e-culture: International Festival, On the Road with Mingo Saldivar, More
April 22, 2005


IN THIS ISSUE

Houston International Festival
Give the Gift of Freedom Exhibit
Western Eyes and Nazar Exhibits
Know Justice, Know Peace Conference
I Love My Freedom, I Love My Texas
More Houston Events


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Houston International Festival

The Houston International Festival returns to downtown Houston this weekend and continues next weekend. Some of its features have stayed the same, while others have changed. The festival, as it has for many years, will spotlight a nation, this year India. It will feature a steady lineup of local and regional performers (maintaining the very popular Cajun/Blues/Zydeco Stage). And many local performing arts cultural organizations will have the chance to showcase their students and traditionalists as well, though the former International Dance Stage has been combined with the Kids Stage (and it has, with some diminished stature, taken the name International Kids Stage). This year the festival will newly feature a showcase of Houston musicians, a Kerrville Folk Festival Songwriter Stage, as well as artists on the porches of the Heritage Society and the historic Kellum/Noble House. The Latin Cultural Stage will exclusively feature ballet folklorico groups, over it's former showcase of popular Latin music artists.

Tickets are still $10 (as they were just a couple of years ago when the event was held in downtown, before its 2004 hiatus at the Reliant Stadium parking lot), while discounts are harder to come by. As the festival admission price, which was free in the beginning, climbed to $3 and $5, and beyond, discount blocks of four tickets became critical for families and students, and many Houstonians on a budget. The budget debate has centered around the festival's role in the quality of life in Houston (as many Houstonians once had the impression it was to allow all Houstonians the chance to experience the international diversity of the city), versus the city's status to rank well (as the festival desires to rank among the best in the country in a region where events like the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival charge substantial prices, build large budgets, and offer a density of talent rarely ever assembled).

So, with less than half of the admission price of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (and fewer days and fewer performers), but with a very exciting lineup and a price many Houstonians can afford, the festival offers a great experience. To truly experience the international theme and featured nation of Indian it is worth arriving just as the festival gets underway on Saturday, April 23 with a Royal Indian Parade at 11:30am. The Center Stage will feature the extravagance of Bollywood throughout the day and will conclude with a lively Bhangra Party. There will also be dance, cuisine and fashion of India on the Cultural Stage. The International Kids Stage will feature local Czech, Brazilian, Irish, Indian and Scandinavian performers throughout the day. Also on Saturday, the Cajun/Blues/Zydeco Stage features Cedric Watson and the Creole Cowboys, Sonny Boy Terry, and Nooney and the Zydeco Floaters.

World music will take on a strong presence at the festival on Sunday, April 24, with world pop darlings Ozomatli, and seasoned veterans Taj Majal and Zap Mama. The Kerrville Folk Festival Songwriter Stage will feature two local favorites early on Sunday, Kimberly M'Carver and Jack Saunders. The Cajun/Blues/Zydeco Stage will draw a giant crowd on Sunday with the Zydeco Dots, Grady Gaines and the Texas Upsetters, and a true contender for the region's biggest entertainment crown, the King of Zydeco, Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha Chas.

Next week we will offer some recommendations for the second weekend of the festival, including the phenomenal Rizwan-Muazzam Qawwali, J. Paul Jr. and the Zydeco Nubreeds, and another full slate of Indian cultural activities. The weather looks to be exceptional this weekend, so don't put off experiencing the Houston International Festival in its first weekend during its happy return to downtown.


Houston International Festival, April 23, 24, 30, and May 1
http://www.ifest.org



More regional festivals:

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, April 22 - May 1
http://www.nojazzfest.com

WorldFest-Houston Film Festival, April 22 - May 1
http://www.worldfest.org

Bob Wills Day, Turkey, Texas, April 30

Asia Pacific American Heritage Month, May
http://www.apaha.org

Cinco de Mayo, May 5

Dragon Boat Festival, May 7
http://www.houstondragonboat.com

Art Car Parade, May 14
http://www.orangeshow.org

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Upcoming Houston Events

Please tell others about these Houston activities and recognize the hard work the organizers put into them. And stay tuned to the calendar for more upcoming events:
http://www.houstonculture.org/events

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Iraq: Cradle of Civilization
Presented by UH-Clear Lake Office of the President in partnership with the US-Arab Chamber of Commerce

International Cultural Immersion Program features food, literature and poetry, sociology, ethnic diversity, language, business, music, and ecology.

