Lit Crawl: Veins & Tributaries | What’s the Buzz? | S'mores & Stories
2024-10-26 17:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Lit Crawl: Veins & Tributaries | What’s the Buzz? | S’mores & Stories
Saturday, October 26th, 2024
Time: 4:45 doors, 5:00 show
Admission: FREE
Donation is encouraged
Red Poppy Art House is hosting three LitCrawl events:
– 5 pm – 6 pm – Veins & Tributaries: A Reading with Diasporic Burmese American Writers
– 6:30 pm -7:30 pm – What’s the Buzz? The Hive Poetry Collective Chats Up the Audience
– 8 pm – 9 pm – S’mores & Stories: Tales from the Edges of California

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

5 pm – 6 pm
Veins & Tributaries: A Reading with Diasporic Burmese American Writers
Explore literary tributaries branching from the Burmese diaspora with poetry, fiction, and memoir. Five intergenerational authors, each drawing from their deep ancestral roots in Myanmar, explore the intricate geo-political themes of identity, displacement, and legacy. Join us for a vivid dialogue on how the shadows of post-independence Burma shape notions of time, space, and self.
Curator: Maw Shein Win
Featuring:
Michelle Dunn Marsh
Audrey T. Williams
Maw Shein Win
Kenneth Wong

6:30 pm -7:30 pm
What’s the Buzz? The Hive Poetry Collective Chats Up the Audience
The Hive Poetry Collective, a national podcast and radio series produced by women poets from Santa Cruz, will speed-interview audience members whose names we’ll draw from a hat. Like speed dating—with literary rather than romantic intentions—our experienced interviewers will quickly draw the poetic nectar from our volunteer “blooms.”
Curator: Roxi Power
Featuring:
Julia Chiapella
Farnaz Fatemi
Julie Murphy
Roxi Power
The Hive Poetry Collective is a group of Santa Cruz poets creating a weekly radio show and live poetry events featuring a diverse roster of poets. The Hive radio show is broadcast on KSQD, 90.7 FM Community Radio in Santa Cruz on Sunday nights from 8pm-9pm. All episodes are available to stream through anchor.fm, and wherever you get your podcasts.
Website: https://hivepoetry.org/about-uzz/

8 pm – 9 pm
S’mores & Stories: Tales from the Edges of California.
Gather around the “campfire” for S’mores & Stories, hosted by the Desert Salon writing retreat. Enjoy free s’mores courtesy of Mojave Mallows and readings inspired by the strangeness and beauty of California. You’ll laugh, feel inspired, and get a chill down your spine—because no campfire is complete without a spooky story!”
Curator: Lexi Pandel
Featuring:
Lexi Pandell (host)
Tanya Zilinskas
Jessica Powell
Katie Wheeler-Dubin
Billy Song
S’mores & Stories is a collaboration between the Desert Salon writing retreat and Mojave Mallows, an organic marshmallow company based in Joshua Tree and Los Angeles.
Social media: @desertsalon @mojavemallows
Website: desertsalon.com and mojavemallows.com

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Veins & Tributaries
Michelle Dunn Marsh is a first-generation American of Indo-Burmese and Irish descent. She completed her BA in literature and art history at Bard College, and holds an MS in Publishing from Pace University. She conceived, and with Steve McIntyre co-founded Minor Matters in 2013. Minor Matters has published over thirty contemporary art books with the participation of an international audience. Dunn Marsh has had a bi-coastal and multi-faceted career in publishing and as an educator; she was the subject of an exhibition at the Highline Heritage Museum in Burien, Washington in 2019. That led to the publication of her memoir, Seeing Being Seen: A Personal History of Photography, released in 2022. She is in development on her next book, Partially True Memories of Lives I’ve Never Lived. Minor Matters website
Audrey T. Williams is a speculative literary artist who writes poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Her writing is published in Conjuring Worlds: An Afrofuturist Textbook, Space & Time magazine, and Lightspeed. Raised in coastal North Carolina, Audrey’s work is rooted in the culture of place and her heritage at the intersection of Southern Black America and Indo-Burmese diaspora. Audrey T. Williams’s website
Maw Shein Win’s new full-length poetry collection is Percussing the Thinking Jar (Omnidawn). Her previous collection Storage Unit for the Spirit House (Omnidawn) was nominated for the Northern California Book Award in Poetry, longlisted for the PEN America Open Book Award, and shortlisted for CALIBA’s Golden Poppy Award for Poetry. She is the inaugural poet laureate of El Cerrito, CA and teaches in the MFA Program at USF. Maw Shein Win’s website
Kenneth Wong is a Burmese American author and a language instructor. His short stories, essays, and poetry translations have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle magazine, AGNI (Boston University), Eleven Eleven(California College of the Arts), The Irrawaddy, Myanmar Times, and more. He teaches beginning and intermediate Burmese at UC Berkeley. Kenneth Wong on Instagram

What’s the Buzz?
Julia Chiapella’s poetry has appeared in Pirene’s Fountain, The Round, The Wax Paper, and West Branch among others. She is the retired director of the Young Writers Program and received the Gail Rich Award for creative contributions to Santa Cruz County. She is a member of the Hive Poetry Collective where she organizes readings and hosts podcasts.
Farnaz Fatemi is Santa Cruz County Poet Laureate, an Academy of American Poetry Laureate Fellow, and author of the poetry collection, Sister Tongue زبان خواهر. Her poems and essays appear in Alaska Quarterly, Catamaran Literary Reader, Kenyon Review, No Tokens Journal, Poets.org, Tahoma Literary Review, Tab Journal, Terrain.org, and elsewhere. More at farnazfatemi.com
Julie Murphy’s poems appear or are forthcoming in Salt, River Heron, Chicago Quarterly Review, Atlanta Review, Massachusetts Review, CALYX, and SWWIM, among other journals. A member of Community of Writers, she taught poetry at Salinas Valley State Prison and with the Hive Poetry Collective, she hosts a weekly poetry show and podcast as well as live poetry readings.
Roxi Power’s book, The Songs That Objects Would Sing was published in 2023; her next book will be published by Carbonation Press in 2025. She’s received an AWP Intro Award and has been published in American Poetry Review, Black Warrior Review, Puerto del Sol, etc. She founded the trans-genre anthology series, Viz. Inter-Arts, at the University of California, Santa Cruz where she teaches. She podcasts for The Hive Poetry Collective.

S’mores & Stories
Lexi Pandell (host): Lexi Pandell is a writer from Oakland, CA. Her non-fiction has been published by The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The New Republic. Her short stories have been published by Wired, The Pinch, Salt Hill, and New Ohio Review. She is the founder of the Desert Salon writing retreat.
Tanya Žilinskas: Tanya Žilinskas’ fiction has appeared in Chicago Quarterly Review, TriQuarterly, Southern Humanities Review, Shenandoah, Puerto del Sol, The Florida Review, and elsewhere. She is working on a novel about early internet hoaxes and documentary ethics, and a linked story collection set in a surreal version of Marin County. Find her at tanyazilinskas.com.
Jessica Powell: Jessica Powell is the author of the novel, The Big Disruption. Her short stories have been published in The New York Times, WIRED, VICE, Alaska Quarterly Review, Chicago Quarterly Review, and elsewhere. She lives in San Francisco and builds audio software.
Katie Wheeler-Dubin: Katie Wheeler-Dubin is a San Francisco native, well-known for both her relaxed parenting style and systematically eating so many oysters she discovered a pearl. She published I Went to Sleep Drunk and Woke up Hungry in 2016, and made a documentary with Mila Puccini about San Francisco called Water Under the Bridge. She has performed at Kerouac Alley, the Bywater Wonderland of New Orleans, Cynic Cave, the Jewish Contemporary Museum of San Francisco, Viracocha, The Santa Cruz Art Bar, the Moth, Quiet Lightning, The Portuguese Artist Colony, UC Santa Cruz, the basement of Lost Weekend Video and Splendor all Around.
Billy Song: Billy Suiren Song is a film-maker and poet based in San Francisco. He hosts a weekly open mic at the Center SF and leads a writing group at the Page street writers co-working space. He and his creative partner Liz Cahill founded an arts non-profit, Decentered Arts, in 2023. He graduated with an MFA in creative writing from USFCA in 2023.

ABOUT LIT CRAWL SAN FRANSISCO
One of the most anticipated literary nights of the year, San Francisco’s Lit Crawl is a massive, one-night literary pub crawl through San Francisco’s Mission District that caps off our annual Litquake Festival. Lit Crawl SF brings together 250+ authors and nearly 5,000 fans for the world’s largest free pop-up literary event. Started in 2004, Lit Crawl cultivates a unique, resonant brand: smart and silly, worldly and wacky, with events presented in venues usual (bars, cafes, galleries, and bookstores) and unusual (police stations, tattoo parlors, barbershops, and laundromats).

LIT CRAWL MAP

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, October 26th, 2024
Time: 4:45 doors, 5:00 show
Admission: FREE
RSVP to the Facebook event:

DONATE

December 7th MAPP
2024-12-07 19:00 - 22:00
December 7th MAPP

Saturday, December 7th, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Red Poppy Art House
2698 Folsom @23rd
Curator: Dina Zarif
Interactive art installation: Soft Blueprints by Andrea Guskin
A Space for Community Weaving and Connection
7:00 – 7:15 pm : Soft Blueprints (Installation introduction)
7:20 – 8:00 pm : Words, Winds and Strings (Harp, Saxophone & Spoken Word)
8:15 – 9:00 pm : R A G A M E N C O (Indian melodies meet flamenco jazz)
9:15 -10:00 pm : Sambamba (Rio samba, Bossa Nova, & Pagode)
THIS IS A FREE EVENT
MAPP (Mission Arts & Performance Project)
Launched in 2003, the Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) is a homegrown bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, intercultural event that takes place in the Mission District of San Francisco. On the first Saturday of every even month of the year, the MAPP transforms ordinary spaces, such as private garages, gardens, living rooms, studios, street corners, and small businesses into pop-up performance and exhibition sites for a day/night of intimate-scale artistic and cultural exchange among a kaleidoscope of individuals and communities.
We will continue our work in presenting unique artistry to the communities that we serve.
RED POPPY MAPP TEAM:
Artistic Director | Managing Director: Dina Zarif
PR and Digital Marketing: Anjali Varma
MAPP DECEMBER 7TH, 2024 PROGRAM

Time
Performance/Event
Description
Artists

Interactive art installation: Soft Blueprints by Andrea Guskin
A Space for Community Weaving and Connection

7:00 – 7:15 pm
Soft Blueprints
Interactive art installation
A Space for Community Weaving and Connection
Visual artist: Andrea Guskin

7:20 – 8:00 pm
Words, Winds, and Strings
Music & Spoken Word
Amelia Romano – Harp, Vocals
Asaf Ophir – Poetry, Spoken word, Saxophone, Flute, Vocals

8:15 – 9:00 pm
R A G A M E N C O
Indian melodies meet flamenco jazz
Mallar Bhattacharya – Sarode
Satish Pillai – Piano
Nilan Chaudhuri – Tabla
Luis Jiménez – Cajón
Devi SenGupta – Vocals
Javier Jiménez – Guitar

9:15 -10:00 pm
Sambamba
Rio samba, Bossa Nova, & Pagode
Lau Paiva – Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
Rodrigo Lemes – Cavaquinho, Vocals, Pandeiro
Andrew Scott – Pandeiro, Tantan, Reco-reco, Cajón, Tamborim

Interactive art installation: Soft Blueprints
A Space for Community Weaving and Connection

Soft Blueprints is a space and an invitation to gather, weave, and reflect in this particularly stressful time. The installation features a blue space constructed with printed fabrics that originated from cyanotypes. The fabric design was created by placing shredded paper—from documents too personal to share whole—on paper and fabric treated with photosensitive chemicals and exposed to the sun.
Guests will be invited to sit inside the space and contribute to collaborative community looms: branch looms and a tapestry frame loom. Materials for weaving include artist-designed fabrics, wool roving, and a selection of upcycled fabrics.
Next to the cozy window seat installation, a small table will offer an opportunity to write or draw your own blueprint for taking care of each other and the world, with the chance to weave your creation into one of the looms.

