As we say Happy Birthday to Cancer/Leos, we say may your ascension be smooth and beautiful to ancestors making their way home. Dr. Price M. Cobbs (1928-2018) is known for the seminal study, Black Rage, he and his colleague Dr. William H. Grier authored. Dr.Cobb made his transition June 25. He was 89. We offer condolences to his family in Philadelphia and San Francisco Bay Area, specifically his son, Price, grandson and god-daughter, Alision. It is uncanny, that Dr. Grier died when 89 too, Sept. 3, 2015.
When we think about the effects of race on the African American psyche, Dr. Cobb is right there with Dr. Frances Cress Welsing in his acessment of the pathological cesspool we swim in daily in this nation. Black Rage was an analysis of the rage that erupted when King was killed, published the year he was killed. 50 years later it is just as dangerous, perhaps more dangerous to be a black person in America. Everywhere one turns white people seems to feel that they can put their hands on black people, whether this is in the sky — on my return from Nigeria, two KLM attendents blocked my passage or at a coffee house or service station. Remember Jordan Davis (17), the black youth who was shot in 2012 because a white patron at the service station (45) didn’t like the volumn of the music?
Our dearly beloved comrade Richard E. Brown (1941-2018)
eased on down the road last month, June 21 too.
He was a tireless warrior for justice. I remember when he was a judge in the community court and when he was on trial again re: SF8. Though his health was failing, he would still show up with a smile and gentle energy. I last spoke to him about Kiilu and he shared a few words about his comrade in tribute. Ashay. Ashay. Ashay-o!
On the Fly:
Labor Fest July 1-31: The music, theater and art programs include many locally produced shows. They include performances by the SF Mime Troupe, a Comedy Fest, and an art and poetry night. Many of these are also free with a few by required paid admission: July 4: SF Mime Troupe – 2018: Seeing Red: A Time-Traveling Musical, free, 2:00 pm at Dolores Park; Listen to an interview with director, Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe, on Wanda’s Picks Radio Show; July 20: The Rockin’ Solidarity Labor Chorus : No Human Is Illegal, free, 7:00 pm at First Unitarian Universalist Church; July 31: Play- Fight for 52¢ – Written and Performed by Howard Petrick – 70 min., free, 7:00 pm at ILWU Local 34 Hall. San Francisco Frozen Film Festival July 19-21 at the Roxie; Stern Grove Festival: July 8: Mexican Institute of Sound with Special Guest Ginkgoa; July 15: Anoushka Shankar, Land of Gold, Han Han; July 22: San Francisco Symphony with Jayce Ogren, Conductor; July 29: San Francisco Ballet with Helgi Tomasson, Artistic Director; August 5: Femi Kuti and The Positive Force, Sol Development; August 12: Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes. San Francisco Jewish Film Festical July 19-August 5; Born to Drum, Women’s Drumming Camp, July 19-22 San Francisco Film Festivals 2018
Boots Riley’s “Sorry to Bother You” opens theatrically July 6
Oakland ‘Coup’ bandleader and rapper Boots Riley now has a director’s chair. His much talked about and anticipated film titled “Sorry to Bother You” will open in San Francisco Bay Area theaters on Friday, July 6, 2018. He talked with Marcus Lorenzo Penn, MD about his music and his hometown Oakland in 2016 at Oakland’s annual Book Festival. It was their book party and the party was heating up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP-r_PT9bbY&t=9s
SF Ethnic Dance Festival July 14-15 and 21-22 Plus a Free Festival Opening Event at City Hall July 6
The San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival will return for a second year at the War Memorial Opera House July 14-15 and July 21-22, to celebrate its 40th anniversary as the largest, longest-running, and most comprehensive world dance and music event of its kind in the US. The Festival’s 2018 40th anniversary lineup will feature Bay Area-based groups from Alaska, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, India, Korea, Liberia, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Spain, Tahiti, the continental US, and Zimbabwe. Four groups will make their Festival debuts and the season will feature eight world premieres created specifically for the 40th anniversary season. The Festival opens with a free public celebration with performances in San Francisco City Hall’s rotunda on Friday, July 6. Two different programs will be presented at the Opera House July 14 & 15 and July 21 & 22, and a complete list of dates and artists may be found below. Tickets are priced $25-$45 and go on sale beginning April 24 at sfethnicdancefestival.org.
