Red Poppy Art House

Discussion 3: Marcus Shelby Presents Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex
2015-03-26 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex on March 12th, 19th, and 26th, 2015. A series of interactive discussions, Marcus Shelby will delve into our justice system, its flaws, and how music can be used as a tool for reform and change; both in front and behind bars. This lecture series will culminate with a performance on Friday, March 27th.
These engaging discussions will explore the blues, the prison industrial complex, mass incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, restorative justice, prison abolition, and more led by Marcus Shelby. Using readings, recorded music, poetry, video, these events are open to anyone interested in reforming our criminal justice system and how art can be part of that process.
Discussion and Performance Schedule
March 12: History of Prisons, Rockefeller Laws, School-to-Prison Pipeline
March 19: Mass Incarceration, The Prison Industrial Complex, Black Prison Movement; Incarcerated Women with guest speaker Naima Shalhoub
March 26: Ending the Death Penalty, Restorative Justice, Prison Abolition
March 27: Performance by Marcus Shelby Quartet: Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex
Time: Doors for all lectures and final performance will open at 6:30 pm and begin at 7:00 pm.
Admission: $10 for lectures and $20 for final performance. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. All ages are welcome.

Marcus Anthony Shelby is an accomplished teacher, composer, arranger, and bassist who currently lives in San Francisco, California. Over the past 24 years, he has built a diverse biography. From 1990-1996, Shelby was bandleader of Columbia Records and GRP Impulse! Recording Artists Black/Note and is currently the Artistic Director and leader of The Marcus Shelby Orchestra.
Shelby was awarded a 2009 Black Metropolis Research Consortium Fellowship in Chicago for summer 2009 to conduct research for his commission to compose “Soul of the Movement”—a 12 part musical suite on MLK and the Civil Rights Movement. Shelby was also a 2006 Fellow in the Resident Dialogues Program of the Committee for Black Performing Arts at Stanford University to conduct research for his commission to compose “Harriet Tubman.”
Shelby has also worked extensively in Bay Area Theater and dance composing scores for Margo Hall’s “Bebop Baby” and “Sonny’s Blues”, and Joanna Haigood’s dance theater work “Dying While Black and Brown”, and many other productions. Currently Shelby is an artist in residence with the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, who support the community-based projects developed by Shelby and where his orchestra performs annually.

Shelby also has arranged for and conducted the Count Basie Orchestra featuring Ledisi, performed and recorded with Tom Waits, and received the City Flight Magazine 2005 award as one of the “Top Ten Most Influential African Americans in the Bay Area”. Shelby is currently working with playwright and actress Anna Deveare Smith on her new work “Pipeline to Prison”. As the 1991 winner of the Charles Mingus Scholarship, Shelby’s studies include work under the tutelage of composer James Newton and legendary bassist Charlie Haden.
Shelby is also very active in music education and currently teaches at The Community Music Center and the Stanford Jazz Workshop. Shelby also has led many of the San Francisco Jazz Festival Family Matinee Concerts and is the music director of the Healdsburg Jazz Festival Freedom Jazz Choir. In March 2013, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee appointed Shelby to the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Learn more about Marcus here: www.marcusshelby.com
You can also catch “Beyond the Blues: A Prison Oratorio,” commissioned by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, premiering at the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival on September 27, 2015.

Final Performance: Marcus Shelby Presents Beyond the Blues: Ending the Prison Industrial Complex
2015-03-27 19:00 - 21:00

Jazz Flamenco Quartet: Piano Flamenco, Jazz & the Music of Thelonious Monk (Double Show)
2015-03-28 19:00 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present the music of Thelonious Monk performed by ZOHO MUSIC NYC signed artist and jazz/flamenco pianist, Alex Conde, and his quartet including gypsy singer Jose Cortes and extraordinary flamenco dancers Fanny Ara and Melissa Cruz in a special double show.

Alex Conde – piano
Jose Cortes – cante/claps
Fanny Ara – dancer/claps
Melissa Cruz – dancer/claps

”Gifted Spanish pianist and ZOHO label artist Alex Conde, has his way with the high priest of bop in an adventurous all-Monk program.” – Bill Milkowski
”Composer, educator and virtuoso pianist Alex Conde is widely respected as one of the most brilliant pianists and composers of his generation.” – John Santos
Learn more about Alex Conde here.
Get a glimpse of Fanny Ara’s steps here.
See Melissa Cruz in motion here.
Listen to a preview of the quartet in action here.

Time: Doors will open for the first show at 6:30pm and the show will start at 7pm. The second show will start at 8:30pm.
Admission: $15-25 sliding scale. All ages are welcome.
Advance tickets: http://jazzflamencoquartet.bpt.me
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Black + Brown Lives Matter Performance + Dialogue Series: disruptions - MultiMedia + Spoken Word Open Mic
2015-04-01 00:00 - 23:55
Call for submissions information:
disruptions will feature writing, spoken word, and digital / multimedia art relevant to the Black + Brown Lives Matter movements. All types of multimedia works from short experimental video to even more traditional “poetry films” that fit the theme. All digital and multimedia work must be submitted by April 1, 2015. Guidelines and submission email follow:
– Must be in .avi or .mov formats.
– Must be at least 720 p hd.
– Submissions must be made through a service such as Dropbox, mediafire, or a similar service.
– Content must last at least 30 seconds. Videos can be no longer than 2 minutes in duration. The curators will determine what submissions are shown.
– Content must reflect the theme of “Black + Brown Lives Matter.”
– To submit a proposal email: submit.disruptions@gmail.com
Program information:
Program: Thursday, April 30th, Dialogue 6pm
Screenings / Open Mic 7:30pm-10pm
Red Poppy Art House, 2698 Folsom St., San Francisco, CA
Curated by Mark Sabb and Michael Warr
disruptions is part of the year-long Black + Brown Lives Matter Performance + Dialogue Series featuring performances, exhibits, discussions, and actions led by artivists, community organizers and residents of neighborhoods addressing engaged social change and gentrification. These monthly presentations and activities will provide an opportunity to interact directly with activists connected to the #BlackLIVESMatter, #QTPOCLiberation, #BlackandBrownLivesMatter, #ShutDownCastro and #AsiansforBlackLivesMatter and other segments of the movement and community. The series is facilitated by the Red Poppy Resident Artist Cohort in collaboration with the “Ubuntu: Can Art Save a Community?” documentary and book project.

