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 Nigerian
Sculpture
For three months, Nigerian artist Geoffrey
Nwogu was at the California Academy of Sciences working on a
sculpture installation in Cowell Hall. Mr. Nwogu creatde a
family of three deity figures modelled from mud clay, positioned
in a decorative structure consisting of platform and backdrop.
The finished work resembles a typical mbari
house complex built as an offering to the gods, as part
of the ritual customs practiced by only a handful of Igbo villages
near the township of Owerri, in Southeastern Nigeria. This program
is funded by a generous grant from the Creative
Work Fund, which supports collaborations between local artists
and non-profit institutions. The Academy was one of six recipients
awarded grants in the Traditional Arts category in 2001. (January
through March, 2002)
PHOTO: June
Anderson |
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Celtic
Music on the Hammered Dulcimer
 The
hammered dulcimer is a trapezoidal stringed instrument that is played
with a pair of light hammers. The instrument's origins are unclear,
with some scholars dating it back to the first millennium CE in
the Middle East and others claiming it was developed in medieval
Europe. The name "dulcimer" derives from the Latin for "sweet sound,"
and today's program by musician Glenn
Morgan shows how apt that name is. Glenn, who sees himself as
a sort of "dulcimer missionary," has recorded four
albums of dulcimer music. (January 12, 2002)
PHOTO: Jennifer
Michael |
GLENN
MORGAN'S RECORDINGS
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Uses
of Tules in Native California
Tules (Scirpus californicus) are bulrushes
native to the freshwater wetlands of California. Indians from many
tribes traditionally used tules to create a wide variety of practical
items: food, clothing, shelter, transportation (boats), sleeping
mats, rope, dolls, and baskets. Today's program offers a glimpse
into these craft traditions, as artist Edward Willie, whose ancestry
is Pomo, Wintu, Walaiki, and Paiute, demonstrates and discusses
various uses of tules. (January 19, 2002)
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 Nigerian
Rhythms
Onye
Onyemaechi presents a program of drumming and music from West
Africa. Raised in an Igbo village in Nigeria, Onye grew up with
the rituals and healing traditions of his family and community.
Now a musician, dancer, storyteller, counselor, and educator, he
has taught and performed African music and dance throughout the
United States. This is a special program in honor of Black History
Month. (February 9, 2002)
PHOTO: Jennifer
Michael |
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Tales
from the Caribbean
 Kooki
Davis, born in Trinidad, brings us a set of stories about the adventures
of her Auntie Ruby, along with traditional tales of Anansi, the
spider-trickster, and Nyame, the sky god. Kooki will also use her
remarkable handmade
dolls as part of this presentation. This is a special program
in honor of Black History Month. (February 16, 2002)
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The
American A Cappella Tradition
The
Richter Scales are a "bevy of gentlemen songsters," who
perform in a variety of styles. Most of these singers were trained
in the collegiate a cappella tradition, of which Yale University's
Whiffenpoofs are
probably the best-known representatives. Today's program, which
focuses on American standards, will also include a discussion of
the contemporary a cappella scene. (March 2, 2002)
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THE
CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA SOCIETY | PRIMARILY
A CAPPELLA
A
CAPPELLA FOUNDATION | THE
A CAPPELLA WEB RING
Mesoamerican
Musical Instruments
Artist and musician Ernesto Hernandez Olmos
offers a demonstration of the making and playing of pre-Columbian
instruments from Mesoamerica. Join us to learn how to make maracas,
rainsticks, guiros, drums or other indigenous instruments. (March
9, 2002)
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Wushu:
Chinese Martial Arts
 The
Chinese practice of wushu, or martial arts, dates back more
than 6000 years. Originally a means of self-defense, wushu today
is practiced as both a cultural endeavor and a sport--perhaps eventually
an Olympic sport, if the Chinese have their way. Wushu, which promotes
health and enhances strength and concentration, has thousands of
forms. Today's program features
members of the San Francisco Wushu Team, coached by Sifu
Bryant Fong. (March 16, 2002)
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 Unknown
Scotland
In honor of Tartan
Day (April 6th), when all those of Scottish descent are encouraged
to wear plaid and celebrate their heritage, we offer a program on
Scottish culture. Have you ever wondered what a Scotsman wears under
his kilt? Or how Scotch whiskey is made? Or what's in a haggis?
