 2006
Through October 27, 2006
Through October 29, 2006
The “art” of being Tuareg, a semi-nomadic
people of Niger, Mali, and Algeria, has fascinated travelers and scholars
alike throughout history. Art
of Being Tuareg, the first major U.S. exhibition on Tuareg art and culture,
considers the history and evolution of these peoples by exploring silver jewelry,
leather works including purses, bags, and saddles, and other highly decorated
items crafted by them.
This
weekend festival is the largest competitive dragon boat festival
in the United States. Going into its 11th year, the festival
features over 
September 24, 2006 
September 24, 2006 – 8:00 p.m.
September
28-30, 2006
October
7, 2006 – 8:00 p.m.
during which the cultural and artistic
traditions of Asia come alive, the festival celebrates the parent-child
relationship with a day of family programs. The
event features performances by Danny Nguyen Dance Group, West Portal
Chinese Performing Arts Program, Paranoix Shardow Puppet Theater, and
Unity Nguyen and the Music of Viet Nam.
October 21 – 22, 2006 
This event features hands-on craft activities, demonstrations, music,
dance, ceremonies, food, and a market. Presenters include Cascada de
Flores, Ballet Folklorico Mexicano, La Familia Peña-Govea, Danza
Xiuhcoatl, Mariachi San Jose, and Yolanda Aranda.
