We decided on world music. More specifically, The SCV World Music Concert Series which will kick off on Saturday, June 18, 2011, at The Wild Beast at CalArts. It will be the first of 5 world music concerts planned for the Santa Clarita Valley between June and October this year.
The “we” I’m referring to is the group that got together to create this series of concerts which included Rosalind Wayman Sr. Deputy for L.A. County Supervisor Antonovich; Adam Philipson of the COC Performing Arts Center; Adam Davis & Heather Rigby of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and yours truly. Our group had been meeting and planning since last autumn to bring this exciting series of concerts to fruition.
It was no easy task when you consider that the concerts will be taking place at different locations around the Santa Clarita Valley. And considering that all the shows are free of charge to the public, we also had to piece together the funding to make it all come together.
Thanks to the generous support of Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, the LA County Arts Commission, Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center at College of the Canyons; The Wild Beast at CalArts, Levitt Pavilions Foundation, The Stevenson Ranch Community Association, Valencia Acura, The Santa Clarita Ballet Company and this publication, The West Ranch Beacon, we were able to cover the costs of these concerts. There are alot of generous folks in our Valley and at the County.
Here is the rundown of the concerts scheduled for various venues around the Santa Clarita Valley:
Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 7:30 PM – 9:00 PM at California Institute of the Art “The Wild Beast”
Build An Ark Music Ensemble and SCV Ballet presets; Bone Rhythm
Drawing on the teeming talent pool of LA jazz musicians, Build An Ark delivers music with bracing up-tempo jams and lyrics. Build An Ark counts among its ranks Miguel Atwood Ferguson, Dwight Trible, Phil Ranelin, Michael White, the voices of Mia Doi Todd and Diana Moreira, and a few emeritus percussionists like Leon Mobley. The excellent Carlos Niño (Ammoncontact, The Sound of L.A., Hu:Vibration) is their producer, composer, guru and common denominator. Build An Ark acts as the guardian of an essential page in black music – both jazz and soul (that’s the spirit of the Impulse!, Strata East and Tribe labels) while cultivating a separate genre based on jazz and inspired by spiritual, folk, African and beatnik genres.
The ensemble will perform a live set and will also accompany the Santa Clarita Ballet Company’s “Bone Rhythms” dance performance choreographed by Carl Guidry.
Saturday, July 9, 2011 at 8pm at Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center
Mariachi Mystical Tour
Mariachi Mystery Tour is a group of accomplished mariachi musicians with a highly unusual repertoire of songs by The Beatles. Founded by musical director Lorenzo Martinez, an accomplished composer, arranger, Mariachi and traditional New Mexican folk musician, the group has re-imagined the music of Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr through the lenses of Mariachi. Mariachi Mystery Tour is a tour-de-force artistic and cultural collision that ?ows together seamlessly while remaining true to both sides music and unique stylistic contributions.
Saturday, August 27th from 7:00pm-8:30pm at Richard Rioux Park
On Ensemble
On Ensemble (pronounced “Ohn”) takes the ancient instruments of taiko into new realms. Infusing the powerful rhythms of ensemble Japanese drumming with elements of hip-hop, rock and electronica, the On Ensemble combines the musical and dance talents of its four members into provocative performances. As Los Angeles Japanese newspaper Rafu Shimpo put it, “On Ensemble…has made its mark in both the U.S. and Japan with its one-of-a-kind blend of taiko with non-traditional styles including jazz, rock, and electronic.”
Saturday, September 24th from 7:00pm-8:30pm at Castaic Lake in conjunction with Castaic Days
Lisa Haley and the Zydekats
Energizing audiences with the most exciting Americana/Cajun/Zydeco music today, Lisa Haley and the Zydekats play Louisiana French, Celtic, Folk, Jazz and Blues. The Grammy-nominated group was voted “Zydeco Band of the Year” in 2009 by the Bay Area Blues Society. Lisa’s family music combines multi-faceted Louisiana French, Irish Celtic, Blues and Jazz genres, the power of which convey our shared human emotion – a cultural journey transforming over time.
Sunday, October 9th at 7pm at Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center
Te Vaka (part of the World Festival of Sacred Music)
Audiences everywhere have been captivated by the Te Vaka experience. On stage Te Vaka delivers more than just a musical performance. The audience is taken, with music and dance, on a journey into the Pacific Islands, into the heart of Polynesia. The dancers are skilled in Polynesian dances from many different Islands in the South Pacific. The drummers are a seven piece force beating out the rhythms of their ancestors. The show, like the music, has a contemporary edge which serves to enhance the communication of the songs and make them easy for other cultures to relate to and enjoy.
I truly hope that you will make your calendars and plan on attending these very eclectic and wonderfully diverse concerts. They are all free of charge and all you’ll need to do is show up with a folding chair or blanket and enjoy the music!
Dave Bossert- Commentary
Dave Bossert is a community volunteer who serves on a number of boards and councils. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.