ARTIST STATEMENT
Using everyday objects, textiles, and tools for mending, my work explores ancestry, domesticity, and strategies for repair in our daily lives. Through layering, ripping, and transforming ordinary materials–spices, funnels, tape, wool–I create objects and spaces where the familiar converses with the existential

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Andrea Guskin is a San Francisco Bay Area artist raised amongst the woods and college campuses of Wisconsin and Ohio. She began drawing by pillaging her father’s office supplies for fine-tipped pens and yellow legal pads, filling them with costumed figures while lounging on a 1970s shag carpet.
After studying painting at Antioch College, Andrea moved to NYC and became a part of the visual and songwriting community on the Lower East Side. Since moving to the Bay Area in 2003, Andrea has exhibited her work in galleries and alternative spaces throughout the state, including the Richmond Art Center, the Berkeley Art Center, Swarm Gallery, and Mercury 20 Gallery.
Beginning in 2019, Andrea added a participatory aspect to her work, merging her many years in museum education and her art practice to create community art events across the Bay Area. She graduated with an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Mills College at Northeastern University in April of 2023.
Andrea currently lives in San Leandro with her husband and two sons.

ABOUT THE PERFORMING ARTISTS

Words, Winds, and Strings
Music and Spoken Word
Performing some of their favorite classical works, from the Baroque era to the present day, both accomplished musicians, Amelia Romano and Asaf Ophir, present a unique program. Their selections are interwoven with poetry and short stories, as well as Amelia’s original compositions inspired by Latin American rhythms and folk traditions.
Featuring:
Amelia Romano – Harp, vocals
Asaf Ophir – poetry, spoken word, Saxophone, flute, vocals
Asaf Ophir began his professional career in musical theater in Israel, on some of Israel’s most distinguished stages. Having moved to the United States in 2014, Ophir can be seen playing Jewish, Arabic, and Balkan music. Throughout his career he has shared the stage with artists such as Miri Mesika, Avi Kushnir, Galit Giat, David De’or, Rana Farhan, and Barbara Streisand. The San Francisco Chronicle writes: “Asaf Ophir gives the clarinet the timbre of a trumpet, then a violin, then a raspy scream… the instrument’s wail almost becomes too plaintive and beautiful to bear.”
A composer, arranger, and trailblazer in the lever harp world, Amelia Romano (harp, voice) is a concertizing lever harpist. The lever harp is often played by folk musicians and designed to play folk music from countries including Ireland and Scotland. In this context, oftentimes the lever mechanisms at the top of the instrument are set in the key of the song and left that way throughout the folk song. Conversely, on the classical pedal harp, one can easily change notes by stepping on the pedals. Amelia’s vision has taken on both harp worlds and tackles complex classical passages on the lever harp by shifting the mechanisms mid-song, which is fascinating to watch. While pedal harps weigh 80 pounds, lever harps weigh 25 making them very portable. Romano lived in South Africa for a year and has toured in Europe, the southern United States, and Pacific Northwest, bringing her enthusiasm for lever harps to classical music, wherever she goes.
Romano received her Master’s Degree in Classical Lever Harp Performance at San Francisco State University under the tutelage of Karen Gottlieb, retired harpist of the San Francisco Symphony.

R A G A M E N C O
Indian melodies meet flamenco jazz
R A G A M E N C O music represents the synthesis of ancient traditions that have been linked by human and cultural migration through the centuries⁠.
Featuring:
Mallar Bhattacharya – Sarode
Satish Pillai – Piano
Nilan Chaudhuri – Tabla
Luis Jiménez – Cajón
Devi SenGupta – Vocals
Javier Jiménez – Guitar
A collaboration of Spanish and Indian musicians from the Bay Area, RagaMenco explores exciting new territories by combining haunting Indian melodies with the concept of jazz improvisation and musical traditions from Spain. Come hear ancient traditions from the Old World finding a new voice in California.

Sambamba
Joyful Rio samba, Bossa Nova, and Pagode
Sambamba brings the joyful spirit of Rio de Janeiro’s samba, from the mellow Bossa Nova of Jobim to the Samba Canção and Samba de Raiz of Paulinho da Viola and Martinho da Vila, to the Samba-Pagode of Zeca Pagodinho, Almir Guineto, Jorge Aragão, Revelação, and beyond — getting everyone in the mood for a true Carioca Saturday!
Featuring:
Lau Paiva – Guitar, Vocals, Percussion
Rodrigo Lemes – Cavaquinho, Vocals, Pandeiro
Andrew Scott – Pandeiro, Tantan, Reco-reco, cajon, tamborim
+ Surprise Special Guests!
Brazil is home to an extraordinary diversity of music, ranging from the Samba and Bossa Nova of Rio de Janeiro, to the Forró, Maracatu, Baião, and Samba Reggae of the Northeast, to the Sertanejo country music of Central Brazil (Brasília, Goiânia), and the urban Hip-hop, funk, and metal scenes of São Paulo.
Sambamba is a Bay Area group that specializes in the authentic joy of samba and bossa nova, performing in the traditional pagode de mesa party style. This style encourages guest musicians to join around the table and sing the songs that every Brazilian seems to know. The core of Sambamba is a trio, which can expand to a quartet or quintet depending on the situation. The band members have been playing together in various Bay Area groups for the last 20 years, and their diverse backgrounds bring an eclectic mix of influences to their music.
Lau Paiva is from Piracicaba, São Paulo. A talented guitarist (violão) and singer, Lau performs a wide range of Brazilian music styles and knows hundreds of songs. He loves collaborating with different musicians and has been performing for many years, both as a soloist and as part of various small groups in the Bay Area.
Rodrigo Lemes is from Goiânia and Rio de Janeiro. He grew up with Sertanejo country music from Goiás and later became captivated by the samba and samba funk of Rio. Rodrigo has played with numerous top Bay Area musicians in groups like Grupo da Sete, Grupo Borogodo, and alongside Maestro Jorge Alabé. Known for his joyful energy, Rodrigo brings dynamic vocals and rhythmic grooves on cavaquinho and pandeiro.
Andrew Scott moved to San Francisco from London and has lived in the Mission and Bernal Heights for 40 years, returning to London annually. He runs Studio 401, which has been recording and producing a diverse array of artists from the Bay Area, London, Brazil, South Africa, and Argentina for over 25 years. In addition to drum-set, Andrew plays a wide range of percussion instruments. He has performed throughout the Bay Area, notably with his groups The Rhyth-o-matics, Kombokwela, and Grupo da Sete. He has also lived in Brazil and participated in Carnaval with Paraiso Samba in London and Samba Rio in San Francisco. Andrew has studied with Maestro Jorge Alabé, Maestro Chuck Brown, and Maestro Marcos Suzano. A specialist in South African jazz, he recently produced the acclaimed Duduvudu CD. Andrew also served as Executive Director of the Mission YMCA for 13 years. His two grown children, Chloë and Jody Scott, are both professional musicians based in the Bay Area.

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE
R A G A M E N C O

Words, Winds and Strings

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE
Join us in MAPP at all other spaces throughout the Mission District..
Stay tuned for the map

IN PERSON EVENT DETAILS
Time: December 7th, 2024, 7pm- 10pm (IN-PERSON)
Admission: Free!

DONATE

Party of Hearts: Exhibition Closing Reception
2025-01-18 18:30 - 21:00
Party of Hearts
Exhibition Closing Reception: CORAZONES / HEARTS by Adrian Arias
THIS IS A FREE EVENT
(Donation is encouraged)
Party of Hearts is a time to gather as a community and reflect on the power of art as a means of change in our society, in these difficult times of political transition. A renewed collection of CORAZONES / HEARTS by Adrian Arias, some of these works have been exhibited at the California Museum in Sacramento.
Saturday, January 18th, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM

CORAZONES / HEARTS by Adrian Arias

This exhibition by Adrian Arias explores the symbolic meaning and form of the Heart, navigating themes of passion and heartbreak, both socially and personally. The heart is depicted as a dream, a labyrinth, and a space for connection and separation, delving into the pain and hope tied to the organ that continuously beats like music within us.
ABOUT THE ARTIST

Adrian Arias (American born in Mochica Land in Peru)
Curator/Live Painting/visual poetry
Adrian Arias is an international multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of visual arts, poetry, performance, and social justice. A descendant of the Mochica culture of ancient Peru, he embraces his culture’s use of dreams as a transformative catalyst between reality and imagination. Arias has created large-scale murals for public and private businesses such as Google and a three-story mural at the corner of Turk and Hyde in San Francisco, commissioned by the Luggage Store. He has recently created murals for Magic Theater, Freight & Salvage and Red Poppy Art House. Is the co-founder of Mission Arts Performance Project MAPP.

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, January 18th, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Note: Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

LIONESS: A Short Film Fundraiser
2025-01-19 14:00 - 16:00
LIONESS: A Short Film Fundraiser
A Fundraising Event for a compelling film about courage and resilience
Join Us for the LIONESS Film Fundraiser Event sponsored by Aviva Arts! Set in 1977 Morocco, LIONESS tells the story of a young woman who coaches the town’s first girls’ soccer team, challenging tradition and inspiring her players to dream beyond their limits. This film is a powerful exploration of resilience, courage, and the transformative power of representation.
This fundraiser is dedicated to empowering young girls, reflecting the core theme of LIONESS. The event will feature live musical performances by my talented students—young girls whose energy, creativity, and spirit mirror the courageous characters in the film.
Enjoy an afternoon filled with food, drinks, and heartfelt performances, all while contributing to the creation of this impactful film.
Join us in bringing this story to life and celebrating the spirit of empowerment and ambition.
RSVP Now to secure your spot or donate on our website to support!
Featuring:
Presenters:
Sophia Alawi
Victorya Cintra
Nora Elkind
Performers:
Christian Eck
Kirk Duplantis
Victoria Abbott
Clara Goetzke
Maura Goetzke
Savannah Hughes
Scarlett Hughes

Sunday, January 19th 2025
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Admission: $40 general

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Presenters:

Sophia Alawi (Writer/Producer) Sophia Alawi will be hosting and presenting at the fundraiser. She is a recent Bay Area Transplant, originally from Hudson County, New Jersey. Sophia is a proud first-generation Moroccan-Italian-American Actor, Writer, & singer-songwriter. She won the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle award for Featured Actress – Musical in 2019 for Groundhog Day The Musical and was named one of the “Five Standout Performances” in 2019 by the Houston Chronicle for the role of Wendla in Spring Awakening. As an actor, she has credits on television, Off-Broadway, and at regional theaters across the country. In 2020 she launched her first online series ‘Meet Amal’.You can watch it on YouTube and give the series a follow at @hayawanseries. You can listen to her music on all streaming platforms. Please give @Lionessshortfilm a follow!

Victorya Cintra (Director) Victorya Cintra will be presenting at the fundraiser. She is a Brazilian-American filmmaker and actress born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. After getting her B.A. in Media Studies at the University of Virginia, she moved to Los Angeles to work as the executive assistant to the President of Phantom Four Pictures. Victorya’s first short film, Grieving the Girl, played at the Oxford Film Festival along with festivals in Sweden, Brazil, and England and won her the spotlight award at the Tu Cuentas Cine Youth Fest. She just wrapped her second short film and will be starting the festival circuit. Victorya’s love for storytelling centers on the need to highlight those who have been marginalized, including stories with female main characters and people of color.

