Wanda's Picks

We open with African Immigrants Social and Cultural Organization which is hosting a benefit Nov. 21, "Dance Until You Drop" 6-12 midnight, atthe Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 Ninth Street visit http://aiscs.org; Craftswomen: Belvea Sharp and Kysha Mitchell who are participating in the Women's Building's 31st Annual Celebration of Craftswomen, Nov. 28-29 and Dec. 5-6, 2009.

The cast and director from "Drip" at Crowded Fire Theatre through this weekend, Nov. 20-21, 8 PM at the Boxcar Theatre in San Francisco. We close with: Dan Wolf, Tommy Sheppard, and Ellen Sebastian Chang, playwright, cast and director from "Stateless" at the Jewish Theatre in San Francisco.

Equally at home on stage or on screen, award-winning actress Loretta Devine has created

some of the most memorable roles in theatre, film and television. Devine first captured

national attention in the role of Lorrell, one of the three original “Dreamgirls” in Michael

Bennett’s classic award-winning Broadway musical of the same name. She followed that

performance with a fiery portrayal of Lillian in Bob Fosse’s critically acclaimed stage

production“Big Deal.” Subsequent work in George C. Wolfe’s “Colored Museum” and “Lady

Day at Emerson Bar and Grill,” cemented Devine’s status as one of the most talented and

versatile stage actresses. Ms.Devine will be in town @ The Rrazz Room at Hotel Nikko, Friday, November 27 through Sunday, November 29, 2009. The Rrazz Room is located at 222 Mason Street in San Francisco, CA 94102. Visit www.therrazzroom.com

Guests: Marcie Hughes & Val Serrant speak about the a Stupa Benefit Concert this Friday, November 20, at The Unity Church of Berkeley, for the completion of the Stupa Park in the Santa Cruz mountains at Pema Osel Ling, one of our much loved sacred sites in the Bay Area. This will be a true Vox Mundi gathering of vocal artists. The music of Voice Divina, an improvisational ensemble that draws together women voices from South America, France, Lebanon and the US, will premier. Our next guest is Michael Cooper, who is featured with Con Funk Shun, November 18 – 22, 2009 @ Rrazz Room at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. Visit www.therrazzroom.com; Tamika Nicole follows. She will talk about her sophomore release, "The Art of Letting Go" and her concert tonight @ Yoshi's San Francisco, Nov. 18, 10:30 PM; we close with Ari Wohlfeiler is an organizer with Critical Resistance, a national grassroots organization working to abolish the prison industrial complex. Critical Resistance works around the US to dismantle our reliance on imprisonment, change how we think about harm and violence, and build political power to demand meaningful change. If technology provides a signal, Climbing Poetree, Alixa and/or Naima might join us also to talk about their California Tour and the CR fundraising event they are a part of this Thursday, Nov. 19, 6 PM, called NOURISHING ABOLITION: Critical Resistance w/ ANGELA DAVIS; Climbing Poetree, Sparla Swa, Destiny Arts…Dinner, a Silent Auction. The program begins at 6 PM at the 1st Unitarian Church, 685 14th Street, Oakland. For information call: (510) 444-0484 ext. 1 or [email protected] Childcare is available.

8:00 AM Corey Action re: New Style Motherlode Hip Hop Dance Festival Nov. 20-22

http://www.coreyaction.com/wp_coreyaction/?page_id=199

http://www.sfhiphopdancefest.com/

8:30 AM Hanif Muhammad & Dajuma Opara "Bridge to Bridge Fundraiser"

9:00 Opal Palmer Adisa and Colette Eloi "Dancing Diaspora" Nov. 13-15

http://counterpulse.org/performing-diaspora/festival/

9:30 Black Beauty Doll Show Nov. 14

http://www.americanblackbeautydollartists.com/

We feature HB Hanif & The Sound Voyager's on Cedar Walton's composition "Bolivia" and Mark Wright's "Tabo". The other music is Corey Action's "Dancing."

Writer, Ann Marie Davis, "Ourselves Walking," http://annmariedavis.net/; Director, Vanessa Gould, "Between the Folds," film http://www.greenfusefilms.com/screenings.html; Doug Howerton, a member of Maxine Hong Kingston Veteran writing group, with a story in her, "Veterans of War Veterans of Peace" (2006 Kona Press). He has a new work based on the MOVE organization he was a member of. He is reading from his play, "Firing Blanks at Moving Targets," Friday, Nov. 13, 2009, 7-9 PM at "Art of Revolution," 1724 Adeline Street, in Oakland, CA, (510) 238-7017, $5-$10 (sliding scale). Visit www.myspace.com/metapoet All proceeds will be used to benefit programs and services for seniors. (Art of Revolution is moving to East Side Cultural Center, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009. We close with Emily Kirsch, Ella Baker Center, "Community Convergence for Climate Change" 6-8 PM at Laney College, 900 Fallon Street, Oakland, Wednesday, November 18, 2009. There is a CCCC after party at the Monkey Lounge, 5708 Fremont Street, Oakland, CA, 8:30-11:30 PM. Register at: http://www.ellabakercenter.org/index.php?p=gcjc_community_convergence We feature the music of Lizz Wright, "Walk with Me Lord" (from Salt), and Lee Williams's "The Rain."

