CONCERT & DANCE LISTINGS • CD REVIEWS • FREE EVENTS FREE BI-MONTHLY Volume 4 Number 5 Sept-Oct 2004 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?” — WARREN C ASEY of the Wicked Tinkers AA MissionMission ofof MusicMusic INSIGHTSINSIGHTS INTOINTO PRESENTINGPRESENTING WITHWITH YATRIKAYATRIKA SHAH-RAISSHAH-RAIS AN INTERVIEW BY FAUN FINLEY oo much black and white began to blur my vision. I looked up from the café table after hours of pouring over notes like an especially shy ostrich. I took a breath and spied pink. The T pink neon sign trying to differentiate this insideinside thisthis issue:issue: eatery from all the others in Old Pasadena; the pink ruffled mini skirt on the young girl can- tering by; the pink stripes of Victoria’s Secret across the SomeSome ThoughtsThoughts onon street. All along Colorado Boulevard synthetic banners shout, “SALE SALE SALE,” also in pink – the kind of pink KoreanKorean FolkFolk MusicMusic bright and shiny like wet bubblegum. “THANK GOD,” I thought, there are spaces in Los Angeles free of plastic pop pleasures, the ones that so often Put On Your cultivate an insidious laziness of the spirit and mislaying of Put On Your the soul. That space is like consecrated ground for those who find beauty in the cultural permutations and ethnic DancingDancing ShoesShoes expressions of the world. One of those spaces is the Skirball Cultural Center. What makes Skirball special? As musicians and music devotees, we naturally think: the music and the artists who PLUS:PLUS: perform there, of course! Yes, you are right! But let’s not stop there. In fact, we should start much earlier. We should KeysKeys toto thethe HighwayHighway start prior to purchasing our tickets; sooner than the com- mute in our motored enclaves; ahead of sitting in our seats; Reed’sReed’s RamblingsRamblings and definitely before we let out that long sigh, that signal to our heart to allow the joie de vivre of the rhythm and melody UncleUncle RuthieRuthie connect us back to ourselves. What makes the Skirball special, and other spaces like it, CDCD ReviewsReviews are the people who program. Without the blood and sweat of their passion, artists would have far fewer gigs, and audi- HowHow CanCan II KeepKeep ences would have less opportunity to commune with the FromFrom TalkingTalking YATRIKA page 22 && muchmuch more...more... Page 2 FolkWorks September-October 2004 EDITORIAL kay. We admit it. We In July, we heard the music of PUBLISHERS & EDITORS are what some folks Rizwan-Muazzam for the first Leda & Steve Shapiro Ocall culture vultures. time. It was transporting – a medi- LAYOUT & PRODUCTION We are always in search of the tative groove that made us recog- Alan Stone Creative Services best Folk/Traditional music, nize, once again, an essential fact: FEATURE WRITERS dance, and other Folk Arts. The music is fundamental to many reli- Brooke Alberts, Lookaround reason is simple. It gives us gions and cannot be separated from Ross Altman immense pleasure. We love find- its religious/spiritual aspects. How Can I Keep From Talking ing the outstanding musicians, Listening to Rizwan-Muazzam in Uncle Ruthie Buell artists, dancers, letting you in on California Plaza with a cool breeze Halfway Down the Stairs the secret, (with articles and blowing, we forgot the problems of Joanna Cazden Calendar listings) and sometimes the world and heard instead the The Voices in my Head presenting a concert ourselves. drums, voice and hand-clapping Valerie Cooley, That Reminds Me... SONES Roger Goodman We find out about this wonderful A that bring people together. Keys to the Highway music by looking at our favorite We have published articles SONY Dennis Roger Reed band websites, venue websites, about Roots/Traditional music O BY Reed’s Ramblings new CDs that people give us and from many countries – and call it Dave Soyars, Dave’s Corner PHOT asking other presenters that we all Folk Music. But these classifi- Larry Wines, Tied to the Tracks trust. We occasionally are able to BY LEDA & STEVE SHAPIRO cations are becoming more and EDITORS go to Festivals or conferences and more unclear. Les Yeux Noirs is a David Ascher • Marie Bruno make a DISCOVERY that we hear live for ourselves, as klezmer, Gypsy band with a jazzy sound. La Boutine Mary Pat Cooney • Britt Nicole-Peterson when we “discovered” The Duhks and brought them to Souriante, originally a quartet of traditional Quebecois Diane Sherman Santa Monica for a