Tito y su son de Cuba: A Night in Old Havana Cuba
2015-04-03 19:30 - 22:00
Tito Gonzalez leads his ensemble for a vibrant night of Cuban tunes as he serenades the audience through the streets of Old Havana. Singer/composer Tito Gonzalez is a master showman with a voice that has been compared to that of classic son singer Daniel Santos. Gonzalez delivers songs that are deceptively simple – between their fluid melodies and retrograde rhythms, they evoke a focus and introspection that Tito attributes, in part, to his life in America.
The Cuban rhythm son, which has been made popular by the Buena Vista Social Club, is an essential element of both Tito’s music and his own being. Along with son, his music demonstrates a broad range of Cuban genres such as rumba, guaracha and the most romantic boleros.
The night’s lineup includes:
Tito Gonzalez – lead vocals, guitar, tres guitar
Sandy Poindexter – violin
David Frazier – congas
Rubin Hurtado – piano
Carlos Ramirez-Ortiz – bass
More about Tito Gonzalez:
Tito, who first appeared on the Cuban music scene pushing forty and fully-formed, still possesses the creative impulse that drove him more quickly than most up a long and slippery ladder as a professional musician. Tito first experienced the tres guitar through his father, who had played when Tito was a boy. Since then, Tito has had an on-again-off-again relationship with the tres. Music had been in and out of his life: he flirted with the guitar when he was into Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Frank Sinatra. He later rekindled the romance with the guitar while on a long tour with the Cuban national fishing fleet, and traded the instrument in for a tres when his ship docked in Spain. However, he later dropped the tres altogether for a steady job as an auto mechanic. Now however, Tito and the son had found each other, never to part.
Continue reading about Tito’s life here.
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

YESCKA: A Visual Encounter of the Socio-Political & Artistic Languages Rising from the Streets of Oaxaca Mexico
2015-04-04 13:00 - 22:00
In Conjunction with the Mission Arts & Performance Project,
the Red Poppy Art House & EDELO Present:
YESCKA: A Visual Encounter of the Socio-Political & Artistic Languages Rising from the Streets of Oaxaca, Mexico
The Red Poppy Art House collaborates with EDELO (En Donde Era La ONU ‘Where the United Nations Used to Be’) for the inauguration of YESCKA: A Visual Encounter of the Socio-Political & Artistic Languages Rising from the Streets of Oaxaca Mexico. The Poppy will exhibit the works of street artist Yescka for an evening of critical engagement in societal matters.
Schedule:
1:00pm – 6:00pm: Family Art + Heartbeat Soundscapes
“Stopping Police Violence Altar” – Family Art MAPP invites parents and their children to participate in creating a mandala out of yarn and sticks called God’s Eye or Ojo de Dios. This meditative practice comes from indigenous people in Mexico that created them for the blessing of a space, for newborns, and to represent the four elements: earth, fire, air and water. The Ojo de Dios will be part of an altar offered as a blessing, gift, and a net of safety for the community and those lost to police violence. The altar will be part of the inauguration of the exhibition and mural by Yescka Guerrilla Art.
*Family Art is a free art program offered by the Red Poppy Art House every Saturday 1-4pm.
Collaborating artist Katy Fox adds her work, Heartbeat Soundscapes, to the altar by amplifying the heartbeats of children who attend the Poppy’s Family Art Program. To perceive the heart, to feel and hear it, to have your rhythm literally sync with another’s, is to perceive what Paolo Virno deems a relation between “the highest possible degree of communality and the highest possible degree of singularity.” We Are Movement’s Heartbeat Soundscapes amplify a live heartbeat(s) into public space. Adding this intimate living sound to the usual mix of sounds on the street gives people surprising, direct experiences of their own embodiment—by first listening outward to someone else’s beat.
6:00pm – 7:00pm: YESCKA Art Opening
In 2011, Yescka founded guerilla-art.mx, a German-Mexican street art collective consisting of street artists and filmmakers. Born from the wish to spread intercultural art, the collective has successfully organized project trips and exhibitions, and has contributed to numerous street art festivals throughout Mexico, Germany, USA, Switzerland, Sweden, and Spain. These art projects question and take a critical look at our society. The observer is called upon to actively consider issues and injustices, thus preventing himself from becoming a mere consumer. Film documentation and fruitful collaborations with local artists play a central role in traveling with the guerilla-art.mx collective.
7:30pm – 8:00pm: Matiz Flamenco
Matiz Flamenco is back in the Mission, featuring singer/dancer Yuli Norrish, guitarist Laurel Lobovits, and dancers Yukie Takahashi, Maria Sanchez, Paz de la Carzada & Valentine Boisnard!
8:00pm – 8:30pm: San Francisco Youth Theatre
San Francisco Youth Theatre’s DREAM Ensemble performs excerpts from Gary Soto’s In & Out of Shadows, based on interviews with Bay Area undocumented teenagers. Directed by Cliff Mayotte. Music by Emily Klion & George Brooks.
8:45pm – 9:00pm: Leroy F. Moore Jr.
The Black Kripple Delivers will be a multi-media performance with a video trailer of an upcoming documentary about police brutality against people with disabilities by Emmitt Thrower, a retired New York cop who has a disability. The trailer will introduce Leroy Moore, aka The Black Kripple, as he continues with the theme of police brutality and other forms of violence against people with disabilities through spoken word performances.
9:11pm – 10:00pm: Kenya Moses & Adrian Arias / Open Hours
LOVE story in a BOX is a multi-disciplinary performance with sound and silence, joy and fear.
*The space will be open until 10pm for art viewing, music and conversation.
More on the Artists & Performers:

Photo credit: Yescka
Yescka started to make graffiti at the age of fifteen, later attending a college of art where he began to combine fine arts with street art. In 2006, there was a strong social and political movement in his state of Oaxaca. This urged him to communicate what was going on by revealing all the violence and experiences through art. At that point, Yescka, along with other artists from his city, founded a collective called ASARO, short for Asamblea de Artistas Revolucionarios de Oaxaca. They started to use their works to criticize the social and political situation in an attempt to re-integrate art into society.
“I feel that art right now is standing outside society because it belongs to a limited sector of galleries, intellectuals and museums. I believe, art is for everybody and that’s why we’re trying to create a link, so that the people can get in touch with art in their everyday lives again.” – Yescka

Katy Fox founded We Are Movement, a body literacy project, in 2012. Combining her background as large format printmaker and Hatha yoga instructor, she believes that when embodiment is brought into public space, it becomes a resource for greater self and civic engagement, as well as for individual and collective development. She has lived in San Francisco for 20 years.

Photo credit: Matiz Flamenco
Matiz Flamenco is a unique and inclusive flamenco organization. Their mission is to produce authentic and accessible flamenco shows, and to offer classes and opportunities to support future performers and aficionados.

Photo credit: SF Youth Theatre
San Francisco Youth Theatre is dedicated to creating cutting-edge theater for children and youth ages 4-24 throughout the Bay Area. SFYT provides a world-class platform for art-inspired youth to create and perform theater that tells the compelling stories of our community. The core values include personal expression through the arts, creativity, inclusiveness and changing the world, one play at a time.

Leroy F. Moore Jr. is a Black writer, poet, hip-hop/music lover, community activist and feminist with a physical disability. He has been sharing his perspective on identity, race and disability over the past thirteen years. His work began in London, England where he discovered a black disabled movement, eventually leading to the creation of his lecture series: “On the Outskirts: Race & Disability.” Leroy is co-founder and the Community Relations Director of the Sins Invalid performance project, and is also a contributing writer and performer for many itsshows. He is the creator of Krip-Hop Nation (a group of hip-hop artists with disabilities and other disabled musicians from around the world) and produced the Krip-Hop Mixtape Series. In addition to founding several movements and organizations, Leroy is one of the leading voices around police brutality and wrongful incarceration of people with disabilities. He has won many awards for his advocacy from the San Francisco Mayor’s Disability Council under Willie L. Brown, to the Local Hero Award in 2002 from Public Television Station, KQED in San Francisco. Leroy is currently writing a Krip-Hop book with Professor Terry Rowden as well as his poetry/lyrics book, The Black Kripple Delivers Poetry & Lyrics.

