Wanda's Picks

From March 13, 2014: Michael Morgan, current Music Director of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Sacramento Philharmonic, joins us to talk about OEBS's latest world-wandering chapter in their innovative and popular series exploring symphonic music from various world cultures with Notes from India 3/28, at 8 pm at the Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA, which includes the world premiere of Where Shadow Chases Light, a new work by young Indian composer Juhi Bansal in her OEBS debut. Rev. Edward Pinkney from Benton Harbor, Michigan, founder of the Black Autonomy Network Community Outreach (BANCO), joins us to talk about his work to defend the poor against corporate power, and to reform the court system in Benton Harbor, a town with 70% unemployment and more people in prison per capita than anywhere in the world. He returns to CA for two events, in Los Angeles, Mar. 15, 5-8 p.m. on "Confronting corporate power and the police state." at the Southern California Public Library, 6120 Vermont, with Laura Garcia, editor of the Tribuno Del Pueblo; Sunday, Mar. 16, he will be at the African American Center, 5 p.m., at Sixth & Julian St. in San Jose. Visit http://www.peoplestribune.org/bh/bh.shtml. Aisha Brown, Chair of the 16th Annual Madame CJ Walker Awards Luncheon, Friday, March 14 closes the show. Visit http://www.eventbrite.com/e/16th-annual-madam-cj-walker-business-community-awards-luncheon-tickets-9754256243   Music: From Fela, the Musical, "Water, No Get Enemy" and Gina Breedlove's "The Language of Light."

From March 13, 2014: Michael Morgan, current Music Director of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Sacramento Philharmonic, joins us to talk about OEBS's latest world-wandering chapter in their innovative and popular series exploring symphonic music from various world cultures with Notes from India 3/28, at 8 pm at the Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA, which includes the world premiere of Where Shadow Chases Light, a new work by young Indian composer Juhi Bansal in her OEBS debut. Rev. Edward Pinkney from Benton Harbor, Michigan, founder of the Black Autonomy Network Community Outreach (BANCO), joins us to talk about his work to defend the poor against corporate power, and to reform the court system in Benton Harbor, a town with 70% unemployment and more people in prison per capita than anywhere in the world. He returns to CA for two events, in Los Angeles, Mar. 15, 5-8 p.m. on "Confronting corporate power and the police state." at the Southern California Public Library, 6120 Vermont, with Laura Garcia, editor of the Tribuno Del Pueblo; Sunday, Mar. 16, he will be at the African American Center, 5 p.m., at Sixth & Julian St. in San Jose. Visit http://www.peoplestribune.org/bh/bh.shtml. Aisha Brown, Chair of the 16th Annual Madame CJ Walker Awards Luncheon, Friday, March 14 closes the show. Visit http://www.eventbrite.com/e/16th-annual-madam-cj-walker-business-community-awards-luncheon-tickets-9754256243   Music: From Fela, the Musical, "Water, No Get Enemy" and Gina Breedlove's "The Language of Light."

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the African Diaspora via the writing, performance, both musical and theatrical (film and stage), as well as the visual arts of Africans in the Diaspora and those influenced by these aesthetic forms of expression. I am interested in the political and social ramifications of art on society, specifically movements supported by these artists and their forebearers. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work honest and filled with raw unedited passion. They are our true heroes. Ashay!

We will open with Damu Sudi Alii and Jabari Alii, featured artist with First Edition which is performing Sat., March 22, 2014, 8:30 p.m. at the 57th Street Gallery in Oakland. See https://www.facebook.com/FirstEditionTrio/info  At 8:30 Danny Nguyen joins us to talk about World Water Day and his composition, “DANCE THE BLEU”, the College of Alameda's Dance Department and Nguyen Dance Company performance, co-sponsored by Oakland Sister Cities International Da Nang, Saturday March 22nd, 7pm. Free Admission in the College of Alameda Dance Studio, G-111. See http://alameda.peralta.edu/danny-nguyen/  At 9 a.m. Scottish playwright Linda McLean joins us to talk about Every Five Minutes which is going up at the Magic Theatre next week 3/26-4/20/2014. See http://www.aoiagency.com/2010/11/mclean-linda/We close at 9:30 a.m. with an interview with Yeye Luisah Teish who will tell us about the Moisture, The Water Cycle Continues. . . A Ritual Theatre Performance, 7-9 p.m. at La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, in Berkeley, Sunday, March 23, 2014, (510) 849-2568. Visit http://lapena.org/event/moisture-the-water-cycle-continues-2/

We will open with Damu Sudi Alii and Jabari Alii, featured artist with First Edition which is performing Sat., March 22, 2014, 8:30 p.m. at the 57th Street Gallery in Oakland. See https://www.facebook.com/FirstEditionTrio/info  At 8:30 Danny Nguyen joins us to talk about World Water Day and his composition, “DANCE THE BLEU”, the College of Alameda's Dance Department and Nguyen Dance Company performance, co-sponsored by Oakland Sister Cities International Da Nang, Saturday March 22nd, 7pm. Free Admission in the College of Alameda Dance Studio, G-111. See http://alameda.peralta.edu/danny-nguyen/  At 9 a.m. Scottish playwright Linda McLean joins us to talk about Every Five Minutes which is going up at the Magic Theatre next week 3/26-4/20/2014. See http://www.aoiagency.com/2010/11/mclean-linda/We close at 9:30 a.m. with an interview with Yeye Luisah Teish who will tell us about the Moisture, The Water Cycle Continues. . . A Ritual Theatre Performance, 7-9 p.m. at La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, in Berkeley, Sunday, March 23, 2014, (510) 849-2568. Visit http://lapena.org/event/moisture-the-water-cycle-continues-2/

