Performing Diaspora // Counter Pulse
Dec
1
to Dec 4

Performing Diaspora // Counter Pulse

CounterPulse presents Performing Diaspora 2016, featuring works from two emerging, radical Bay Area choreographers, Samantha “SAMMAY” Dizon and dana e. fitchett. 

TICKETS HERE

SAMMAY’s silbihan is a multimedia dance theatre piece that reflects on personal experiences of first-generation Pilipina-American daughters and their migrant mothers from womb to present day. An intimate investigation of the (dis)connections between mothers and daughters of the diaspora through the lens of religion versus spirituality – this piece serves as a portal to pastpresentfuture dialectics as well as a bridge for (re)awakening the maternal bond. 

dana e. fitchett’s unending represents fitchett’s work to create space for individual and collective authenticity and reject oppressive narratives particularly within the current reality of Black life in America.

This program is made possible by support from the Ken Hempel Fund for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Zellerbach Family Foundation.

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Miami Beach Kizomba Festival 2015
Aug
19
to Aug 24

Miami Beach Kizomba Festival 2015

  • Google Calendar ICS

Before August 2014, the Miami Beach Kizomba Festival was unknown to many. Now, MBKF has been put on the map, and we are here to stay!

Picture this scenario ... breakfast by the pool, classes with renowned instructors overlooking the ocean, forming friendships with people across the globe, partying like a rock star until the early hours of the morning with live musicians, performing artists and famed DJ’s. Then watching the sunrise at the beach…

Instructors:  Chalianna & Yair (USA) / EddyVents (UK) / Fabricio & Sabrina (France) / Isaac Barbosa (Portugal) / Lisa & Mandela (Portugal) / Lucia (Portugal) / Oscar BA (USA) / Rico Suave (UK) / Vasco (France)

DJs:  DJ EFx / DJ PeeJay / Lights Out DJs

Location: Deauville Beach Resort, 6701 Collins Av, North Miami Beach, Florida 33141

More information:
Official website: http://www.thembkf.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1517027451879239/

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37th Annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
Jun
5
to Jun 27

37th Annual San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival

OPENING EVENT

Rotunda Dance Series performance by Hālau ʻo Keikialiʽi and Hālau ʻo Kuʻulei commemorating one of the first-ever mainland US performance featuring the ʽukulele, which took place at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. The Rotunda Dance Series is presented with Dancers’ Group, in partnership with San Francisco Grants for the Arts and San Francisco City Hall. We are unable to provide chairs, if you require a chair, please bring your own portable chair to this event.

Date: Friday, June 5 at 12pm 
Location: San Francisco City Hall , 1 Doctor Carlton B Goodlett Place, SF 94102
Tickets: Free! 

Weekend 1 

A “classic” Festival program, featuring ten dance performances from around the world. Performances by: Academy of Danse Libre (Ragtime Era Social Dance), Academy of Hawaiian Arts (Hawaiian Hula), Chinese Performing Arts of America (Chinese Folkloric and Martial Arts), Dunsmuir Scottish Dancers (Scottish Victorian Ballroom), Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco (Mexican Folkloric - Oaxaca), Harsanari (Indonesian Sundanese Silat and Jaipongan), Hiyas Philippine Folk Dance Company (Filipino Folkloric), Jikelele Dance Theater (South African Zulu and Xhosa Traditional), Shabnam Shirvani (Middle Eastern and US Belly Dance), Starchild Dance (Harlem Jazz, Lindy, and Hip-Hop) 

Dates:
Saturday, June 6 at 2 pm (performance by Academy of Danse Libre at 1:15 pm)
Saturday, June 6, at 8 pm (performance by Academy of Danse Libre at 7:15 pm)
Sunday, June 7 at 4 pm (performance by Academy of Danse Libre at 3:15 pm)
Location: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon Street, SF 94123
Tickets: $28 - $48, ON SALE NOW - Buy online here or by phone: 415.392.4400

