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Jeremy Tagle Bautista is a writer and performance artist who glides through the fields of street poetry, hip hop emceeing, dance and interpretive movement, martial arts and guerilla theater.  He has shared the literary stage with distinguished writers such as Jack Hirshman’s poetic blade of steal (May, 2003 at North Beach, SF) to Jessica Hagedorn’s challenge to post-modernist literature (Oct., 2003 at Bindlestiff Studio, SF). Read More

The SUNDAY GROOVE

This newly formed Bay Area band is influenced by a wide range of music—from Rock, Soul, Pop, Funk, Alternative and Hip-Hop. This is a band to be on the lookout for! In total, each member of Sunday Groove has been active in the music scene, both locally and internationally,for almost a decade, making a name for themselves through TV shows like American Idol, movies, festivals, special events, pageants and international touring concerts. As a group, they combine their talents and their diverse musical experiences to create new sounds, fusing mixed genres in to a signature sound. Together, Sunday Groove will have you dancing, moving, and, most of all, grooving. Please check out Sunday Groove at www.sundaygroove.com

Jaiwanti Das-Pamnani, Principal member of the Chitresh Das Dance Company began dancing at the age of eight in Fiji Islands where she grew up. Some of her most notable concerts include UC San Diego's Performance Art Series, in London at the Brahma Kumari National Conference, Bali's Annual Art Festival, and most recently at the American Dance Festival at Duke University. In 2001, Jaiwanti made her debut performing an evening-length traditional kathak solo with India's leading accompanists. She has given many lecture demonstration including SFSU, UCSF, University of Monterey and has assisted Pandit Chitresh Das in his workshops and lecture demonstrations at SFSU since 1994, and internationally such as the Granada Int'l Festival in Spain. Jaiwanti has played a vital role in the development of the Chhandam School of Kathak Dance. A senior instructor at Chhandam for over eight years, she is now director of the Chitresh Das Youth Company. Charlotte Moraga, a dancer since the age of 9, began her kathak training with Pandit Chitresh Das in 1992 at SFSU. She has performed as a soloist and principal company member since 1996 throughout the US, in Denpasar at the International Bali Arts Festival, and six tours of India. Her most recent tours include the International Kathak Festival held in Chicago and the American Dance Festival at Duke University in 2004. Her performances range from traditonal evening-length kathak solos to modern kathak choreographies and collaborations with jazz, flamenco, Balinese and South Indian artists to name a few. Dance critic Rita Feliciano says of Charlotte: "Rarely have I seen such technically complex crystalline dancing performed with such abandon." Charlotte has given many lecture demonstrations and workshops at museums and educational institutions in India and the US. She is director of the Chitresh Das Dance Company's arts education program, former director of the youth company, and a senior instructor at the Chhandam School of Kathak Dance.

The Native Elements

Without a doubt, San Francisco's own Native Elements are one of the hardest working and most respected bands in the Northern California reggae scene. They have been nominated for a San Francisco Weekly, Local Music Award (Wammie) and BAM Magazine’s, Bay Area Music Award (Bammie) for Outstanding World Beat/Reggae Club Band. With a myriad of musical influences ranging from classic r&b soul to the deepest tradition of Jamaican and English dub, Native Elements delivers a dynamic sound that appeals to all music lovers. Read More

The Francis Wong Experience: Few musicians are as accomplished as Francis Wong, playing for free at the Peace Plaza main stage in the late afternoon May 22. A prolific recording artist, Wong is featured on more than 30 titles and for over two decades has performed his innovative brand of Asian American jazz with numerous ensembles for audiences in North America, Asia, and Europe. But to simply call the Bay Area native a musician would be to ignore his pioneering leadership in communities throughout Northern California. Wong'a imaginative career straddles roles as varied as performing artist, youth mentor, composer, artistic director, community activist, music producer, and academic lecturer, teaching at San Francisco State University, New College and the University of California at Santa Cruz. In addition, Cruz was a California Arts Council Artist in Residence from 1992 through 1998, and a Meet The Composer New Resident in 2000-2003. In 2000-2001 he was a Rockefeller Next Generational Leadership Fellow. Read More

GOH NAKAMURA cut his teeth on the Boston Music scene providing "stunt guitar" work for various local bands. After a stint at the Berklee College of Music where he sharpened his ears, he came back to the west coast to write his own songs. He likes to think of himself as a combination of John Lennon, John Cusack and John Coltrane. However unholy this trinity is, it seems to work (at least in his head). For the last 3 years, he's been playing his original songs as well as an eclectic spectrum of covers at assorted venues throughout the SF Bay Area. You can hear some of his homemade music and check out his performance calendar at gohnakamura.com

The Skyflakes

Some folks find it difficult to get past the low-key charm and obsess about the cuteness of THE SKYFLAKES. With four out of five members of the band related to someone else in the band, one recalls the endearingly earnest cinematic or televised portrayals of kids playing rock in more innocent times, minus the horrific outfits the Brady kids were forced into when they were turned into pop stars. Yet, a closer listen or look at the Skyflakes' lyrics provide something more than just endearing cuteness. Musically they are quite tight with well-crafted pop melodies, hooks, and harmonies.
http://www.theskyflakes.com/