These and other questions of Scottish history and culture will be
answered in this program! Scotland, now part of the United Kingdom,
is a country with a long and complex history. Its traditions, heroes,
legends, music, and superstitions have been a source of inspiration
for literature, drama, and other art forms. Scottish musician, storyteller,
and educator Neil
O'Neill regales us with lively anecdotes, history, songs and
poetry of his native land. (April 6, 2002)
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TARTAN
| ROBERT BURNS | HAGGIS
| SCOTCH WHISKY
| LOCH NESS MONSTER
Recycled
Rhythms
Pacific Sticks, based in Redwood City, has
been presenting educational programs in northern California since
1976. The percussion ensemble's performances include school assemblies,
workshops, school residencies, and other special events. Group members
are teachers with experience in ethnic music and jazz, and they
regularly perform with northern California orchestras and symphonies.
In this program, Ken Crawford and the percussionists of Pacific
Sticks present a special workshop on making percussion instruments
from recycled materials--and playing them! Participants construct
drums from reclaimed cardboard cylinders, packing tape, and duct
tape. This is a special program in honor of Earth Day. (April
20, 2002) |
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 Scottish
Dance Traditions
Members of the Royal
Scottish Country Dance Society, founded in 1922, promote social
dancing through workshops, classes, parties, and formal balls. In
addition to presenting choreographed versions of social dances,
the Dunsmuir Scottish
Dancers also perform highland dances and ladies' step dances.
Under the direction of Ron Wallace and to the accompaniment of live
music--piano, fiddle, recorder, guitar and bagpipes--these skilled
performers bring us jigs and reels, airs and strathspeys. The Dunsmuir
Dancers also performed at the 2001 Ethnic
Dance Festival. (May 4, 2002)
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 Japanese
Gift Wraps
In traditional Japanese culture, objects are
never transported openly but are always enveloped in some fashion.
This practice, based on a refined notion of discretion, has led
to the development of styles of wrapping specific to certain objects--needles,
for example, have their own sort of wrap. In this
program, artist Vicky Mihara of The
Paper Tree, in San Francisco's Japantown, demonstrates the Japanese
art of wrapping diverse objects in paper and fabric. This is
a special program in honor of Asian Pacific Heritage Month. (May
11, 2002)
PHOTO: Jennifer
Michael |
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The
Ukulele in Hawaiian Tradition
 The
ukulele is said
to have been first brought to the Hawaiian islands in 1879 by a
Portuguese immigrant (the instrument's Portuguese name is braguinha).
Though there is little consensus about the derivation of the Hawaiian
word (ukulele in Hawaiian means "jumping flea"), it is clear
that this little four-stringed instrument has become central to
musical tradition in Hawaii. Today, Margo
King Lenson discusses the role of the ukulele in Hawaiian music.
The program includes live ukulele music and hula dance, as well
as video footage of master musician Bill Tapia playing the ukulele.