Friday, April 22
8:30am - breakfast in UHCL Student Services Bldg Room 1100
11:15am - Arab American Cultural Center

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Give the Gift of Freedom
Presented by the Coalition Against Human Trafficking

This moving art exhibit is a visual portrayal of the stories of human trafficking victims will be on display in the Galleria near Nordstrom's store.

Friday, April 22 - Monday, May 2
The Galleria Mall
Westheimer at Post Oak Blvd.
713-339-9015

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Western Eyes

Western Eyes, an exhibit of photographs of the Arab world as seen by non-Arab photographers opens on Saturday, April 23 at the Art Car Museum. It is a companion exhibit to "Nazar" (the Arab word for 'seeing'), the first major exhibition of Arab photographers in the United States, which continues through June 11 at FotoFest, 113 Vine Street.

Western Eyes Reception
April 23, 7:00-10:00pm
Art Car Museum
140 Height Blvd.
713-861-5526
http://www.artcarmuseum.com

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San Jacinto Day Festival and Battle Re-enactment

The San Jacinto Day Festival on Saturday, April 23, 2005 is an independence celebration befitting Texas' legendary Battle of San Jacinto and the enduring, mythic spirit of Texas, complete with music, entertainment, food, games, fun and lots of living history:

-A two-hour re-enactment (one of the largest in the state) of the Runaway Scrape, the skirmish the day before the battle, the famous Battle of San Jacinto (complete with cannons, muskets, horses, pyrotechnics and hundreds of re-enactors, dressed in uniforms that duplicate the real dress of the day), and the surrender of Santa Anna after the battle - all narrated by Carl Hacker, PhD, J.D.

-Dean Shostak, a master symphony musician, playing the very fiddle that Davy Crockett purportedly owned and a crystal violin (one of only two in the world)

-K.R. Wood, a one-man band, cook, storyteller, singer and downright amusing historian Last Chance Forever demonstrates magnificent birds of prey, such as hawks, owls, eagles, falcons and vultures

-Jim Crisp, revisionist historian and author of Sleuthing the Alamo, a new book that reveals the truth about Texas history by stripping away the layers of myth and misinformation, will talk to you about the true identity of the Yellow Rose of Texas

-Make-and-take history activities and crafts for children created by three Gifted/Talented specialists from Deer Park ISD, as well as games for children to play like the ones played in 1836

-Entertainer, storyteller, humorist and historian Dan Barth will perform his humorous audience-participation entertainment with a full-sized antique medicine show wagon

-Two re-enactors are coming in from England to take part in the battle because "the history of Texas holds to me the ideals of the 'American dream,' where a man, no matter what his past, can make a new start for himself in a new promising land as long as he isn't afraid of hard work"

-The Mexican and Texian camps, where visitors can wander freely to learn what members of both armies and the civilians living in the area were doing prior to the battle and what their lives were like on a daily basis. In the military camps, a few lucky visitors can take part in the drills and learn how to handle weapons. A few children are chosen to load the cannons and get to proudly wear the cannon soot the rest of the day

-Women and children will depict the hardships experienced by those Texians who, with their husbands and fathers at war, were forced to gather the few belonging they could to flee the advancing forces of General Santa Anna in what became known as the Runaway Scrape

And all of the celebration takes place on the very grounds of the original battle of San Jacinto. In 18 short minutes, on April 21, 1836, General Sam Houston led his Texian soldiers to a decisive victory over the Mexican Army, officially securing Texas' independence from Mexico and leading to the addition of one million square miles to the United States.

Saturday, April 23, 10:00am - 5:00pm (The re-enactment starts at 3:00pm)
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
One Monument Circle, La Porte (22 miles east of downtown Houston)
http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org

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The Aga Khan Trust for Culture: Built Environment, Development, and Pluralism
Presented by Shiraz Allibhai

The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) was established in 1988 for the improvement of cultural life, particularly the built environment, which is the most substantial expression of cultural development in societies where Muslims have a significant presence. The AKTC encompasses three major programs: The Aga Khan Award for Architecture, The Historic Cities Support Program (HCSP), and The Education and Culture Program (ECP). The HCSP undertakes conservation and urban revitalization projects, while the ECP initiates projects that increase cross-cultural understanding of Islamic arts, music, and architecture, and that create greater awareness and appreciation for the diversity and pluralism of Muslim cultures.