Weekend 2 

A “classic” Festival program, featuring nine dance performances from around the world. Performances by: Academy of Danse Libre (Ragtime Era Social Dance), Ballet Folklórico Mexicano Fuego Nuevo (Mexican Folkloric - Campeche), Diamano Coura West African Dance Company (West African Traditional), El Tunante (Peruvian Marinera), Gurus of Dance (Indian Bollywood), LIKHA – Pilipino Folk Ensemble (Filipino Folkloric), Hilit Maniv (Spanish Flamenco and Jewish Ladino), OngDance Company (Korean Traditional), Tara Catherine Pandeya and Abbos Kosimov Ensemble (Uzbek Traditional)

Dates:
Saturday, June 13 at 2 pm (performance by Academy of Danse Libre at 1:15 pm)
Saturday, June 13, at 8 pm (performance by Academy of Danse Libre at 7:15 pm)
Sunday, June 14 at 4 pm (performance by Academy of Danse Libre at 3:15 pm)
Location: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon Street, SF 94123
Tickets: $28 - $48, ON SALE NOW - Buy online here or by phone: 415.392.4400

Weekend 3

The Forum and Grand Lobby at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
Sunday, June 21,  8:30am – 11:30am 
FREE, with RSVP (click here to RSVP)

The Consulate General of India’s International Day of Yoga Celebration, honoring great yoga masters, including a tribute to the late Pandit Chitresh Das, legendary kathak master and innovator of kathak yoga. 

Weekend 4

Film Screening
A showing of excerpts from a new documentary film about the Festival, along with special dance performances by Abhinaya Dance Company and Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu, highlighting exciting innovation happening in the Bay Area dance community. This event includes the presentation of Malonga Casquelourd Lifetime Achievement Awards to Carlos Carvajal and CK Ladzekpo, the Festival’s Artistic Directors since 2007.

Date: Saturday, June 27 at 8pm
Location: Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, 3301 Lyon Street, SF 94123
Tickets: $16 - $22 - Buy online here or by phone: 415.392.4400

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Oakland Book Festival
May
31
11:00 AM11:00

Oakland Book Festival

The Oakland Book Festival is a one-day, annual literary event. Dedicated to books, ideas, and the pleasures of literacy, it aims to serve the reading public, to encourage debate, and to celebrate the City of Oakland. It will host more than sixty writers in 2015 and is free and open to the public.

For specific panels, readings, and discussions, visit our Festival page.

The Festival will be held at Oakland’s City Hall. Hearing rooms will be transformed into meeting halls in which journalists, fiction writers, historians, poets, editors, critics, and memoirists will convene on panels to discuss the challenges of gentrification, cosmopolitanism, diversity, tolerance, conflict, education, surveillance and security, labor, libraries, archives, magazine publishing, imprisonment, civil disobedience, whistle-blowing, prayer, food production and consumption, activism, and the future. Panels will be moderated by experts and will be oriented toward encouraging conversation with the audience. More than a literary trade show or a series of readings, the Festival asks authors to discuss ideas, to bring their expertise to bear, to share their experience: to challenge, elevate, and inspire one another and those in attendance.

In front of City Hall, on Frank Ogawa Plaza, there will be live performances for all ages as well as a dedicated children’s area that will feature readings hosted by the Oakland Public Library, book-making projects sponsored by Oakland’s Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA), and interactive programs courtesy of Fairyland. Book vendors and publishers will have tables with merchandise for sale; food trucks will be parked on adjacent streets to provide nourishment.

More information on the event's website. 

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2nd Annual Eastlake Music Festival - Oakland, CA
May
23
12:00 PM12:00

2nd Annual Eastlake Music Festival - Oakland, CA

 

This is a FREE, nonprofit festival featuring the best sampling of local music, dance, indie arts & crafts, micro-brews and food trucks. 

PLEASE RSVP FOR LIMITED FREE TICKETS HERE

****************************************************************

Performers TBD - See links below for updated information 

Eastlake Music Festival 
Saturday - May 23, 2015
Lake Merritt, Oakland - California
12pm - 8:30 pm, FREE (All Ages)
Evening Venues (6pm-2am)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Important Rules of the Park - SPREAD THE WORD!
**PETS are OK!
**CHILDREN are even more OK!
**Please use port-a-potties, OMCA facilities or City of Oakland bathrooms.
**No smoking in the amphitheater.
**No bbq in the amphitheater. BBQ in Parking Lot OK!
**No grilling of any kind in the amphitheater.
**Respect the flora and fauna, our lake is a WILDLIFE REFUGE!