This is a special program in honor of Asian Pacific Heritage
Month. (May 18, 2002)
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 West
African Music & Dance
Kucheza
Ngoma is a performing troupe specializing in dance and drumming
from West Africa-especially Senegal, Guinea, and Gambia. Their beautifully
choreographed pieces reflect New World influences as well as African
forms, resulting in a performance that highlights the richness and
complexity of the African diaspora. Live drumming and singing bring
a special energy and vitality to the group's performances. (May
25, 2002)
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The
Ring of Voices: Singing Rounds
A round is a song designed for creating harmony:
everyone sings the same melody, beginning at different times, and
the overlapping of the melodic line creates lush chords or delicate
counterpoint. (Familiar rounds from American tradition include "Row,
row, row your boat" and "Frère Jacques.") This program offers
a historical and musical introduction to the history of round-singing,
along with a mini-concert and the chance to learn and sing some
simple rounds. Join Kay Eskenazi and friends
for a lively songfest! (June 1, 2002) |
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Plains
Indian Flutes
Jim "Eagle
Heart" Callaway is of Cherokee, Choctaw, and Irish descent from
Watonga, Oklahoma. He creates his flutes from aromatic cedar--using
the five-hole Northern Plains design--and carves an animal fetish
for each one. In this
presentation, Eagle Heart will demonstrate both the making and
the playing of these traditional instruments. This
event is co-sponsored by the Native
American Cultural Center. (June
8, 2002)
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A
Musical History of the Hurdy-Gurdy
 The
hurdy-gurdy
is one of a family of instruments known as "key fiddles," which
date back to medieval Europe. Called a vielle à roue
in France, a Drehleier in Germany, a zamfonia in Spain,
a ghironda in Italy, and a tekaro in Hungary, the
hurdy-gurdy became popular throughout Europe. Even Mozart wrote
for this instrument, which--despite the name--bears no relation
to organ grinders and their monkeys! Musician Ethan
James, performing today, describes the hurdy-gurdy as "a droning
vibrating magical instrument that sounds like bagpipes." In today's
program, he discusses the development of this unusual instrument
and plays selections from its repertoire. Mr.
James, "one of the foremost American hurdy-gurdy players," has
released several albums of hurdy-gurdy
music. (June 15, 2002)
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The
Art, Craft, and Science of the Bullwhip
 The
crack of the whip has been used for centuries as a tool for driving
animals, particularly cattle (hence bullwhip) and horses.
Carters, coachmen, and wagoners developed remarkable skill in manipulating
whips in various patterns, and-as often happens in folk traditions-what
began as an occupational necessity became an art form. In both Europe
and South Asia, whip cracking displays and competitions were sometimes
part of seasonal festivals and processions. In Australia and the
United States, bullwhips and stock whips were used mainly for herding
cattle on the open range. In today's
program, Andrew Conway demonstrates various styles of whip
cracking and discuss both the physics and the history of this
practice. In addition, expert whip-maker Victor
Tella demonstrates the various stages of crafting
a bullwhip. (June 22, 2002)
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ANDREW CONWAY | CONTACT VICTOR
TELLA
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Regional
Dances from the Philippines
Dancers from Bayanihan (the word means "working
together") Cultural Organization present a program of dances from
the Philippines. Because of the country's complex history, Filipino
dances reflect diverse cultural influences. In today's program,
Bayanihan offers a sampling of dances from various regional traditions.
(June 29, 2002)
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 Folk
Songs of the Balkans
The Dalmacijo Singers, a community chorus
under the direction of Rajna Klaser, bring us a program of traditional
songs from Bosnia and Croatia. The singers perform to the accompaniment
of live music by Novi Stari Tamburasi. (July 6, 2002)
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 The
Venezuelan Cuatro
The national instrument of Venezuela, the
four-stringed cuatro
derives its name from the number of its strings. It is one of several
instruments inspired by the Spanish guitar that are still popular
in Latin America. (Note: Another similar instrument of the
same name is widely used in Puerto Rican music.) Roy
Jelinek, performing today, is a native of Caracas, Venezuela.
He began playing the cuatro at a very young age, learning first
from his father and eventually developing his own unique "singing"
style for this instrument. (July 20, 2002)
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 Harmonica
Blues
The harmonica-sometimes called "mouth organ"
or "harp"-is a reed instrument, like the clarinet and the saxophone.
Although similar instruments have a long history in Asia, harmonicas
were not introduced into the U.S. until about 1830. The instrument
quickly caught on, however, and harmonicas were readily available
in general stores throughout the United States by the mid-19th century.
