by Desirée Aquino
Conjunto Manicato
Live music by Manicato and Umoverde is featured on Friday, March 2. Manicato is part of The Pink Palace, a musicians’ collective in San Francisco’s Mission District. Manicato incorporates salsa, reggae, bomba, rock, cumbia, hip hop and more. Umoverde is five inner city Los Angeles Latinos fusing dance hall reggae, roots, cumbia, salsa and African rhythms. The show begins at 9 p.m. and is $10 for general admission. Seniors and students are $8
On Saturday, March 3, the sounds of the Andes returns to La Peña with the reunion of the original members of Inkuyo, performing with Bay Area musicians Pamela Darington, Jorge Tapia and Omar Sepulveda. The show, “Altipampa” also features the vocals of Lydia Mills to create an ensemble based on the traditional sounds of the Andes and neighboring regions. The show begins at 8 p.m. and is $12 in advance or $14 at the door.
Café Rumba, a community participatory event, features Afro-Cuban folkloric drums, dances and songs of rumba. Developed in rural Cuba with strong influences from African drumming and Spanish poetry and singing, rumba refers to a group of related, community-oriented musical and dance styles. The event is on Sunday, March 4 from 3:30-6 p.m.
All events take place at La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley. Call (510) 849-2568 or go to www.lapena.org for more information.
Art opening and benefit for Oaxacan artists
Calixto Robles art
An art exhibition curated by Calixto Robles will feature stencils and prints by revolutionary artists of Oaxaca portraying the people’s resistance against the PAN-PRI government.
An opening celebration and benefit for “Rebellious Oaxaca” will be held on March 3 from 6-10 p.m. at LIVE ART STUDIOS, 151 Potrero Ave. in San Francisco. For more information, call (415) 216-8915. The exhibition runs to March 10.
Holiday breakfast celebrating Cesar Chavez
A breakfast to celebrate the life and work of UFW co-founder César E. Chávez will be held at the Mission Language & Vocational School in the Latino Culinary Academy at 2929 19th St., San Francisco. Tickets for the breakfast on Friday, March 30 from 8-10 a.m. are $40 for individuals. Table sponsorships are also available. For more information or to RSVP, call (415) 621-2665.
