Northwest Folklife News, February 2008

Northwest Folklife sponsors EMP Sound Off!

For the seventh year Experience Music Project|Science Fiction Museum hosts Sound Off!, the Northwest's largest underage battle of the bands competition for musicians 21 and under. The competition supports the local music scene, giving young artists a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform their music in a great all-ages atmosphere.

Northwest Folklife is proud to be a sponsor of Sound Off! and we’re looking forward to hosting the second-place winner at the 2008 Northwest Folklife Festival, May 23-26. We had the pleasure of working with an alumni of the Sound Off! Competition, Evan Easthope of the band Capitol Basement, in 2007. Evan coordinated an All Ages Alternative show at the Northwest Folklife Festival that tore the roof off the Vera Project! Best of all, he brought out a community of music-hungry, passionate teens who are committed to supporting their local music scene.

The Sound Off! Competition will have three semifinals:

Saturday, February 9
Saturday, February 16
Saturday February 23.

On Saturday, March 1, the winning bands will compete in the final competition. All of these events will be held at the EMP at the Seattle Center. For more information, visit www.empsfm.org, or add Sound Off! to your MySpace friend list at www.myspace.com/empsoundoff.

Artists & Presenters - Register for Ethnic Arts Connection

Ethnic Arts Connection is still accepting registrations for participating artists and presenters until Friday, February 15. Click here for more information and to register for the event.

Ethnic Arts Connection, a free one-day gathering of artists and presenters, provides a link between arts presenters looking for ethnic performing artists and ethnic artists looking for venues. The event will feature a rich roster of showcase performances, workshops and booking and networking opportunities.

Ethnic Arts Connection

Monday, March 10, 2008 from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Intiman Theatre, Seattle Center

The Ethnic Arts Connection is a collaborative project of the Seattle Mayor’s Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, Seattle Center, 4Culture of King County, Washington State Arts Commission, Ethnic Heritage Council, Festál, Arts Northwest and Northwest Folklife.


Festival du Bois: A French-Canadian Community Festival

During fieldwork along the US/Canadian border for the 2007 Cultural Focus: Borderlands, Northwest Folklife Programs Coordinator Devon Léger discovered a community of French-Canadians living just outside Vancouver, B.C. Centered in the small township of Maillardville, they came from Quebec at the turn of the century to work the lumber trade along the Fraser River. Each year in March, the community gathers to celebrate its culture and heritage at Festival du Bois. With traditional French-Canadian music provided by some of the best folk bands from Quebec, festival-goers can enjoy French-Canadian delicacies like tourtière (meat pie) and tire d’érable (maple syrup popsicles).

Northwest Folklife is proud to sponsor two events at Festival du Bois in the Workshop Tent. On Saturday, March 1, Button Accordion Traditions will feature master accordionists Frank Maher of Newfoundland and Raynald Ouellette of Quebec. On Sunday, March 2, Accordions of the Americas will feature Frank Maher, Raynald Ouellette and Brazilian accordion master Rob Curto in a roundtable discussion of this humble instrument in North and South America.

For more information please visit www.festivaldubois.ca. If you are interested in the community of Maillardville, visit www.maillardville.com.


Kids Get Into the Rhythm & Moves with Folklife

The sounds of Ghanaian drum rhythms echoed off the walls at the Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center (SBOC) end-of-semester celebration on Friday, January 24. Led by master artists Kofi and Amma Anang, participants in Northwest Folklife’s Rhythm & Moves after-school program wowed their fellow students in a recital of the poly-rhythms, dances and songs they’ve learned during the fall semester. Program highlights included individual students leading call-and-response singing and playing solo on the djundjun drum.

Now in its third year, the Rhythm & Moves program gives students the opportunity to learn about another culture by participating in its music in an educational and fun way. At the SBOC, Seattle Public Schools’ culturally diverse newcomer school for new immigrant students, participants find encouragement and focus in an activity where they can be successful without words that encourages them to respect their own cultural backgrounds as they adapt to American society.

Rhythm & Moves is sponsored by Northwest Folklife and is made possible through the support of the Sage Foundation.

