Skyeview

MADCAT 12 IS HERE!

Special screenings Sept 19 and 23 at Artists’ Television Access and El Rio, including live music by Silian Rail and Tartufi. Plus local filmmakers Samara Halperin, Phoebe Tooke, Kerry Laitala and more.

MadCat is a highly acclaimed festival that exhibits independent and experimental films and videos directed by women from around the globe. The Festival emphasizes work that is inventive and visionary. MadCat takes place each September in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Festival Info
http://www.madcatfilmfestival.org/festival_info.html

September 19
Films 7:30pm.
Artists’ Television Access
992 Valencia Street in SF
(415) 824-3890
Tickets $7 – $20 sliding scale.
Tickets available at the door.
Cash only. www.atasite.org

September 23
Doors Open 6:00pm. Free BBQ! Films 8:30pm. Rain or Shine.
El Rio
3158 Mission St @ Precita in SF
(415) 282-3325
21 and over. Dress warmly!
Tickets $7– $20 Sliding Scale.
Available in advance or at the door. Cash only. www.elriosf.com

Antoinette Adwoa Kudoto

Saturday September 06, 2008
$10 gen. $8 students w/ID – 8pm
La Peña Cultural Ctr.
3105 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley.
www.lapena.org 510-849-2568

Ghana’s only female master drummer Antoinette Adwoa Kudoto and troupe bring us an exciting evening of traditional West African drumming, dancing and storytelling direct from Cape Coast, Ghana.

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Skyeview: I am skeptical of this claim of Antoinette Adwoa being “Ghana’s Only Female Master Drummer”. Adwoa may the only recognized, acknowledged or highly visible female master drummer but certainly not the only sistah to have devoted her entire life to the drum. I’ll be at the performance.

Bay Area Event

Vocal Summit
Linda Tillery & Cultural Heritage Choir & Rajaton
Sunday September 07, 2008
$22 adv./$25 door – Two shows! 6:30pm & 8:30pm

La Pena Cultural Center
3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA, 94703
(510) 849-2568

Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir will be joined by Finland¹s
stunning a cappella ensemble, Rajaton. If you are a fan of choral singing,
then you won¹t want to miss this vocal summit.

Linda will also be celebrating her 60th birthday!

For tix go to http://showboxoffice.com/pickashow.php?id=71&db=berkeley

Enjoy the Sistahs Steppin In Pride Photos!

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Bonus Link

Muscial dedication to all my Yeah Area homegirls.

“I am giving you props, respect and dignity”.

Rachelle Ferrell – Sista (live)

Rachelle Ferrell
“Sista”

You got that certain thang that can’t quite be described
Copied all over the world, it can’t be denied
And when you walk into a room the brothers be slippin’ all up out they
swerve.
Incredible woman, you’re still my girl!

Sista
You know you got a friend in me
Sista
We’re sharing the power of femininity!

You brought my spirits up when everything was low
You helped me to heal my heart and continue to grow
And now I’m feeling so much better that I can do
anything I choose
With you in my corner I just can’t lose!

Sista
You know you got a friend in me
Sista
I’m giving you props, respect and dignity

You don’t know what you mean to me
You’re the light of my life
Strength in my fight
The stand in my feet
And Ohhhh, sho’ do like the way you roll
Auntie, Mama, Grandmom, Daughter.

Sista
I’m giving you my heart and soul
Sista
Because it was you who helped to make me whole again

Sista
You know you got a friend in me
Sista
We’re sharing the power of femininity

[Rachelle Ferrell – Sista Song Lyrics from “Individuality (Can I Be Me?)
(2000)”.]

In support of my long-time comrade, sistahfriend, and daddi-dyke Pippa Fleming I want to direct Skyeview readers to the announcement below.

The Ms. K.I.A. Chronicles is important cultural work and will surely serve to increase Black butch visibility in the performing arts. The project is still a work-in-progress but these women are off to a grand start.

Pippa recently added video clips online including this CHOICE clip from a rehearsal. The musicians are Pat Wilder, guitar, Caroline Acuna, conga, Trevelyn D. Lee, drums, and Pippa Fleming, vocals. I have also included one of my favorite scenes from the live performance because it was such a surprise and moving dance segment.

Enjoy.

Bonus Links

VIDEO
The Ms. K.I.A. Chronicles Underground Rehearsal
The Ms. K.I.A. Chronicles “It’s A Man’s World”

INTERVIEW
KPFA interview with writer/director/choreographer/DJ (etc., etc,) Pippa Fleming, and producer and Endangered Species Project activist Grace Dueñas [sic?] , and cellist Naboko Mizaguchi [sic?], on Fleming’s performance project “The Ms. K.I.A Chronicles” a “multimedia exploration of African American butch, griot identity in America” taken from her longer work Living In the Mainstream.