Photo credit: Marc Hors
Adrian Arias is a Peruvian-born visual artist and poet. He has worked as the Multimedia Coordinator at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts since 2001. During years 1981-2001, Adrian was part of Arias & Aragon, comprised of two visual artists who are recognized as the pioneers of video-art in Peru. They are winners of important prizes for their artwork in Peru, France and Japan. Adrian’s visual art, video-poems and poetry have been exhibited all around the world, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Dominican Republic, Canada, U.S., Greece, Italy, France, Poland, Spain, and Japan. His video Frida in the Mirror / Frida en el espejo was an official selection at the SF Film Festival and was also the winner at the Berkeley Film & Video Festival in 2009. His poetry has also been awarded in Peru, Argentina, US and Macedonia. In 2010, Adrian had an Artist Residency at the de Young Museum of San Francisco.
“In my work I try to connect the real world with the world of the unknown, using the absurd and its aesthetic possibilities, poetry and performatic techniques” – Adrian Arias
More on the Programs:
Family Art is a free art program offered by the Red Poppy Art House every Saturday 1-4pm. The program proudly participates in the outstanding bimonthly arts festival, the Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP). Each alternating first Saturday of the month, Family Art expands upon its usual afternoon activities and reaches even deeper into the Mission community. The families, youth and volunteers are encouraged to partake in the organizational process, curating, presenting and, of course, performing. Activities are led by Sofia Elias.
The Mission Arts & Performance Project (MAPP) is a homegrown bi-monthly, multidisciplinary, unruly intercultural happening that takes place in the Mission District of San Francisco. The MAPP has produced over 65 neighborhood-level arts festivals since its inception. Instead of an “art walk,” the MAPP is a collage of 10-20 odd spaces transformed into micro art centers, focused on intimate artistic and cultural exchange among people. It was founded with some of the same organizational principles as the Red Poppy Art House (which still enthusiastically participates in MAPP as a neighborhood hub) as they both rely on the energy of the surrounding community, and operate with the help of many volunteers. Placing art and performance on the street level, MAPP utilizes such alternative spaces as private garages, gardens, living rooms, studios, street corners, and small businesses. At its heart, the MAPP shows how ordinary spaces can be made extra-ordinary through creative techniques.
For more information on the MAPP, visit the Poppy’s webpage or the MAPP website.

Istanbul Connection: Balkumbia from San Francisco to Turkey (Double Show!)
2015-04-09 19:00 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House warmly welcomes Istanbul Connection in a special double show; a new project featuring members of the Bay’s hottest Balkan & Latin bands coming together in preparation for a journey to Istanbul, Turkey. Members from local Balkan bands (Inspector Gadje, MWE, La Pêche) and Latin bands (LoCura, Makrú) will treat you to a night of unique cross-bay bands.

The artist lineup for Istanbul Connection will include:

Paul Bertin – alto sax
Sean Tergis – percussion
Melissa Cruz – flamenco baile & palmas
Bob Sanders – guitar
Kata Miletich – vocals
Izzy Weiser– bass
Morgan Nilsen – clarinet
Marco Peris – drums & percussion
Raul Vargas – cajon & vocals

Learn more about LoCura on Facebook and Soundcloud
Check out Makrú’s website
Get a sneak peak at Inspector Gadje on their website
Get to know La Pêche here

Admission: $10-30. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Time: Doors open for first show at 6:30pm. Performance starts at 7pm. Second performance will start at 8:30pm.
Advanced tickets: http://istanbulconnection.bpt.me
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Caminos Flamencos: Nuevas Tendencias
2015-04-10 19:30 - 22:00
“Nuevas Tendencias” premiered at Yoshi’s last year and has since won a nomination from the Isadora Duncan Dance Awards for “Best Ensemble.” With music and dance in a combination of flamenco, jazz and Latin feel, the groundbreaking Caminos Flamencos continues their status as the premier flamenco company in the U.S.
Cast:
Jason McGuire – guitar, music director
Yaelisa – dancer
Jose Cortes – singer
Marlon Aldana – percussion/drumset
Paul Martin Sounder – upright bass
Caminos Flamencos‘ mission is to enrich and educate the community by presenting innovative contemporary and traditional works which reflect the “nuevo flamenco” movement in Spain today. Since 1993, Artistic Director Yaelisa has collaborated with artists in other mediums, incorporating top musicians in the field of jazz, Latin and Afro-Cuban music, and her choreographies have been commissioned by Collage Dance Theatre, Malashock Dance & Company, San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival, Stanford Danza Espanola and the Internacional Certamen de Coreografia in Madrid, Spain.
Read more about Caminos Flamencos here.
Admission: $15-20
Time: Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm
Advanced tickets: http://caminosflamencos.bpt.me
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Rob Reich Quintet: "Shadowbox" CD Release
2015-04-11 19:30 - 22:00
Accordion player and pianist Rob Reich is quintessentially what makes the San Francisco music scene a vibrant and vital mecca for independent music; he’s become one of its stalwart underground artists. Shadowbox, the musician’s debut album, marks a fully realized collection of original compositions. The music branches off from the musician’s work with revered Bay Area ensemble Tin Hat Trio, mixing improvisational romps with refined and melodic ensemble arrangements. Doses of wry humor and elements of spontaneous revelation keep the music characteristically Reich, whose idiosyncratic accordion prowess helps propel the instrument’s modern renaissance.
Rob Reich Quintet is:
Rob Reich – accordion & piano
Ben Goldberg – clarinets
Ila Cantor – guitar
John Wiitala – bass
Eric Garland – drums
“Rob‘s music is just like he is: guileless, thoughtful, playful and charming. His music wears a bowler hat and a pair of Chuck Taylors. Imagine finding out that your grandpa is an amazing ballroom dancer… and is inexplicably in his thirties again. That’s Rob Reich.” – Carla Kihlstedt, Tin Hat Trio
“Whatever context he’s in, Reich transforms it into a creative hothouse where thousands of musical flowers bloom.” – Andy Gilbert, East Bay Express
Learn more about Rob here and get a taste of some of his music here.
Admission: $10-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

