With influences of anything that can shake their soul, Makru sounds like smashing the Earth and then playing it on a record player. The group has an acoustic flavor that fuses elements of Rumba, Flamenco, Reggae, Cuban Son, Cumbia, and many other global beats. Makru’s music is performed with a combination of Spanish and English lyrics that bring reality, fiction, hope and joy. Raul Vargas: composer, cajon, guitar and vocals Martina Castro: vocals, palmas Javi Monge: congas, percus...

The Marcus Shelby Trio was founded in 1997 and performs regularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, including national and international festivals.  The trio consists of Marcus Shelby (bass), Adam Shulman (piano) and Jeff Marrs (drums).  The MST performs original compositions, re-arranged Standards, Spirituals, Rhythm and Blues, and Pop music—all with a progressive influence of Swing, Ballads, and Blues.  The MST has released 2 CDs (“Un Faux Pas”, “The Sophisticate”), and serves as the rhythm secti...

Join us as Kardash sweeps you away on a magic carpet ride through the Mediterranean, Anatolia, Levant and Egypt. Kardash blends the ancient and modern, renewing musical traditions for today's hectic world, creating a space for you to wander in - hypnotic, meditative, joyous and tragic. Taking a strong nod from the classic Anatolian psychedelic sounds of the 70's, as well as modern Jazz and the Classical music of the Near East, Kardash is about that timeless space evoked in song and dance that ca...

Boca do Rio duo, Kevin Welch and Alex Calatayud, explore the band's new EP, The Dam is Breaking. These tracks present new beats and old traditions in an eclectic mix of organic songs and sounds. The lyrics are sung in both English and Portuguese and topically range from love in the time of climate change to a young prodigy growing up in the Favelas (slums) of Rio de Janeiro. The musicians have lived these songs in live performances throughout the Bay Area and the sound is translated into a deep ...

CD Release - BrainchildrenLA-based vocalist, trombonist, and songwriter, elizabeth!, is a fun and interactive performer and educator who connects with audiences through the thrill of improvisation and personal, accessible musical stories. Like Nat “King” Cole and Ella Fitzgerald before her, she’s a playful storyteller with a twinkle in her eye that comes through in her music. In her jazzy pop tunes inspired by travels around the world, elizabeth! also harnesses the power of pregnant moments,...

Quijeremá infuses their original contemporary Latin American compositions with a unique sense of ancient musical traditions. The blending of rhythm, texture, and color in their music is seamless, transparent, and always original. Delighting audiences over the course of an eight-year, five-album career, this finely tuned Bay Area quintet mixes the best of roots music with spontaneity and verve.Quijeremá has performed throughout the U.S., Canada and Latin America, and has collaborated with a v...

Born Ernesto Browne in Pt. Fortin, Trinidad, NezB has been singing since his youth when he sang onstage with Miriam Makeba. He has sung with OJ Ekemode, Lynn Taitt, Jackie Mittoo, One Love (Randy Jackson on bass), Obeah, Mystic Wariyah, Vision, DV8, Bass Culture, and more…Mamadou Sidibe (Mali) played a groundbreaking role in transforming the music of Mali’s Wassalou region from its origins in hunters’ sacred melodies – played on six string donso ngoni (hunter’s harps) – to a music of philoso...

Reviewed as an “unusually strong-voiced tenor” who “shows great sensitivity,” Kansau possesses vocal flexibility and a range of experience spanning from Latin American music to opera halls and venues. Jimmy Kansau brings his love and appreciation for the music of early to mid 20th century Latin America and the Caribbean combined with his sensitivity and understanding of the elegance of classic American jazz that inspires him to freshly fuse the best of both worlds.  It is to that exquisite nex...

Originally froCuba, Fito Reinoso is a long time Bay Area resident and is celebrating over 30 years in theUS. Mr. Reinoso is considered one of the best sonero’s and songwriters of Cuban music. His live act is not to be missed, as the energy inherent in his performance ensures that an unforgettable party will occur! Tonight, Fito and company will be exploring and interpreting the traditional Cuban repertoire.Fito Reinoso - tres, bass, percussion, vocalsGabriel Navia - guitar, vocals ...