PLEASE RESPECT THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS, AND PLEASE RESPECT THE TIME AND EFFORT CITY OF OAKLAND EMPLOYEES WHO KEEP OUR CITY CLEAN, BEAUTIFUL AND RADIANT WITH THEIR SUPERB LANDSCAPING, GARDENING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT.

Please help us spread awareness, appreciation and responsibility for this beautiful, outdoor public space.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Official Site: www.eastlakemusicfestival.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EastlakeMusicFestival
Twitter: www.twitter.com/EMF_Oakland

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Malcolm X Jazz Arts Festival: 50th Anniversary of the Black Arts and the Chicano Arts Movements
May
16
11:00 AM11:00

Malcolm X Jazz Arts Festival: 50th Anniversary of the Black Arts and the Chicano Arts Movements

Saturday, May 16 from 11am-7pm
San Antonio Park - Foothill Boulevard / 18th Avenue - Oakland, CA 
*Free*

Sneak Peek of the Lineup 
The First Edition Jazz Band feat. Ralph Gibson Nelson 
Chester Thompson Group feat. Ms. Faye Carol
The Darrel Green Quintet feat. Camille Thurman & Wallace Rodney Jr.
Ille Omode -boot & west african dancers
Los Centzontles 
Fua Di Congo
Rompa Y Raja
Bahia Movement
Naka Dance Theater presents Anastasio Project

Also... Live painting from graf legends
International foods and flavors from around the world
Children's activities for the whole family
Local Artisans - arts, craft and clothing vendors

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Concerning Violence: Franz Fanon spoken by Miss Lauryn Hill
May
13
5:00 PM17:00

Concerning Violence: Franz Fanon spoken by Miss Lauryn Hill

Narrated by Ms Lauryn Hill, Concerning Violence is both an archive-driven documentary covering the most daring moments in the struggle for liberation in the Third World, as well as an exploration into the mechanisms of decolonization through text from Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth. Fanon’s landmark book, written over 50 years ago, is still a major tool for understanding and illuminating the neocolonialism happening today, as well as the violence and reactions against it.

Wednesday, May 13, 5-8pm
Concerning Violence / $10
SoleSpace / 1744 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 
*a total of 55 seats available 

Hosted by: 
MATATU FILM FESTIVAL (September 23-26)
In East African nations, matatu (Swahili) are privately owned minibuses or easily accessible share taxis. Often decorated with popular icons and sounds, matatu offer not only a means of travel, but access to another world. We are impassioned by the belief that everyone has a spectacular story regardless of age, geographical bounds, sexual preference, race, and socio-economic status and that story represents the sacred agreement among otherwise disparate communities. 

More information on the event's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/396041717250406/

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Yerba Buena Social Club: Saints of Salsa and DeeJay JoJo (LA)
May
9
to May 10

Yerba Buena Social Club: Saints of Salsa and DeeJay JoJo (LA)

Yerba Buena Social Club is delighted to launch a new monthly social on 2nd Saturdays at a new venue -- the Saint Gregory of Nyssa in the Potrero neighborhood of San Francisco 

Coming up from LA for the opening night is the legendary DeeJay JoJo with his blend of Salsa, Mambo, Guaguanco and more. 

Schedule
9pm - Doors open - Salsa - DeeJay JoJo
11pm - Performances

Location
Saint Gregory of Nyssa, 500 De Haro Street, San Francisco

Door 
$15 CASH ONLY/ All Ages 

More information: https://www.facebook.com/events/467563496729210/

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12th Annual Greek Film Festival - San Francisco
May
9
to May 17

12th Annual Greek Film Festival - San Francisco

The San Francisco Greek Film Festival – SFGFF showcases contemporary and classic Greek feature films and shorts from established and up-an-coming directors from Greece or of Greek decent. All movies have English subtitles. 

