WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD International Women’s Day is next Wednesday, but you can get a head start in celebrating by going to Berkeley Public Library North Branch’s exhibition of photos by Berkeleyside contributing photographer Nancy Rubin.“I am always moved by the different lives that I am able to glimpse as I travel. I see such beauty and strength in the diversity of these women’s experiences. There are wide cultural, religious and economic factors that determine and create this visual spectrum.” In addition to the US, the photos in the exhibit feature women from Ethiopia, Myanmar, Turkey, Morocco, India, Cuba and United Arab Emirates. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. Exhibition runs through April 29. North Branch library, 1170 The Alameda.
GLAS ANIMATION FESTIVAL The GLAS Animation Festival continues through the weekend at various venues in Berkeley, centered around the Shattuck Cinemas. GLAS focuses on introducing new ideas and expanding the scope of animation by bringing new voices, new talents, new themes, and a new generation of independent filmmakers and curators to the United States. Among the weekend highlights are a retrospective of the work of George Schwizgegbel, a competition of US animation shorts, and Q&A sessions with both Masaaki Yuasa and Amy Lockhart. On Sunday at the Brower Center, the festival is hosting a conversation with the director Brad Bird. Full details of the schedule and links for tickets to individual events are on the festival website.
TAKÁCS QUARTET The string quartet repertoire has a number of famous mountain ranges to tackle: think six Bartok quartets or 15 Shostakovich quartets. But the 16 Beethoven quartets still stand as the great marker of achievement. On Saturday night, the Takács Quartet continues its full cycle of the Beethoven quartets for Cal Performances with numbers 4, 5 and 15, playing numbers 3, 8 and 12 on Sunday. Here’s what The New Yorker’s great Alex Ross had to say:”The Takács players have been recording the complete Beethoven quartets, and their survey, now complete, stands as the most richly expressive modern account of this titanic cycle.” Because of the huge demand for the cycle, Cal Performances has added limited seating on the stage at Hertz Hall. Saturday, March 4, 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 5, 3 p.m., Hertz Hall, UC Berkeley.
DON CARLOS Reggae giant Don Carlos has performed at Ashkenaz many times over the decades, and on Saturday he is backed by Oakland-based Dub Vision band, which has accompanied Carlos for more than 15 years.Born Euvin Spencer, Don Carlos grew up in the impoverished Waterhouse district of Kingston, Jamaica, along with other future reggae greats including King Tubby, King Jammy, and Junior Reid. Don Carlos will include many of his hits, as well as more recent songs such as “Gimme Your Love,” “Harmony,” and “Righteous Chant.” Here’s what Ashkenaz says: “This is classic, conscious reggae of the highest order. A singer whose lyrical messages echo the spiritual side of the late Bob Marley, Don Carlos has led the cause of conscious reggae for more than three decades. Saturday, March 4, 9:30 p.m., Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave.
SHE SINGS The Women’s A Capella Association is holding its fifth SheSings Vocal Festival at the Freight & Salvage this weekend. The educational, community-building festival is open to singers and vocal music enthusiasts of any age, gender identity or stylistic preference. There are two full days of interactive workshops, which will cover topics ranging from vocal percussion, songwriting and arranging, to healthy group relations, social media marketing, vocal technique and much more. Festival passes also include admission to the SheSings Showcase Concert on Saturday night, with a stylistically diverse line-up of vocal groups from around the country, including headliners LARK from University of Colorado Denver and Bay Area legends SoVoSó. A wide variety of ticket types is available. Kick-off party on Friday night in Oakland, followed by workshops through Saturday and Sunday at the Freight. Showcase concert Saturday, March 4, 8 p.m. Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St.
Don’t miss these other events featured on Berkeleyside:
Big Screen Berkeley: With ‘Kedi,’ cats get their own feature-length documentary
Dancing in drag, Trocks toe the line between mastery and mockery
Think Free with bassist/composer Ben Allison in Berkeley