Labeled "The new voice of Portuguese world music" by Mundo Portugues magazine, Ramana Vieira pulls traditional Portuguese Fado music into the 21st century with her powerful vocals and unique stylings. Juxtaposing unconventional instrumental layers over Fado's haunting melodies and melancholy stories of heartache and disappointment, she updates old-world ballads while maintaining the integrity of this time-honored tradition.  This powerful vocalist is making her mark as one of the premier...

Destiny, sound sculptress, writes classical/crossover eclectic Jazz for harp & vocals. Destiny's collaborations include: 'The Secret' visionary Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, singer/songwriter India, Jazz legends Eddie Gale, Azar Lawrence & Khalil Shaheed and hit-maker Narada Michael Walden to name a few.  She is also a panelist for the West Coast Songwriters Performing Songwriters Panel, an ASCAP Songwriter Awardee and Jazz Ambassador for the Jazz Heritage Center in San Francisco, CA...

Classical Revolution presents chamber music performances in neighborhood venues all over the Bay Area featuring the best local and touring classical musicians. November marks the 5 year anniversary of Classical Rev, with special events planned throughout the entire monthWhere is the future of the string quartet heading?  The answer lies with Squid Inc.  Squid Inc. is a string quartet made up of some of the Bay Area's fiercest string players and will open your ears as the world of popular...

Darren Johnston has been a ubiquitous creative force on the Bay Area music scene for over a decade now, as a composer, trumpeter, and a bandleader.  As a sideman he currently performs with Meklit Hadero (Ethiopian-born singer-songwriter), Brass Menazeri (Balkan brass band), Cylinder (avant-jazz), The Marcus Shelby Orchestra (big band jazz), and others.  All of these seemingly disparate approaches to making music lend insight into his work, which lies somewhere in between genres, remaining un...

An evening of music and spoken words to inspire performed by Mike Shiono, Silvia Girardi and Daniele Girardi!  The trio’s selections offer guidance around the inner necessity of artistic creation, solitude, criticism, love, artistry, art and society.  Original music and spoken words are woven together, creating an evocative soundscape for inspiration and spaciousness. Mike Shiono is a freelance electric and upright bassist, music educator and composer living in Oakland, CA.  He has recen...

Brazilian Native Paulo Presotto was born and raised in a very artistic town called Piracicaba, in the state of Sao Paulo. Since early age he's been involved in dancing and singing. As a very versatile performer, Paulo has been part of a Heavy Metal band, a Forró (Rural Folk Brazilian music) project and a more modern mix of Samba and Funk band called TropiCali. He's been living in the Bay Area for the last 10 years, where he went to school for audio/video and is currently working with Media P...

The Mash Potangos is a versatile ensemble drawn from the passion and desire of the tango. An acoustic trio formation – flute, piano and bass – they perform the full-spectrum of tango music, as well as new compositions inspired by Latin music. Equally well received in concert halls, jazz clubs and tango dance halls, the trio has collaborated with local musicians, tango and contemporary dancers to stage a number of inter-arts performances across North America. The Mash Potangos were recipients of ...

Accordionist Rob Reich has been called “a virtuoso of the accordion”.  His playing and composing graces the sounds of many high profile ensembles including Tin Hat, Gaucho, Nice Guy Trio, and Circus Bella.  In addition to being an active performer in the Bay Area music scene, his playing has taken him to Europe and New York several times over the past year, most recently with Rupa and the April Fishes.The Rob Reich Trio presents an altered take on the Jazz piano trio, with Daniel Fabricant’...

L.A.-based chanteuse/songwriter Jessica Fichot is a lot like her hometown of Paris: French at heart, but with a soul that's truly international. Drawing from her multi-ethnic French / Chinese / American upbringing, her music fuses styles and languages, taking the listener on a twisting journey out of the French chanson tradition, into the lands of gypsy jazz, Chinese and Latin American folk music, and into the wilderness of her imagination. Following the acclaimed release of her debut al...

Dan began piano at age 5, playing classical music.  He developed a passion for Jazz in early adulthood, studying with Richard Davis at UW Madison and receiving an award as 'Best Jazz Artist' at UW Madison in 1996.  In 1998, as part of the Kennedy Center’s prestigious Jazz Ambassadors program, he toured India and Sri Lanka courtesy of the US State Department, representing America’s Jazz tradition through teaching and performances.  He is now an in-demand Jazz pianist in the bay area and currently...