Fleming looks at various aspects of identity taking into account the inter-generational questions of identity in relationship to gender, race, national identity, culture and memory.

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Announcement

Dear friends, associates and newly made connections,

In June 2008, I premiered the theatrical version of “ The Ms. K.I.A. Chronicles” at Laney College Theatre. I am pleased to announce that clips of the show are on line and can be seen on Youtube and Myspace.

One of the most important aspects of being an independent lesbian artist is visibility, marketing and promotion. I am calling on each of you to bear witness to this unique project that features an all women’s band and to share this work with others. If any of you know promoters, booking agents or anyone in a position that would be willing to sponsor this project, please feel free to contact me.

Currently the Ms. K.I.A. band is gearing up to perform regularly beginning this fall as a means to promote and raise funds for the theatrical production. I will be sending out announcements of upcoming shows.

How can you help?

Share, rate or become channel subscribers on Youtube
Book me for lectures, workshops or conferences that deal with LGBT issues, butch identity or women in the media and arts.
Book the Ms. K.I.A. band for live performances or the theatrical show.
Sponsor this project by contacting pippa@pippafleming.com
Hire me for after school programs

How to find me?
www.youtube.com/pippafleming
www.myspace.com/pippafleming
www.facebook.com
www.pippafleming.com
pippa@pippafleming.com

Oakland Art & Soul Festival
Labor Day Weekend

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August 30, 31 & Sept. 1, 2008
Noon-6pm
$10 at door;
$5 Youth 13-18 & Senior 65+; 12 & under free

Enjoy music by the Indigo Girls, Stephanie Mills, The Matches, Bobby Hutcherson, Rose Royce, Walter Hawkins and more during the 8th Annual Comcast Art & Soul Festival.

Six concert stages will be packed with an eclectic all-star lineup of 60 national recording artists and hot Bay Area bands to please every musical taste.

Bring the entire family. Kids will love the Family Fun Zone with rides, hands-on activities, entertainment and special performances. Plus admission is free for kids 12 and under!

Stroll the Global Artisan Marketplace for great art and unique gifts to take home.

When hunger strikes, visit one of dozens of food vendors offering a multicultural menu of tasty treats.

Sample gourmet food, wine and chocolate at Oakland’s Own Expo highlighting Oakland’s many celebrated food producers.

http://www.artandsouloakland.com/

My attempt at crafting a virtual mud cloth was so much fun I decided to add this interactive Smithsonian link to Skyeview.

Way cool!

Link
http://www.mnh.si.edu/africanvoices/mudcloth/index_flash.html

Announcement
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AUGUST 23-24, 2008 in OAKLAND, CA

SATURDAY, 8/23: EAST BAY DYKE MARCH & FESTIVAL
March: Meet 11am @ Astro Park (across fr. Lake Merritt pillars)
Festival: 1-5pm @ Snow Park, 19th/20th St. & Harrison, Oakland

SATURDAY, 8/23, 9pm-2am, $15: AFTERPARTY
The Vibe Lounge, 2272 Telegraph Ave., Oakland

SUNDAY, 8/24, 12 noon – 3pm: SUNDAY BRUNCH
Cock-A-Doodle Cafe, 719 Washington @ 8th St., Oakland

PURPOSE
Sistahs Steppin’ In Pride’s purpose is to nurture intergenerational and multi-cultural bridges and create a safe, sacred space to honor our Herstory. We seek to empower the diverse East Bay lesbian and bisexual community of women to reclaim their lives from fear and celebrate their spirituality. We aspire to provide opportunities to the artists, activists, community organizations and individuals of our community to come together and share our lives and resources.
http://www.sistahssteppin.org/About_Us.html

Wow! What a nice set at Yoshi’s on 7/21. Half the fun was just sitting in the audience with so many fans that obviously admire, love and respect Anna Maria Flechero and appreciate her sassy jazz vocal styling. She performed to a full house, and I do mean full, not a single available seat at the 8 pm show on a Monday evening no less! Yoshi’s is the PREMIER jazz house in Northern California. It’s always nice to witness the raising star of a local artist who is finally is getting her due.

Flechero’s Yoshi’s debut is in support of her CD release “Within The Fourteenth Hour”. My picks on the disc are “My Funny Valentine” and “Summer Time”. My pick from the live performance is her original tune “I Betcha Never Thought” a tribute to her mother. Jazz heads would do well to purchase this CD particularly if you like savory sweet morsels of straight ahead soulful jazz.

Within The Fourteenth Hour