A Buffalo Soldier, a 9/11 Firefighter and The Adventures of Zonic

   What does an African-American Buffalo Soldier, the Bomberos de San Diego (Firefighters of San Diego) and The Adventures of Zonic have to do with each other?

   They are a few of the many stories included in Los Bilingual Writers Anthology Book IV, released at Living Courage/Vidas de Valor Literary Event held Friday June 11, 2010  6-8pm at the Tubman Chavez Multicultural Center, 415 North Euclid, San Diego. This event celebrates both the Latino and African-American communities who shared their stories, written by a local assembly of diverse writers from age 8 to—we are too polite to ask.

   This fourth volume contains the various qualities of courage: young scribes who tell of loss or angst, the valor of a Buffalo Soldier, the bravery of a 9/11 firefighter and his fellow brothers whose one universal call is to save a stranger. A young boy’s mouth is taped shut for speaking another language and a girl is subjected to a derogatory term, yet they push forward making positive changes. How they all share commonality with the elders who followed “el sueño Americano,” public servants who truly serve and activist who create stronger communities.

   Los Bilingual Writers Anthology is an annual, bilingual literary publication celebrating linguistic origins and binds together the writings produced by those involved in the programs of Los Bilingual Writers, a non-profit organization.

14th Annual Intertribal Powwow at the Historical San Luis Rey Mission in Oceanside
A Celebration of Native American Culture and Heritage

   San Luis Rey Mission Indian Foundation will sponsor the San Luis Rey Band of Luiseno Mission Indians Fourteenth Annual Inter-Tribal Powwow on Saturday and Sunday, June 12th and 13th, 2010. This free two-day event shares with the community local tribal history and spiritual traditions of the Luiseno people, and takes place on the grounds of the Old Mission San Luis Rey, 4050 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, CA.

   The event schedule is as follows: Saturday, June 12, 2010, 9:00 am-11:00 pm; Sunday, June 13, 2010, 10:00 am-6:00 pm. Gourd Dancing will start at 10:00 am both days. Grand Entry will be at Noon & 7:00 pm on Saturday, and at Noon on Sunday. Intertribal and Competition Dancing will follow Grand Entries on both days. More information about this event can be found at: http://slrmissionindians.org

   Powwows celebrate Native American culture and many different tribes will be represented in dance, art, and music. The event consists of Gourd Dancing, Grand Entries, Intertribal Dancing, and Competition Dancing including: Northern and Southern Traditional, Grass, Fancy, Fancy Shawl, and Jingle. Indian tacos and fry bread are a favorite among participants and spectators alike. Visitors will enjoy shopping and browsing through the vendor village consisting of many unusual and unique Native American jewelry, artwork, music and crafts. The public is invited and welcomed to come, enjoy and learn about Native American culture.

“Flamenco a Mares,” la primera producción artística de la compañía de danza Paloma Aragón

   Dirección, diseño y coreografía de la artista y maestra del flamenco, Rocío Carrera, “Flamenco a Mares” presenta un colorido cuadro de la mú-sica, cante y danza Andaluza acompañados por excelentes artistas profesionales de flamenco del sur de California, trayendo al escenario la expresión del alma y del arte pasional.

   La Dra. Rocío Carrera, “Paloma Aragón,” nació en México y reside en San Diego desde 1986. Se doctoró en el área de Neurociencias y Biología Molecular del Instituto de Investigación de Scripps, en La Jolla California. Inició su educación en el flamenco en el 2001, participando en numerosas presentaciones en los Estados Unidos y en el extranjero, incluyendo eventos prestigiosos como “Evoke,” “Bravo,” y “Dance of the Nations.

   Flamenco a Mares, la primera exposición teatral de la compañía, inspirada en la cadencia sensual de los mares que acarician las costas de Andalucía. Aquí, Carrera ha creado una visión de danza y música expresando la belleza y arte del flamenco dentro de la noción del transcurso de un día, iniciando con el amanecer y progresando hasta culminar con una boda gitana a media noche. Los estudiantes de edades desde 6 a 70, participan con espectaculares atuendos de flamenco, diseñados por Rocío Carrera especialmente para este evento.

   Fecha: Domingo, 13 de junio de 2010
   Hora: 2:00pm y 7:00pm
   Ubicación: Paradise Village Theatre, 2700 East 4th St. National City, CA 91950
   Boletos de entrada general $20; Estudiantes $15. Se recomienda no traer a menores de 5 años.