Nora Elkind (Assoc. Producer). Nora Elkind will be presenting at the fundraiser. She is an artist inspired by projects that challenge convention. With a background in performing arts, she is excited to combine her passion for storytelling and collaboration through production work for Lioness. Currently, she is working for a public interest legal aid organization in Los Angeles.

Performers:

Christian Eck has been playing music professionally since his early days on the Chicago Blues R&B and Gospel scene in 2005. A multi-instrumentalist vocalist and wearer of many hats Christian relocated to the Bay Area in 2018 and quickly found a home in our vibrant local music scene. www.swampcake.com

Kirk Duplantis is a percussionist, composer, and educator from Houma, Louisiana. In 2011 he earned his BA in Jazz studies at the University of New Orleans. During that time, he became immersed in the vibrant and diverse music scene of that city. In 2017, Kirk recorded a double album with indie-rock band Mighty Brother. Two years later, he made a move to the West Coast to take a full-time music teaching position. Since that time, he has been very active in both the jazz and musical theater scenes of San Francisco and the greater Bay Area. His debut album Fragile Limbs was released in 2023. kirkduplantis.com swampcake.com

Victoria Abbott is five years old and is trained in singing and gymnastics. Recent theatre credits include her role as Molly in Annie at Coastal Repertory Theatre. She has been inspired and mentored by her vocal coach, and other performers. Her current interests include singing along to Taylor Swift, The Descendants Disney movies, and playing the video game Just Dance. In 2024, Victoria received her Junior Kindergarten class award for Creativity.

Clara Goetzke is a sixth grader at Pacific Bay Christian School. Her favorite role has been Young Anna in Frozen at Coastal Repertory Theater in Half Moon Bay. When she is not acting, you can find her singing, dancing, or directing plays at home with her friends. She would like to thank her mom, dad, sister, and cats for all of their love and support.

Maura Goetzke is an 8th grader at Seacrest School in Half Moon Bay. Her favorite performance credits have been Annie (Coastal Repertory Theatre) Christmas in Oz & Frozen (Coastal Repertory Kids Theater), The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz & Peter Pan(Seacrest School). Maura also loves to play guitar and write songs. She would like to thank her family for always being there, her friends for supporting her no matter what, and her vocal coach Sophia Alawi for always lending a helping hand.

Savannah Hughes is a student at Pacific Bay Christian School. Her following theater credits include Annie(Coastal Repertory Theatre), Cinderella Jr, and Frozen Jr(Coastal Repertory Kids Theater), where she shined as Middle Anna on stage. Driven by a powerful stage presence Savannah’s passion for tap, jazz, guitar, and theatre truly lights up the stage. Outside of her roles, she enjoys putting on shows with friends and playing tennis. A big thank you to her family, friends, and teachers for their unwavering support and encouraging her artistic growth.

Scarlett Hughes is a student at Pacific Bay Christian School. Her following theater credits include Annie(Coastal Repertory Theatre), Cinderella Jr, and Frozen Jr(Coastal Repertory Kids Theater). She would like to thank her family for supporting her!

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, January 19th 2025
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Admission: $40 general
RSVP for this event now!
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Ana Vieira: Contemporary Fado artist
2025-01-24 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Ana Vieira: Contemporary Fado artist
Exploring the music of the legendary Fado artist out of Portugal, Amalia Rodrigues, and beyond.
This music is sometimes called “Portuguese Blues.” Ana’s work captures the essence of Fado from her parents’ homeland and well beyond. She performs and records music that ranges from the soulful, haunting ballads and catchy, playful songs of Fado to her own original compositions, for which she has been nominated for three international Portuguese Music Awards.
Featuring:
Ana Vieira – Voice and Piano
Jeff Furtado – guitar
David Parker – bass
Vincent Tolliver – violin/viola/Portuguese Mandolin

Friday, January 24th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Fado is a performance genre incorporating music and poetry. In 2011, It became a part of UNESCO World Heritage. The artist formerly known as Ramana, Ana Vieiera is an internationally acclaimed recording artist and a northern California native of Portuguese descent. She is also a stunning vocalist, a proficient pianist, and a gifted songwriter who has composed, performed, and recorded many of her own original Fados, which have been nominated for best Fado performance at the International Portuguese Music Awards.

Ana is an internationally acclaimed recording artist and a northern California native of Portuguese descent. She also is a stunning vocalist, a proficient pianist, and a gifted songwriter who has composed, performed, and recorded many of her own original Fados. Several of these have been nominated at the largest Portuguese music awards organization: the International Portuguese Music Awards (IPMA). She has performed throughout California, San Francisco, Los Angeles, the Central Valley, SLO, Portugal, Macau, China, East Coast including New York, Hawaii, Florida the Pacific Northwest, and Mexico. Ramana just returned this summer of 2023 headlining in her parents’ homeland of Madeira, Portugal at the Art’Camacha festival. She was also featured on the RTP international network while in Madeira. Over the course of her 20-plus-year musical career and five album releases, she has opened for Mariza and headlined at several World Music festivals. Performed for the President of the Azores, Portugal at the invitation of Congressman Jim Costa. Her original composition, “Unido Para Amar,” was played at the awards ceremony for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Her music has been chosen to be featured on TAP Airlines, the flag carrier of Portugal with over 2500 nights per week to 34 countries. Her new album, Tudo De Mim will be out in early spring of 2023. Most recently her new single, Fado La La La, ranked #4 for song and her latest new video ranked 3# in North America on the Ethnocloud music platform. The critics have heaped praise upon Ana. The San Francisco Chronicle said “Ramana is the rising star in World Music” and “No one in the United States is doing more to breathe new life into Fado than Ramana Vieira, a sultry dramatic singer.” Andrew Gilbert of The Boston Globe said “Raman Vieira deserves a prominent place in the front rank of today’s Fado singers”
Vieira was born in San Leandro, California with the beat of Portuguese rhythms coursing through her veins. Her parents had immigrated to the United States from Portugal, where her grandfather was a well-known musician and composer from Madeira Island. She grew up listening to American pop, alongside traditional Portuguese music. “During my childhood, I sang with my mother to Amália Rodrigues and other fabulous fadistas that were part of her special record collection,” said Vieira. Early in life, it was apparent that Vieira possessed exceptional musical talent and went on to study at The American Conservatory Theatre. However, a spontaneous trip to Portugal shifted her professional vision and catalyzed an exploration deep into the world of fado. In Portugal, Vieira connected with her roots and found that fado ignited her spirit and set her soul aflame. She began to study intensively with local fado musicians and had the opportunity to perform. She was loved by her fans in Portugal; her authentic and individual style was refreshing and well-received. Vieira’s brilliant musicality and colorful heritage appeal to a global audience. In addition to the traditional fados, and her masterful original compositions, Vieira has now compiled a synergetic repertoire that reflects the full scope of her identity by incorporating her background of American theater, blues, and soulful classics into her sets. Through this multifaceted fusion, Vieira has finally fulfilled her fado, fate.
In her own words, “I love being Portuguese and singing my roots. I just feel now is the time for Ramana to embrace “all of me”–my American and Portuguese heritage.”
https://www.youtube.com/@RamanaVieira/videos
https://www.facebook.com/ArtistRamanaVieira/

EVENT DETAILS
Friday, January 24th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & seniors
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

February 1st MAPP
2025-02-01 19:00 - 22:00
February 1st MAPP

Saturday, February 1st, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Red Poppy Art House
2698 Folsom @23rd
Curator: Dina Zarif
Doors open at 7:00 pm
7:15 – 8:00 pm: The Shadow Band (Funky Arabi Jazz)
8:15 – 9:00 pm: Louda y Los Bad Hombres (Latin and Jazz Rhythmics)
9:15 -10:00 pm: Diaspora Ensemble (Music of the Mediterranean)
Exhibit: CORAZONES / HEARTS by Adrian Arias
THIS IS A FREE EVENT
MAPP (Mission Arts & Performance Project)
Launched in 2003, the Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) is a homegrown bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, intercultural event that takes place in the Mission District of San Francisco. On the first Saturday of every even month of the year, the MAPP transforms ordinary spaces, such as private garages, gardens, living rooms, studios, street corners, and small businesses into pop-up performance and exhibition sites for a day/night of intimate-scale artistic and cultural exchange among a kaleidoscope of individuals and communities.
We will continue our work in presenting unique artistry to the communities that we serve.
RED POPPY MAPP TEAM:
Artistic Director | Managing Director: Dina Zarif
PR and Digital Marketing: Anjali Varma
MAPP FEBRUARY 1st, 2025 PROGRAM

Time
Performance/Event
Description
Artists

Exhibit: CORAZONES / HEARTS by Adrian Arias

7:15 – 8:00 pm:
The Shadow Band
Funky Arabi Jazz
Tarik “Excentrik” Kazaleh – oud, guitars, and his handcrafted instruments
Naima Shalhoub – keys, vocals, and acoustic guitar
Chris Trinidad – bass guitar and synth
Aaron Kierbel – drums and percussion.

8:15 – 9:00 pm
Louda y Los Bad Hombres
Latin and Jazz Rhythmics
Leo Nava – Guitar and Tres
Marley Edwards – Upright
Dave Eagle – Percussion
Laura Camacho – Vocals and Percussion

9:15 -10:00 pm
Diaspora Ensemble
Music of the Mediterranean
Leah Sirkin – violin, vocals
Tano Brock – clarinet, guitar, vocals
Steven Brock – tabla, kanjira, frame drum
Joe Rosato – stand-up bass.

ABOUT THE PERFORMING ARTISTS

The Shadow Band
Funky Arabi Jazz
Funky Arabi Jazz quartet featuring Tarik “Excentrik” Kazaleh, Naima Shalhoub, Chris Trinidad and Aaron Kierbel. The Shadowband is fueled by the spirit of improvisation as an ode to liberation.
Featuring:
Tarik “Excentrik” Kazaleh – oud, guitars, and his handcrafted instruments
Naima Shalhoub – keys, vocals, and acoustic guitar
Chris Trinidad – bass guitar and synth
Aaron Kierbel – drums and percussion.
IG- @shadowbandsfbay

Louda y Los Bad Hombres
Latin and Jazz Rhythmics Bilingual Spanish Vocals
Featuring original music and reimagined Pop and Afro-Latin covers, LBH seamlessly blends their jazz studies, international influence, and open hearts through their instruments to your seat, to your moving feet.
Featuring:
Leo Nava – Guitar and Tres
Marley Edwards – Upright
Dave Eagle – Percussion
Laura Camacho – Vocals and Percussion
Louda y Los Bad Hombres came to life during the Revolution Cafe days of the Mission District. Since 2018, this group has played large, small, new, and retired venues throughout the Bay Area.