Sponsored by the Modern Greek Studies Foundation, and all proceeds benefit the educational initiatives of the Center for Modern Greek Studies / The Nikos Kazantzakis Chair at SFSU.

More information:

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Film: The Salt of the Earth
May
7
7:30 PM19:30

Film: The Salt of the Earth

Instead of hosting a film screening this month, The Periphery Center is coordinating a trip to the movie theater (think of it like a glorified field trip for adults).

The Salt of the Earth

For the last 40 years, the photographer Sebastião Salgado has been traveling through the continents, in the footsteps of an ever-changing humanity. He has witnessed some of the major events of our recent history; international conflicts, starvation and exodus. He is now embarking on the discovery of pristine territories, of wild fauna and flora, and of grandiose landscapes as part of a huge photographic project, which is a tribute to the planet's beauty. Sebastião Salgado's life and work are revealed to us by his son, Juliano, who went with him during his last travels, and by Wim Wenders, himself a photographer. 

Info/reviews: Official website | Rotten Tomatoes | IMDB | Wikipedia 

Caution: This film includes photos/images of intense human suffering. Personal discretion is advised. 

Details 

  • Landmark Shattuck Theaters, 1115 Solano Ave, Berkeley, California 94704
  • Thursday, May 7th, 2015
  • Film starts at 7:30, but I'll arrive around 7pm
  • Advanced tickets available online. 
  • If folks are interested in discussing the film afterward, we'll probably head here. 

Information and updates on the Facebook event page. 

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Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra - Free concert!
May
3
1:00 PM13:00

Eddie Palmieri Salsa Orchestra - Free concert!

Eddie Palmieri, long hailed as The Sun of Latin Music, is shining as brightly as ever at 78. Since his early days leading the legendary, trombone-powered Conjunto La Perfecta, the percussive pianist and composer has been a force for innovation. 

Treating his Salsa Orchestra as a roiling rhythmic laboratory, Palmieri showcases some of the greatest improvisers in jazz and Latin music, delivering a brassy wallop sure to delight the most demanding dancers and listeners alike.

Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
760 Howard St, San Francisco, California 94103

For a full schedule of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival free summer programs visit: http://ybgfestival.org/events/

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Isaura's Brazilian Dance Workshop Series - Oakland
May
2
3:00 PM15:00

Isaura's Brazilian Dance Workshop Series - Oakland

The Bahia in Oakland Collective presents...
Isaura's Brazilian Dance Workshop Series

Every month, First Saturday we are ON!

Saturday, May 2nd, 3-5pm 
Oakland Commons
4799 Shattuck Ave, Oakland, California 94609

Open to all
Registration starts at 2:45pm
$5 youth / $15 to $20+ adults
Sliding scale / CASH PLEASE 

Further info or questions: isaurabrasil@hotmail.com 

More information and updates on the event's Facebook page. 

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Bay Area Dance Week
Apr
24
to May 3

Bay Area Dance Week

The Bay Area has one of the largest, most active and thriving dance communities in the country. Over a ten-day period each year the Bay Area Dance Week invites participants and volunteers to reaffirm the region’s commitment to dance, offering hundreds of free events representing the diversity of dance forms practiced in the region.

From established company programs to one-time events, BADW provides an opportunity for dance-lovers of all ages and experience-levels to take a grand tour of the many movement styles, including Argentine tango, classical Indian, jazz, hip hop, ballet, traditional hula, fire dance, Samba, modern, Chinese classical, belly dance, aerial dance, West African, contact improvisation, and more. 

More information: 

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Fantastic Negrito at The New Parish - The Homecoming show!
Apr
17
9:00 PM21:00

Fantastic Negrito at The New Parish - The Homecoming show!

Fantastic Negrito is the incarnation of a musician who is reborn after going through a lot of awful shit. In fact, the name Fantastic Negrito represents his third rebirth, literally coming back from death this time. The narrative on this man is as important as the sound, because the narrative is the sound. Songs born from a long hard life channeled through black roots music. Slide guitar, drums, piano. Urgent, desperate, edgy. Fantastic Negrito is the story of a man who struggled to “make it”, who “got it”, and who lost it all. For anyone who ever felt like it was over yet hoped it wasn’t, this is your music; blues harnessed, forged in realness. For anyone who ever considered getting their old high-school band back together, this is your inspiration. These are singular songs by a true musician who writes and produces. They are his fuel as he embarks on the third comeback of his life. 