   Información y boletos: (619) 756-6679, http://www.flamencoamares.com.

To Kill a Mockingbird

   To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, OnStage Playhouse (291 3rd Avenue, Chula Vista) ends its 2009-2010 season with the stage adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic novel “To Kill a Mockingbird”. OnStage Playhouse is teaming up with the Chula Vista Library to bring this classic tale to the community. All attendees showing a Chula Vista Library card at the Box Office will receive a $2.00 discount on admission, and the first 50 patrons who take advantage of this offer will receive a free copy of the book.

   The show will run June 4 – July 3, 2010. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm.

   A special talk-back with the cast and crew will commence following the 2pm performance on Sunday, June 20, 2010.

   Scout, a young girl in a quiet southern town, is about to experience the dramatic events that will affect the rest of her life. She and her brother, Jem, are being raised by their widowed father, Atticus, and by a strong-minded housekeeper, Calpurnia. The black people of the community have a special feeling about Scout’s father and she doesn’t know why. A few of her white friends are inexplicably hostile and Scout doesn’t understand this either. Unpleasant things are shouted and the bewildered girl turns to her father. Atticus, a lawyer, explains that he’s defending a young Negro wrongfully accused of a grave crime. Since this is causing such an upset, Scout wants to know why he’s doing it. “Because if I didn’t,” her father replies, “I couldn’t hold my head up.” When she asks why take on such a hopeless fight in 1935, he tells her, “Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason not to try.”

   Tickets are available online at www.onstageplayhouse.org or by calling the Box Office at 619-422-7787.

A Night of Music and Literature

   Local author Ella deCastro Baron reads selections from her autobiographical book with accompaniment by singer Malia Martinez and guitarist Graham Hadidian. 

   On Friday, June 11th, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Borders Bookstore in El Cajon, author Ella deCastro Baron will be reading from Itchy Brown Girl Seeks Employment, a unique work that blends fiction and non-fiction including memoir, poetry, letters and narrative. 

   Ella deCastro Baron, who teaches English and Creative Writing at San Diego City College is a first generation, Asian American woman challenged by her Filipino culture, parents’ faith, inherited sickness, and questionable life choices.  She has written an ironic Curriculum Vitae where life and work experiences one wouldn’t want a potential employer to know are highlighted using vulnerability, wit, and candor.

   The practiced presentation integrates a melodic acoustic background to Baron’s powerful reading and seamlessly transitions between recitation and song, creating a unique performance sure to captivate the coffee-house audience. 

   WHERE: Borders Bookstore: 159 Fletcher Pkwy El Cajon, CA 92020, (619) 593-5119.

San Diego Master Chorale to Premiere New Arrangement by Rising Mexican Composer Arturo Rodriguez at “Amigos en Concierto” 

   The San Diego Master Chorale’s performance at its 50th anniversary season kickoff concert, “Amigos en Concierto,” will include the premiere of a new arrangement by one of Mexico’s rising star musicians, Arturo Rodriguez.

   The San Diego Master Chorale will present the inaugural program of its 50th Anniversary Season: Amigos en Concierto: An Elegant Musical Journey through Latin America and Spain, headlined by world-renowned classical guitarists The Romero Duo: Lito and Celino Romero, on Saturday, June 19th, 2010, at 8 p.m. in Copley Symphony Hall.

   Along with the Grammy Award-winning Romeros and the widely recognized San Diego Master Chorale, the evening’s performers include Jeff Nevin’s Mariachi Garibaldi with Monica Abrego, soprano; Enrique Toral, world-renowned tenor; and the San Diego Children’s Choir.  The repertoire will include music from Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, and the Caribbean.

   Winner of Mexico’s Mozart medal (1996), Arturo Rodriguez is an established composer of film and concert music, and a frequent guest conductor in orchestras around the world. Mr. Rodriguez’s orchestral work “Mosaico Mexicano” has just been selected by the Mexican National Council for the Arts and Culture to be the official musical theme for the National Bicentennial Celebrations of Independence in Mexico, Mexico 2010.

   Tickets for Amigos en Concierto vary in price from $20 to $40.  VIP tickets, priced at $100, include premium seats, valet parking, and a reception preceding the event to meet Lito and Celino Romero.

   Reserve your tickets now by calling the San Diego Symphony Box Office at (619) 235-0804, or go to www.sdmasterchorale.org.