Musical Dreams in Homage to Rafael Manríquez
Compiled by the El Reportero’staff
Joyful evening of roots music from the tip of South America to the Rio Grande, presenting: John Santos – Afro-Caribbean Sabor, Osvaldo Torres & Silvia Balducci – Andean whispers Marci Manríquez’ experimental ballads & Latin American music
Also featuring Luis Valverde’s Dance Company, a colorful, soulful Andean Dance Troupe.
This concert honors the music of Rafael Manríquez, the prolific Chilean composer who graced the Berkeley and San Francisco Bay Area stages for over 30 years with masterful presentations of the Latin American Song.
Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. / Show: 8 p.m. at the Freight and Salvage. Cover charge $26 Adv. / $30 door (plus fees)
Diverse writers share their stories
The San Francisco Public Library is hosting a celebration of women of color authors, who will be reading from and talking about their writing, as well as how their various backgrounds influence their creative works.
Award-winning Pakistani writer and artist, Sehba Sarwar, will read from her recently-published debut novel Black Wings. This book is about a story of a mother and daughter who struggle to meet across the generations, cultures and secrets that separate them. Bay Area-based writer Fan Wu will read from her critically acclaimed novels, including Beautiful as Yesterday, a book about two sisters who were born and brought up in China and now reside in the United States. Her writing explores the impact of history and memories on one’s life. Lastly, fourth-generation Southern Californian Liz González will share from her multi-genre collection Dancing in the Santa Ana Winds. Her book explores memories, pivotal experiences and cultural influences that shaped her when growing up as a nontraditional Catholic Mexican American in San Bernardino.
Liz González is the author of Dancing in the Santa Ana Winds: Poems y Cuentos New and Selected (Los Nietos Press 2018) and the poetry collection Beneath Bone (Manifest Press 2000). Her poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction have been published widely and recently appeared in Voices de la Luna, Fire and Rain: Ecopoetry of California, and Voices from Leimert Park Anthology Redux. She was recently featured on Latinopia.com, KUCR’s Radio Aztlan, KPCC’s Unheard L.A-Baldwin Park, and The Palacio Podcast.
Her awards include an Arts Council for Long Beach Incite / Insight Award, an Arts Council for Long Beach Professional Artist Fellowship, an Elizabeth George Foundation Artistic Grant, a Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts Residency, an Irvine Fellowship at the Lucas Artists Residency Program, a Macondo Casa Azul Writers Residency, and a Hedgebrook residency.
On Thursday, Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m., at the SF Main Library, 100 Larkin St., Chinese Center, 3rd Floor. Free.
A Permanent Town Square in the Excelsior?
Excelsior Action Group and Sunday Streets Bring the Vision to Persia Triangle on October 20
San Francisco – Excelsior residents have dreamed of creating a permanent town square and public mini park at the Persia Triangle, a site formed by the intersection of Mission Street, Ocean and Persia Avenues in the heart of the neighborhood, for years. As local efforts ramp up to make the community space a reality, the Excelsior Action Group (EAG) and Sunday Streets are transforming the space – currently an auto repair shop – into a pop-up park at Sunday Streets Excelsior, taking place on Oct. 20 from 11am-4pm.
“It is important for our neighborhood to have a dedicated public space and Persia Triangle has been on our hearts and minds for a long time,” said Supervisor Ahsha Safai. “I am fully committed to working with the community and various City agencies to make the acquisition of Persia Triangle a reality.”
