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| EMERGING
VOICES YOUTH PROGRAM |
Press
Release |
Culturally Diverse,
Local Youth Ensembles Participate in Workshop & Concert
LA's leading
and most creative youth ensembles come together
in a rare performance of spiritual music and
dance traditions from Hawaii, India, Mexico,
and America. The Emerging Voices Youth
Project brings together 100 young musicians
and dancers from four diverse ethnic, racial
and socioeconomic communities for direct interaction
and public performance. The workshop on Feb 16,
2008 at UCLA’s Glorya Kaufman Hall leads
to rehearsals in preparation for a rare performance
of spiritual music and dance traditions from Hawaii,
India, Mexico, and America on March
22, at The Aratani Japan America Theater. The
public can witness the diversity of sound and
cultural expression by these accomplished and
dedicated young artists at this special concert.
In addition, the ensembles will perform at events
this fall as part of the 2008 World Festival
of Sacred Music, held throughout Los Angeles,
Sept 13-28, 2008.
Concert : Saturday, March 22, 2008. 7pm
VENUE: Aratani/Japan America Theatre MAP
244 S. San Pedro Street, Suite 505, Los Angeles,
CA 90012
TICKETS: $20 reserved seats; $10 students& children;
$15 (JACCC members; 2008 Festival participants;
UCLA faculty/staff )
Call Box Office at (213) 680-3700
PARTICIPATING
ENSEMBLES |
Shakti
Dance Company
Director, Viji Prakash |
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Founded
in 1981, the Shakti Dance Company is
comprised of a core membership of 30 young
dancers. Under the direction of Viji Prakash,
Shakti is dedicated to the preservation,
practice and performance of the 2000-year-old
south Indian temple dance tradition called
Bharatanatyam. The Los Angeles-based ensemble
is more than a dance company; it is a powerful
testament to the vibrant community of Indians
living here, far from home. The ancient tradition
of learning from a Guru or master teacher
is continued even here in California, where
the students learn the art form with an intention
to express the essence of Indian tradition
and spirituality. Prakash is recipient
of the prestigious "Best Guru" (Master
Teacher) award from the Madras Music Academy,
India, the Brody Choreographic fellowship,
the California Arts Council award and
the Excellence in Arts Award of the Torrance
Cultural Arts Commission. She is also Associate
Professor of dance in the Department of World
Arts & Culture at UCLA.
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Mariachi
Tesoro de San Fernando
Lead Instructor: Jesus Guzman with instructors
Sergio Alonso, Juan Halcon and Martin Padilla |
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"Nati" Cano,
a pioneer of the Mariachi Renaissance, is
founder and director of the world-renowned
Mariachi Los Camperos and Program Advisor
of the groundbreaking City of the San Fernando
Mariachi Master Apprentice program. The program
unites world-class mariachi masters with
community youth who are training to become
master mariachi musicians. The award-winning Tesoro
de San Fernando ensemble is comprised
of skilled young artists who learn and perform
traditional and popular mariachi music forms,
including sones, rancheras, huapangos, boleros,
and polkas. This program is supported by
the City of San Fernando, National Endowment
for the Arts and the California Arts Council
in collaboration with Los Angeles Unified
School District, Ballet Folklorico Ollin,
Department of Chicano Studies at CSUN, and
La Voz del Mariachi.
Photo
by Marcos Torres |
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Halau
'O Lilinoe
Director: Sissy
Kaio |
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Halau 'O
Lilinoe was founded in
1981 by Sissy and Lincoln Kaio in
Carson, California. Sissy Kaio has
been teaching hula for more than
two decades. She is the kumu
hula, or master teacher of hula,
in one of the largest Hawaiian communities
in California. She offers the most
traditional center of halau, or school
of dance, that runs like a large
family of over 150 men, women and
children ranging in age from 4-65.
Through the dance, her students seek
to rediscover their connection to
the land of their ancestors. The
mission of the halau is to perpetuate
beliefs, cultural practices, philosophies
and traditions of the indigenous
people of Hawai’i. Sissy says, “What
we strive to teach our haumana is
that hula is a way of life. It was
a way that our ancestors communicated
not only with each other but also
with their gods and aumakua. What
we feel is so special about our halau
is that we are one big ohana.
Our halau is a place you can go to
dance, learn, love, and be loved”.
Photo by Jorge Vismara |
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Crenshaw
High School Elite Choir
Director: Iris Stevenson |
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The
Crenshaw High School Elite Choir was
formed to celebrate the unique
and inspirational power of imparting
education to youth through Gospel
music. The choir, under the direction
of Iris Stevenson, draws on the
talent of students from Crenshaw
High School in Los Angeles. The
1993 movie “Sister Act 2:
Back in the Habit” starring
Whoopi Goldberg, was inspired by
the life and music of Professor
Iris Stevenson and the Crenshaw
High School Elite Choir. The
internationally acclaimed Crenshaw
High Elite Choir won the gold medal
in the gospel and spiritual category
at the 2006 World Choir Games in
China. The choir has been chosen
to be U. S. Ambassadors since 1987
to the Jamaica Jazz Festival, the
Worldwide Music Festival in France,
as well as Ambassadors of Good
Will to Europe and Asia. Professor
Iris Stevenson has been honored
as the recipient of What’s
Right With Southern California
Award (KCBS) and chosen as one
of the 103 Most Influential Persons
in Southern California by the LA
Times.
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