Dr. Carmaletta M. Williams, professor of English and African American studies at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., author of Langston Hughes in the Classroom: “Do Nothin’ till You Hear from Me” and Of Two Spirits: American Indian and African American Oral Histories and Dr. John Edgar Tidwell, professor of English at the University of Kansas and author of Montage of a Dream: The Art and Life of Langston Hughes, After Winter: The Art and Life of Sterling A. Brown, and Writings of Frank Marshall Davis: A Voice of the Black Press, join us to talk about My Dear Boy, Carrie Hughes's Letters to Langston Hughes 1926-1938http://news.ku.edu/2014/02/24/project-examines-how-letters-langston-hughes-mother-influenced-his-writings. We close the show with frequent guest Raissa Simpson, choreographer, master teacher and Artistic Director of PUSH Dance Company's premiere of "Point Shipyard," March 29-30, 2014 at MoAD-SF. She is joined by collaborators and performers: Katie Wong and Adriann Ramirez www.pushdance.org

Music: Dwight Tribble's "I've Known Rivers" (based on Langston Hughes's poem by same title); soundscape from PUSH Dance Company's collaboration with the 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic.

Dr. Carmaletta M. Williams, professor of English and African American studies at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kan., author of Langston Hughes in the Classroom: “Do Nothin’ till You Hear from Me” and Of Two Spirits: American Indian and African American Oral Histories and Dr. John Edgar Tidwell, professor of English at the University of Kansas and author of Montage of a Dream: The Art and Life of Langston Hughes, After Winter: The Art and Life of Sterling A. Brown, and Writings of Frank Marshall Davis: A Voice of the Black Press, join us to talk about My Dear Boy, Carrie Hughes's Letters to Langston Hughes 1926-1938http://news.ku.edu/2014/02/24/project-examines-how-letters-langston-hughes-mother-influenced-his-writings. We close the show with frequent guest Raissa Simpson, choreographer, master teacher and Artistic Director of PUSH Dance Company's premiere of "Point Shipyard," March 29-30, 2014 at MoAD-SF. She is joined by collaborators and performers: Katie Wong and Adriann Ramirez www.pushdance.org

Music: Dwight Tribble's "I've Known Rivers" (based on Langston Hughes's poem by same title); soundscape from PUSH Dance Company's collaboration with the 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic.

Charlotte Hill O'Neal, visual and spoken word artist, musician, filmmaker, long time community activist and co Director of United African Alliance Community Center UAACC based in Tanzania, East Africa, stops by the studio on her Heal the Community Tour 2014. Since we last spoke she has a new CD, a new collection of poetry and a new film. See http://mamacharlottesword2011.wordpress.com/  Tyrone Davis is a Los Angeles based actor, director, teaching artist, TCG Leadership U Grant Finalist (2012) and Resident Education Artist with American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He proudly serves as an adjunct drama professor at Contra Costa College, where he is now directing Suzan Lori-Parks's In the Blood through this weekend. Keeper of the Beat : A Woman’s Journey into the Heart of Drumming is an hour-long documentary in which Barbara Borden, an acclaimed drummer, composer and teacher tells her story in eloquent words and toe-tapping music. Filmed on four continents, the film is produced and directed by three-time Emmy Award-winner, David L. Brown. We are so happy to have both Barbara and David in the studio with us this morning to talk about this wonderful journey and a special screening next Saturday, March 22 in San Francisco.See http://www.kobmovie.com/ We close with an interview with Raphael Russier, company member of Companhia Urbana de Danca from Rio de Janiero, Brazil at YBCA tonight & tomorrow night. We close with a rebroadcast of the interview Wed., with activists Colette Winlock, Lola Hanif and Lady Sunrise. They are speaking about Fracking and why Oaklanders should get on the bus for Sacramento Saturday at 9:30 a.m.

Charlotte Hill O'Neal, visual and spoken word artist, musician, filmmaker, long time community activist and co Director of United African Alliance Community Center UAACC based in Tanzania, East Africa, stops by the studio on her Heal the Community Tour 2014. Since we last spoke she has a new CD, a new collection of poetry and a new film. See http://mamacharlottesword2011.wordpress.com/  Tyrone Davis is a Los Angeles based actor, director, teaching artist, TCG Leadership U Grant Finalist (2012) and Resident Education Artist with American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. He proudly serves as an adjunct drama professor at Contra Costa College, where he is now directing Suzan Lori-Parks's In the Blood through this weekend. Keeper of the Beat : A Woman’s Journey into the Heart of Drumming is an hour-long documentary in which Barbara Borden, an acclaimed drummer, composer and teacher tells her story in eloquent words and toe-tapping music. Filmed on four continents, the film is produced and directed by three-time Emmy Award-winner, David L. Brown. We are so happy to have both Barbara and David in the studio with us this morning to talk about this wonderful journey and a special screening next Saturday, March 22 in San Francisco.See http://www.kobmovie.com/ We close with an interview with Raphael Russier, company member of Companhia Urbana de Danca from Rio de Janiero, Brazil at YBCA tonight & tomorrow night. We close with a rebroadcast of the interview Wed., with activists Colette Winlock, Lola Hanif and Lady Sunrise. They are speaking about Fracking and why Oaklanders should get on the bus for Sacramento Saturday at 9:30 a.m.