Dr. Shiraz Allibhai discusses the wide-ranging scope of the AKTC's projects and its global vision for cultural improvement. Dr. Shiraz Allibhai is a Fellow of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University, and serves as Managing Director of the AKTC ArchNet at MIT. From 2003-2004, Dr. Allibhai was Director for the Aga Khan Humanities Project in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and was the AKTC Education and Culture Programs Coordinator in Geneva, Switzerland from 2002-2004.

Admission to the April Special Lectures is open to the public and free with general museum admission. Admission is free for members of the Ismaili community, Asia Society Texas, and the MFAH.

Sunday, April 24, 2005, 2:00pm
A reception follows lecture.
Brown Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet

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At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace
Sponsored by the Chapel and the Greater Houston Chapter of Peace Action

Zen monk Claude AnShin Thomas will speak about his personal journey from warrior to peacemaker. He's in Houston promoting his book, "At Hell's Gate: A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace," published last September. At 18, Thomas volunteered for duty in Vietnam. As a crew chief on assault helicopters, he helped kill many Vietnamese and received many decorations, including 27 Air Medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Purple Heart. But he came home deeply troubled, struggling with severe post-traumatic stress, drug and alcohol addiction, and isolation. There will be a book-signing after the talk. To arrange a small group meeting with Claude AnShin Tuesday or Wednesday, contact Herb Rothschild, 713-861-2494, or Email HerbertRothschild@hotmail.com.

Tuesday, April 26, 7:30pm
The Chapel
1409 Sul Ross
713-861-2494

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Sarasvati: The Indian Goddess of Wisdom and the Arts

The Twelfth Annual Asia Society/MFAH Lecture on Asian Art celebrates the recent acquisition of a spectacular eighth century sandstone sculpture of the Indian goddess of wisdom, music, and the arts, Sarasvati, for the museum's collection. Today, Sarasvati is still worshipped with great enthusiasm, especially during the advent of spring. The museum's Sarasvati offers an exquisite example of the artistic style developed during the Gupta Dynasty (330-550), a style which was emulated for many generations after the reign of the Gupta Kings. The graceful goddess, surrounded by attendants and celestial beings, sits on a lotus blossom and plays a stringed instrument. Although, Sarasvati is primarily a Hindu goddess, she is also revered by the Buddhists and Jains.

Dr. Pratapaditya Pal, Research Fellow at the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, California and General Editor for Marg Publications in Bombay, India, explores the elaborate iconography of the museum's Sarasvati sculpture, and traces the history of Sarasvati imagery from its pre-Gupta antecedents to its more contemporary manifestations.

Thursday, April 28, 6:00pm
Free and open to the public
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet
713-639-7300
Email: lectures@mfah.org

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Know Justice, Know Peace
A conference about justice for the Palestinians in resolving final status issues

Friday, April 29 - Sunday, May 1

Friday, 7:00pm: "One State vs. Two States Solution." Formal dinner with Dr. Azmi Bishara, Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset. Sheraton Suites Hotel.

Saturday, 9:00am-5:00pm: Plenary Dialogue: Identifying Final Status Needs of the Palestinians. Plenary discussions led by Dr. Bishara. Workshops with Emil Sahliyeh, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas; Jeff Blankfort, former editor of the Middle East Labor Bulletin; Robert Jensen, journalism professor at UT-Austin; Ora Wise, Israeli-American peace activist; Mohammed Abed, Palestinian-American peace activist; and Josh Ruebner, co-founder of Jews for Peace in Palestine and Israel and former analyst in Middle East Affairs at the Congressional Research Service. Hilton Southwest Hotel.

Saturday, 7:00pm-11:00pm: Brief speech by Dr. Azmi Bishara, poem/spoken words by Ora Wise, Palestinian Folklore Entertainment, live songs, Palestinian dabkeh/dance, and more. Arab-American Cultural & Community Center.

Sunday, 9:00am-Noon: Building Congressional Support for a Just Settlement for Palestinians, a panel discussion with Paul Findley, former U.S. Congressman and author of łThey Dare to Speak Out.˛ Hilton Southwest Hotel. Sponsors to date are Al-Awda, Pax Christi, Arab-American Anti-discrimination Committee, Palestine Affairs Council, Houston Coalition for Justice Not War, Arab Voices, Latinos por la Paz, and Free Press Houston.

