“To hear Aynur’s voice is to hear the transformation of all the layers of human joy and suffering into one sound. It reaches so deep into our soul, tears into our hearts, and then we are for one moment, joined as one. It is unforgettable.”—Yo-Yo Ma
Over the years Aynur has become one of the most well known musicians from Turkey and a representative for the Kurdish people. Her vocal style and her albums are praised not just in Turkish media but also in international media. Her albums are best sellers among Kurdish folk albums. Based on traditional Kurdish folk songs—many of them at least 300 years old—Aynur’s music is about the life and suffering of Kurdish people, in particular, the women. Musically she tries to blend Kurdish with Western music, interpreting her traditional repertoire in a modern way. She has collaborated with famous musicians and bands like world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Silk Road Ensemble, Kayhan Kalhor, Javier Limon, Kinan Azmeh, Mercan Dede, Salman Gambarov, Cemil Qocgiri, Morgenland All Star Band, Nerderland Blazers Ensemble, and Sertab Erener.
Hailing from Correze in south-western France, San Salvador is a six-voice and percussion collective that combines Occitan poetry with hypnotic vocal harmonies propelled by surging percussion. Their compositions use the Occitan language—a Romance language spoken in southern France, Italy’s Occitan Valleys, and in parts of Spain and Monaco—as a rhythmic instrument, combining poetry with hypnotic vocal harmonies cascading over shifting patterns of compelling percussion to create their own universe.
Rooted in the region’s deep a cappella folk traditions, these progressive troubadours turn language and vocals into rhythmic instruments with the power of (tribal) trance and techno, and even “math rock” and punk. The result is one big cluster of joyful energy that’ll make the whole room jump and swing.
This event has been cancelled. Our Box Office will be calling to process refunds. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the UC San Diego Box Office at 858-534-8497 or email artpower@ucsd.edu.
“Mesmerizing.”—New York Times
Koto visionary Yumi Kurosawa teams up with world-renowned tabla player Anubrata Chatterjee for a program that brings together two expressive musical traditions, bridging the cultures of Japan and India. The duo spin mesmerizing musical tales as they enchant the audience and reinforce the powerful idea of music as a means to enhance the collaborative spirit of our global community. Their performance illuminates the deep-rooted similarities of their craft while highlighting their affinity and respect for one another as virtuosic performers furthering their own timeless musical traditions.
Black String creates a unique musical language that embraces traditional Korean music, American jazz, chanting, and improvisation. The group features Yoon Jeong Heo (geomungo—Korean traditional zither), Jean Oh (electric guitar), Aram Lee (daegeum, sogeum—Korean bamboo flutes), and Min Wang Hwang (ajaeng—Korean traditional zither, janggu—Korean drum), and together they captivate audiences’ senses with amplified bursts of the geomungo and Korean bamboo flutes, the fierce quake of Korean traditional percussion, and unpredictable jazz guitar melodies.
Founded in 2011 as part of government-sponsored Korea-UK cultural exchange program titled “UK Connection,” Black String has performed at WOMEX, London Jazz Festival, Winter Jazzfest, and many more world-renowned festivals and venues. They are also the 2017 Korean Music Award winner for best jazz and crossover performance and the 2018 Songline Music Award winner in the Asia & Pacific category.
This program is supported in part by the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange as part of Traveling Korean Arts Program, and Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles. Black String’s tour is organized by SORI.
DJ/producer, percussionist, and vocalist Gingee is known for her unique take on electronic music—blending elements of global bass, world music, and hip-hop. Her work is a reflection of the sounds and cultures she has been exposed to growing up in Los Angeles as well as the musical world of her Filipino ancestors and beyond. Her productions incorporate the sounds of percussion instruments such as the kulintang (gongs native to the Philippines), kettle drum, and cowbells with rap and poetry.
Gingee’s 2015 EP Tambol made waves in the global music community, and she recently created a four-part yearlong EP series released on every solstice and equinox. She has performed at Coachella, South By Southwest, Malasimbo Festival (Philippines), Grand Performances, and Magic Garage (an art and music festival she founded); she has been featured on KPFK, Red Bull Radio, BBC Radio, LA Weekly, and KCET.
Dengue Fever are recognized for their trademark blend of 1960s Cambodian pop and psychedelic rock. The roots of the band began in the late 1990s with a six-month trek through Southeast Asia by keyboardist Ethan Holtzman. Returning to Los Angeles, Holtzman and his brother Zac bonded over their love of vintage Cambodian rock and in 2002 founded the band with saxophonist David Ralicke (Beck/Brazzaville); drummer Paul Dreux Smith; and bassist Senon Williams (Radar Brothers). Cambodian singing star Chhom Nimol joined when she realized the band shared a genuine passion for the music and culture of her homeland. Their music is a cross-pollination of Khmer rock, garage rock, psychedelic rock, and the British Invasion sound that has pushed the band to heights they could only dream of.
