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Soko Arts 2004: GETA GROOVE!April 27, 2004SAN FRANCISCO (April 27, 2004) – The 2004 Soko Arts Festival presents “GETA GROOVE” to be held on Saturday, June 5 at 7PM and Sunday, June 6 at 2PM at the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California (1840 Sutter Street, San Francisco). Ginger Hashimoto, Japantown’s favorite cabaret and intrepid time-traveler, returns from a stint in Las Vegas and will be taking the audience on a new musical adventure. Set in San Francisco’s Japantown, circa 1960s-1970s with redevelopment and the rise of community consciousness as a backdrop, Ginger, accompanied by the eclectic Snaps, rediscovers how Nihonmachi survived in spite of it all -- how Japantown got by “with a little help from our tomodachis” and the Issei and Nisei asking the question “Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I’m 84?”. Starring SUZ Takeda, Jimmy Biala, Doug Hirai, John-Carlos Perea, Melody Takata, Francis Wong, with guest artists AK Black (spoken word), Hideko Nakajima (vocalist/shamisen), Wesley Uenten (sanshin musician) and many more talented artists. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door, group rates available. Please contact JCCCNC at jcccnc@jcccnc.org or 415.567.5505 for more information. Presented by Japanese Cultural and Community Center of Northern California as part of the APA Arts & Heritage Festival 2004 produced by Asian Improv aRts. Funding in part provided by the Zellerbach Family Foundation. History of Soko ArtsSoko Arts was an outcome of Nikkei 2000, a statewide conference addressing the changing needs of the Japanese American community. Through various discussions in the non-profit, corporate, academic, political, and arts arenas at the conference the participants identified the need to embrace the diversity of the changing community at all levels. As a major partner in this conference, the JCCCNC facilitated an artists panel/roundtable, a visual arts exhibition and a performance showcase to explore the identity and new voices emerging through the arts in the Nikkei community. In 2001, Soko Arts was developed to continue to offer a space in the community for this new voice and to encourage collaboration and cultural expression through the arts. Soko Salons were hosted to outreach to and support cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural exploration and exchange for emerging and established community artists. The culminating event, Soko Arts Festival 2001, successfully brought together 23 artists from various disciplines and cultural backgrounds to collaborate and explore Nikkei expression. For Soko Arts 2002, the diverse multi-cultural expression in the rapidly changing political and social landscape of the J-town community was explored. The need for this exploration has been made particularly acute by the tense atmosphere resulting from the tragic events of September 11, 2001. In 2002, the resulting program called “Travelin’ Light”, featured 18 artists recalling the experience of this community. Last year’s program entitled “Steppin’ in Time” celebrated the claiming of a new place and the carrying forward of the traditions of the Japanese American Communities. About the JCCCNCEnvisioned by the Japanese American community, JCCCNC will be an everlasting foundation of our Japanese American ancestry, cultural heritage, histories and traditions. The JCCCNC strives to meet the evolving needs of the Japanese American community through programs, affordable services and facility usage. The JCCCNC is a non-profit community center based in San Francisco. For more information, please contact:Lori Matoba, Director of Programs |
