Concert & Dance Listings • Cd Reviews • Free Events • Festival Listings
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CONCERT & DANCE LISTINGS • CD REVIEWS • FREE EVENTS • FESTIVAL LISTINGS FREE BI-MONTHLY Volume 6 Number 3 May-June 2006 THESOURCE FOR FOLK/TRADITIONAL MUSIC, DANCE, STORYTELLING & OTHER RELATED FOLK ARTS IN THE GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA “Don’t you know that Folk Music is illegal in Los Angeles?” — W ARREN C ASEY of the Wicked Tinkers Francis Awe: Talking the Gospel of the Drum BY AUDREY COLEMAN nd one and go!!!” Immediately the four men standing in a semi-circle begin playing the hourglass-shaped drum each has slung over his shoulder. Using “J”-shaped wooden inside this issue: sticks, they each beat out a different rhyth- “A mic pattern against the two-headed dundun. Seated in the center, powerfully striking the Gualaguetza large djembe in front of him is Nigerian master drummer Francis Awe. He closes his eyes for a Festival moment, listening to the polyrhythmic effect, and then brings his sparkling gaze to each dundun in turn. Close-cropped black and silver hair crowns his head and his white, long- Conjunto Jardin sleeved tee-shirt stretches at the seams over his paunch as if the energy inside him is pushing to get out. “I want to see the bouncing!” he sings out. “Yeah! Yeah!” PLUS: So opens the dundun class Francis Awe holds for a small group of adults at Holy Name of Jesus School in Central Los FESTIVAL LISTINGS Angeles every Sunday afternoon. It is an intense two hours of ensemble and individual playing, punctuated by the master’s Ross Altman’s words on drumming technique, Yoruba culture, learning, and life. How Can I Keep From Talking Leader of the Nigerian Talking Drum Ensemble since 1985, Francis Awe has performed extensively around the Larry Wines’ United States as well as Mexico, Germany, India, and, of Tied to the Tracks course, Africa. In its Los Angeles home base, the Ensemble has appeared at such venues as the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Notes from Possum Pie Inn Los Angeles Theatre Center, the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, the Los Angeles Music Center and major cul- Calendar of Events tural festivals. Awe has recorded sessions with such notables as Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder. On-Going Music & Dance The 55-year old musician from Nigeria plays all manner FRANCIS AWE page 26 & much more... COVER PHOTO BY AMANDA RYAN Page 2 FolkWorks May-June 2006 EDITORIAL Dear Readers Cultural Center (up the Sepulveda PUBLISHERS & EDITORS Leda & Steve Shapiro Los Angeles is not known nationally pass) and Culver City Summer LAYOUT & PRODUCTION as a hotbed of either Folk or Roots/World Concert Music Festival. See page 3 for Alan Stone Creative Services music – and yet, as Larry Wines will tell some of the free concerts in May and FEATURED WRITERS you, there are actually many places to June. Brooke Alberts, Lookaround hear “folk” music and more than you May and June is also the folk and Ross Altman would think to hear Roots/World music. traditional music festival season. Some How Can I Keep From Talking S David Bragger, Old-Time Oracle In this issue, we turn you on to a new E of the best festivals are local or rela- N O Uncle Ruthie Buell S venue, Club Tropical where Molly White tively close by such at the Topanga A Y Halfway Down the Stairs (who is occasionally on KPFK) presents a N Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk Music O S Valerie Cooley, That Reminds Me... series of World Music on Friday Y Festival, the Summer Solstice Folk B Linda Dewar, Grace Notes O nights….Balkan, Klezmer, African and T Music, Dance and Storytelling Festival O H Richard Gee, Law Talk more. Other clubs, while not making it P brought to you by the California Roger Goodman their mainstay, are often finding the “dif- BY LEDA & STEVE SHAPIRO Traditional Music Society (CTMS) as Keys to the Highway ferent sound” people are looking for, in well as the Cajun, Creole Music Fron Heller, the city’s ethnic communities. Tangiers, Temple Bar, Festival in Simi Valley and the Long Beach Bayou Notes from Possum Pie Inn Little Pedros, Knitting Factory and even The Echo some- Festival. Dennis Roger Reed times present folk or “roots” music. So maybe L.A., in its This year the Long Beach Bayou Festival brings you Reed’s Ramblings search for the new and different, is turning to its ethnic “The French Quarter and N’Orleans at Night,” present- Dave Soyars, Dave’s Corner “roots” and turning on a new generation to the soulful ing some fine talent. They are offering a couple free Larry Wines, Tied to the Tracks diversity in our midst. The music, dancing, food and passes to the first one to email to [email protected] EDITORS th st David Ascher • Marie Bruno crafts of our city is as diverse as it is magnificent. and on May15 - and again on June 1 . So mark that on your Mary Pat Cooney • Britt Nicole-Peterson nNew young musicians are swinging