Winner of NPR's Tiny Desk contest 2015. More about Fantastic Negrito on their website and Facebook page. 

8pm  -  Doors
9pm  -  Opening Act: Antique 
10:30  -  Fantastic Negrito 

Ticket Price: $10.00 - $15.00

18 & over; Under 21 must buy $5 drink ticket at the door. 

Buy tickets here 

More information on the event's Facebook page. 

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Cuban Dance Night with *Los Boleros* at Ashkenaz
Apr
17
to Apr 18

Cuban Dance Night with *Los Boleros* at Ashkenaz

You have been waiting for this all year and here it is. The return of Cuban sensation Los Boleros featuring felix Samuel on lead vocals, Rudy Furlan-tres Cubano, David Somers-sax, Edgar Lavado-bongo, Tony Garcia-baby bass and Osvaldo Carbajal-Congas.

This is a show you will not want to miss! 

8:00pm  -  Doors open
8:20pm  -  Salsa dance lesson by Rebecca Chehalis Miller
9:30pm  -- Live concert and dance by Los Boleros

General admission $15
Students with ID $10
Advance tickets available online

Ashkenaz
1317 San Pablo Ave 
Berkeley, California 94702

More information on the event's Facebook page.

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Half and Halves: A Dance Exploration of the Punjabi-Mexican Communities of California.
Apr
10
to Apr 11

Half and Halves: A Dance Exploration of the Punjabi-Mexican Communities of California.

An exploration in dance of the little-known cultural and artistic legacies of Punjabi-Mexican communities founded in California in the early 20th century inspires the collaboration of Duniya Dance and Drum Company and Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco in "Half and Halves: A Dance Exploration of the Punjabi-Mexican Communities of California." 

In the early 20th century, men from Punjab, India arrived in California to work on farms. Discriminatory immigration laws prevented them from bringing their wives from India, so many married Mexican women. This exciting performance, featuring 25 dancers and live music, brings together vibrant Punjabi Bhangra and Mexican Folklorico dances to explore themes related to farming life, marriage, immigration, and racial and ethnic discrimination. Choreographers Joti Singh and Zenon Barron also explore dance in this performance that does not neatly fit into one genre or another, drawing inspiration from the complex cultural identities of these communities and the issues and challenges they faced. 

The production, featuring new original material, returns to San Francisco for two nights, April 10-11, 2015, at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco's Kanbar Hall (3200 California St, San Francisco, California 94118)

Tickets
Facebook
Kickstarter

"Half and Halves" is presented in association with Arts & Ideas at the JCCSF.This performance is made possible by the generosity of the Zellerbach Family Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Fleishhacker Foundation, and the San Francisco Grants for the Arts Hotel Tax Fund.

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CubaCaribe: The 11th Annual CubaCaribe Festival of Dance and Music
Apr
9
to Apr 26

CubaCaribe: The 11th Annual CubaCaribe Festival of Dance and Music

CubaCaribe presents
The 11th Annual CubaCaribe Festival of Dance and Music
April 9 – April 26, 2015 
"In Search of Soul"

The acclaimed annual folkloric and contemporary dance and music Festival will feature three exuberant weeks of Caribbean dance and music performances, master classes, film screenings, lectures and celebrations throughout the Bay Area.

PERFORMANCE PROGRAM

Week 1  -  April 10-12: African Souls: Cuba & Brasil 

Featuring: Abadá Capoeira San Francisco; Aguas Dance Company; Alayo Dance Company; Arenas Dance Company; Teatro Brasileiro de Dança: the Bahia in Oakland. 