Northwest Folklife Events

Ethnic Arts Connection Pre-EventWorkshop for Artists: Preparings an Effective Promotion Packet

Location: 911 Media Arts Center at
402 9th Ave. N in Seattle
Date: Feb 7

3rd Annual Contra Marathon benefiting Northwest Folklife

Locaiton: Lake City Community Center
12531 - 28th Ave. NE
Date: Mar 6

Ethnic Arts Connection

Location: Intiman Theatre
Date:Mar 10

Northwest Folk Dancers Inc. (NFDI)
Folkdance to benefit Folklife

Location: Cedar Valley Grange
Date: Mar 15

Greenwood Community Family Dance:
Contra and Folk for Tweens and Teens to benefit Folklife

Location: Greenwood Senior Center
525 N. 85th St.
Date: Mar 16

Greenwod Community Family Dance: Family Dance for Forlklife to benefit Folklife

Location: Greenwood Senior Center
525 N. 85th St.
Date: Apr 13

Northwest Folklife Business Luncheon Fundraiser

Location: The Westin Seattle
Date: Apr 22

Northwest Folklife City Folk Film Series
Location: SIFF Cinema
Date: May 2-5

Ensemble Sub Masa A Northwest Folklife Festival Preview

Location: Seattle City Hall
600 4th Ave.
Date: May 15

Northwest Folklife Festival

Location: Seattle Center
Date: May 23-26

Northwest Folklife Benefit Auction

Location: Fisher Pavilion
Date: Nov 8

Other Events of Interest

Performances, Exhibits and Workshops

Festival Sundiata 2008: Shades of Black

Colors of Success
Location: Seattle Center
Date: Feb 15-18

Oral History Live!
An Evening with El Vez & Friends

Location: EMP
Date: Feb 26

Volunteer Announcements

To learn more about volunteering, contact Molly Haas, Volunteer Coordinator, at (206) 684-7326 or mollyh@nwfolklife.org.

VOLUNTEER CALENDAR

Feburary 6 - Volunteer Workday
March 5 - Volunteer Workday
March 28 - Festival Volunteer Early Bird Application Deadline
April 2 - Volunteer Workday
May 10 & 15 - Festival Greeter & MC Training (only one training day required)

*Volunteer Workdays are held from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at Northwest Folklife’s offices (158 Thomas St., 3rd floor).

Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

Announcements

KBCS presents Led Kaapana, Slack Key Guitar Master

2008 marks Led Kaapana's 45th year as a professional musician. A master of ki ho'alu --slack key guitar--Led is also an accomplished on 'ukulele, autoharp, bass, steel guitar and other plucked string instruments. He plays the slack key guitar in at least eight tunings, several of which are Kaapana family secrets. He is a fine, emotional singer as well, in both baritone and leo ki'eki'e (falsetto). Perhaps most importantly, Led blends his virtuosity with an infectious joy for performing, a generous spirit, and a kolohe (rascally) sense of humor.

Opening the show is Mike Kaawa, whose easy going stage manner, rich voice, and unique 12-string guitar picking is known throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

Led Kaapana, Slack Key Guitar Master in Concert

Friday, February 8
Town Hall Seattle at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $15 general admission
Tickets are avilable at www.kbcs.fm
For more information phone 425-564-2418

Numi Tea Offers Heart Healthy Valentine's Information

Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) still reigns as the #1 cause of death in the United States and every February, when consumers go to the shelves to show they care, they find high sugar gifts, most of them full of high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors. This coming Valentine's season, consumers can find heart healthy alternatives with the gift of tea that is both high in antioxidants and stress relieving properties.

According to the American Heart Association, tea consumption has been associated with a number of health healthy benefits from preventing cardio vascular disease to prolonging life post myocardial infarction or heart attack. Much of this is linked to tea’s protective anti-oxidant constituents known as catechins and L-Theanine, an amino acid that is shown to be responsible for the calming qualities of tea. Since studies show a strong link to Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) from everyday stressors and poor diet, there is definitely a place for Americans to increase their consumption of quality tea.