concert. musicians, now has a whole horn section. Many folk/tra- CONTRIBUTING WRITERS In this issue, we feature one of our best sources: the ditional bands have incorporated instruments of other tra- Enrico Del Zotto • Lauren W. Deutsch Skirball Cultural Center’s Music Director Yatrika Shah- ditions, some more successfully than others. African and Linda Dewar • Faun Finley Rais, who graces our cover. Yatrika introduced us to Les Middle-Eastern drums have been incorporated in many Cliff Furnold • Nondas Kitsos Kurt MacInnes • Nancy MacMillan Yeux Noir at the Skirball a few years ago and this sum- contradance bands, not to mention oboe, sax and even a Pat MacSwyney mer they played in the Concerts on the Pier series in Santa bombard. DISTRIBUTION Monica where many more came out to hear them. I do not know how “traditional” Rizwan-Muazzam is, Brooke Alberts • Mary Dolinskis In the Skirball’s new season, Yatrika brings us both but I do know that some of the band’s Cds have added Marlene Drefyss • Marge Gajicki new discoveries (Purna Das) as well as old favorites (Eric “techno” effects. Perhaps it is just a matter of taste. Richard Gee • Cliff Gilpatric Bibb). And after an uplifting evening listening to live Perhaps strictly “traditional” roots music and instrumen- Scot Hickey • Sue Hunter •Julie James music, we can buy a CD, pop it in our player and re-live tation is not exciting enough for our modern audiences. Dennis Louie • Nan McKinley the experience. It is interesting to note that it is a different Perhaps it is just the folk process and other musical influ- Gretchen Naticchia • Bill Ossa Holly Overin • Bea Romano experience entirely if you hear the Cd without the benefit ences. But I do know that the best musicians of any genre Daria Simolke • Stan Smith of hearing the music “live” beforehand. When you have are exciting and elicit a response from their audiences. Mimi Tanaka • Lynn Worrilow been to the live concert, your brain allows you to “hear” And we depend on presenters such as Yatrika Shah-Rais, John Wygonski things that may or may not actually be on the CD – and Michael Alexander and Dave Pier – to name a few - to LOGO DESIGN to “see” the performers on stage as you listen - long after find the best and bring them to us. FolkWorks’ mission is Tim Steinmeier the event is over. to tell you about it… yours, if you chose to accept it… is Thanks to all those who have supported and While other Folk Arts (dance, storytelling, folk crafts) to go out and explore! Listen to the music, touch the inspired us, especially Warren Casey of the are also accessible after the performance, it is only with woven baskets, turn your eyes toward the traditional Wicked Tinkers. music that it is possible to repeat the experience over and Mexican murals that surround us in Los Angeles. Steep Published bi-monthly by FolkWorks a 501 over on a daily basis. We can listen to Les Yeux Noirs’ yourself in the cultural diversity. The rewards are enor- (c)(3) non-profit organization an affiliate of LIVE recording every day in our cars or at home, and see mous - you will discover two essential things missing in Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS). those twin fiddle bows flying through the air. popular culture: community … and hope. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Brooke Alberts • Linda Dewar Kay Gilpatric • Roger Goodman Don Kiger • Holly Kiger • Gitta Morris 12,000 COPIES OF FOLKWORKS ARE Molly Nealson • Steve Shapiro Mimi Tanaka • Monika White DELIVERED TO THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS: Ron Young Leda Shapiro, Executive Director AGOURA HILLS EAGLE ROCK Long Beach Library- Global Gifts (UN Shop) Studio City Music Virtual World Cafe Dr. Music all branches San Pedro Library Studio City Public Library ADVISORY BOARD ALTADENA ENCINO Portfolio Café Sacred Grounds Bill Howard • Howard & Roz Larman Altadena Library CTMS Center for Folk Music Tower Records Williams Bookstore TARZANA Colin Quigley • Lisa Richardson World of Strings Coffee Gallery Backstage GLENDALE SANTA MONICA CD Trader Tom Sauber ARCADIA Brand Library LOS ALAMITOS 18th Street Arts Complex Coffee Junction San Gabriel Bead Company Borders Books & Music Blue Mountain Bagels All American Hero Norms Rare Guitars CONTACT INFORMATION Glendale Central Library MARINA DEL REY (Venice Blvd) THOUSAND OAKS BALDWIN HILLS Anastasia’s Asylum P.O. 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