ODC Theater, 3153 17th Street, San Francisco, CA 
Friday-Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 7 pm
Tickets: $25 online; $28 door
http://www.odcdance.org/events

Week 2  -  April 17-19: Soul Caribe

Featuring: Aguacero; Alafia Dance Ensemble; Bravisimo Youth Ensemble; Colombian Soul; Cunamacué; Dimensions Dance Theater; La Mezcla; Grupo Experimental Nago 

Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th Street, SF 
Friday-Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 7 pm
Tickets: $22 online; $24 door
www.brownpapertickets.com

Week 3 - April 24-26: Alma

Alayo Dance Company; Dance Brigade; Duniya Dance Ensemble 

Laney College Theater, 900 Fallon Street, Oakland 
Friday - Saturday @ 8 pm
Tickets: $25 online; $28 door
www.brownpapertickets.com

More information on the event's Facebook Page 

SPECIAL EVENTS

April 9 - Opening Reception 6-7 pm; Film Screening: Dancing with the Drum, directed by Ashley James, Produced by Roberta Singer 7-9 pm. Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St., San Francisco.

April 12 - Batey Boricua - celebrate life through Puerto Rican Bomba, Plena music and dance at a community jam session. La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. 4 - 7 pm

April 16 - Umi Vaughan Lecture/Demo: De Curros a Especuladores: Black to the Future in Cuba. Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St., San Francisco. 7-9 pm

April 19 - Dance Workshop: Guede/Papa Guede or Gaga/Rarra co-taught by Collete Eloi (Guede of Haiti) and Cheo Rojas (Papa Guede of Cuba). Dance Mission Theater, 3316 24th Street, San Francisco. 3:30 - 5:00 pm

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Serge Beynaud, live at Bissap Baobab SF
Mar
14
to Mar 15

Serge Beynaud, live at Bissap Baobab SF

African sensation, Serge Beynaud, from Africa's Ivory Coast will be playing in San Francisco for his Okeninpin Tour 2015

When: Saturday, March 14, 2015

Where: Bissap Baobab, 3372 19th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Details: (additional information can be found on the event's Facebook page)
7:00-10:30pm Concert Buffet Package (dinner buffet 7pm to 9:30pm + live performances 8:30pm & 9:30pm + club 10:30pm to 2am)
8:30-9:00pm: Supporting Act: Live Dancers
9:00-9:30pm: DJ Fuze (from Digital Underground & TUPAC)
9:30-10:30pm: SERGE BEYNAUD PERFORMS feat. Zota
10:30-2:00am ParisDakar African Dance Party: DJ FUZE (Digital Underground, TuPac) & Baobab Resident DJs: DJMarco / DJ Santero / DJ Spetwise / DJClaude / DJ Elembe / DJ Bocar

Buy tickets here

Download
New single, Okeninkpin, from Amazon or iTunes
Thee album, also called Okeninkpin, from Amazon or iTunes 

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NYC Film Screening: Tango Negro + Candombe
Mar
14
8:00 PM20:00

NYC Film Screening: Tango Negro + Candombe

Film screening hosted by the African Diaspora International Film Festival in New York City. 

FILM: Candombe

Directed by Rafael Deugenio, 1993, Uruguay, Documentary, 16 min, Spanish w/ English subt.

More than two hundred years ago, there was an influx of slaves from Africa into Uruguay. Long after their empancipation, these individuals continued to comprise the poorest and most marginalized strata in society. Musician Fernado Nunez sees himself as the heir to “candombe,” a dance and musical expression initiated these individuals, his slave ancestors. As the far-reaching, socio-cultural legacy of of candombe has yet to be acknowledged, Fernando Nunez and his friends from the back street quarter of Montevideo have taken on the responsibility of keeping these important cultural roots alive in the consciousness of the Uruguayan people.

 

FILM: Tango Negro, The African Roots of Tango

Directed by Dom Pedro, 2013, France, Documentary, 93 min, French, Spanish, English subt.

Tango Negro explores the expression of African-ness inherent in the dance of the “tango” and the contribution of African cultures to the dance’s creation. Angolan director, Dom Pedro, details the dance’s early cultural significance as a depiction of the social life of captured African slaves and provides an expansive compilation of musical performances and interviews from tango enthusiasts and historians alike.  Tango Negro provides a novel insight into the depth of tango’s sub-Saharan African musical influence, a presence that has crossed oceans and endured the tides of forced bondage.