UNCHARTED: Storytellers Scouting the Unknown
2015-04-16 19:30 - 22:00
UNCHARTED is an evening of storytelling about people navigating life situations they’ve never confronted before. These true stories are performed by cancer survivors, refugees, artists, and queerdos. Alternately inspiring, funny, enraging, and heartbreaking, these stories uncover the disorientation, wonderment and resourcefulness we can have when confronted with the new.
Organizer Jaime Cortez’s dream team of storytellers includes:
Vanessa Camarena
Khaled Sayed
Lori Wood
Sarah Patterson
Jaime Cortez
Admission: $5-7. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Sarah Wilson Fusebox: Jazz Pop Combustion
2015-04-17 19:30 - 22:00
Sarah Wilson brings her vibrant compositions to life with Fusebox, her explosive collaboration with top Bay Area musicians Rob Sudduth, John Schott, Jason Hoopes,and Jordan Glenn. Sarah’s years of writing music for performance, puppet theater, dance, animation, and film permeate her genre-twisting, critically-acclaimed compositions. Witness the igniting of multiple musical palettes, from syncopated and swinging rhythms to mesmerizing melodies and hypnotic hooks, as this wildly talented ensemble expertly navigates the intersection of jazz and pop.
Sarah Wilson Fusebox Is:
Sarah Wilson – trumpet, vocals
Rob Sudduth – tenor sax
John Schott – electric guitar
Jason Hoopes – bass
Jordan Glenn – drums
More About Sarah:
Based in Oakland, CA, Wilson has emerged as “one of the most intriguing and promising composers and trumpeters on the contemporary music scene” (Derk Richardson, San Francisco Chronicle). Her original work has premiered nationally and internationally, earning numerous commissions including the prestigious Gerbode Composer Collaboration Award. In 2012, Sarah became an Artist Fellow at the de Young Museumand in 2010 and 2012, received highly acclaimed Center for Cultural Innovation Awards. Beyond these achievements, Wilson has earned a William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Honorary Fellowship, funding from the Zellerbach Family Foundation, East Bay Fund for Artists, de Young Museum Cultural Encounters Initiative in collaboration with Intersection for the Arts, and Meet the Composer’s MetLife Creative Connections program.
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol Featuring Joe Warner: An Evening of Blues and Jazz From Then to Now
2015-04-18 19:30 - 22:00
The Dynamic Miss Faye Carol joins San Francisco-based pianist Joe Warner for an extraordinary evening of musical travels from past to present. Faye Carol is one of the premiere vocalists of her time with a career spanning over five decades. Arranging popular standards with doses of jazz, blues and hip-hop, Miss Carol has managed to cultivate a diverse sound throughout the years. Her divine energy and ability to rock the mic consistently leaves her audience both mesmerized and uplifted.
The collaboration includes:
Faye Carol – vocals
Joe Warner – piano
More about Faye Carol:
As founder of The School Of The Getdown, Miss Carol has effectively developed two programs to serve the Bay Area community. MITC (Music In The Community) and The Vocal Workshop Series have triumphantly supported hundreds of youth and adults in becoming more confident, skilled musicians. Known for her outwardly-loving embrace and support of all, Faye Carol remains a conduit for bringing together many communities through music.
Her most recent awards include Jazz Journalist’s Association 2014 Jazz Hero Award, Black Repertory Group 2014 Music in the Community Award, and San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce Jazz Heritage Award.
Follow/subscribe to Faye on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!
Admission: $20-25. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Advanced tickets: http://fayecarol.bpt.me
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Dusie Chapbook Kollektiv 8 Presents: Behm-Steinberg, Chiado, Hunter, Maughn & Tuck: Five Chapbook Releases
2015-04-19 19:00 - 21:30
Founded by Susanna Gardner, Dusie began as a Swiss-based webjournal. It has since grown to include an international community of writers, artists and translators engaged in publishing activities and collective poetic projects. The eighth iteration of the Dusie Chapbook Kollektiv, curated by Ottawa writer Rob McLennan, consists of about fifty writers from around the world, five of whom reside in the Bay Area and will be reading at the Red Poppy. Each member of the Kollektiv produces fifty copies of a chapbook, which they then mail to the other members, while making additional copies for sale and review.
Performers and their new chapbooks:
Hugh Behm-Steinberg, The Sound of Music
Amanda Chiado, Prime Cuts
Carrie Hunter, Weather Diary
James Maughn, Dialog of Snake and Crane
Zoe Tuck, The Burning Sapiens
More about the poets:
Hugh Behm-Steinberg is the author of Shy Green Fields (No Tell Books) and The Opposite of Work (JackLeg Press), as well as three Dusie chapbooks, Sorcery, Good Morning! and The Sound of Music. He teaches writing at California College of the Arts, where he also serves as editor for the journal Eleven Eleven. In addition to his work as a writer, Behm-Steinberg has recently debuted an experimental album with musician Matt Davignon under the bandname Oa.
Amanda Chiado is a poet, writer and arts advocate. She works as a Program Manager for the San Benito County Arts Council and also leads many poetry workshops, including those through California Poets in the Schools. Her work is forthcoming in Black Heart Magazine and It Was Written: Poetry Inspired by Hip-Hop.
Carrie Hunter is an editor for the Chapbook Press, Ypolita Press and Black Radish Books. With an MFA/MA in the Poetics program at New College of California, she went on to publish chapbooks with Cy Gist Press, Dusie, Arrow as Aarow, Lew Gallery Editions, Birds of Lace, and Gavia Immer. Her full-length collection, The Incompossible, was published in 2011 by Black Radish Books and her second, Orphan Machines, is forthcoming in 2015.
James Maughn lives in Santa Cruz, California, where he curates A New Cadence Poetry Series, a reading series dedicated to innovative poetries. He is a member of the Black Radish Books Publishing Collective and his own published books include Kata (BlazeVOX Books), Arakaki Permutations (Black Radish Books) and These Peripheries (Otoliths Press).
Zoe Tuck, author of Terror Matrix, has been an active member of the local literary community, working for several years at Small Press Distribution and co-curating Condensery Reading Series. She recently co-taught a class called Vampire Poetics at the Bay Area Public School with Laura Moriarty and currently teaches a class on ghosts with Zach Ozma. She will be playing the filmmaker Maya Deren in a production of Brittany Billmeyer-Finn’s the meshes: an iteration in 2 acts.
Admission: $5-7. Doors at 6:30pm. Event at 7:00pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Byb Chanel Bibene & Kiandanda Dance Theater: Taboo and Heroes
2015-04-23 19:00 - 22:00
“When war struck the Congo in 1997 my family and I fled Brazzaville to escape the chaos of the coup d’état. Kidnapped at one point, I thought they would shoot me from behind when let go, like so many others. Finally rejoining my parents and siblings, we had a terrible choice to make: either walk nearly 500 miles to get to Pointe‐Noire or try to find a place on a train already overcrowded with thousands of people.”
-Byb Chanel Bibene
Taboo and Heroes is a multimedia work that addresses the reality and consequences of violence and corruption through the specific experience of the war that overtook the Republic of Congo in the late 1990’s. Using dance performance and creative documentary film-making, choreographer Byb Chanel Bibene, joined by Kiandanda Dance Theater, narrates his personal experiences, in which hope was the only strength for survival. Bringing together dance and theater performers, an original music score, set design, and video elements, the piece aims to transport the audience into the charged atmosphere of conflict that permeated the Republic of Congo and continues to echo in Congolese life to this day.
Four years of process infuses this multiform work. Through his years of developing written and performance material, Byb has vacillated between choreographing for the stage version and finishing the script for the film rendition of this story. During this presentation, Byb will talk about his choreography process, his personal stories of being a war survival, what he witnessed, how war has impacted his home country, and how hope played a major role in keeping him and many others fighting for a better future and life. The evening will include footage of the process, shot in the Congo and the Headlands of Marin County, as well as live dance excerpts of the larger project. The night will conclude with a question-and-answer session accompanied by refreshments and Congolese specialties.
From my questioning of the sources and implications of conflicts came the impetus to create a performance work that could inspire active consideration of current events, in the belief that this is another step towards collective solutions to global problems. This work is intended to be a mobile, internationally viable project that can widely communicate its political initiative through the explanatory power of its emotional and kinetic journeys.
Stories behind a civil war that tore a country. An evening of food, film, performance, and discussion. This evening event will begin with a description of the Congo, its social environment and its brief political history. Then will follow the introduction of the project Taboo and Heroes that will be presented in five parts:
1st: The motive of the project (war and stories of victims and assailants), creative process in the Congo with a cast of Congolese dancers. We will share photos and videos shot in different locations of the Country.
2nd: Creative and performance process in the US with a cast of American dancers. We will share photos.
3rd: The film project: During the night we’ll discuss the need of shooting for a film. We’ll share the film trailer and photos and videos shot in the Marin Headlands.
4th: The event will culminate to an excerpt performance of the piece by the dancers.
5th: In the Congo we welcome our guests with food and drinks, here we mingle and we are open to your questions.
“This project is furthermore a turning point in my career as choreographer: it is an extensive, long-term undertaking, employing new creative approaches in my choreography and socio-political purpose. The fruition of this project will allow Kiandanda Dance Theater to establish itself significantly in its new home in the Bay Area.”
– Byb Chanel Bibene
Byb blogs about his process here and here.
Watch an excerpt of the performance.
RSVP on Facebook.
This work was developed through the CounterPulse Performing Diaspora Program with the support of the Ken Hempel Fund for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, San Francisco Arts Commission, and the Walter & Elise Haas Fund.

