Wanda's Picks

Santero's "El Hijo de Obatala" CD Release Party, Friday, June 26 at the Shattuck Downlow in Berkeley is going to be the PLACE. I've got tickets to give away to the lucky blogger who writes something in the comment section that Santero said which intrigues, motivates or inspires. Joining Santero, whose spiritual name is "Crown of the Father," his dad, Obatala, on this special edition of "Wanda's Picks," is choreographer José Francisco Barroso, whose new work Obokóso debuts Saturday-Sunday, June 20-21 (2 & 8 PM Sat., 2 PM Sun.) at the Ethnic Dance Festival Week 3 at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Both men share a tradition more ancient that the African's brief sojourn in this hemisphere, a place marked with tears. Whether it is music or dance, what Barroso and Santero share in these conversations is the African ability to transcend adversity and evidence that art truly is revolutionary and a most powerful, perhaps the most powerful spiritual tool. Obokóso tells the story of Shango, the fifth king of Oyo, Nigeria who was hanged but didn't suffer. Shango represents one's ability to conquer death and he resides in the sky, thunder and lightning aspects of his ashe or life force which is eternal. That term, "everlasting life" is Shango. Shango is "unmatched," Barroso says, "in his mastery of the dance and is the owner of the sacred bata drums." The bata's roar shakes the heavens...its echoes bouncing between the two realms: heaven and earth. Even with one's head buried in the sand, one cannot escape Shango's song. The two: Shango and Obokóso represent, Barroso says, "connection and interdependency between heaven and earth, drum and the dance, dance and the spirit, community and tradition." Santero said he wanted to be like Bob Marley, take Santeria (Ifa) to a level of acceptance and honor it deserves, similar to the way Bob lifted the Rastafarian religion or spiritual practices through his insightful lyrics and music to a place of worldwide respect and admirati

Juneteenth Celebration in words and music, also Summer Solstice, Maafa Commemoration, and the continued need to reflect on African Liberation with: Diane Ferlatte, Parnel Herb, Kirk Waller, Karriem Riggins, Opal Palmer Adisa, Ayodele Nzinga, Marcus, Ausar Auset and Gene Tennie.

New Muslim Cool director, Jennifer Taylor and subject, Hamza Perez are first guests in the studio. The program today is turning into a film festival highlights, with Lisa Gray also in the studio with her film, Life Sentence, one of the San Francisco Black Film Festival features June 2008. She will be joined by subjects as well. We have Dr. Lorraine Bonner in the studio speaking about her latest exhibit with Susan Almazol in Oakland, "Landscapes of Our Souls," which will be on exhibit through June 29m, at Joyce Gordon Galley. She and Susan have an artist talk, Thursday, June 18, 6-8 p.m. We are also speaking to Rudwaan Amen Ra Lumumba, founder of "A Time to Laugh and a Time to Mourn" (he cancelled). The idea of Time to Mourn is that it is time for the spirit of all Africans throughout the world to collectively mourn the traumatic experience(s) of the Maafa so that we can be fully functioning beings as our Ancestors were prior to that experience (Living Maat). The day is June 19, 12:00 midnight to June 20, 11:59 p.m. There is no public gathering and there is no specific time, just that it happen on this day.

Kind of Blue at 50 featuring Wallace Roney on trumpet with Jimmy Cobb’s So What Band featuring: Vincent Herring, Javon Jackson, Larry Willis, and John Webber (filling in for Buster Williams who is ill, but doing better), was a wonderful musical reflection on that great session March 2& April 22, 1959 released on Columbia Records August 17, 1959, that changed the way “jazz music” was perceived, then and now forever after if one takes the word of some of the musicians born in its wake –by just a few years and even after that. Visit http://www.jimmycobb.net/

Today we will speak to the wonderful photographer, Howard Bingham, who has documented the Black Panther Party in his book: Howard L. Bingham’s Black Panther’s 1968, just released on AMMO (www.ammobooks.com) Unfortunately his exhibit, by the same title, just closed last week at the California African American Museum (CAAM).Visit http://www.caamuseum.org/past32.htm and http://www.justseeds.org/blog/2009/02/a_moment_in_time_binghams_blac.html and http://www.wavenewspapers.com/community/calendar/46131142.html. An interview with director Johnny Symmonds follows. His film: "Ask Not," airs on the PBS Series, Independent Lens, Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at 10 p.m. The film is about the U.S. Military's controversial "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. Visit http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/asknot Our next guests are storytellers: Linda Gorham and Kirk Waller who are performing stories of Freedom, Change and Hope at the Storytelling Association of Alta California, Saturday, June 13, 7-9 PM at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Avenue, in Oakland. Visit www.storySAAC.org and also www.LindaGorham.com and www.kirkwaller.com Anna Maria Flechero, singer/songer writer, closed the show. She shared stories about being Filipina and African American and how music has been a way for her to discover her roots. Today is also Filipino Independence Day, the date of a wonderful fundraising benefit concert tonight @ Club Anton, 428 3rd Street (at Broadway) in Jack London Square. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the concert is from 8-10 p.m., with a raffle at 9:30 p.m. DJ music closes the evening from 10-12 midnight. The event is a preview and features besides Flechero: Little Brown Brother, Raquel and Ann Marie Santos. Tickets are $12—  Anna Maria Flechero is also headlining the 2nd Annual San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival Sunday, August 8, 2009, 5-9 p.m. at The Forum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission Street.