More information on the event's website. 

Thalia Theater
2537 Broadway
New York, NY 10025

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Black Power Mixtape: A private film screening
Mar
7
5:30 PM17:30

Black Power Mixtape: A private film screening

For three decades, the film canisters sat undisturbed in a cellar beneath the Swedish National Broadcasting Company. Inside was roll after roll of startlingly fresh and candid 16mm footage shot in the 1960s and 1970s in the United States, all of it focused on the anti-war and Black Power movements. When filmmaker Goran Hugo Olsson discovered the footage, he decided he had a responsibility to shepherd this glimpse of history into the world.

With contemporary audio interviews from leading African American artists, activists, musicians and scholars, The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 looks at the people, society, culture, and style that fueled an era of convulsive change. Utilizing an innovative format that riffs on the popular 1970s mixtape format, Mixtape is a cinematic and musical journey into the black communities of America.

This newly discovered footage offers a penetrating examination — through the lens of Swedish filmmakers — of the Black Power movement from 1967 to 1975, and its worldwide resonance. The result is like an anthropological treatise on an exotic civilization from the point of view of outsiders who approached their subject with no assumptions or biases.

^ From PBS' website 

Date: Saturday, March 7th, 2015 

Schedule:
5:30pm - Wine and popcorn will be provided, but bring beer or other snacks to share (just please no peanuts / nuts - allergies!) 
6:00pm - Film (+brief intermission) 
8:00pm - Discussion and more drinks/snacks 

Location: Email peripherycenter@gmail.com or text Meredith at 973-349-7358 for the address.

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Yemanja Arts Festival 2015
Feb
27
to Feb 28

Yemanja Arts Festival 2015

This unique two-night arts festival celebrates the spirit of Yemanja, the African deity that honors the essential, beautiful and sometimes-dangerous nature of water. Inspired by the original Yemanja Festival celebrated in Bahia, Brazil the Yemanja Arts Festival will bring together celebrated artists and dancers from across the Bay Area, interpreters of art forms from the African diaspora (Brazil, the Caribbean, and the United States) that pay homage to Yemanja through their respective folkloric and spiritual traditions.

Featuring Choreography by Conceicao Damasceno, Kimberly Miguel Mullen, Tania Santiago, Danda da Hora, Ramon Ramos Alayo, Wagner Santos, Nadia Velasquez Brunner, Mestre Beicola, Jenny Leary, Tainah Damasceno Harvey, Curumins & Borboletas Dance Group and more! 

Bahian Food by Sabor da Bahia

Saturday Night’s ticket price will include an after party with a live band, "Bahia Soul" featuring Danda da Hora

Friday & Saturday: Doors at 7pm, Show at 8pm 
Saturday: After Party at 10pm

Friday Only: $18 advance, $20 at the door
Saturday Only (Includes After Party): $20 advance, $22 at the door
Saturday After Party Only: $10

Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets or at the door.

Casa De Cultura/Brasarte
1901 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley CA

Made possible in part by the Grousbeck Family Foundation. 

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AFROCUBA: The Bay Area Edition. Celebrating Black History Month
Feb
26
6:00 PM18:00

AFROCUBA: The Bay Area Edition. Celebrating Black History Month

FREE / NO COVER
Limited Seating. First Come. First Serve.

Guerilla Cafe, 1620 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, United States

5.30 PM: Doors Open.
6.30 PM: Screening of Rumba Clave Blen Blen Blen
9.00 PM: Music by DJ ASHO & DJ Leydis

Rumba Clave Blen Blen Blen reveals the vibrant Afro-Cuban culture of the city. In addition, the film unravels the African and Andalusian origins of rumba and follows ordinary people and famous musicians through the dances, drums, and clave rhythm of the genre. By paying homage to the grand masters of the genre, such as Chano Pozo and his collaborations with Dizzy Gillespie, the film takes us on a historical journey that traces the history of rumba in New York through the words and music of scholars, producers, artists and renowned musicians who continue to practice it today.