Diaspora Ensemble
Music of the Mediterranean
Diaspora plays music of the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. The soulful and lively Sefardic songs in varied meters are sung in Ladino. Diaspora also plays music from Greece, Turkey, the Balkans, and Afghanistan.
Leah Sirkin (violin, vocals) Tano Brock (clarinet, laouto, guitar, vocals), and Steven Brock (tabla, kanjira, frame drum) are the core members of this family band from Bernal Heights. Diaspora has been performing at venues and events in the Bay Area and beyond since 2010. They are pleased to play at the Red Poppy for the first MAPP of 2025.
Featuring:
Leah Sirkin – violin, vocals
Tano Brock – clarinet, guitar, vocals
Steven Brock – tabla, kanjira, frame drum
Joe Rosato – stand-up bass.
Leah Sirkin was raised in a singing, music-loving family and started playing violin at age eleven. She became more passionate about playing music as an adult and owes her inspiration to music camps she has been attending since 2000, notably the Middle East & Balkan Camps in Mendocino. Leah has performed with the Aswat Arabic Ensemble, Helm, and the Silk Road Caravan.
Leah is also a playwright and songwriter and has recently written a musical based on the life of Mirabai.
Tano Brock is a multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, and producer. Born with a sixth sense for rhythm, he grew up attending music camps and began playing darbuka and piano at age seven. Tano’s current main instruments are clarinet and sax. He founded the Sarma Brass Band on the east coast. A Berklee College of Music graduate, Tano is based in LA, where he produces music for a wide range of artists. He performs regularly with Inspector Gadje, La Doña, and directs the kids’ band at the Mendocino Balkan Camp.
Steve Brock has been playing tabla for over 30 years, studying with the master Swapan Chaudhury at the Ali Akbar College of Music. He has been playing and studying kanjira with two South Indian master musicians for over a decade. Steve is also a professional photographer and bookmaker.
Joe Rosato Jr. is a Bay Area upright bassist and songwriter who has played with numerous musical luminaries including Lowell Fulson, Ron Thompson, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Tim Weed, and the Turkish band Lars and In Charge. In a career spanning four decades he’s proven himself a versatile sideman adeptly playing everything from bluegrass to jazz to Balkan. Rosato has also released two albums; The Downtown Church and Compass and Sparrow featuring his solo compositions.

CORAZONES / HEARTS by Adrian Arias

This exhibition by Adrian Arias explores the symbolic meaning and form of the Heart, navigating themes of passion and heartbreak, both socially and personally. The heart is depicted as a dream, a labyrinth, and a space for connection and separation, delving into the pain and hope tied to the organ that continuously beats like music within us.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Adrian Arias (American born in Mochica Land in Peru)
Adrian Arias is an international multidisciplinary artist working at the intersection of visual arts, poetry, performance, and social justice. A descendant of the Mochica culture of ancient Peru, he embraces his culture’s use of dreams as a transformative catalyst between reality and imagination. Arias has created large-scale murals for public and private businesses such as Google and a three-story mural at the corner of Turk and Hyde in San Francisco, commissioned by the Luggage Store. He has recently created murals for Magic Theater, Freight & Salvage and Red Poppy Art House. Is the co-founder of Mission Arts Performance Project MAPP.

A MAP for a MAPP
Join us in MAPP at all other spaces throughout the Mission District.

IN PERSON EVENT DETAILS
Time: February 1st, 2025, 7pm- 10pm (IN-PERSON)
Admission: Free!

DONATE

Love Songs for the Soul: Amelia Romano & Asaf Ophir
2025-02-08 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. It is advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Love Songs for the Soul: Amelia Romano & Asaf Ophir
A Take on Popular Love Songs
Looking for something fun to do around Valentine’s Day? Love Songs for the Soul presents an evening of popular love songs, poems, and stories, arranged for harp, voice, woodwinds, and guitar. From Norah Jones to Bob Marley and everything in between, there is room for everybody. If you are looking for a lovely night out, or if you just like to enjoy some love songs through a different lens, please join us.
Featuring:
Amelia Romano – voice and harp
Asaf Ophir – guitar, woodwinds, voice

Saturday, February 8th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $30-$35 (Door) $35 general, $30 students and seniors

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Amelia Romano (harp, voice) is a concertizing lever harpist, programming classical re-imaginations alongside original works. She received her master’s in classical lever harp performance at San Francisco State University under the tutelage of Karen Gottlieb, retired second harpist of the San Francisco Symphony. Her latest album, “Levers Engaged: Classical Works Re-imaged for Harp, ” and sheet music collection, “Classical Re-imaginations,” present the instrument as a valid voice in classical music. A composer, arranger, and trailblazer in the lever harp world, she is equally at home writing Latin America-inspired works for solo harp as she is adapting classical pieces for chamber collaborations.
Asaf Ophir (woodwinds, voice, guitar) began his professional career in musical theaters in Israel, while studying at the Rimon School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and later at the Jerusalem Academy. Arriving in the United States in 2014, he began to perform in musicals around the Bay Area, such as the award-winning “Love Sick” in 2017, and “The People in the Picture” in 2018. Finding a home away from home, he can most often be seen in world music projects on Jewish, Arabic, and Balkan stages. Asaf has performed on such distinguished stages as Habima, HaCameri, and Jerusalem Theaters in Israel, as well as the Paramount Theater, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Great American Music Hall, Freight & Salvage, Brava Theater, and others in the San Francisco Bay Area. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with artists such as Miri Mesika, Avi Kushnir, Galit Giat, Rana Farhan, Ustad Mahwash, and Barbra Streisand.

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, February 8th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $30-$35 (Door) $35 general, $30 students and seniors
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Lunar New Year: Shadow Play Workshop
2025-02-09 13:00 - 15:00
RSVPs are now available!

Lunar New Year: Shadow Play Workshop
ShadowLight Productions
Celebrate the Lunar New Year with an enchanting and interactive Shadow Play Workshop, hosted at the cozy and creative Red Poppy Art House. This free event invites children, families, and community members to dive into the magical world of shadow puppetry. Together, we will explore the art of storytelling and puppet-making, culminating in a collaborative shadow theater performance.
Featuring:
Jessica Nguyen – Puppeteer
Ya Wen Chien – Puppeteer
Sharon Shao- Puppeteer

Sunday, February 9th 2025
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
THIS IS A FREE EVENT!

ABOUT:
ShadowLight Productions was founded in 1972 by filmmaker/theatre director/shadow artist Larry Reed. We have served San Francisco as a nonprofit theater company for nearly 30 years.
The mission of ShadowLight Productions is to expose the general public to the art of Shadow Theater. The means of providing such exposure includes but is not limited to live theater, film, and other media. We strive to preserve indigenous shadow theater traditions and to explore and expand the possibilities of the shadow theater medium by creating innovative interdisciplinary, multicultural works.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Jessica Nguyen (shadow puppeteer/puppet fabricator/storyboard artist) is a science illustrator, educator, dancer, and circus artist turned to the dark side. Her favorite medium is mischief and punnery but she confesses that a bit of paper and ink will always lift the spirits. She currently works and lurks in Alameda, and loves waxing poetic about flora and fauna and bones and stones over a warm cup of tea.

Ya Wen Chien (co-lead designer-scenery and shadow performer) is an illustrator, painter- trained in Chinese painting and watercolor, a digital designer, puppet maker, and shadow-play artist born in Taiwan and currently lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sharon Shao (she/her) is a Bay Area native actor and teaching artist. She holds a double B.A. in Theatre Arts and Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. Recent local credits include Sleeping Beauty (Presidio Theatre), Man of God (Shotgun Players), The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin (SF Playhouse), The Winter’s Tale, Good Person of Szechwan (CalShakes), Vinegar Tom, Iron Shoes (Shotgun Players), and UTOPIA (CuttingBall Theater). Aside from acting, Sharon is passionate about teaching voice and drama to young students. www.sharonshao.biz

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, February 9th 2025
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
RSVP now!
THIS IS A FREE EVENT!

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Volunteer for this event!

Sudamericanto
2025-02-15 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. It is advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Sudamericanto
Latin American folk-jazz fusion
Our unique brand of Latin-American music takes audiences along a journey through South America and the Caribbean traditions with a Brazilian jazz twist. Featuring multi-faceted Puerto Rican vocalist/interpreter Madeleine Zayas and high caliber Bay Area musicians/educators natives from Peru, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the US coming together to play original compositions and fresh arrangements of carefully selected Latin American classics from Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. Our very eclectic repertoire is influenced by Afro-Peruvian rhythms such as Lando and Festejo, Chilean cueca, Brazilian samba and maracatu, Argentinian chamames, stylized plena, bomba and guaracha Puertorriquena, son Cubano and boleros, all tied together with rhythmic precision and intertwined with jazzy flavors.
Featuring:
Madeleine Zayas – lead vocals, guiro, maracas, bombo
Marcos Silva – keyboard, arrangements
David Pinto – bass, arrangements
Michaelle Goerlitz – percussion

Saturday, February 15th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20-$30 (Door) $30 general, $15 students with ID and low income

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Madeleine Zayas is a Latin American singer/interpreter and choreographer based in Oakland. At age 15 she performed as a singer with internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Wilkins in her native Puerto Rico. She has performed as a dancer in theaters and television in Puerto Rico, California, and Nevada since 1985. She was co-founder of Buena Trova Social Club with Brandon Vance in 2012 and co-artistic director of Madelina y Los Carpinteros and Duo Made y Feña since 2014. Madeleine has shared the stage with Cheo Feliciano, Inti Illimani, John Santos, and Holly Near. Her eclectic repertoire is rooted in the Nueva Canción/Nueva Trova tradition of entertaining and educating about culture and pressing social issues.
Marcos Silva is a Brazilian-native multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and educator who performs worldwide. Nominated for a Grammy, he has toured with many world-renowned artists, including Paquito D’Rivera, Bud Shank, Dori Caymmi, and many others. He was musical director for Flora Purim and Airto Moreira for 23 years. Marcos has written arrangements for Dizzy Gillespie’s band and replaced Gil Evans as arranger-composer of Airto’s Spiritual Mass. He is the founder and director of the Brazilian Jazz Department at California Jazz School in Berkeley.
David Pinto is a Peruvian native best-known for his work as music director, arranger, and bassist for Grammy-winner Susana Baca, Diva of Afro-Peruvian song. He was a member of Peru Jazz, a group highly praised for its innovation and fusion of Peruvian roots and jazz.
Michaelle Goerlitz has been playing drums and percussion since she was eight years old. After attending college in the Midwest, she moved to San Francisco in 1980 to continue her studies, which led to her exploration of Brazilian, Afro-Cuban, Venezuelan, Peruvian, and Middle Eastern rhythms (plus American idioms of jazz, R&B, and funk). She was a founding member of two renowned and long-term projects, the Blazing Redheads and Wild Mango. Both groups blended many different styles, which showcased Michaelle’s versatile percussive skills.

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, February 15th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20-$30 (Door) $30 general, $15 students with ID and low income
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Sibarg Ensemble
2025-02-21 19:30 - 22:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.
UPDATE: Second Show added!