Today we will talk about camping and the great outdoors and why everyone should become familiar with nature on a first name basis. We'll be speaking to Michael Lange, a.k.a "Slim," former Camp Director for the City of Oakland and Willard Barksdale, Friends of Feather River Camp.

Today we will speak to Freja Joslin, a middle school English Language Arts teacher at the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School in South Hadley, Massachusetts,and three of her students: Darren MacPherson, Rose Kendrick, Cole Payne, all 14 years old, who were inspired by Robert King's (A3) visit to their school and his story (Spring 09), so much so, they decided to conduct a letter writing campaign to urge government leaders to free political prisoners in the US and throughout

the world. They believe it is important for all people, especially youth, to take action for social justice. This interview will be followed by a brief update in the SF8 case,and then joining us in the studio will be Elaine Brown, (Taste of Power) former leader in the Black Panther Party, speaking about Michael Lewis ("Little B"), sentenced to life in prison as an adult at 13 years old (Atlanta, Georgia, 1997) and Romaine "Chip" Fitzgerald, a former member of the Black Panther Party (L.A.) who has been incarcerated now for 40 years(!). Visit http://www.elainebrown.org/ Mar, curator joins us in the studio to talk about her current exhibit at the California African American Museum (CAAM): "Inside My Head". She will be joined in the studio by some of the artists in the exhibit: Deidre Greene, Pat Boyd, and Chukes. We close with a wonderful Reggae singer, Sheila Hylton and maybe, The Mighty Sparrow...both of them will be in Oakland, Sunday, June 14, 12 noon, at "Islands in the Park Islands in the Park," at Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Joaquin Miller Rd. For park information call: (510) 531-9597. The event

celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Caribbean through music and features: Third World, Mighty Sparrow, Collie Buddz, Sheila Hylton, and the New Kingston Band. For ticket information call:(510) 832-5400. Prices are: $30 - $250.

Today we will have a up close and personal interview with the great pianist, George Cables. Visit http://georgecables.com/ He's at Yoshi's in San Francisco through Wednesday, June 10, with his friends: Bobby Hutcherson and Charlie Haden. Visit www.yoshis.com

Today we'll be talking about the Remembrance Ritual, which occurs next week, June 13, worldwide. African Diaspora communities pour libations at the same time for departed ones, especially those who were not mourned during the period called the European Slave Trade. We'll be speaking to Osei Terry Chandler and William Jones. Chandler is founder of the "Remembrance" in Charleston, SC. Jones is one of the organizers for the Remembrance in New York on Coney Island @ Bay 18. Joining the discussion will be Oshunbumi Fernandez, host, of the Odunde Festival in Philadelphia. Odunde means in Yoruba: Happy New Year! All the Remembrance rituals occur June 13 at 12:00 noon, EST, which is 9 AM PST. Artisans from "Honor the Basket" follow. The demonstration and exhibit is a program sponsored by the deYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, San Francisco, 94118, Friday, June 12, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. The event is FREE after admission into the event Gallery Admission: Adults $10, Seniors 65 and over $7, Youth 13-17 $6, College Students with ID $6, Children 12 and under FREE. PUBLIC INFORMATION:(415) 750-7694 and www.deyoungmuseum.org or [email protected] show will conclude with a conversation with choreographers: Caprice Armstrong and Naomi Diouf, both staging work in the 31st Annual Ethnic Dance Festival in San Francisco at the Palace of Fine Arts (Week 2). The EDF is June 7-8, through June 27-28.

We lost a great man, Dr. Ivan Van Sertima, last week. Dr. Runoko Rashidi will be in the studio in the morning to talk about his great friend and teacher and the African Face in Mexico, the topic of an exhibit currently at the Oakland Museum of California, May 9-August 23, 2009. Visit www.museumca.org. We will also be joined by artists, Malik and Karen Seneferu, a dynamic husband/wife team who will talk about their aesthetic ascension, the intersection between art and politics and their use of art to educate and inspire the youth to greatness. I am hoping to persuade one of the artists from the OM exhibit to join us on the air, but until he confirms, I'll keep his name a secret. He has confirmed and I am delighted to say we will have as our special guest photographer, Tony Gleaton. He will be giving a slide show and lecture Friday, June 5, 7 p.m. at the Oakland Museum, 1000 Oak Street, in Oakland, California. Director, Pamela Tanner Bol, will join us also this morning. Her new film, "Who Do You Think You Are," opens at the Red Vic in San Francisco, next week, June 10-11, 2009. HISTORIAN, RESEARCH SPECIALIST, AND WORLD TRAVELER RUNOKO RASHIDI PRESENTS "RECOLLECTIONS OF IVAN VAN SERTIMA" IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2009 AT 7:00 PM, AT THE AFIBA CENTER, 5730 SOUTH CRENSHAW (CORNER OF CRENSHAW AND SLAUSON). FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT RUNOKO RASHIDI AT

OR CALL HIM AT (210) 232-7272. VISIT DR. RUNOKO'S AWARD WINNING GLOBAL AFRICAN PRESENCE WEB SITE AT:http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/runoko.html