Wanda's Picks

Markus James & the Wassonrai close and celebrate the free 7th Annual Berkeley Music Festival, Sat., June 5, 2010, Telegraph Ave @ Channing Way (for information); Markus James's concert at 9:00 PM is at Ashkenaz Music and Dance Center. Visit www.berkeleyworldmusic.org Gianna Ranuzzi, founder of BWMF; Yassir Chadly, is also featured in the Festival, June 5, 4-5:30 at Rasputin's. Baba Jah Z Jahi speaks on African Liberation and the legacy of his son, Javad Tshombe Martinez Jahi (July 19, 1977 - November 28, 2009). African Liberation Day celebration is Sat., May 29, 2010, 12-5 PM at Per Ankh Praise House, 950 33rd St., Oakland (33rd & San Pablo). Muisi-kongo Malonga speaks about: Fua Dia Congo and Cultural Heritage Choir (Congo) – Special Festival Commission WORLD PREMIERE Performed by the Mbeti people of Congo-Brazzaville, Nzobi ritual dances are a call for spiritual protection and purification and are accompanied by Linda Tillery’s Grammy-nominated Cultural Heritage Choir, singing traditional Congolese music. Visit http://www.worldartswest.org/main/edf_index.asp

Visit congolesecamp.org

African Liberation Day 2010! We feature an interview with Regina Carter, who is in town Friday, May 28, 2010, in San Francisco at the Herbst Theatre. Visit www.reginacarter.com; Malcolm X addresses the First Annual Dignity Projection and Scholarship Award Ceremony, Detroit, Michigan, February 14, 1965 from http://www.brothermalcolm.net/mxwords/whathesaid24.html. We close with an interview with Mama Ayanna on African Liberation Day at Per Ankh Praise House, 959 33rd Street, Oakland, CA (33rd and San Pablo). Visit www.africanliberationday.net, www.aaprp-intl.org, myspace.co/aaprp, [email protected] Featured artists: Carolyn Brandy's "Woyaya," selections from Regina Carter's "Reverse Thread," Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba's "For Our Women," Rokia Trore's "Zen," and Faye Carol's "God Bless the Child."

Dave Davidson, director, "A Place out of Time: The Bordentown School which premieres on PBS Mon., May 24, 2010, 10:00 PM local time; Carolyn Brandy, percussionist, composer, performer, and educator. Her most recent projects include: OJALÁ, which is a vocal and percussion creative ensemble that mixes Cuban and American song forms and the "BORN TO DRUM" Women’s Drum Camp July 4th weekend. Carolyn has been a drummer and student of Cuban folkloric music for over 40 years. She has been a practitioner of the Yoruba-based Cuban religion, Regla de Ocha, also known as Santeria, since 1977. She was initiated as a priest of the religion in Havana, Cuba by Amelia Pedroso in 2000. Genny Lim's "Where is Tibet," is featured at the "Kyegudo Earthquake Benefit," Thursday, June 3, 2010, @ the Berkeley Fellowship Universalists Unitarians, 1924 Cedar @ Bonita, Berkeley, CA, (510) 841-4824. Lim has recorded poetry/music collaborations have included jazz greats, Max Roach, Herbie Lewis, Francis Wong and Jon Jang. She’s performed at jazz festivals from San Francisco, San Jose, San Diego to Houston and Chicago and has been a featured poet at World Poetry Festivals in Venezuela, 2005, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Hercegovina, 2007 and Naples, Italy, 2009. her performance piece, "Where is Tibet?" premiered at CounterPULSE, S.F., Dec. 2009. She is author of two poetry collections and adjunct faculty at CIIS. Francis Wong saxophonist, a prolific recording artist, and is featured on more than forty titles as a leader and sideman. Asian Improv aRts, an organization he co-founded with Jon Jang is a vehicle Wong channels his work as performing artist, youth mentor, composer, artistic director, community activist, non-profit organization manager, consultant, music producer, and academic lecturer.We close with Sara Sheldon Mann, director/healer, whose "Tribes/Dominion" continues at YBCA's Novellus Theatre, 3rd and Howard, in San Francisco May 20-22, 8 PM, (415) 431-9167.

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz with musician Steve Wilson, activist and MOVE member Ramona Africa with poet/teacher, Malcolm Shabazz Hoover; filmmaker, writer, educator, Chike Nwoffiah; and professor, historican, Manu Ampim. We feature the music of Soulfege. The event honoring Judi Bari, that Ramona Africa speaks of in her interview is Sunday, May 23, 7 PM at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705 USA. The event is hosted by Revolutionary Ecology Earth First! and Headwaters Coalition and is free though donations are accepted. It is in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the bomb atack on Earth First! activist Judi Bari with speakers, music & film. Sponsored by Earth First and Headwaters coalition. For more info: 510-548-3113.