Dancers’ Group fiscally sponsors Taboo and Heroes. Taboo and Heroes is made possible through the generous support of the Zellerbach Family Foundation and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, CounterPulse, the San Francisco Arts Commission, San Francisco International Art Festival, Sean Carson & UC Berkeley, Sarah Lappas & CSUS Sacramento, and all individuals who have donated and supported the project.
Admission: $5-20. Doors at 6:30pm. Event at 7:00pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

The Gabriel Navia Ensemble: High Energy Latin Fusion
2015-04-24 19:30 - 22:00
The Gabriel Navia Ensemble infuses Latin music with ingredients from flamenco, jazz, Cuban grooves, Bolivian airs and Middle Eastern spices. The ensemble features Lebanese violin virtuoso Georges Lammam, Cuban bass player Ernesto Mazar, singer Sulkary Valverde, percussionist Silvestre Martines and Gabriel Navia on guitars. The ensemble led by Navia mixes world standards with some originals, and they do it with plenty of vitality and virtuosity. Navia is an energized guitarist who fills the uptempo tunes with organic improvisations that provide a continual kick. On the slower pieces, the band exhibits similar gusto to keep the pace moving along with vivacity.

Gabriel Navia is one of Bolivia’s most internationally renowned emerging artists. As a producer, guitarist, singer, composer, and collaborator of 3 Latin Grammy nominations, he has performed on many stages around the world including Asia, Europe and South America.
Gabriel Navia – guitar
Georges Lammam – violin
Silvestre Martinez – percussion
Ernesto Mazar – bass
Sulkary Valverde – vocals
Learn more about Gabriel on his website here.

Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Event at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Ensemble A Contratiempo: Masters of Venezuelan Folk Music Live from Caracas
2015-04-25 19:30 - 22:00
From the traditional music of Venezuela, Brazilian bossa nova, jazz, and other musical seasonings from around the globe, Ensemble A Contratiempo represents a broad spectrum contemporary music from around the world. The harp and Venezuelan cuatro play an important role in their music, demonstrating the evolution and perpetuity of these traditional instruments that maintain an important role in Venezuelan music and culture. This esteemed ensemble has performed, taught workshops, and presented at conferences throughout the world including México, the United States, Argentina, England, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Spain, Switzerland, France, Austria, Bolivia, the Netherlands, the Antilles, Puerto Rico, Denmark, Paraguay, Ecuador, El Salvador, Brussels, Chile, Ecuador, and Panama.Opening for Ensemble A Contratiempo is StringQuake, an electrifying trio bringing a new sound to today’s world music scene. Their repertoire draws inspiration from the music traditions of the Americas, Greece, Africa, India, European classical, and the musical masters who have emerged from every corner of the globe. The group’s unique instrumentation, original compositions, and dynamic arrangements give spice to their sound.Ensemble A Contratiempo Is:Angel Tolosa – Harp (Arpa Venezolana)Jose Luis Tolosa – Cuatro (Cuartista Venezolana)Stringquake Is:Amelia Romano – Electric Lever HarpMisha Khalikulov – CelloJosh Mellinger – PercussionDiscover more about Ensemble A Contratiempo’s Angel here.Check out the Ensemble’s Facebook page.Hear a sampling of their work here.Check out opening act, Stringquake, here!
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Event at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
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Bay Area Dance Week Sunday Afternoon Workshop & Performance Led By Byb Chanel Bibene, Iu-Hui Chua, and Todd Thomas Brown
2015-04-26 11:00 - 16:00
The Red Poppy Art House is excited to participate in this year’s Bay Area Dance Week on Sunday, April 26th, 2015. Come explore the intersection of African contemporary dance, Butoh/experimental movement, and Argentine tango in a free Bay Area Dance Week afternoon at the Red Poppy Art House. Red Poppy resident artists Byb Chanel Bibene, Iu-Hui Chua, and Todd Thomas Brown share their artistic and pedagogical practice and process through movement workshops, artist performances, discussion, and sharing. Please wear comfortable clothing and shoes for movement.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS:
11am – 11:45pm: Byb Chanel Bibene – African Contemporary Dance
Byb Chanel Bibene uses movements inspired by the traditional dances from the Congo as a springboard into the African contemporary dance aesthetic. His teaching style is warm, friendly, and filled with humor. Whether you are new to African contemporary dance or have years of experience, you are welcome.

