by Annalis Flores
Los Muñequitos de Matanzas
Get ready for a night of excitement and joy as a reception in Kimball Education Gallery will take place in honor of Roberto Yamir Hernandez for his CoLoRes OrGaniCos!
Hernandez is this month’s Artist-in-Residence at the deYoung gallery. He has been providing a handson opportunity to learn how to make colors from natural elements. This indigenous creative process making includes elements such as fire, earth, water, fruits, minerals, and air. Natural elements brought colors to the Mesoamerican world and have transformed the artistic pieces of that time. Hernandez’s environment, Mi Casa, features more of the techniques and paintings which one should check out. Food and music will be provided at the reception which is completely free as well as a complimentary pass to the OLMEC exhibit. So come out this Friday, March 25, 2011 from 6 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. in the Kimball Gallery at the deYoung Museum.
A c o m e b a c k y o u n e e d t o s e e
Masters of rumba music and dance, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas will perform Tambor de Fuego in San Francisco for the first time in 19 years presented by San Francisco International Arts Festival. The group is amongst the highest regarded percussionist in the world. Spanning from three generations of an extended family of singers, dancers, and musicians, Los Muñequitos are masters of Afro-Cuban ritual, music, and dance. They keep the 500-year-old music alive and preserve African Diaspora culture.
New musical compositions and choreography continue to make the group an innovative one to watch. They play Santeria religion drumming and rhythms originated from the Yoruba tribe, Abakuá songs, and contemporary Cuban rumba.
Los Muñequitos will be performing at Mission High School Auditorium on Monday, April 4. The event will begin at 7 p.m. and tickets will range from $15 to $50, for ticket information call (800) 838-3006 or log on to www.sfi af.org.
P o e t r y i n f i l m
Get ready for some poetry as WritersCorps presents Poetry Projection Project, short fims based on youth poems. The fi lm festival is set to take place in April as it will be National Poetry Month. It will feature shorts from emerging filmmakers and video artist from the Bay Area and others outside. Guest juror, Peter Bratt, director of La Mission will attend and present two of the $150 cash prizes.
Screenings will begin April 16 at the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts. The event is completely free, log on to www.writerscorps. org for more information and calendar listings.
A f r o – C u b a n A l l S t a r s i n B e r k e l e y
More Afro-Cuban music will be heard around the Bay Area as Juan De Marcos González and his Afro-Cuban All Stars perform at Zellerbach Hall.
Gonzáles is a well known figure in Cuban music today not only as a voice in this genre but as a musical director, guitarist, and tres player. The Cuban born artist has been surrounded by music since growing up, gaining popularity as the co-founder of Sierra Maestra in 1978. After much success in that band González went on to form Afro-Cuban All Stars.
Since the early 1990’s the group has been performing traditional and contemporary Cuban music in big-band format. The group futures such names as Eliada Ochoa, Omara Portuondo, Manuel Licea aka “Puntillita,” Pio Leyva, and Félix Valoy. These and other members range from ages 13-81, four generations of musicians. Check out Gonzáles and the Afro-Cuban All Stars April 19 in UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall at 8 p.m. Tickets are now available, for ticket info call (510) 642-9988.