Sibarg Ensemble
Persian/Jazz Improvisation
The Sibarg Ensemble explores creative intercultural music-making by combining the sounds of Persian music, jazz, and free improvisation. Through original compositions, arrangements of classical melodies and folksongs, and improvisations, ensemble members draw on their distinct musical backgrounds while creating a unique dialogue with one another. With each performance, Sibarg sets out to create a sense of becoming, as opposed to fixed identities.
Featuring:
Sara Saberi – oud & vocals
Hesam Abedini – vocals
Josh Charney – keyboard
Jordan Glenn – drums

Friday, February 21st, 2025
Time:
First show: 6:45 pm door, 7:00 pm -8:15 pm show
Second show: 8:30 pm door, 8:45 pm -10:00 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
As San Diego Troubadour noted, Sibarg Ensemble embodies “an organic authenticity that reflects strong ties to both traditional Persian music and improvisational aspects of jazz.” Founded in 2008 by vocalist Hesam Abedini at Tehran Music Conservatory, Sibarg broke new ground as both the conservatory’s first intercultural ensemble and the first to bring together students from both the women’s and men’s music schools. Since relocating to the US in 2010, the ensemble has performed at UCLA’s Royce Hall, USC’s Bovard Auditorium, and the Carlsbad Music Festival. Their debut album “Cipher” (2018) exemplifies their dynamic approach to intercultural music-making, where traditional Iranian music and jazz improvisation interweave in an ever-evolving creative dialogue.
Facebook
Instagram: @Sibargensemble

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Friday, February 21st, 2025
Time:
First show: 6:45 pm door, 7:00 pm -8:15 pm show
Second show: 8:30 pm door, 8:45 pm -10:00 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & senior
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Emilio Teubal & Tristana Ferreyra-Rantalaiho
2025-02-22 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. It is advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Emilio Teubal & Tristana Ferreyra-Rantalaiho
New sounds from Latin America
NY-based Argentine Pianist and Composer Emilio Teubal presents music from his recent Piano solo record Seven Etudes. On the second set, Emilio is joined by Argentine singer Tristana Ferreyra-Rantalaiho. Together they will perform their own arrangements of classic songs from Latin America, from Tango to Bossa Novas.
Featuring:
Emilio Teubal: Piano
Tristana Ferreyra-Rantalaiho: Voice

Saturday, February 22nd, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20 – $25 (Door) $25 general, $20 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Emilio Teubal is a pianist/ composer/arranger from Argentina based in New York. He has recorded over thirty albums, both as a sideman and as a composer/bandleader, including the 2018 Latin Grammy Winner album “Vigor Tanguero” by the Pedro Giraudo Group. Futuro, his latest release (his sixth album as a bandleader/composer) has been included on the list of 2023 Best Jazz albums in Bandcamp. His new solo piano album “Seven Etudes” is scheduled to be released in February 2025
www.emilioteubal.com
https://open.spotify.com/artist/3GQZI3EylIfe723AlvQmay
Tristana Ferreyra-Rantalaiho is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. She often premieres vocal works by new composers as a soloist and with choirs. Her repertoire has a wide range, encompassing early and classical music, Argentinian tango, bossa nova, and the music of Kurt Weill. She has worked as a professional singer and choral conductor in Argentina and Finland. In 2016 she relocated to the Bay Area with her family. She sang in the vocal ensemble, Convivium in California and is now in the 21V ensemble. Tristana’s private studio is in the Bay Area and she teaches voice at Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, Community Music Center of San Francisco, Spindrift School of Music and Arts, and New Mozart School of Music.
https://on.soundcloud.com/ZGKabKf6MFGY9nVu7

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, February 22nd, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20 – $25 (Door) $25 general, $20 student & senior
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Grupo Falso Baiano (trio) ft. Catiá Lund
2025-03-07 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. It is advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Grupo Falso Baiano (trio) ft. Catiá Lund
Roots Samba, Bossa Nova, and Brazilian Choro
Grupo Falso Baiano will feature Brazilian vocalist, Catiá Lund to present wonderful instrumental Brazilan samba classics, Samba-Choros, and Bossa Nova in an evening of intimate music featuring percussion, guitar, and clarinet. From the nightclub district in Lapa of Rio de Janeiro to our own cultural heartbeat in the mission come listen to Roots Samba featuring the music of Cartola, Paulinho da Viola, Jacob do Bandolim, and muito, muito mais!
Featuring:
Brian Moran – 7-string guitar
Zack Pitt-Smith – reeds and samba drum
Ami Molinelli – percussion
Catia Lund – vocals

Friday, March 7th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20-25 / (Door) $25 general, $20 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Grupo Falso Baiano plays Brazilian choro and samba music and plays over 100 years of amazing music. They have been featured on NPR’s The California Report, Pandora Live, and with the Pasadena Pops Orchestra. They showcase the intersection of instrumental choro with roots samba. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram!
Cátia Lund, a vocalist and musician originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, began her formal music education at the age of 10. Driven by a deep fascination with the transformative power of music, she embarked on a lifelong journey of artistic and professional development. While pursuing a degree in Music Therapy at the Brazilian Conservatory of Music, Cátia recognized that music transcends mere entertainment and artistic expression—it possesses profound healing qualities. Currently based in Oakland, California, Cátia continues to explore the intersections of music, wellness, and creative expression, sharing her passion and artistry with diverse audiences.

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Friday, March 7th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20-25 / (Door) $25 general, $20 student & senior
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Taraf de Akácfa
2025-03-14 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. It is advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Taraf de Akácfa
Romanian Folk Music

Taraf de Akácfa performs the rich repertoire of Romanian folk music with distinctive interpretations and dynamic arrangements. They focus on the complex, southern Romanian style, Lăutarească, and incorporate a variety of traditional music from Moldova, Transylvania, and the Balkans.
Featuring:
Lulu Starr- violin
Ion Curteanu -cimbalom
Dmitri Gaskin – accordion
Ari Munkres – double bass

Friday, March 14th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $35-40 / (Door) $40 general, $30 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Taraf de Akácfa was created in 2014 by traveling street musicians who serendipitously met in Budapest, Hungary in an international collective house on Akácfa Street. The founding members of the group came from the United States, Sweden, Hungary, and France, and eventually chose to stay in Budapest, where they experienced constant musical inspiration and could share their common passion for Eastern European and Balkan folk music. Their current musical repertoire is predominantly centered around Romanian lăutarească, Moldovan and Transylvanian folk music, and they also perform a variety of folk music from the Balkans. While the formation of the band has changed and now the majority of the current members are native Hungarians, one thing has always remained; the shared curiosity and enthusiasm for this complex and dynamically rich traditional music. Taraf de Akácfa mixes the different musical and cultural backgrounds of its members, while tastefully blending different styles of folk music with innovative ideas and arrangements. They honor the sources and traditions which they draw upon, all while adding their own unique interpretation and style. Over the years, the members traveled throughout Romania, Moldova, and Hungary, researching the origins of the songs that they play. They have had the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest folk musicians, most notably those of Taraf de Haidouks as well as Marcel Râmba, who heavily influenced their current repertoire. In 2016 the band recorded their first self-titled album in Budapest. In 2018, their second full-length album “Trei Focuri” was recorded at Pheonix Studio in Diósd, Hungary.
Follow their work on Facebook, and YouTube!

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Friday, March 14th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $35-40 / (Door) $40 general, $30 student & senior
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

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Nato Green
2025-03-15 19:00 - 22:00
Update: Tickets for this event are now SOLD OUT.

Nato Green
In the Darkest Hour: The Most Political Comedy
San Francisco-based political comedian Nato Green brings a residency to the Red Poppy for one night only, with a work-in-progress show of the most political comedy to get us through this, the hour of darkness.
Featuring:
Nato Green with special guest Jackie Keliiaa

Saturday, March 15th, 2025
Time:
First show: 6:30 pm doors / 7:00–8:15 pm show
Second show: 8:30 pm doors / 8:45–10:00 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 student & senior -$30 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35

ABOUT THE ARTIST:

Nato Green is the country’s only semifunctional hybrid of political comedian and union organizer.
Nato starred along with W. Kamau Bell and Janine Brito in the streaming series Laughter Against the Machine on Means.tv, the first worker-owned post-capitalist streaming platform. He also appears regularly doing political comedy chats on the podcasts The Bugle and The Bitchuation Room. Nato Green released his second comedy album The Whiteness Album on Blonde Medicine Records and appeared in the film Sorry to Bother You. The Whiteness Album was named by the NPR show Bullseye with Jesse Thorn one of the best comedy albums of 2018.
Nato’s writing has appeared in the LA Review of Books, the San Francisco Examiner, In These Times, VICE, Truthdig, Huffington Post, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, The Rumpus, and The Bold Italic.
Nato has been named San Francisco’s Best Comedian by the SF Bay Guardian, SF Weekly, Huffington Post, SFist, and CBS. His comedy has been featured in Audible Comedy Originals including the Comedy Show Show, the Guest List, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, and Sounds Like America. He’s appeared on numerous podcasts including RISK!, the Dork Forest, Pod Damn America, WTF with Marc Maron, Put Your Hands Together, WBUR’s You’re the Expert, KQED’s Truth Be Told, KALW’s Kamau Right Now, Porchlight, Muni Diaries, and Fake the Nation with Negin Farsad.
Nato wrote for Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell on FX, the show that the New York Times called “five years ahead of its time.” One time the Episcopal Archbishop called him the antichrist
Follow him on Instagram!

Jackie Keliiaa is a stand-up comedian, writer, and actor based in Oakland, California with tribal affiliations to Yerington Paiute and Washoe. You can find her in the book, We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedy. Jackie has been featured on Comedy Central, Team Coco, Netflix, and IllumiNative’s 25 Native American Comedians to Follow. She wrote for the web series You’re Welcome America and has been featured in a variety of publications including Vulture, Uproxx, LA Times and KQED among others.
Jackie has opened for Judah Friedlander, Nikki Glaser, and was featured on the First Nations Comedy Experience streaming on Amazon Prime. Jackie produces Good Medicine Comedy, an all-Native comedy show which has sold out venues in the Bay Area and beyond. Jackie is a regular at Bay Area venues and has performed at San Francisco SketchFest, Punch Line San Francisco and Cobb’s Comedy Club.
Jackie attended undergrad at UC Berkeley, majoring in both Ethnic Studies and Native American Studies and minoring in City and Regional Planning. She has a Masters in Urban Planning from Columbia University and spent a decade working in community and economic development prior to pursuing comedy full time.

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, March 15th, 2025
Time:
First show: 6:30 pm doors / 7:00–8:15 pm show
Second show: 8:30 pm doors / 8:45–10:00 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 student & senior -$30 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Anaís Azul presents "Simp'ashani: Canciones Trenzadas"
2025-03-22 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. It is advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Anaís Azul presents “Simp’ashani: Canciones Trenzadas”
Experimental Andean Musical Storytelling of Migration
The album “Simp’ashani: Canciones Trenzadas” is the result of the research Anaís Azul conducted while on their Fulbright U.S. Student Scholarship, which gave them the opportunity to travel to Perú to study Charango (from Ayacucho and Cusco) and Quechua (Chanka and Collao) for 9 months. “Simp’ashani” began as a project compiling Andean music to create an album of multilingual (Quechua, Spanish, and English) reinterpretations of said songs using experimental production. Now, the album also includes field recordings, interviews, and original compositions about the journey Anaís has been on re-connecting to their Indigenous ancestry. In this project, Anaís braids their Andean heritage and music with their diasporic longing in a heartfelt way.
Featuring:
Anaís Azul
Opener: Lxs Perrxs del Cerro

Saturday, March 22nd 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20-25 / (Door) $25 general, $20 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Anais Azul (they/them) is a Peruvian-born, California-grown, composer, vocalist, and charango player. Since immigrating to the U.S. at age 4, they have longed to connect to their Andean roots. Having produced 3 EPs, in September 2024 they released their debut album “Simp’ashani: Canciones Trenzadas” with tracks ranging from sound bath-like experimental versions of Andean songs to original singer-songwriter style compositions. Whether they are writing, performing, or teaching music, Anaís is committed to decolonization and honoring Indigenous practices. Described as “stunningly honest and vulnerable,” Anaís’ artistry engages music as a tool for community building and collective healing.

Follow their work on Facebook, Instagram, and Spotify! Listen to their album on all platforms here.

Opening act:
Lxs Perrxs del Cerro
Touring all the way from Perú for the first time in the US, this is a musical project of experimental folk music that seeks to give a new identity to diverse stories through music. Lucho Ramirez & RENVOLUCIÓN compose and sing stories of love, struggle, and hope, so we don’t forget who we are.
Follow their work here.