12:15pm-1pm: Iu-Hui Chua – Butoh/Experimental Movement
Iu-Hui Chua, guided by Butoh master Akira Kasai’s philosophy of “It is not what we do, but how we do it,” aims to cultivate our personal expression through movement. No experience is necessary, just an open bodymind and a desire to be oneself.
1:30pm-2:15pm: Todd Brown – Basics of Argentine Tango
Red Poppy founder Todd Thomas Brown covers the fundamentals of Argentine tango partnering techniques. At it’s most basic level, Argentine tango is a dance of walking in the the embrace of another. While the dance can become quite complicated with complex figures, at its core is a spirit of improvisation. No experience or partner necessary.
Each artist will present a 45-minute workshop session, followed by performances by Byb and Iu-Hui. The afternoon will conclude in a group sharing session with an open floor for movement and discussion.
ARTISTS’ BIOS:
Byb Chanel Bibene is a choreographer and performer working in theater and contemporary dance. His own technical and aesthetic sensibility is rooted in the culture and dances of his country of origin. He has toured and performed internationally with companies originating from Africa, England, France, and the USA, and has performed with local choreographers such as Paco Gomes, Amara Tabor Smith, Sherwood Chen, Rashad Pridgen, Folawole Oyinlola, Robert Henry Johnson, and Joanna Haigood. In 2006, Bibene co-founded Li-Sangha dance company, whose work Mona Mambu received two laurels and the 3rd Place award at Les Rencontres chorégraphiques de l’Afrique et de l’Océan Indien and won the 2006 Radio France Internationale Dance Prize. Upon Byb’s relocation to San Francisco in 2009, he has had the opportunity to present his work in the San Francisco International Arts Festival, the Museum of the African Diaspora, a collaboration with See.Think.Dance, the Black Choreographers Festival with mentor Robert Moses, and Oberlin Dance Common/Pilot Program 58. He currently is the Artistic Director of Kiandanda Dance Theater.
Iu-Hui Chua choreographs, performs, directs, and devises physical theater, dance, and video performance. She manifests work that is creative, intuitive and impacting. Simultaneously experimental, performance art, installation, physical theater, sculpture, and memory, her work utilizes intense visual and physical components to encourage connection, curiosity and change. She has been a member of Anna Halprin’s Sea Ranch Collective for several years (including performing in the Isadora Duncan Award winning re-staging of Parades and Changes) and been an associate teacher for Ms. Halprin, teaching her classes while she has been on tour. In 2011 she collaborated with the distinguished Asian American performance artist Dan Kwong on a multi-media production which premiered in Los Angeles. Recently her interest has led to creating environmental dances for video with collaborator Terre Parker. In 2012, their film All Flesh is Grass toured internationally with Videoholica’s International Video Art Festival as a Special Selection Finalist. In 2013 she collaborated with award winning actor Bobby August Jr., devising a full-length original production focusing on the theme of identity and touch. She also created, Nexus, a dance film with collaborator and fellow Poppy resident artist Christine Germain which won Best Experimental Film at the University of California Davis Film Festival in 2013. Currently she is working on the new film Ligilo with Eric Koziol and Bobby August Jr., and an experimental dance piece with Kimi Eisele.
Todd Thomas Brown is an interdisciplinary artist engaged in performative inquiry and visual arts. As a visual artist, Brown has 25 years combined experience in oil painting and mixed media, with 11 years professional teaching experience. Todd began his study of Argentine tango in 1997 in Montréal, Canada, with dancer Mylène Pelletier. Thereafter, his primary influence was acclaimed Buenos Aires-based tanguero, and dear friend, Pedro “el Indio” Benavente, the two of whom later formed the project Tango Protesta, utilizing tango as a vehicle of social-political engagement. While Pedro began organizing actions in Buenos Aires, Todd was training dancers to join in anti-war rallies in the Bay Area. Tango Protesta (SF) later evolved into the Milonga Masala Tango Project, through which Todd began to convene friends and artists of different disciplines and cultural stripes for a monthly gathering at his then home in Cole Valley. Unknown to him at the time, these gatherings were sowing seeds for what would come to be the Red Poppy Art House in San Francisco’s Mission District, where he and co-founder Alex Allende taught classes throughout it’s first year.
Admission: Free
Time: 11am-4pm. All ages welcome and experience levels welcome.
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Black + Brown Lives Matter Performance + Dialogue Series: disruptions - MultiMedia + Spoken Word Open Mic
2015-04-30 18:00 - 22:00
Curated by Mark Sabb and Michael Warr
disruptions will feature writing, spoken word, and digital / multimedia art relevant to the Black + Brown Lives Matter movements. The program will present multimedia works ranging from short experimental video to traditional “poetry films” that fit the theme.
Dialogue: 6pm
Screenings / Open Mic: 7:30pm-10pm
This is a free event.
disruptions is part of the year-long Black + Brown Lives Matter Performance + Dialogue Series featuring performances, exhibits, discussions, and actions led by artivists, community organizers and residents of neighborhoods addressing engaged social change and gentrification. These monthly presentations and activities will provide an opportunity to interact directly with activists connected to the #BlackLIVESMatter, #QTPOCLiberation, #BlackandBrownLivesMatter, #ShutDownCastro and #AsiansforBlackLivesMatter and other segments of the movement and community. The series is facilitated by the Red Poppy Resident Artist Cohort in collaboration with the “Ubuntu: Can Art Save a Community?” documentary and book project.
Panelists will include:

Kwan Booth is a creative writer, journalist and media futurist focusing on the intersection of communications, community, art and technology. He is the editor of the anthology Black Futurists Speak and his creative writing has been published in CHORUS, Beyond the Frontier: African American Poets for the 21st Century, and the Journal for Pan African Studies.
Dorothy R. Santos is a writer, editor, and curator whose research areas and interests include new media and digital art, programming, the internet, augmented reality, online performance, gaming, open source culture, and political aesthetics. Born and raised in San Francisco, California, she holds Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of San Francisco, and received her Master’s degree in Visual and Critical Studies at the California College of the Arts.

www.dorothysantos.com
Mark Sabb is a Bay Area based digital artist and designer. Using the internet as his medium Mark’s works, which range from films, graphic and web design, to curating art exhibitions, have been featured on some of the most prominent independent music and art publications on the web ranging from Complex.com to Gallery Online for his work with the FELT art collective.
http://mark.feltzine.us/
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TARIMBA: Son Jarocho y Sur América
2015-05-01 19:30 - 22:00
TARIMBA explores a rich variety of Latin American genres including boleros, Cuban son, landó and cumbia. TARIMBA is a collective comprised of local Bay Area musicians who have embraced the traditional genre of Son Jarocho music from southern Veracruz, Mexico.

Performers:
Kyla Danysh – violin, jarana segunda & vocals
Lolis García – jarana tercera, zapateado, quijada & vocals
Pedro Rosales – cajón peruano & vocals
Aladino Manyoma – guitar & vocals
The core members of TARIMBA, Lolis García and Kyla Danysh, are experienced multi-instrumentalists who actively perform and teach in the Bay Area music community. Pedro Rosales, co-founder and former artistic director of De Rompe y Raja Cultural Association and leader of Proyecto Lando, is an accomplished cajón player and percussionist in the Afro-Peruvian tradition. Aladino Manyoma is a celebrated sonero and multi-instrumentalist from Colombia.
Learn more about TARIMBA here.
Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Double Show! Satch & Fats: Lavay Smith Sings the Music of Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller
2015-05-02 19:00 - 22:00
In Satch and Fats, vocalist Lavay Smith and her band will be performing favorites like “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Basin Street Blues” by two of the most swingin’ and innovative artists in American history, Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller.Lavay Smith is the vocalist and bandleader of the Red Hot Skillet Lickers, one of the top swingin’ jazz and blues bands in the world. She grew up in Southern California and the Philippines, and has become an internationally recognized diva of jazz and blues, with a singing style influenced by Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Bessie Smith, Little Esther Phillips and other legendary greats. Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, Lavay and her all-star 7-piece band bake up an instant recipe for dancing and good times. Joining her at the Red Poppy are four of the finest musicians.