The harp's association with the blues seems to relate both to its
ability to mimic the quality of the human voice and to "bend" the
tones into the characteristic notes of the blues scale. In this
program, Tommy Meisel
and his Blues Band offer a toe-tapping, jump-up-and-dance concert
of lively blues music in the Chicago style. Formed in 1993, the
band features Tommy on the harmonica amplified in a style popularized
by the great harmonica player Little Walter, with the harp held
against the microphone in the musician's cupped hands. (July 27,
2002)
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A
Journey to the Land of Faerie
The fairies of the Celtic lands are not tiny
Tinkerbell-fairies with wings. They are as tall as mortals, but
much more beautiful and powerful, and they dwell in the land of
Faerie--the "Other World" which exists alongside our world, invisible
to us. Today's program features some of the many traditional songs
and stories that tell of this other world. Harpist and storyteller
Nancy Thym recounts tales of mortals carried off by fairies, of
their struggle to return to their own world, of the power of plants,
and the magic of harp music. Nancy accompanies herself on three
different harps--the ancient Scottish and Irish Clarsach, the Gothic
harp, and the modern Celtic harp. (August 10, 2002)
PHOTO: Thomas Weber |
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 Dance
Traditions of the Silk Road
Ballet
Afsaneh presents two special programs highlighting the dance,
music, and poetry of Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and
Iran). These programs combine performance with participatory activities
and also include discussion of the various regional dance costumes.
Ballet Afsaneh is one of the few performing arts companies to preserve
and present the traditions of this region, and many of the troupe's
performers
are of Central Asian origin. Under the direction of Sharlyn Sawyer,
they have gained particular recognition for their highly refined
interpretations of classical style Persian dance and music. The
name Afsaneh is a Farsi and Turkish word which translates
as fairytale, enchantment or mythical. (August
17 & 24, 2002)
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Zapateo
Criollo: Afro-Peruvian Dance
 "Danced
to the sound of the cajón (box drum), the zapateo
criollo, with its fancy 'hard shoe' footwork and its unique
rhythms, is an Afro-Peruvian dance form that is found along the
coast of Peru, where Africans were brought as slaves beginning in
the 16th century." "Zapateo exhibits the subtle and intricate footwork
based on African rhythms that is related to North
American clogging and tap dancing. Though not directly influenced
by each other historically, dancers in both Peru and North America
developed percussive dance under similar conditions and circumstances,
attesting to the creativity and adaptability of strong traditions,
such as those from West Africa." Today's program features performances
by De
Rompe Y Raja, a Peruvian folk dance ensemble in the Bay Area,
and includes the participation of master dancer José
Orlando "Lalo" Izquierdo, choreographer and founding member
of the international ensemble "Peru Negro." This is a special
program in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. (September 7, 2002)
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Dances
from English Tradition
The dancers of Swords of Gridlock present
a program of noise-making English dances. Clogging (with wooden
shoes), the rapper
sword dance (with flexible steel swords), Morris
dancing (with bells) and other dance styles will be performed
to the accompaniment of live music. (September 14, 2002)
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 North
American Percussive Dance
In this program, dancer Evie
Ladin discusses the unique confluence of cultural influences
that have contributed to the development of various styles of percussive
dance in North America. She illustrates her presentation with samples
of several dance forms, including English Waltz Clog in wooden shoes,
the African-American based hambone, Appalachian clogging and tap
dancing. Learn how tap dancing was formed from English, Irish, African
and Native American sources, through the influence of vaudeville
and the development of Jazz during industrialization. This program,
which features Ray Bierl on
fiddle and Paul Kotapish on guitar and mandolin,
also invites audience participation. Come try out your feet in some
of these dances! (September 21, 2002)
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 Stepping
Members of the Bay
Area Steppers will demonstrate the art of "stepping,"
a dance form that combines elements of military drills with contemporary
jazz and hip-hop moves. In stepping, the body takes the place of
the drum: clapping, slapping the hands against various parts of
the body, and stomping the feet produce the complex rhythmic foundation
for the dance. In addition to this array of bodily percussion, stepping
also features complex synchronized body movements, along with
singing, chanting, and verbal play. Begun as a tradition among members
of Black Greek-letter organizations, stepping has more recently
become a popular activity for children and teens. (September 28,
2002)
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 Argentine
Folk Dance
Though perhaps better known for its tango,
Argentina also has a rich tradition of folkloric dance. In this
program, dancers from Tango
A Media Luz present such group dances as the chacarera,
gato, and zamba, as well as the macho dances of the
gauchos, those fiercely independent Argentine cowboys. These
latter are performed by the Estrellas,
the only North American women trained in the dangerous art of "malambos
de boleadoras,"
tap dancing with whirling weapons. In addition, this program will
feature performances by Director Pampa Cortés and Valeria
Cortés, as well as Argentine folk songs presented by musician
Heber Tosini. This is a special program in honor of Hispanic
Heritage Month. (October 5, 2002)
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 Songs
of the Seafaring Life
Sea
chanteys (or shanties) are songs traditionally sung by
sailors to accompany and set the rhythm for certain kinds of heavy,
repetitive work on board ship-raising and trimming the sails, raising
the anchor, and working the pumps. But sailors sang other sorts
of songs, as well: maritime ballads and forecastle songs (sung during
times of relaxation, rather than work) also paint portraits of life
at sea and on shore. In today's program, the musicians of Mainbrace-Mike
O'Leary-Johns and Tony Fraser-offer a glimpse into this musical
tradition. Mainbrace is on tour in the Bay Area from South Wales.