into action – taking calendar for two free passes. Only one set per person. Diane Sherman • Chris Stuart their traditions and mixing them up! Middle Eastern Finally, a bit further afield (but a relatively short plane CONTRIBUTING WRITERS music becomes “new Age” with Azam Ali, VOCO sings ride) is the ever-wonderful Northwest Folklife Festival. If Audrey Coleman • Lisa Forstein songs based in the old-time Appalachian tradition, then you haven’t had the pleasure, check out their website and Jim Lee • Pat MacSwyney powers up with an original Sacred Harp holler. Ashley book your tickets now. (One of these days we will figure Susan Michaels • Joel Okida Gigi “Gee” Rabe • Ron Young Maher does the singer songwriter thing, but swings it up out how to get our city to sponsor something similar DISTRIBUTION into African with dancers and Sengalese drummers. But ….we can only just imagine). Brooke Alberts • Ross Altman sometimes it is the soul of simple tradition that makes us We would be amiss not to mention a significant Beverly/Irwin Barr • Anna Byrne sit up and take notice: The CSUN based Zimbabwean change that has entered our lives. We are now grandpar- Judy CaJacob • Jim Cope influenced Masanga Marimba Band, is playing about ents to two beautiful baby girls. Yup twins. This has Linda Dewar • Mary Dolinskis town, making their joyful noise! Don’t miss their chil- already changed our lives and we anticipate this will con- Marge Gajicki • Sharon Gates Cliff Gilpatric • Sue Hunter dren’s concerts as well. All these local favorites have tinue. So keep looking at FolkWorks and don’t be sur- Holly Kiger • Bill/Mary Anne McCarthy developed a fiercely loyal following for a reason. More prised if the future pages will contain more things to do Nan McKinley • Russ/Julie Paris and more people are hearing something important in with young children. We’ve been meaning to do this for Milt Rosenberg • Doug Moon these voices. It is all around us and like good music of all years but we now have personal motivation. Daria Simolke • Aliana Smith genres, it satisfies the soul, something for which we are in We hope this all motivates you to get out and experi- Sylvia Stachura • Mimi Tanaka Roy Wells • Lynn Worrilow • Ron Young great need in this world. ence that wonderful folk, traditional (and maybe not so LOGO DESIGN This time of year also offers the best in free concerts traditional) music and dance that will be coming our way Tim Steinmeier with Grand Performances downtown, the Skirball soon. See you out and about. Thanks to all those who have supported and inspired us, especially Warren Casey of the Wicked Tinkers. IN THIS ISSUE Published bi-monthly by FolkWorks a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization an affiliate of EDITORIAL..................................................2 Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS). FANTASTIC FUN FOLK FESTIVALS......3 BOARD OF DIRECTORS KEYS TO THE HIGHWAY ....................... 4 GOING MODAL WITH THE Brooke Alberts • Linda Dewar APPALACHIAN DULCIMER Kay Gilpatric • Roger Goodman NOTES FROM POSSUM PIE INN .......... 5 Don Kiger • Holly Kiger THE ROYAL TREATMENT, THRONE AND ALL Teresa Modnick • Gitta Morris TIED TO THE TRACKS ........................... 6 Steve Shapiro • Mimi Tanaka IN PRAISE OF LOCAL VENUES Monika White • Ron Young A TASTE OF GUELAGUETZA..................7 Leda Shapiro, Executive Director DAVE’S CORNER OF THE WORLD ..... 8 ADVISORY BOARD ON-GOING STORYTELLING EVENTS. 8 Richard Gee • Howard & Roz Larman CONJUNTO JARDIN: Sabrina Motley • Colin Quigley ESTE ES NUEVO SON JAROCHO.......... 9 Cait Reed • Lisa Richardson REED’S RAMBLINGS ............................ 10 Tom Sauber MUSIC AND MUSIC CULTURE CD REVIEWS ...................................... 11-12 CONTACT INFORMATION JULIE LEE LETS US WALK ON THE P.O. Box 55051, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413 STILLHOUSE ROAD ................................13 Phone: 818-785-3839 HOUSE ON THE HILL CONCERT- MARCH 4, 2006 [email protected] • www.FolkWorks.org ©2006 FolkWorks All Rights Reserved ON-GOING MUSIC HAPPENINGS........15 CALENDAR OF EVENTS ................. 16-17 AD RATES ON-GOING DANCE HAPPENINGS .......18 Size 1 X 3X 6X OLD TIME ORACLE .............................. 19 SALTY DOGS AND RED HOT BANANAS Full Pg $660 $600 $550 THAT REMINDS ME... ........................... 20 1/2 pg $385 $350 $300 THE BARN DANCE 1/4 pg $235 $210 $185 MOTHERLAND MUSIC...........................21 1/8 pg $150 $125 $100 CLUB TROPICAL 1/16 pg $85 $75 $65 SUPPORTS WORLD MUSIC ..................22 SPECIFICATIONS WITH CRYPTONOCHE SERIES Full Pg ................................. 9.5 x 15" ARMENIAN ART AT CAFAM .................23 1/2 pg H ......................... 9.5 x 7.375" LOOKAROUND ....................................... 23 MANIPULATE ME! 1/4 pg V..................... 4.625 x 7.375" 1/8 pg H .................... 4.625 x 3.625" LAWTALK ................................................ 24 1/16 pg V .................