Listen to an interview with Festival Co-director Latanya Tigner on Wanda’s Picks Radio Show, June 13, http://tobtr.com/10821769
2018 SAN FRANCISCO ETHNIC DANCE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Free Festival Opening Event at San Francisco City Hall, Friday, July 6 at Noon at the Rotunda Dance Series performance by AERODANCE (Indian Folkloric – Gujarat), Mussel Rock Cloggers (Appalachian Clogging), and Kim Shuck, Poet Laureate of San Francisco.
Saturday, July 14 at 8pm
Sunday, July 15 at 2pm
TICKETS: $25-$45, ON SALE TUESDAY, APRIL 24, at sfethnicdancefestival.org, or by calling City Box Office: 415.392.4400
Performances by 11 Bay Area dance and music ensembles showcasing traditions from around the world. Preshow musical performance outside the Opera House by Te Pura O TeRahuraʽa (Tahitian ʽAparima) and in the lobby by Vinic-Kay (La Gente y El Canto) (Mexican Folkloric)
Performances by: AguaClara Flamenco (Spanish Flamenco), Arenas Dance Company (Afro-Cuban), Bolivia Corazón de América (Bolivian Folkloric– Tarabuco and Potosí), Chitresh Das Youth Company (North Indian Kathak), Ensambles Ballet Folklórico de San Francisco (Mexican Folkloric – Tabasqueño), Leung’s White Crane Lion & Dragon Dance Association (Chinese Dragon Dance), Nunamta Yup’ik Eskimo Singers and Dancers (Alaskan Yup’ik Eskimo), Parangal Dance Company (Philippine Folkloric – Meranao), Te Pura O Te Rahuraʽa (Tahitian ʽŌteʽa and ʽAparima), and Ye Feng (Chinese Contemporary).
Opera House Weekend Two
Saturday, July 21 at 8pm
Sunday, July 22 at 2pm
TICKETS: $25-$45, ON SALE TUESDAY, APRIL 24, at sfethnicdancefestival.org, or by calling City Box Office: 415.392.4400. Performances by 10 Bay Area dance and music ensembles showcasing traditions from around the world. Preshow musical performance outside the Opera House by Chinyakare Ensemble (Zimbabwean Traditional) and in the lobby by Hermanos Herrera (Mexican Folkloric)
Performances by: Ananya Tirumala (South Indian Kuchipudi), Antara Asthaayi Dance (North Indian Kathak), Caminos Flamencos (Spanish Flamenco), Charya Burt Cambodian Dance (Cambodian Classical), De Rompe y Raja Cultural Association (Afro-Peruvian), Los Danzantes de Aztlán de Fresno State (Mexican Folkloric – Huapangos), Nimely Pan African Dance Company (Liberian Folkloric), and OngDance Company (Korean Traditional and Contemporary).
More Music Festivals:
Union Square Live: From April to October, you can catch free cultural performances at SF’s Union Square. These events are usually every Wednesday and Sunday. Click here for this year’s festival.
Yerba Buena Gardens Festival: The Yerba Buena Gardens Festival also offers free music and other cultural programs all summer long. Performances are held several days a week between May and October. Click here for more details.
Sunday Streets: The annual Sunday Streets event features blocks of car-free streets in a specific district on one Sunday each month. This allows pedestrians to bike, run, or walk without worrying about traffic. Each event also provides live music, free health screenings, and other community activities. Click here for this year’s schedule.
Union Street Festival: The Union Street Festival is typically the kick-off to SF’s famous summer festival season. This lively event features live music, gourmet food, and dozens of merchant booths with unique arts and crafts. You will also find a premium craft beer and wine tasting pavilion. Click here to learn more.
North Beach Street Festival: Another popular SF Street Fair is the North Beach Festival. This one also features live music, amazing street food, and several fun activities for the kids. Click here to learn more about this year’s festival.