The Band:
Lavay Smith – vocals
Jules Broussard – saxes
Danny Armstrong – trombone & vocals
Sam Rocha – bass
Chris Siebert – piano
More on the Band:
Collectively, Lavay’s band members have performed with several famous musicians throughout the years. Chris Siebert is the bandleader and musical director, having worked with folks like Taj Mahal, Alvin Youngblood Heart, Quinn Deavaux. Jules Broussard is a native of Louisiana and has played with Ray Charles, Big Mama Thorton, and Eddie Clean Head Vinson. In addition to playing the trombone and singing duets with Lavay, Danny Armstrong has performed with Johnny Otis, Jackie Wilson and Archie Bell and the Drells. Ron Belcher always brings his rhythmically uplifting style to the stage for a wide diversity of jazz artists, such as Ledisi, Faye Carol and John Handy.
Admission: $15-20.
Time: Doors for first show at 6:30pm. Event starts at 7:00pm. Second show starts at 8:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
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The Chamber Music Society of San Francisco with Diana Gameros: Honoring Our Mothers: Music by Women Composers
2015-05-07 19:30 - 22:00
Founded in the spring of 2013, the Chamber Music Society of San Francisco (CMSSF) was born out of a collective desire to perform the great chamber music repertoire. Dedicated to bringing these masterworks to diverse audiences, CMSSF is passionate about concertizing in intimate settings, creating close connections between performers and listeners, and cultivating a relationship between music and audiences that extends far beyond the perimeter of the concert hall.
CMSSF brings together Bay Area musicians of diverse musical experience. They can be heard performing with the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, Santa Rosa Symphony, Magik*Magik Orchestra, as well as many other chamber ensembles, including early music, jazz, tango, and pop.
For this special evening, CMSSF is joined by singer/songwriter Diana Gameros. Gameros is a Latin singer/songwriter who performs songs of love, longing, and hope. Originally from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and now living in San Francisco, Gameros creates authentic, inspiring music that reflects the 21st century experiences of a young indie artist at the borderlands between cultures, languages, and genres. Whether teasing every ounce of expression from her acoustic guitar in an intimate cafe or bringing people to their feet in a club with her dynamic full band, Gameros transfixes listeners with her soaring vocals, impressive playing and captivating stage presence.
Jory Fankuchen – violin
Natasha Makhijani – violin
Clio Tilton – viola
Samsun Van Loon – cello
Diana Gameros – vocals and guitar
Learn more about CMSSF here.
Get a sneak peak at Diana’s sounds here.
Admission: $15-25. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
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Adam Shulman Sextet: Contemporary Jazz Compositions in the Tradition of Cedar Walton and Horace Silver
2015-05-08 19:30 - 22:00
Performing material from their new album “here/there”, the Adam Shulman Sextet’s compositions paint an aural vignette of people and places in the Bay Area jazz scene.

Adam Shulman has been a staple of the Bay Area jazz scene since his move in 2002. In addition to leading his own trio and sextet, he has played as a sideman with internationally-renowned artists such as Stefon Harris, Willie Jones III, Miguel Zenon, Mark Murphy, Luciana Souza, Paula West, Larry Coryell, Sean Jones, Grant Stewart and Bobby Hutcherson.

Adam Shulman Sextet:
Erik Jekabson – trumpet
Patrick Wolff – alto saxophone
Rob Roth – tenor saxophone
John Wiitala – bass
Smith Dobson – drums
Adam Shulman – piano
Learn more about Adam here.
Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
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Túlio Araújo: Contemporary Brazilian Pandeiro
2015-05-09 19:30 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House happily presents Túlio Araújo’s “East” Album Release Concert exploring of the contemporary Brazilian pandeiro. Túlio Araújo is a Brazilian percussionist, composer, producer and sound engineer. For over ten years he has developed a special project using the pandeiro in a contemporary jazz fusion, demonstrating the true power of this “pocket-drum.” With 2 albums recorded (Manguêra in 2012 and East in 2014), Túlio participates in several workshops, live gigs and release concerts throughout San Francisco.

The lineup:
Túlio Araújo – pandeiro
Marcos Silva – piano
Scotty Thompson – bass
Ian Faquini – guitar
Harvey Wainapel – sax and clarinet
Dive into Tulio’s music on his social media pages:
Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | SoundCloud | Instagram

Admission: $10-15. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
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Fleshing it (in) OUT: Contemporary Dance, Works in Progress, Curated by Amara Tabor-Smith
2015-05-13 19:30 - 22:00
The Red Poppy Art House is pleased to present Fleshing it (in) OUT, an informal evening of work-in-progress dance performances ready to be witnessed. The evening will feature work fragments by local dance makers, followed by a discussion and delicious servings of recession stew. Curated by Amara Tabor-Smith in collaboration with Red Poppy Art House.

Featured artists:
Byb Chanel Bibene
NAKA (Jose Navarrete and Debby Kajiyama)
Muisi-kongo Malonga
Amara Tabor-Smith
*Photo of Jose by Scott Tsuchitani
*Photo of Amara by Alan Kimara Dixon
Admission: $Free. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
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Liliana y Los Chilaquiles: Late Night Taco Stand Music
2015-05-15 19:30 - 22:00
The alluring sounds of vocalist Liliana Herrera tantalizes audiences with the unique sound of her band, Los Chilaquiles: Ayla Davila (bass), Camilo Landau (guitar) and Rafael Herrera (percussion). Like any good recipe, it requires combining fresh ingredients with the right blend of spice, heat and sabor! Drawing from her musical family roots and infusing soul, rock and cumbia, the sizzling music at the “Late Night Taco Stand” will stir your spirit and leave you wanting more.
Featuring:
Liliana Herrera – vocals
Ayla Davila – bass
Camilo Landau – guitar
Special Guest TBA – drums/percussion
Admission: $10-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

CARNAVAL WEEKEND: La Mixta Criolla: Latin Caribbean Roots Music
2015-05-22 19:30 - 22:00
In celebration of the 37th Annual Carnaval San Francisco, the Red Poppy Art House presents a weekend of performances highlighting music from Ivory Coast and the African Diaspora, featuring La Mixta Criolla on Friday, May 22nd.
La Mixta Criolla is a versatile and hard-swinging Bay Area quintet with deep roots in the creole mix of Latin-Caribbean music. This ensemble returns to the Red Poppy to perform two high-energy dance sets inspired in the Carnaval traditions of the Caribbean. Combining influences that range from Puerto Rican plena, bomba and música jíbara to Cuban son, Dominican merengue, música de trios, salsa, cumbia and beyond, La Mixta’s original repertoire features a wide range of funky afro-caribbean grooves, engaging melodies and well-crafted lyrics delivered with skill, passion and spontaneity.
Featuring:
Héctor Lugo – pandero, barril, bongó and lead vocals
Ayla Dávila – bass and coro vocals
Camilo Landau – cuatro and lead vocals
Sandra García Rivera – güícharo and lead vocals
Javier Navarrette – congas, cajón, and coro vocals
Listen to La Mixta’s CD AfroTaino here.
Watch their performance of “La Huelga” on Vimeo here.
More on Carnaval SF:
Carnaval San Francisco is a beloved Memorial Day Weekend event featuring a Grand Parade and 2–day Festival, celebrating music and cultural elements from Latin American and Caribbean traditions. Now in its third decade of celebration, Carnaval San Francisco has been an opportunity for many cultures to come together in one spirit to share their creative expression.
http://www.carnavalsanfrancisco.org/
Admission: $12-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

CARNAVAL WEEKEND: Fely Tchaco: Modern Pop Fused with Ivory Coast Traditional Forest Music
2015-05-23 19:30 - 22:00
In celebration of the 37th Annual Carnaval San Francisco, the Red Poppy Art House presents a weekend of performances highlighting music from Ivory Coast and the African Diaspora, featuring Fely Tchaco. Fely’s music is a fusion of traditional forest music (incorporating rhythms such as Zaouli, Ggegbe, Gahou, and Alloukou) and modern pop with a Latin sensibility.

