María Volonté, one of tango’s most acclaimed vocalists, plays Berkeley Sunday No musical style is as inextricably linked to a particular city as tango is to Buenos Aires. So what happens when you take one of tango’s most acclaimed vocalists and plop her down in the Bay Area? For María Volonté, the result is a burst […]
Ashkenaz
Posted inEvents
The It List: Five Things to do in Berkeley this weekend
IMAGINE NONVIOLENCE In response to the March 16 shooting at the club, which injured two employees, and violence in general, Ashkenaz is sponsoring an event called “Imagining Nonviolence” on Friday April 19. “This event explores, celebrates, and shares numerous ways that we heal from violence, individually and within community. Starting with a hands-on healing art workshop, participants will […]
Posted inArts
Molly Holm: Permission to soar
Molly Holm performs at Freight & Salvage on Sunday, Apr. 21, to mark her debut CD. Photo: Irene Young Molly Holm has lived a lifetime in between starting to record her debut CD Permission and its release last February. The Berkeley jazz singer, an esteemed educator and important collaborator with Bobby McFerrin and Terry Riley, […]
Posted inCrime, Crime & Safety
Police release name of Ashkenaz shooting suspect
Ashkenaz’s rustic-looking building on San Pablo. Photo: Jeremy Brooks The Berkeley Police Department has released the name of one of the alleged shooters from Saturday morning’s robbery at the Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center, which sent two people to the hospital with serious injuries from the shooting. On Tuesday evening, police publicly identified the […]
Posted inCrime
Ashkenaz ‘celebrates for peace’ after shootings
ABC interviewed Comfort Mensah about the March 16 robbery at Ashkenaz. Photo: ABC News Comfort Mensah was standing at the bar at Ashkenaz Dance and Music Community Center early Saturday morning when two gunmen burst in and demanded cash. She and her boss, Larry Chin, the dance hall’s managing director, had just discovered some counterfeit […]
Posted inCrime
Two Ashkenaz employees shot during robbery
Ashkenaz’s rustic-looking building on San Pablo. Photo: Jeremy Brooks Ashkenaz’s rustic-looking building on San Pablo. Photo: Jeremy Brooks Two employees of Ashkenaz were shot and seriously injured early Saturday morning during an armed robbery of the popular dance center at 1317 San Pablo Ave., currently celebrating its 40th anniversary. Two people with guns walked into the crowded […]
Posted inArts
The Black Mountain Boys, sans Jerry Garcia, ride again
On Friday, guitarist Eric Thompson will play with the first Black Mountain Boys gig in some 50 years, as part of Ashkenaz’s 40th birthday celebrations. Photo: Irene Young On Friday, guitarist Eric Thompson will play with the first Black Mountain Boys gig in some 50 years, as part of Ashkenaz’s 40th birthday celebrations. Photo: Irene […]
Posted inArts
Evie Ladin: Stompin’ In the East Bay
Ladin performs Friday at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. Photo: Mike Melnyk Evie Ladin was practically born dancing, and she’s made it her life’s work to get everyone around her moving and grooving. Best known as a founding member of the all-female East Bay old-time combo The Stairwell Sisters, she’s also a bandleader in her […]
Posted inArts
It takes three to tango: Trio Garufa play Berkeley Friday
Guillermo Garcia (right) and his ensemble Trio Garufa celebrate the release of “El Rumor de tus Tangos” Friday at Ashkenaz. Photo: Esteban Silva When Guillermo Garcia moved to the Bay Area in the mid-90s, he was an accomplished tango guitarist whose career path had left little time for performing. Born and raised in Argentina and […]
Posted inArts
Zongo Junction: Drawing inspiration from Berkeley roots
The 12-piece Brooklyn Afrobeat band Zongo Junction plays hard-hitting West African funk inspired by grooves emanating from Nigeria, Ghana, and Benin, but the group’s roots extend directly to Berkeley. Founded by drummer Charles Ferguson after a six-month sojourn in Ghana, the band features several of his fellow Berkeley High jazz band buddies, including keyboardist Eli […]
Posted inArts
Baez joins Aya Omac for ‘memorable night’ at Ashkenaz
Joan Baez (center) with her son, Gabriel Harris and Marianne Aya Omac. Photo: Richard Nagler Richard Nagler sent in the following report and the photo above: “Joan Baez performed at Ashkenaz last night to a sell-out crowd. Joan was the guest artist for the extraordinary American debut of singer-songwriter Marianne Aya Omac who stunned the […]
Posted inArts
Out in Berkeley: Mawungira Enharira transports
Mawungira Enharira has sparked interest in traditional Shona culture More recent atrocities may have pushed the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe out of the news, but the devastation wrought by the iron-fisted Robert Mugabe and his kleptocratic ZANU-PF party continues apace. During a decade of incomprehensible hardship, the spirit of Zimbabwe’s people has been […]