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, March 22nd 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20-25 / (Door) $25 general, $20 student & senior
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Katchapuri Trio
2025-03-29 19:30 - 21:00
UPDATE: Show Postponed to March 29
Due to flu season taking its toll, our Feb 7 show is now postponed to Saturday, March 29. Stay healthy, and thanks for your support! ❤️

Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Katchapuri Trio
Chamber Jazz Trio: Originals & Homage to Legends
David James, Jess Ivry, and Beth Custer perform original songs, instrumentals, and arrangements of the music of Chick Corea, Julius Hemphill, Kurt Weill, and others. A transparent, dynamic, ensemble that will titillate your senses in everyone’s favorite San Francisco micro venue Red Poppy Art House, not to be missed!
Featuring:
Jess Ivry – cello/voice
Beth Custer – clarinets/voice
David James – guitar/voice

Saturday, March 29th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
David James is a San Francisco-born composer, guitarist, vocalist, and bandleader who draws from his years of experience in hip-hop, film and theater scores, afrobeat, and more, bringing these influences to bear in his “ … thoughtfully composed, boundary-blurring new music.” (All About Jazz).
Beth Custer is an Emmy Award-winning, San Francisco-based composer, performer, recording artist, bandleader, and the proprietor of BC Records and All Hands on Deck Publishing. She has recordings out with ensembles The Beth Custer Ensemble, Eighty Mile Beach, Clarinet Thing, Trance Mission, Club Foot Orchestra, and her latest ensemble Russian Telegraph.
Jess Ivry is a San Francisco Conservatory of Music-trained cellist and singer who studied with Bonnie Hampton and plays various genres, including Balkan, Klezmer, Bluegrass, Jazz, and Pop. From 2004-2015, she played, sang, co-managed, and promoted Real Vocal String Quartet, a world music string and vocal ensemble that pushed the string quartet boundaries.

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, March 29th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & senior
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Diaspora Ensemble
2025-04-26 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. It is advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Diaspora Ensemble
Music of the Mediterranean
Diaspora Ensemble will play music from Greece, Turkey, the Balkans, and songs from the Sefardic repertoire. The band is excited to return to the Red Poppy with talented friends Joe Rosato on bass and Zina Pozen on accordion, along with the delightful dancer Nicole Maria.
Featuring:
Leah Sirkin – violin, vocals
Tano Brock – clarinet, laouto, vocals
Zina Pozen – accordion, vocals
Joe Rosato – Double Bass
Steven Brock – tabla, kanjira, frame drum
Nicole Maria – dance, Middle Eastern percussion

Saturday, April 26th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20-30 (Students/low income: $20) / (Door) $30-$35 general

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Diaspora Ensemble plays music from Greece, Turkey, the Balkans, and Afghanistan, and songs in Ladino from the Sefardic repertoire. The soulful and lively melodies in varied meters transport the listener to exotic lands and are often vehicles for improvisation. Leah Sirkin, Tano Brock, and Steven Brock are the core members of this family band from San Francisco.
Leah Sirkin has studied with master musicians and singers from Greece, the Balkans, and the Middle East for over two decades. She has performed with the Aswat Arabic Orchestra, the Silk Road Caravan, and Helm, in addition to her family band, Diaspora.
Tano Brock is a multi-instrumentalist who has studied and performed with master musicians from the Balkans, Turkey, and the Middle East. He leads the Sarma Brass Band in NYC, among other projects, performs regularly with Inspector Gadje and La Doña, and is on staff teaching and leading the brass band and kids’ band at the Mendocino Balkan Camp.
Steven Brock has been playing tabla for over thirty years, studying with the master Swapan Chaudhury at the Ali Akbar College of Music. He has been playing and studying kanjira with two South Indian master musicians for the last decade.
Originally from Ukraine, Zina Pozen grew up in a family of classical musicians, playing piano from a young age. Zina plays klezmer, Moldovan, Ukrainian, Turkish, Armenian, and Greek rebetiko with many Bay Area bands, including the Saul Goodman Klezmer Band, Orchestra Euphonos, and Metanastys.
Joe Rosato Jr. is a Bay Area upright bassist who has played with numerous musical luminaries, including Lowell Fulson, Ron Thompson, Sugar Pie DeSanto, Tim Weed, and the Turkish band Lars and In Charge. In a career spanning four decades, he’s proven himself a versatile sideman adeptly playing everything from bluegrass to jazz to Balkan.
Nicole Maria has been studying, teaching, and performing contemporary and traditional forms of Arabic dance for over a decade. A multiple award-winning dancer, Nicole is known for being an engaging and charismatic entertainer, for elevating the level of the art form, and for her elegance and grace. Instagram: @nicolemariadance

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, April 26th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20-30 (Students/low income: $20) / (Door) $30-$35 general
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Will Marsh & The Integration Ensemble
2025-05-03 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Will Marsh & The Integration Ensemble
Raga-inspired world music ensemble
The Integration Ensemble seamlessly integrates the richness of jazz, jam, Hindustani, and classical sounds for a sum much greater than its parts.
“Like Ravi Shankar jamming with the Buena Vista Social Club” – renowned producer Ben Leinbach.
Featuring:
Will Marsh – sitar, guitar
Josh Mellinger – percussion
Misha Khalikulov – cello
Yoon Lee – sax

Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Will Marsh brings refined melody, imagination, and devotion to all facets of his music. He has been performing worldwide on sitar and guitar for over two decades. Will has worked with Grammy-winning musicians and producers and has been featured on national T.V. His deep commitment to the tradition of Hindustani classical music on sitar has profoundly shaped his artistry and he has been blessed to study with the legendary musicians Ustad Aashish Khan, Roshan Jamal Bhartiya and Tushar Bhatia.
His latest release “The Integration” expresses a fresh approach to bringing a world of sounds and influences together. Currently, Will is a sought-after teacher, performer, and recording artist in the California Bay Area.
Follow his work on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Spotify!

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, May 3rd, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & senior
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

SFIAF - Karma Roulette Quartet
2025-05-04 19:00 - 21:00
Karma Roulette Quartet
Slinky Proverb
Slinky Proverb is the title of one of two new works by Michael Smolens that will be performed for the first time in California as part of this evening-long concert. Slinky Proverb combines West-African groove with bluesy, contemporary jazz, and 20th-century classical-influenced melodies. The second new composition is titled Abakim. It is a chamber work that features the kalimba and progresses into a jazz waltz.
Featuring:
Composer/Arranger/Flute: Michael Smolens
Violins/Strings: Michèle Walther
Percussion: Michaelle Goerlitz, Brian Rice

Sunday, May 4th, 2025
Time: 6:30 pm doors, 7:00 pm show
Admission: Early Bird: $20 / Advance: $25 / Door: $28
Purchase tickets for this event here. For the best deals, see multiple shows with a discount Festival Pass.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Karma Roulette Quartet
The Karma Roulette Quartet is made up of four veteran multi-instrumentalists, composers, and bandleaders. The group features compositions by award-winning composer/arranger Michael Smolens, work by renowned Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti, musically-related poetry, and soundscapes created on the spot. Their sound includes nearly 30 different instruments and draws from the worlds of West Africa, Afro-Cuba, North India, Turkey, and Brazil — as well as jazz, funk, and classical styles. The violinist’s solo looping piece with voice and the two-percussion duet are audience favorites.
Michael Smolens
Michael has been composing, arranging, and performing for six decades. He has been commissioned by Meet The Composer, Fleishhacker & Bernard Osher Foundations, National Public Radio, Occidental Community Choir, UCSC Dance Department, and many vocalists, contemporary churches, and festivals. Michael has six CDs of original work and has performed or recorded instrumentally with Stefon Harris (vibes), Paul McCandless, Paul Hanson, Sheldon Brown (reeds), David Balakrishnan & Evan Price (jazz violin/viola), Steve Erquiaga (guitar), Zakir Hussain (tabla), Akira Tana & Alan Hall (drums), and Claudia Schmidt, Raz Kennedy & Rhiannon (voice); and as a vocalist with Pollyanna Bush, David Worm & Bryan Dyer (Bobby McFerrin collaborators). Follow his work on Facebook!
Michèle Walther
Violinist Michèle Walther is a performer, composer, arranger, and educator from Switzerland and San Francisco. Michèle has performed in venues throughout Europe and North America with Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull, Gloria Estefan, Joe Lovano, Oscar Stagnaro (Paquito D’Rivera), John Cage, Basel Sinfonietta, Mark Feldman, LaMuseMent, and more. Recent performances include Resonance at SFJazz and Yoshi’s, and “A Living Tribute to Carla Bley” at SFJazz, where she was featured in “Birds of Paradise”. Ms. Walther earned her M.M. at the Conservatory of Music in Basel, Switzerland, and later graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, majoring in jazz violin performance.
Michaelle Goerlitz
Michaelle has been performing, touring, recording, and studying drums & percussion since 1970, exploring Brazilian, Afro Cuban, Venezuelan, Peruvian, and Middle Eastern rhythms (plus American idioms jazz, R&B, and funk). She was a founding member of two renowned & long-term projects, the Blazing Redheads and Wild Mango. Both groups blended many different styles, which showcased Michaelle’s versatile percussive skills. She has collaborated with artists that encompass a huge range of styles: Latin jazz, Brazilian, Middle Eastern, Afro-Peruvian, Broadway, singer-songwriter, and New Music. They include Mark Levine, Wayne Wallace, Houston Pearson, Denise Perrier, and Joan Jeanrenaud, to name but a few.
Brian Rice
Brian is a freelance percussionist. He currently performs with Tres Baia (which he founded), Cascada de Flores, Danilo Brito, Mike Marshall and Choro Famoso, Wake the Dead, The Berkeley Choro Ensemble, Samba Rio, Mariah Parker Indo-Latin Ensemble, and Orchestrating Excellence. Brian’s classical music background and expertise on a vast array of hand drums came into play when he performed in over seventy shows of “The Lion King”, the Santa Rosa Symphony’s rendition of the silent film “Metropolis”, and John Luther Adams’ “Inuksuit”. Brian has a B.M. in Percussion Performance and Ethnomusicology from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

PREVIEW THE ARTISTS:

SAN FRANSISCO INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL (SFIAF):

SFIAF celebrates the arts by bringing together a global community of artists and audiences. SFIAF presents innovative projects that focus on increasing awareness and understanding within and across cultures. Their core values are based on principles of cultural and economic equity and coordinating the shared resources of multiple organizations in order to reach mutually beneficial goals.
SFIAF presents the work of innovative artists from the Bay Area and around the world; many of the international artists make their US debut at the Festival. From 2003-23, SFIAF and more than 100 presenting partners have coordinated, presented, and/or produced performances by over 600 arts ensembles from California and 60 other countries, and presented hundreds of educational and community engagement activities with diverse communities.
In addition to working with larger institutions, SFIAF places a high priority on the participation of culturally diverse and smaller entities—in particular, communities whose histories have been marginalized or left out of the prevailing American narrative. Activating and supporting relationships between such organizations and artists is a key component of SFIAF.

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, May 4th, 2025
Time: 6:30 pm doors, 7:00 pm show
Admission: Early Bird: $20 / Advance: $25 / Door: $28
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase tickets for this event here. For the best deals, see multiple shows with a discount Festival Pass.
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

ReroRera World Ethnic Inspirations
2025-05-10 19:00 - 20:15
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

ReroRera World Ethnic Inspirations
World music in the language of Jazz, Funk, Fusion
ReroRera is in a continuous search for “common grounds”, common paths and, ultimately, a common expressive language of different ethnic musical traditions. Then, using that language in the original compositions influenced by Georgian, Polish, Scandinavian, Turkish, and Afro-Cuban folk musical traditions.
Featuring:
Zaza Korinteli
Sergey Prokushkin – Piano
Billy Edwards – Bass

Saturday, May 10th, 2025
Time: 6:30 pm doors, 7:00 pm show
Admission: (Online) $30-$35 / (Door) $25-$35 general, ($25 student & senior)

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Zaza Korinteli – better known by his stage name Zumba – is a Georgian ethnic-jazz-rock musician and musicologist whose work fuses a wide variety of genres, both Georgian folk and other world musical traditions. Zaza is a multi-instrumentalist on guitar, bass, Georgian Phanduri, and other wind instruments, percussions, and vocals.
Sergey Prokushkin is a jazz pianist and composer with a multicultural background focusing on a variety of world folk music with South American, Middle Eastern, and European flavors. Born in Tajikistan, Sergey has been playing on the Bay Area scene since 2015 including San Jose Jazz Summerfest.
Billy Edwards is a bassist from San Jose under the mentorship of Buster Williams. Billy has found success as a sideman with artists such as Steve Carrington, Roy McCurdy, Douye, Sylvia Cuenca, Blaque Dynamite, and Faye Carol.
Follow their work on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok!