Fely Tchaco is an award-winning singer-songwriter/performer and Billboard nominee from the Ivory Coast. This spring, she will release her new single “ZANTE” which she produced with Grammy Award winner Christian Tumalan.
Fely has released recordings under her own independent record label called FELY PRODUCTIONS/ZEWP. Her song “Goba,” the first track of her latest CD Maturite, won the 11th Annual Independent Music Award in the World Beat Song category for the year 2012. Among her projects is a fund to return to Africa and create a documentary on the Zaouli Dance mask of the Gouro tribe, a rhythm adapted in her award-winning song “Goba.” — Continue reading here.
Featuring:
Paul Sonnabend – conga
Jeff Simon – guitar
Brian Andres – drums
..and more!

Learn more about Fely here.
Follow her on Facebook here.

More on Carnaval SF:
Carnaval San Francisco is a beloved Memorial Day Weekend event featuring a Grand Parade and 2–day Festival, celebrating music and cultural elements from Latin American and Caribbean traditions. Now in its third decade of celebration, Carnaval San Francisco has been an opportunity for many cultures to come together in one spirit to share their creative expression.
http://www.carnavalsanfrancisco.org/
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Advanced tickets: http://www.eventbee.com/event?eid=170535281
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

CARNAVAL WEEKEND: Choro Bastardo: Brazilian Choro Music Meets Baroque, Early Jazz, and Contemporary Classical
2015-05-24 19:30 - 22:00
In celebration of the 37th Annual Carnaval San Francisco, the Red Poppy Art House presents a weekend of performances highlighting music from Ivory Coast and the African Diaspora, featuring Choro Bastardo on Sunday, May 24th.
Using baroque, early jazz, and contemporary classical music as a springboard, Choro Bastardo explores the different streams of music that share elements with the Choro tradition, recreating the atmosphere of cabarets and vaudeville in Rio de Janeiro. Choro is a genre of traditional Brazilian instrumental music born during the early 20th century. Choro Bastardo combines the traditional Choro style with each of the band members’ different musical and cultural backgrounds to create a sonority that is different from the original, yet loyal to the playful spirit of that music. Mixing Jelly Roll Morton and Pixinguinha, Darius Milhaud and Ernesto Nazareth, John Cage and Jacob do Bandolim, Choro Bastardo represents a groundbreaking transformation in the realm of contemporary improvisation associated with neo-folklorist practices.
Featuring:
Henrique Eisenmann – piano
Ben Andrews – violin, mandolin
Ilya Portnov – harmonica
Adam Bahrami – pandeiro
and special guest Rebecca Kleinmann – flute
More on Carnaval SF:
Carnaval San Francisco is a beloved Memorial Day Weekend event featuring a Grand Parade and 2–day Festival, celebrating music and cultural elements from Latin American and Caribbean traditions. Now in its third decade of celebration, Carnaval San Francisco has been an opportunity for many cultures to come together in one spirit to share their creative expression.
http://www.carnavalsanfrancisco.org/
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Derek Lassiter: Jazz-Driven Poetic Soul
2015-05-30 19:30 - 22:00
Derek Lassiter debuts brand new songs of personal truth and universal love for future release. Experience an inspired evening with Lassiter’s dynamic band led by Art Khu and featuring special guest vocalist Cedric Brown. Not to be missed!
Lassiter, a mainstay on the San Francisco arts scene, has received accolades for both his recordings and live performances featuring Bay Area notables such as pianist/composer Tammy Hall, producer/percussionist PC Muñoz, and composer/pianist Art Khu. Lassiter is profiled in Julian C. R. Okwu’s book “Face Forward: Young African American Men in a Critical Age.”
This event also features guest poets Marvin K. White and Cedric Brown.
Marvin K. White, author of Our Name Be Witness, Status, last rights (finalist for Stonewall Book Award and Lambda Literary Award) and nothin’ ugly fly (finalist for Lambda Literary Award), is a poet, performer, playwright, visual artist and community arts organizer.

Cedric Brown is a community investor and artist. He as performed in numerous Bay Area venues and festivals for over 20 years. His book “Tar Heel Born: A Native Son Speaks on Race, Religion, and Reconciliation” will be released on June 19th. “It’s always an honor to sing with such an exquisite musician as Derek Lassiter.” oaktownbrown.com
Derek Lassiter – vocals
Art Khu – piano/guitar
Sam Bevan – bass
Lorca Hart – percussion
“dark soul — the kind of moody, haunting soul that is the lesser known sibling of vastly more popular approaches to the genre…”
— Todd Beemis, Indie-Music.com
“Lassiter shines… creating a perfect modern jazz feel akin to Sade.”— Jeff Bracco, TheOwlMag.com
Learn more about Derek here
Follow him on Facebook and YouTube
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
Join the conversation at the Poppy – volunteer with us! Click here.

Laila Biali & The Radiance Project: Contemporary Jazz-Influenced Chamber Pop
2015-06-05 19:30
Award-winning pianist, vocalist and songwriter, Laila Biali, has toured with Chris Botti, Paula Cole, Suzanne Vega, and Sting. Critically acclaimed as one of North America’s finest jazz musicians, her new album, House of Many Rooms, sees the Brooklyn-based artist venturing into a more pop-oriented sound, full of catchy hooks, sweet melodies, and anthemic musical arrangements. For this special album release concert, Laila is backed by a six-piece ensemble that features strings and an award-winning rhythm section.
House of Many Rooms is Laila’s first album of entirely original material, and it also marks her first time arranging for gospel choir and string orchestra. Taking the best of pop, rock, classical, world and soul, Laila informs the sound with her expertise in jazz, and weaves it into her original songs and arrangements. Co-produced with her husband, Ben Wittman, the album is fitted for a vast range of instruments, from gospel choir to brass quartet, bass clarinet, Haken Continuum and string orchestra.
“It is the ultimate task given to the musician, whether as singer or instrumentalist, to create a unique signature or fingerprint that is instantly recognizable as their own. What is surprising and delightful in Laila Biali is that both as vocalist and pianist she accomplishes this with equal aplomb. She is an exciting and unique talent, and I admire her greatly.” – Sting

Featuring:
Laila Biali – vocals, pianoIrene Sazer – violin, vocalsLiana Berube – violaMark Goldenberg – guitar, vocalsChris Tarry – bassBen Wittman – drums
Discover more about The Radiance Project here.
Visit Laila’s jazz website here or follow her on Facebook.
Admission: $15-20. Doors at 7:00pm. Show at 7:30pm. All ages welcome.
Tickets will not be sold in advance for this event. Please arrive at the Red Poppy when doors open to purchase tickets.
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