Today we will celebrate Freedom Archives which is having a 10th Anniversary Party, Nov. 11 in San Francisco. We will have Claude Marks and Leticia Miranda on the air. Claude is the Project Director and a former political prisoner. Leticia is the youth program coordinator and an editorial intern at ColorLines Magazine. The Freedom Archives party is at 330 Ritch Street, in San Francisco at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 -$50 (No one turned away for lack of funds) and is Wheelchair accessible. Visit www.freedomarchives.org

Celebrating 10 Years

- preserving the past

- illuminating the present

- shaping the future

Sara Tavares' "Xinti" tour brings to SFJAZZ this evening (11/06) in concert at the Herbst Theatre in San Francisco www.sfjazz.org; Gregory Maqoma/Vuyani Dance Theatre continues with "Beautiful Me" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts tonight and tomorrow evening. He is also on a panel (free) Saturday, November 7, 10 AM to 11:30 AM at CounterPULSE, 1310 Mission Street, SF.RSVP@ http://performingdisaporasymposium.eventbrite.com/

We celebrate the work and life of Amiri Baraka with Cecil Brown, who hosts panels Sat., Nov. 7, at East Side Cultural Center in Oakland at Baraka's Birthday Party Celebration & Monday at the Jazz Heritage Center in San Francisco, and Justin Desmangles, who hosts a discussion with Baraka at the San Francisco Main Library, Sun., Nov. 8, 1 PM. Baraka just turned 75 and is in town through Nov. 9; Fannie Lou Hammer Opera: "Dark River" Nov. 12-22 at Oakland Metro Opera, oaklandopera.org, with composer Mary Watkins, Taiwo Seitu-Kujichagulia, actress, and director; Michael Dailey is Prince Charming in Opera San Jose's production of La Cenerentola, Gioachino Rossini’s 1817 tender and madcap version of Cinderella. Eight performances are scheduled from November 14 through 29 at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San José. Dailey performs Nov. 14, 19, 22, 24. We close with show with a conversation with Capo Verdean singer, Sara Taravares who appears at SFJAZZ tonight, 8 PM at the Herbst. Visit www.sfjazz.org (Check later for a special broadcast at 3:30 PM). Instead we had playwrights: Jack Foley & John Curl, along with directors, Michael Lange & Kim McMillon, all a part of "A Night of Short Plays Revisited: Video Screening, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, 3-6 PM, at Anna's Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way, Berkeley, CA. Tickets are $5-7 at the door. For information call (510) 681-5652.

This afternoon we will speak to the cast: Dwight Huntsman(Thami), Scott Coopwood (Johan), Peter Van Norden (Smith) of SJ Rep's production of Ian Bruce's "Groundswell" through Nov. 8; they are joined by Chike Nwoffiah, playwright, filmmaker, and artist, James Bowyer who has an exhibit in the upstairs lobby; Jack Foley, playwright shares insight on his latest play, The Boy, The Girl, and The Piece of Chocolate, a ten minute play apart of the PEN Oakland Writer's Theatre presents a Night of Short Plays Revisited at Anna's Jazz Island, Sunday, Nov. 8, 3-6 PM; we conclude with a conversation with Rom Flemons, a member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, performing this weekend at SFJAZZ Sunday, Nov. 8, 3 & 7 PM at the Palace of Fine Arts. Visit sfjazz.org

Sharon McGriff-Payne, "John Grider's Century: African Americans in Solano, Napa, and Sonoma Counties from 1845 to 1925; Lisa Marie Rollins, Ph.D. candidate, Founder and Director of AFAAD, Adoptee and Fostered Adult of the African Diaspora; Connie Galambos-Malloy, Strategic Planning and Development Director at Urban Habitat; Lisa Walker, Director of Cross Cultural Student Development at the UC Berkeley, addressing the: 2nd Annual Gathering from Adoptees and Foster Care Alumni of African Descent: Growing and Creating Together: Organizing Across Differences this weekend, Friday-Sunday, November 6-8, 2009, 8-5 with some evening events. We were looking to speak to Gregory Maqoma, choreographer, "Beautiful Me" at YBCA in San Francisco. His cell phone died and we rescheduled and broadcast the interview in a special broadcast, Nov. 6, 3:30 PM.