Directed by Aristides Falcon Paradi, 2013, Cuba/United States, Documentary, 101 min, Spanish with English subtitles 

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7th Salsa Rueda Festival in San Francisco
Feb
19
to Feb 22

7th Salsa Rueda Festival in San Francisco

Salsa Vale Todo is proud to present the 7th Annual San Francisco Salsa Rueda Festival. Enjoy four days of social dancing, world-class performances and shows, music from acclaimed bands and DJs, workshops and classes for all dance levels with top instructors, a beginner bootcamp, educational lectures and late night parties in the heart of one of the greatest cities in the world.

Thursday: Rumbache and The Bay Area Rumba All-stars
Friday: Timbalive 
Saturday: Mayito Rivera with TIMBALIVE
Sunday: Dj Battle and Mega-Rueda 

DJs Walt Digz, Dark Rum, Asho, Alan, Pepe Timba, Belen, Ricubana, andEl Gato VoladorDj

- 3 days of workshops in Cuban dance: Over 75 workshops to choose from
- 4 nights of Cuban Salsa, Timba, Son, Rumba and more

www.salsaruedafestival.com 
www.salsavaletodo.com

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Film Screening: "Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony"
Feb
7
5:30 PM17:30

Film Screening: "Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony"

"The thing that saved us was music. The music was ... not even what we call Liberation Music. Music was part of liberating ourselves." - Abdullah Ibrahim, from Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony

On Saturday, February 7th, the Periphery Center will be hosting a screening of the film, "Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony."

While just about every revolutionary movement has used song to give voice to its people and followers, the black South Africans who fought and died to topple the apartheid regime maintained a uniquely sophisticated musical tradition, which allowed them to organize their community on a deep and poetic level. 

Threading interviews and archival clips with a powerful soundtrack, this film demonstrates how musical expression was central to the project of self-determination in South Africa. Each chapter of the often brutal (but ultimately triumphant) saga that lasted from 1948 to 1994 was accompanied by songs of defiance, mourning, pride and despair.

Date:
Saturday, February 7th, 2015 

Schedule: 
5:30pm - Drinks / snacks 
6:00pm - Film (+brief intermission) 
8:00pm - Discussion and more drinks/snacks 

Location: 
Email peripherycenter@gmail.com or text Meredith at 973-349-7358 for the address in Oakland, CA. 

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Kizomba River Party @ El Rio
Jan
17
to Jan 18

Kizomba River Party @ El Rio

  • Google Calendar ICS

For those of you not familiar with Kizomba, it's a sensual partner dance from Angola that has recently gained some serious popularity around the world. 

This party is one of the rare club events (versus parties at dance studios) in the Bay Area, so come through to get a glimpse or practice your moves. 

Hosted by Dança Makèzú & Criola Kizomba. Music by Bay Area's very own DJ Shiv and DJ Guapo who will be spinning kizomba, semba, afrohouse, kuduro, zouk and more. 

More information on the event's Facebook page. 

El Rio 
3158 Mission St, San Francisco, California 94110 
$10 Cover 

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African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF)
Dec
4
5:30 PM17:30

African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF)

The African Diaspora International Film Festival (ADIFF) presents an eclectic mix of urban, classic, independent and foreign films that depict the richness and diversity of the life experience of people of African descent and Indigenous people all over the world.

Read more about the festival and watch clips from a few highlights in this recent OkayAfrica article. 

Friday, November 28 - Sunday, December 14, 2014

Films are being shown at various theaters throughout the city. Check the festival's website for detailed information. 

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Abhinaya Dance Co presents "Arjuna" (San Jose)
Nov
15
to Nov 16

Abhinaya Dance Co presents "Arjuna" (San Jose)

San Jose’s Abhinaya Dance Co., one of the Bay Area’s best practitioners of Indian dance, presents this new production based on the life of Arjuna, the bow-and-arrow master from the Mahabharata who could famously hit the eye of a bird.  Subtitled “A Warrior’s Tale,” the performance evokes the archer’s heroic life and struggles.  Performance runs Nov. 15 at 7pm and Nov. 16 at 4pm. 

School of Arts & Culture
1700 Alum Rock Ave., San Jose, CA 95116
$20-$30

More Information. 

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