1/12/12 The Music of 2011

Guest Singer for The Little Bits at Sunday Streets

Following up on last week’s epic recap of 2011, this week we feature the MUSIC of 2011 including songs by Makana, Ras Ceylon, Hopie Spitshard, Rocky Rivera, Kiwi, Blue Scholars, Goh Nakamura, The Invisible Cities, The Little Bits, Senbei, and a rousing music video by Magnetic North and Taiyo Na featuring Jin (see below).

We also honor the passing of activist and fellow radio producer, Yvette Hochberg, with a poem by Genny Lim.

Community Calendar

• On Friday, January 13th join poets from around the Bay Area as they bid fairwell to the Year of the Rabbit. ‘Goodbye Rabbit’ is happening at 826 Valencia in San Francisco from 7 to 8:30pm. Bring a rabbit and handkerchief as we make way for the Year of the Dragon.
• On Saturday, January 14th the Manilatown Heritage Foundation hosts the opening of ‘Legacy: The Art of Mike “Dream” Francisco’ at the I-Hotel Manilatown Center, 868 Kerney St in San Francisco. Dream was a graffiti writer who gained fame for his influential style blending hip-hop culture and social justice. He was murdered in February of 2000, but his legacy lives on. Visit legacyopening.eventbrite.com for tickets and additional information. This show runs through April 14th.
• On Monday, January 16th from noon to 4pm the National Japanese American Historical Society presents ‘Deep Roots, New Shoots II’ at the Peace Gallery 684 Post Street in San Francisco. This will celebrate 40 years of Asian American art by veteran and emerging artists. From noon to 2pm there will be an artists salon and from 2 to 4pm is the opening reception. Visit njahs.org for all of the details.

3/10/11 San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival

It’s March, and you know what that means! March madness, Asian American-style! That’s right, it’s time for the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. Now in it’s 29th year, this film festival also welcomes a new director, Masashi Niwano. We’ll hear from him and other festival staff who are bringing many new offerings to San Francisco, Berkeley, and San Jose this year.

We’ll share our Apex Festival picks;  you’ll hear a youth perspective on the Festival from our correspondent, KK Aoki Izu; and you’ll hear a premiere of “Pretty Lucky,” a song by local composer Jack Tung. He’ll be performing the song live at the Festival in a program called Suite Suite Chinatown.

APEX FESTIVAL PICKS

Jane Chang: Resident Aliens
R.J. Lozada: Taqwacores
Robynn Takayama: One Voice

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

I DREAM OF CHANG AND ENG
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you can catch Philip Gotanda’s new play, “I Dream of Chang and Eng,” a journey through the incredible lives of Chang and Eng Bunker – the original Siamese Twins. Tickets are $10-15 and it takes place at Zellerbach Playhouse on the UC Berkeley campus.

ANNUAL BURMA HUMAN RIGHTS DAY BENEFIT
Saturday is the Annual Burma Human Rights Day Benefit from 6- 10 pm at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Hall. $15 gets you a vegetarian-friendly dinner, a short film and dynamic speakers.

FREE RAPA NUI DAY OF ACTION
Next week on Wednesday is the Free Rapa Nui Day of Action. Demonstrate against the Chilean government’s illegal occupation and evictions of the indigenous peoples of Rapa Nui from their ancestral homelands. The rally is from 9 to noon outside of the Chilean Consulate General’s office at 870 Market Street.

JOIN APEX EXPRESS
Apex is calling on you! Do you want to be part of a dynamic team of reporters, activists, and DJs? Join our crew. We’re also looking for independent Asian American musicians to share your tunes with us. Give us your beats, your demos, your experimentations. Email us at apex@kpfa.org