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, May 10th, 2025
Time: 6:30 pm doors, 7:00 pm show
Admission: (Online) $30-$35 / (Door) $25-$35 general, ($25 student & senior)
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

SFIAF - Bach, Tango & Beyond
2025-05-11 16:30 - 17:45
Bach, Tango & Beyond
Teresa Tam, Obadiah Díaz Wrynla, Basma Edrees
Teresa and Obadiah began their first project together in 2024, brought together by their shared love of tango music. Joining them is Basma, an accomplished violinist with an extensive and diverse background in Western and Arabic music. The three musicians, with vastly different histories, come together to showcase a wide array of songs from various traditions. From Bach to Piazzolla, Disney to Mandopop, and beyond, their repertoire celebrates the boundless possibilities between violin, voice, and bandoneón.
Featuring:
Vocals: Teresa Tam
Violin: Basma Edrees
Bandoneón: Obadiah Díaz Wrynla

Sunday, May 11th, 2025
Time: 4:00pm doors, 4:30 pm show
Admission: Early Bird: $20 / Advance: $25 / Door: $28
Purchase tickets for this event here. For the best deals, see multiple shows with a discount Festival Pass.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Teresa Tam is a vocalist known for her versatile repertoire, ranging from classical crossover to jazz and tango-inspired music. Obadiah Díaz Wrynla is a bandoneón specialist with a deep passion for tango and folk traditions. Basma Edrees is a Juilliard-trained violinist proficient in Western orchestral performance and skilled in traditional Arabic music. Together, they create an intercultural exchange of ideas that resonates deeply with audiences and themselves, transforming each concert into a shared journey of discovery.
Teresa’s Facebook and Instagram
Obadiah’s Instagram
Basma’s Instagram

PREVIEW THE ARTISTS:

SAN FRANSISCO INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL (SFIAF):

SFIAF celebrates the arts by bringing together a global community of artists and audiences. SFIAF presents innovative projects that focus on increasing awareness and understanding within and across cultures. Their core values are based on principles of cultural and economic equity and coordinating the shared resources of multiple organizations in order to reach mutually beneficial goals.
SFIAF presents the work of innovative artists from the Bay Area and around the world; many of the international artists make their US debut at the Festival. From 2003-23, SFIAF and more than 100 presenting partners have coordinated, presented, and/or produced performances by over 600 arts ensembles from California and 60 other countries, and presented hundreds of educational and community engagement activities with diverse communities.
In addition to working with larger institutions, SFIAF places a high priority on the participation of culturally diverse and smaller entities—in particular, communities whose histories have been marginalized or left out of the prevailing American narrative. Activating and supporting relationships between such organizations and artists is a key component of SFIAF.

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, May 11th, 2025
Time: 4:00pm doors, 4:30 pm show
Admission: Early Bird: $20 / Advance: $25 / Door: $28
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase tickets for this event here. For the best deals, see multiple shows with a discount Festival Pass.
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Barbar Band
2025-05-17 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Barbar Band
Modern Soundscapes in Armenian Music
Barbar Band is a creative collaboration between Khatchadour Khatchadourian, vocalist and duduk player, and Karine Vann, pianist, and musicologist. Combining modern musical styles with traditional instrumentation, the duo presents arrangements of Armenia’s folk, troubadour, and sacred music, which include musical landscapes both old and new to showcase the incredible diversity in these timeless songs of love, loss, faith, and the land.
Featuring:
Karine Vann – Piano and Vocals
Khatchadour Khatchadourian – Duduk and Vocals

Saturday, May 17th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Khatchadour is a Lebanese-Armenian vocalist and musician. He sings in Armenian, Arabic, and Farsi, and plays the Armenian double reed woodwind, Duduk. Khatchadour has released five albums and is working on his sixth album, Shounch: Breath.
Follow his work on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!
Karine Vann is a pianist and researcher with degrees in classical piano from the Jacobs School of Music and Musicology from the University of Oxford. Originally from the DC area, she studied improv with local jazz master Wade Beach for two years before moving to Armenia, where she worked with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage to help preserve and document the country’s rich folk culture. She currently resides in Napa, where she teaches piano, singing, improvisation, and arranging.
Follow her work on Facebook, and Instagram!

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, May 17th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25-30 / (Door) $30 general, $25 student & senior
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

SFSU Creative Writing Thesis Reading
2025-05-18 19:00 - 21:00
Take Place: SFSU Creative Writing Thesis Reading
Celebrating Groundbreaking Bay Area Writers
Take Place presents a cross-genre thesis reading honoring the work of graduating SFSU Creative Writing MFA/MA students. A night to celebrate and gather with the local literary community.
Featuring:
Maria Thomas
Tashina Boyer
Kirsten Lofgren
Laird Harrison
Zoey Sparks
Ferdos Heidari
Meilani Clay
Lizeth De La Luz
Michael Gallagher
Nithya Vasudevan
Clara Sperow

Sunday, May 18th, 2025
Time: 7 pm to 9 pm
This is a FREE event!

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS:
Take Place is a reading series run by graduate students in the Creative Writing program at San Francisco State University. Throughout the school year, we invite emerging authors to come read from their work, with an emphasis on featuring current MFA/MA students and alumni of our program.

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, May 18th, 2025
Time: 7 pm to 9 pm
This is a FREE event!
Note: Seating is first come, first served.
RSVP to the Facebook event:

Volunteer for this event!

Tardezinha do Carnaval
2025-05-25 15:00 - 19:00
Tardezinha do Carnaval
A Relaxed Post-Carnaval Gathering in the Mission
Red Poppy invites friends, family, and the extended community to a laid-back afternoon celebration following the Carnaval SF parade. Join us at the legendary Red Poppy Art House for an early evening of music, connection, and joy.
Expect Música Brasileira, drinks, snacks, and great company!

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, May 25th, 2025
Time: 3 pm to 7 pm
This is a FREE event! All are welcome.
NOTE: This is a free community event. A suggested donation of $10 will help cover event costs, and if there’s anything left over, it will go as a contribution to the Red Poppy Art House.
Viva lá Carnaval – Vamo Que Vamo!

Note: Seating is first come, first served.
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Pedro José Pastrana and Friends
2025-05-31 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. It is advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Pedro José Pastrana and Friends
Noche de Boleros y Trova
Pedro José Pastrana presents Noche de Boleros. A tribute project to play the music connected to our roots, which never gets old.
Featuring:
Pedro José Pastrana
Karla Rivera Lozada – vocals
Mario “Mayombe” Cruz – clarinet
Alejo Cordero on Bandola – Guitar

Saturday, May 31st, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20 – $25 (Door) $25 general, $20 student & senior

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
A music creator rethinking the concept of Puerto Rican music, Pedro crosses over invisible frontiers with an (extra)ordinary approach to music. He aims to fuse the earthy quality of folk music with forward-looking compositions and live performances, reflecting the mixed identities of his heritage and influences.
Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Pedro José Pastrana grew up in the “jíbaro” music tradition and was surrounded by the vocabulary of other popular sounds. His work has been reviewed and play-listed by LatinJazzNet, KCSM Jazz, Puerto Rico Jazz, and PRPop. As a sideman, Pedro has redefined the versatility of the Puerto Rican Cuatro in Latin Jazz by performing and recording with artists like John Santos, Barrio Manouche, Jerry Medina, Juango Gutierrez, Orestes Vilató, and The Oakland Symphony, among others.
His 2022 debut album, Crónicas de la Pierna Inquieta, selected by prpop.org among the top 20 best recordings of that year, consists of eight original tracks, serving as snapshots of self-discovery, inspired by the coming-of-age events of the past 13 years. This work combines incisive, Cuatro-generated groove-based songwriting with the sounds of Puerto Rico as the color palette.
https://www.pjpastranamusic.com/

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, May 31st, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $20 – $25 (Door) $25 general, $20 student & senior
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
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Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet
2025-06-06 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet
Contemporary Tango
Bandoneonist and composer Charles Gorczynski returns to the Bay Area, for the first time with his acclaimed Minneapolis quartet: pianist Alex Woods, violinist Devan Moran, and bassist Sarah Lahasky. The quartet is touring to support their new album Dead Stars (Caverns Records 2025), a set of original and contemporary tangos that push into very personal, heartfelt, and dark themes.
Featuring:
Charles Gorczynski – Bandoneon
Devan Moran – Violin
Alex Woods – Piano
Sarah Lahasky – Contrabass

Friday, June 6th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $30-$35 / (Door) $25-$35 general, ($25 student & senior)

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Minneapolis-based composer and bandoneonist Charles Gorczynski works in contemporary tango, new music, and studio production. He leads the acclaimed modern tango ensemble Charles Gorczynski Tango Quartet and is the director of the Twin Cities Tango Collective.
Charles has premiered his compositions at the Chamber Music Northwest Festival and the San Francisco International Arts Festival, worked as faculty for Tango Sin Fin and Tanguero Workshop, and is regularly commissioned for new works for tango chamber ensembles. As a bandoneonist, he has worked with the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, Cheyenne Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Chorale, California Symphony, Vocal Essence at Orchestra Hall, Mason Bates’ Mercury Soul Orchestra, and many other orchestral and chamber music organizations. Charles has recorded and toured with international tango projects, including Mariano Barreiro Tango Trio, Tango BC Quartet, Alejandro Ziegler Cuarteto, Maxi Larrea Trio, Maldito Tango, and Los Tangueros Del Oeste.
Follow his work on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube!

EVENT DETAILS
Friday, June 6th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $30-$35 / (Door) $25-$35 general, ($25 student & senior)
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
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June 7th MAPP
2025-06-07 19:00 - 22:00
June 7th MAPP

Saturday, June 7th, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Red Poppy Art House
2698 Folsom @23rd
Curator: Dina Zarif
6:30 pm – Doors
7:00 pm – 7:50 pm: Andrea Guskin, Fracture Zones (art, music, words)
8:00 pm – 8:50 pm: Eduardo Corzo (Cuban Piano)
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Jazz Manouche duo (Acoustic Jazz guitar)
Exhibition: Andrea Guskin’s newest body of work: Fracture Zones.
THIS IS A FREE EVENT!
MAPP (Mission Arts & Performance Project)
Launched in 2003, the Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) is a homegrown bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, intercultural event that takes place in the Mission District of San Francisco. On the first Saturday of every even month of the year, the MAPP transforms ordinary spaces, such as private garages, gardens, living rooms, studios, street corners, and small businesses into pop-up performance and exhibition sites for a day/night of intimate-scale artistic and cultural exchange among a kaleidoscope of individuals and communities.
RED POPPY MAPP TEAM:
Artistic Director | Managing Director: Dina Zarif
PR and Digital Marketing: Anjali Varma
THE PROGRAM

Time

Performance/Event
Description

Artists

Exhibition:
Andrea Guskin’s newest body of work: Fracture Zones

7:00 pm- 7:50 pm

Exhibition Opening
Fracture Zones | art, music, words

Andrea Guskin

8:00 pm -8:50 pm

Eduardo Corzo
Cuban Piano

Eduardo Corzo – Piano

9:00 pm -10:00 pm
Jazz Manouche duo
Acoustic Jazz guitar

Ross Howe – Guitar
Javier Jiménez – Guitar

EXHIBITION: Fracture Zones
Fracture Zones | art, music, words
Join us for a multidisciplinary art event featuring Andrea Guskin’s newest body of work: Fracture Zones.
On opening night, she will sing original songs related to this series and share the story and inspirations behind the work.