(October 12, 2002)
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Kites:
Traditional and Contemporary
Tom McAlister of Highline
Kites in Berkeley discusses the history and culture of kites
in various traditions. His talk will also highlight the work of
contemporary American kite-makers who have built on and transformed
earlier styles. This presentation will include slides, as well as
examples of various kinds of kites. (October 26, 2002)
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 Hip-Hop
Dance
Hip-hop dancing is an urban art form that
started in the Bronx during the late 1960s. Its popularity among
inner-city youth spread throughout the early and mid-1980s, then
increased dramatically in the 1990s. Hip-hop's most common form
is b-boying, or breaking, which is characterized by
a combination of elaborate footwork and spinning moves that often
resemble acrobatics. The name comes from the fact that these dances
were initially performed during repeated breaks in the music. This
dance tradition is ideally suited to competition, and it allowed
participants to demonstrate their style and individuality through
dance battles. Other styles of hip-hop dance include locking,
popping, and uprocking. Hip-hop dance moves are inspired
by a variety of sources, including martial arts, reggae, and 1970s
soul train dance steps. In this presentation, the young dancers
of Oakland's Dance-A-Vision will perform various styles of hip-hop
dancing. (November 9, 2002)
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SAN
FRANCISCO HIP-HOP DANCEFEST (11/22-24)
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 Songs
of English Life
Singer and songwriter Richard
Grainger, here on tour from England, performs songs from his
wide repertoire of traditional music. Richard was born into a steel-working
family in Middlesbrough, on England's North East coast. His parents
often sang together, and family parties gave Richard his first taste
of harmonies learned from the singing of Methodist hymns and gospel
songs. Both Richard's traditional repertoire and his original compositions
reflect a passion for his roots, the contrasting worlds of industrial
Teesside and the Cleveland Coast-that land betwixt moor and cliffs
on the windswept North East Coast of England. Please join us for
this special concert! (November 16, 2002)
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Native
American Artifacts
Fred Wahpepah is a Native American of Kickapoo,
Sac and Fox,
and Irish descent. He brings a series of traditional artifacts to
share, including beaded moccasins, a buffalo skull, fans made of
eagle and red-tail hawk feathers, a dance shawl, and other items.
Mr. Wahpepah discusses the role of these objects in Native American
culture and ritual. This is a special program in honor of Native
American Heritage Month. (November 23, 2002)
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 Bluegrass
in the Traditional Style
True
Blue is a California bluegrass band "steeped in the soul of
Bill Monroe
and the rhythmic feel of Flatt
& Scruggs." In this concert, Del Williams (guitar, lead
vocals), Ed Neff (fiddle, mandolin), Avram Siegel (banjo), and Allison
Fisher (bass) offer up a lively sampling of the fast-paced stringband
music known as bluegrass. (December 7, 2002)
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Annual
Holiday Concert
Members of the Deutscher Musik Verein
brass band return to the Academy for their annual concert of Christmas
music from around the world. Get in the holiday spirit and join
us in celebrating the joyous sounds of the season. (December 14,
2002) |
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