We open the show with Dave Room and Jonathan Gramling speaking about "Take Back the Mic" kickoff at Ashkenaz Music and Dance Center, 1317 San Pablo Avenue(@ Gilman, in Berkeley, Thursday, May 20, 7:30 PM. Take Back the Mic is building the groundwork for the Bay Area eco-justice community to connect with mainstream media in a meaningful way. "Take Back the Mic Campaign" is a way to help communities tell their own stories and define themselves. Visit www.takebackthemic.com/

Duane Deterville is one of the artists participating in the exhibit, “Past Forward: African Spirituality in Contemporary Black Art,” through August 19, 2010 at the Sargent Johnson Gallery at the AAACC at 762 Fulton Street, in San Francisco. There is an artist talk, May 29, 2-4 PM at the AAACC. Both the talk and art exhibit are free. Duane is a visual artist, writer and scholar of visual culture. Our next guest is Marvin X, esteemed scholar, poet, playwright, teacher, is author of "Parables, Fables, Musings of Plato Negro," which has a debut reading/performance, Sat., May 15, 2 PM at the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (14th Street @ MLK Jr. Way). No where can one find a writer who produces work as quickly as El Muhajir (Marvin X). Amiri Baraka says of Al Muhajir, "Is Marvin X a Parable or Fable? I doubt Marvin X exists! I double doubt there is a Plato Negro!" The free event is also a benefit for Black Bird Press. Copies of Parable/Fable will be available for a $100 donation. Visit www.parablesandfablesofmarvinx.com Pamela Z,our final guest, is a composer/performer who makes solo works combining a wide range of vocal techniques with electronic processing, samples, and gesture activated MIDI controllers. She has toured extensively throughout the US, Europe, and Japan. Her new work, "Baggage Allowance" opens at Artaud Theater, now managed by Z-Space Studios, 450 Florida Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110 [email protected] , (415)626-0453. Also visit www.pamelaz.com

Regina Carter speaks about her latest CD, "Reverse Thread" and her SFJAZZ date Friday, May 28, 2010, at the Herbst Theatre. Visit www.reginacarter.com We close with a live interview with artist, activist, educator, Meklit Hadero whose first full length CD project "On a Day Like This ..." has its second San Francisco CD release party at BIMBO's 365 Club, Thursday, May 13, 2010. We also remember Lena Horne who made her transition May 9, 2010 with Mahalia Jackson's "Upper Room."

Celebrating Mother's Day Weekend with Ms. Faye Carol at the Rrazz Room at Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason Street, in San Francisco, (415) 394-1189, with her daughter, Sista Kee. This morning we'll be playing selections from "Faye Sings Lady Day" and from "The Essential Mahalia Jackson."

Guillet Salvador is the President of AMANO (Associations des Mairies du Nord- Ouest)

(Association of the Mayors of the Northwest). Radio personality Lou translates from the Kreyol. We will air a prerecorded audience talk with director, Tanya Hamilton, whose film, "Night Catches Us," screens, 9 PM, Thursday, May 6, 2010, at Sundance Kabuki in San Francisco.

This is a black arts and culture site. We will be exploring the writing, visual and performing arts of African people in the Diaspora. It is my claim that the artists are the true revolutionaries, their work filled with raw unfettered passion. They are our true heroes. periodically we will rebroadcast shows, what we call, "From the Archives." In our first year, Wanda's Picks has had in its studio guests who have illuminated the airwaves.

We have two prerecorded interviews this morning, the first is with Melba Moore, who is bringing her one woman show, "Still Standing" to the Black Rep this weekend, April 30 to May 2, 2010. For information call: (925) 812-2787, (510) 652-2120 or www.BLACKREPERTORYGROUP.COM, and www.melbamoore.com. To see a promotional video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SATYk0FUXwQ The second interview is with Alameda Supervisor Keith Carson who hosts: "African American Organizations Making Connections" this weekend, Saturday, May 1, 2010, 8:15-2 PM at Merritt College at the Huey Newton-Bobby Seale Conference Room, 12500 Campus Dr., Oakland, CA. There is free parking. AC Transit stops right in front of the campus. Oh, there will be free light refreshments. For information call (510) 271-5151 or visit www.acgov.org/board/district5/makingconnections.htm