ARTIST STATEMENT
Andrea Guskin is a San Francisco Bay Area-based artist working across multiple disciplines, including photography, sculpture, and painting. She often uses everyday domestic materials and tools for mending–such as thread, foil, spices– to explore ancestry, domesticity, and strategies for repair and transformation in our daily lives.
Her current body of work, Fracture Zones, was inspired by the geographical language and imagery of topographic maps — particularly the large scars forming “fracture zones” deep beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean. She sees the fracture zones as a metaphor for the layers of emotional experience related to ancestry, immigration, and lost family narratives.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Photo Credit: Gary Sexton
Andrea Guskin is a San Francisco Bay Area based multidisciplinary artist who was raised amongst the woods and college campuses of Wisconsin and Ohio. After studying painting at Antioch College in Ohio, Guskin moved to New York City and became part of the art and songwriting communities on the Lower East Side, joining a group of visual and performing artists working in a 19th century school building now known as The Clemente. She exhibited her work and performed her songs regularly in the East Village (Sidewalk Cafe, C Note, CBGB’s Gallery).
Since moving to California, she has regularly exhibited her work throughout the state (Berkeley Art Center, H Gallery, Mercury 20 Gallery), often combining her experience in museum education with her creative practice to lead participatory art events. Andrea is a 2025 recipient of the San Leandro Arts and Culture grant for her community cyanotype project, Local Roots.
In 2023, she graduated with an M.F.A degree in Interdisciplinary Arts from Mills College at Northeastern University. She currently lives in San Leandro with her husband and two sons.

ABOUT THE PERFORMING ARTISTS

Eduardo Corzo
Cuban Piano
Featuring originals and standards of the Cuban music repertoire.
Eduardo Corzo was born and raised in Havana, Cuba, where he began his musical studies with his father, a violinist in the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. Eduardo studied guitar and piano and graduated as a clarinetist from Conservatorio Ignacio Cervantes. He has composed and arranged music for Cuban and Mexican television, served as musical director of the Conjunto Nacional de Espectáculos, and toured throughout Latin America. Living in Mexico during the 90’s, he played piano, clarinet, and alto sax with artists like Lila Downs, Amaury Gutierrez, Leoginaldo Pimentel, and more. Today, he resides in San Francisco and performs as a soloist with local and international bands. He is an artist with a broad vision, interested in genres and styles different from his own, and whose background ranges from Bach’s partitas to Afro-Cuban sounds, as well as music from around the world.

Jazz Manouche
Acoustic Jazz Manouche guitar duo
Their style is very open and often incorporates Latin or flamenco style influences while always maintaining the jazz concept of improvisation.
Featuring:
Ross Howe – Guitar
Javier Jiménez – Guitar
Born in Madrid Spain, Javi Jiménez has been playing and studying guitar for over 25 years. In 2007, after graduating from the Conservatory of Jazz Music in Barcelona, Spain, Javi performed all over Europe. During this time, he discovers the music of Django Reinhardt, falls in love with it, and starts studying it. In 2010 Javi arrived in California and has been performing & working as a studio musician and teaching music. He composes, arranges and performs in his own band Barrio Manouche – A Blend of flamenco, gypsy jazz and latin rhythms. The band recently played at the Monterey Jazz Festival and Stern Grove Festival.
Ross Howe grew up in the Bay Area and was heavily influenced by the vibrant local music scene. In his early 20’s he discovered the music of Django Reinhardt and fell in love with it. Ross started playing Piano at the age of 8 and then turned to cello at 11. By the time he turned 12 he started playing guitar and has been in love with it ever since. His style of playing incorporates elements of classical tradition with the vocabulary of contemporary jazz, and gypsy jazz Manouche music, while always maintaining respect of the jazz guitar traditions and it’s forefathers, particularly the immortal Django Reinhardt. When not composing, playing or teaching guitar, Ross spends as much time as possible surfing and racing sailboats. Ross tries to breathe a bit of fresh air into the art of improvised music through contemporary aesthetics that he hopes his audience will find refreshing.

A MAP for a MAPP
Coming soon…

IN PERSON EVENT DETAILS
Time: June 7th, 2025, 7pm- 10pm (IN-PERSON)
Admission: Free!

DONATE

Art of the Duo: George Brooks and Utsav Lal
2025-06-14 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. You are advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Art of the Duo: George Brooks and Utsav Lal
“Raga Pianist” joins forces with legendary saxophonist
Utsav Lal, the trailblazing “Raga Pianist,” joins forces with legendary saxophonist George Brooks for a captivating duo performance. Together, these two virtuosos craft new music that draws from the profound traditions of Indian classical music and American jazz, seamlessly fused with the aesthetics of contemporary minimalism.
Featuring:
George Brooks – Saxophone
Utsav Lal – Piano

Saturday, June 14th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 student & senior – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
George Brooks, celebrated for his pioneering work in fusing Indian classical music with jazz, has collaborated with iconic artists such as Zakir Hussain, John McLaughlin, and Terry Riley. His emotive and technically brilliant saxophone artistry has earned him acclaim as a leading figure in cross-cultural musical innovation. Known for his innovative reimagining of Indian classical music, Utsav Lal blends tradition with modernity. His piano mastery brings ragas and talas to life with emotional depth and precision, offering a fresh, captivating perspective on this ancient tradition.
This extraordinary collaboration creates a genre-defying soundscape that bridges cultures and traditions. The performance will feature a mix of composed and improvised material, inspired by the rich structures of Indian classical music. A true treat for lovers of Indian classical, jazz, and world music!
Utsav Lal, the acclaimed “Raga Pianist” and Young Steinway Artist, is a visionary Indian pianist and composer who has redefined the role of the piano in Hindustani Classical music. With a career spanning two decades, Lal’s soulful renditions of traditional Alap Jod Jhalla have captivated audiences worldwide, with performances at leading venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Southbank Centre, and NCPA. Blending ancient tradition with innovation, Lal’s music is renowned for its sincerity, depth, and intensity. Influenced by Dhrupad music and artists like The Necks and Thelonious Monk, he has developed a unique voice for the piano, challenging conventional improvisation techniques. Novara Jazz Festival Director Corrado Beldi describes Lal’s playing as having “illuminating grace.”
George Brooks is an award-winning saxophonist and composer renowned for bridging jazz and Indian classical music. He founded influential Indian fusion groups, including Summit with Zakir Hussain, Bombay Jazz with Ronu Majumdar and Larry Coryell, Raga Bop Trio with Steve Smith and Prasanna, Kirwani Quartet with Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia, and Elements with Kala Ramnath and Gwyneth Wentink. Brooks began his jazz studies with Count Basie saxophonist Frank Foster and continued at the New England Conservatory with George Russell, Joe Allard, and Jaki Byard. His journey took him to India, where he studied Indian classical music with Pandit Pran Nath. His albums are considered groundbreaking in the fusion of jazz and Indian classical music.

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Saturday, June 14th, 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $25 student & senior – $29 Early Bird – $35 General / (Door) $35
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
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Sarah Cabral Invites
2025-06-15 19:30 - 21:00
Advance tickets are available online. It is advised to purchase advance tickets for this event.

Sarah Cabral Invites
Brazilian Jazz
Brazilian singer Sarah Cabral returns to the Bay Area and invites colleagues to collaborate on a unique repertoire, original material as well as classics.
Featuring:
Sarah Cabral – Vocals
Ian Faquini – Acoustic Guitar
Eva Scow – Mandolin
Alex Calatayud – Percussion

Sunday, June 15th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $29 Students & Seniors – $35 Early Bird – $40 General / (Door) $40

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Sarah Cabral is a vocalist and composer from southern Brazil whose music breathes new life into traditional and popular Brazilian forms. Drawing from modern jazz, avant-garde, and classical influences, her work bridges the past and present with both elegance and innovation. As noted by Helvécio Cardoso in Diário da Manhã, her music “unites the sophistication of the most exquisite taste and simplicity.”
Cabral studied at the California Jazz Conservatory under the mentorship of Marcos Silva. She has collaborated with a wide range of acclaimed artists, including Bororó Felipe, Guilherme Monteiro, Simone Pratico, Mauro Refosco, Hélio Alves, Mike Moreno, and Chico Pinheiro.
Now based in New York City, Cabral is actively working on several recordings and original compositions. One of her upcoming projects, co-produced by Grammy Award–winner Chico Pinheiro, is set for release later this year.
She has performed at notable venues and festivals both in the U.S. and internationally.
Follow her work on Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube

PREVIEW THE PERFORMANCE:

EVENT DETAILS
Sunday, June 15th 2025
Time: 7:00 pm doors, 7:30 pm show
Admission: (Online) $29 Students & Seniors – $35 Early Bird – $40 General / (Door) $40
Note: A limited quantity of additional tickets will be available for purchase at the door unless otherwise noted on the Facebook event page that the show is SOLD OUT.
Purchase advance tickets for this event
Note: Purchasing an advance ticket guarantees admission but does not guarantee a seat. Seating is first come, first served.
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Volunteer for this event!

ShadowLight Presents: 7 Visions
2025-06-20 19:30 - 21:00
ShadowLight Presents: 7 Visions
Shadow Theater Meets Día de los Muertos
Join us at Red Poppy for a special screening of “7 Visions of Encarnacion” (2002), followed by an artist talk and Día de los Muertos-inspired live music!
7 Visions is a shadow theater film that blends live-action puppetry, narration, and music to explore themes of cultural identity and spiritual awakening. Written by acclaimed playwright Octavio Solis and directed by shadow master Larry Reed, the story follows a young monk in San Francisco’s Mission District as he experiences a series of surreal visions that reconnect him to his Latino roots. The original music, composed by Richard Marriott and performed by the duo Cascada de Flores, fuses traditional Mexican folk with original compositions that underscore the dreamlike and emotional journey of the protagonist. The screening will be followed by an artist talk and live musical selections from the original soundtrack.
Featuring:
Larry Reed – Director, Artist Talk
Moja – Masked shadow performer of Encarnación (featured in film)
Cascada de Flores (Arwen Lawrence & Jorge Liceaga) – Live musical performance
Arwen Lawrence – Vocals, percussion
Jorge Liceaga – Guitar

Friday, June 20th 2025
Time: 7 pm doors; 7:30 pm show
Admission: Minimum donation: $5. Contributions above this amount are appreciated.
Tickets are now available!

ABOUT:
Larry Reed is a master shadow puppeteer and founder of ShadowLight Productions. Trained in traditional Balinese wayang kulit, he is internationally recognized for pioneering cinematic shadow theater, which blends live puppetry, film, and music into immersive storytelling.
ShadowLight Productions was founded in 1972 by filmmaker/theatre director/shadow artist Larry Reed. We have served San Francisco as a nonprofit theater company for nearly 30 years.
The mission of ShadowLight Productions is to expose the general public to the art of Shadow Theater. The means of providing such exposure includes but is not limited to live theater, film, and other media. We strive to preserve indigenous shadow theater traditions and to explore and expand the possibilities of the shadow theater medium by creating innovative interdisciplinary, multicultural works.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

EVENT DETAILS
Friday, June 20th 2025
Time: 7 pm doors; 7:30 pm show
Admission: Minimum donation: $5. Contributions above this amount are appreciated.
Get your tickets now!
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