Dengue Fever’s music have appeared in films such as City of Ghosts and The Hangover 2 as well as television series True Blood, Weeds, and CSI: Las Vegas.
This presentation is in partnership with La Jolla Playhouse and their production of the play Cambodian Rock Band (showing Nov. 12 – Dec. 15, 2019), which features the music of Dengue Fever. The cast will perform selected numbers from the show as a curtain raiser.
This event has been cancelled. Our Box Office will be calling to process refunds. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the UC San Diego Box Office at 858-534-8497 or email artpower@ucsd.edu.
“A new-breed marching band music that’s part Punjabi wedding, part New Orleans second line, and all New York.”—Boston Globe
Red Baraat Festival of Colors is an immersive celebration of the Hindu holiday of Holi through music, dance, and visuals. Red Baraat has taken the spirit of the festival to the next level: a year round show of communal revelry that brings together what NPR has called “the best party band in years,” a montage of classic Bollywood visuals, and a fiery dancer.
Traditionally, Holi is marked by public gatherings of families and strangers sharing songs, dance, and the exchange of “colors”— colorful dry powder or colored water playfully thrown among the crowds of revelers. It signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and for many, a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair ruptured relationships.
Red Baraat Festival of Colors debuted in 2012 at a sold out Le Poisson Rouge in New York City, and it has since expanded to over a dozen cities in the United States. Returning to its roots of just brass and drums and complete in colorfully painted white jumpsuits plus a dancer, Festival of Colors is a full- blown immersive experience as the band, the visuals, the dancer are like a mélange of colors, each bold on its own but commingling to form a stunning panorama.
“Maria de Barros opens a window to Cape Verde.”—Seattle Times
An invitation into the musical realm of Maria de Barros calls for an intriguing geography lesson. The charismatic young chanteuse is a native of Dakar, Senegal, and lived the first 13 years of her life in Nouakchott, Mauritania, in Northwest Africa. De Barros’s creative heart, however, lies in the culturally rich land of Cabo Verde, a former Portuguese colony located 350 miles off the coast of Senegal, the birthplace of her parents and her godmother, Cesária Évora, also known as the “barefoot diva.” It’s the island’s incredible melting pot of music—which includes everything from African and Portuguese to Argentine and Cuban influences—that has always inspired de Barros to set her heart on home.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Msaki & the Golden Circle show at ArtPower on February 12 has be cancelled. The concert will be rescheduled for the 2019–20 season. Questions or concerns: please contact the UC San Diego Box Office 858-534-TIXS (8497), Mon–Fri from 10 am to 4 pm.
Trailblazing vocalist and guitarist Msaki creates a sound that combines soulful folk, Xhosa lyrics, and African polyrhythms with moments of sincere improvisation. Her raw delivery disrupts your senses as she weaves subtle tales of love, loss, home, revolution, and hope. For this performance, Msaki plays with the Golden Circle, an ever-evolving and expanding band of incredible musicians from different backgrounds that was created to retain and promote Africa’s identity and culture through soulful music.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
ArtPower regrets to inform you that Bassekou Kouyate and his musicians have not received their visas to come to the U.S for their February 26 concert at ArtPower. We are pleased to have Habib Koité and his percussionist able to share their duo performance as originally scheduled. Habib is a fabulous solo performer that we’re certain you will enjoy. Thank you for your understanding and our apologies for the difficulties.
If you have decided not to attend the concert due to programming change, we would be happy to process a refund. Please contact the UC San Diego Box Office directly regarding your tickets at 858-534-TIXS (8497). They are open Monday through Friday from 10 am to 4 pm.
One of Africa’s most recognized musicians, Mali’s pop icon Habib Koité has a deep and varied musical vocabulary, blending Afro-pop with jazz, rock, and even classical. His intimate vocal delivery blends beautifully with both the modern and ancient musical traditions from which he derives his inspiration. Koité is joined by Bassekou Kouyate, Malian musician and master of the ngoni, a traditional African lute. Time Out says, “Ngoni virtuoso Bassekou Kouyate can make notes bend like light rays in the desert heat.”
Together, Koité and Kouyate exemplify the shared experience associated with the historical, cultural, and unifying properties of Malian music. Kouyate’s comfort in a vast array of musical settings actively complements Koité’s presence, resulting in a spirited collaboration that brings innovation and a sense of unity.
