Afro-Cuban band incorporates intercontinental sounds to inspire free-flowing dance

Ritmo de Orun combines the Spanish word ‘ritmo,’ meaning rhythm, and the Nigerian word ‘orun,’ meaning heaven or sun. The name encapsulates the two cultures that inspire the Afro-Cuban band’s style. Ritmo de Orun will perform at the Fowler Museum on Wednesday – their first gig as a group. Douglas Sauceda-Vidal, who will play electric […]

Mardi Gras event brings culture, traditions of New Orleans to UCLA

UCLA’s Fowler Museum incorporated beaded jewelry, masquerade masks and a second line parade in their Mardi Gras festivities. On Sunday, attendees of “Celebrating Mardi Gras,” observed a concert by the New Orleans Traditional Jazz Band. The group performed songs traditional to Mardi Gras while also discussing the history of the holiday and its association with […]

Album review: ‘Weezer (Black Album)’ trades nostalgia for confused genre shifts and tired lyrics

Weezer’s 13th studio album is experimental, but not for the sake of experimenting. Accurately embodied in their masked appearance on the album cover, “Weezer (Black Album)” is almost unrecognizable as a Weezer album. The band forfeits the characteristically gritty, unrefined tone of prior albums for an underwhelming attempt at conformity to an “experimental” modern pop […]

Q&A: Artist births vocal performance inspired by human cell functions

Artist Meredith Monk took inspiration from human cells and their functions of replication and division. These biological processes gave birth to her performance “Cellular Songs.” To be staged Saturday at Royce Hall, the show will include her vocal ensemble as well as lighting effects, instrumentals and a video installation. Monk said the show aims to […]

Author’s book explores evolution of Bollywood dance into more diverse art form

Bollywood dance has shifted from the classical elite to the everyday citizen, said Dr. Pallabi Chakravorty. Within her book, “This is How We Dance Now!,” she analyzes the change in the instruction in dance, as well as the social classes that participate in the activity today. Chakravorty gave a book talk Monday hosted by the […]

Q&A: Sound editors of ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ discuss what film would say

If Beale Street could talk, alumnus Michael Benavente would probably know what it sounds like. Benavente, the film’s dialogue editor worked with the Formosa Group, a postproduction sound company, to remove any extraneous background noise and ensure the characters’ voices were audible. “If Beale Street Could Talk” is nominated for best original music score and […]

Hybrid dance performance to subvert ‘stuckness’ with humor, self-reflection

Pearl Marill will break out a life-size puppet of herself on stage as a symbol of self-reflection. Marill, an artist well-acquainted with San Francisco’s performance scene, will present her show “You Self Help Me” at Glorya Kaufman Hall on Friday and Saturday. Marill said her performance – a meditation on her personal struggles – will […]