Cost: Friday evening dinner, $100 (proceeds finance the conference); Saturday only, $25; Saturday evening cultural celebration $5-$10 requested donation; Sunday only, $15; full conference without dinner, $40; with dinner, $125.

Friday, April 29 - Sunday, May 1
713-528-0677
http://www.knowjusticeknowpeace.net

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Celebrating Our Cultural Heritage
Community Residency Program in Brazoria County's cities of West Columbia, Brazoria, and Angleton

Featuring local artists:
-Singer Loretta Washington
-Artist Greg Roberson
-Creative storyteller, playwright, and poet Pat Fisher

Final Celebration: Saturday, April 30
Columbia High School Cafetorium at 521 S. 16th St.
West Columbia, Texas
http://www.texasfolklife.org/brazoria.html

This is the culmination of the week-long residency in Brazoria County, which celebrates African American culture. We invite the community to join us for a full day of performances, storytelling, cultural activities, sing-alongs, workshops, and art exhibits.

During the week of April 25-30, these artists have joined together in the creation of a performance piece that combines art, singing, and dramatic storytelling around the tradition of Negro Spirituals, placing a unique expression of spiritual singing in the rich context of local history. Through discussions and mini-performances, the artists will underscore the importance of the Spirituals tradition in Brazoria County and demonstrate the enduring influences that this tradition has had on African American cultural expression and community values in Texas.

This residency celebrates African American culture, art, and musical traditions. The artists will perform such familiar songs as "Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child," "Steal Away," and "Wade in the Water" in period costumes that vividly conjure the historical contexts in which these songs were originally sung. Through their performance they will explore the meaning and symbolism behind these songs, the slave origins of these Spirituals, and the lessons of individual creativity, spirituality, endurance, and community unity embedded in their significance.

For the schedule of events April 25-30:
http://www.texasfolklife.org/brazoriaevents.html

The Community Residency Programs aim to raise the visibility of the extraordinary local talent that exists in rural communities throughout Texas and to educate the public about Texas folk traditions. Community Residencies are organized through Texas Folklife Resources and made possible in part with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and members of Texas Folklife Resources.

Texas Folklife Resources is a statewide non-profit cultural organization that serves both Texas folk artists and their audiences by helping to present and promote a diverse and living artistic heritage for all Texans.

The Residency event in Brazoria is presented by the Tell-A-Friend Heritage Group and also receives support from Houston Endowment and the Columbia Brazoria Independent School District. The Tell-A-Friend Heritage Group is a local organization dedicated to the presentation, education, and preservation of local traditions in Brazoria County.

http://www.columbia-brazoria.isd.tenet.edu

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The Spectacular Semester
Curated by Darrin Martin and Torsten Zenas Burns

This touring program of shorts reframes historical, visceral and psychological techniques in workshop and training scenarios, both hypothetical and reality-based. Philosophical soap opera training, nursery vet school, and theoretical security preparation are among some of the tropes overlooked by conventional education and addressed by artists Torsten Zenas Burns and Darrin Martin, T. Arthur Cottam, Dara Greenwald, Jackie Goss, Kristin Lucas, Mike O'Malley, Bernard Roddy, and Aaron Valdez.

Tickets $5 unless otherwise indicated.

Saturday, April 30, 8:00pm
Aurora Picture Show
800 Aurora Street
Houston, Texas 77009
713-868-2101
http://www.aurorapictureshow.org

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"I Love My Freedom, I Love My Texas; On the Road with Mingo Saldivar Y Los Cuatro Espadas"
Presented by Texas Folklife Resources

Hector Galan will screen his film, "I Love My Freedom, I Love My Texas; On the Road with Mingo Saldivar Y Los Cuatro Espadas," an electrifying performance documentary featuring Mingo Saldivar - one of conjunto's most admired and popular accordion masters. Texas born and Texas bred, Mingo Saldivar, in a career spanning five decades, pays tribute in "I Love My Freedom, I Love My Texas", to the very land from which conjunto music was born.

Tuesday, May 3, 2005; 6:00pm
Free and open to the public.
Houston Community College Eastside Campus
First Floor Lecture Hall, Angela Morales Building
http://www.texasfolklife.org/hectorgalan.html

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Loung Ung, Lucky Child : A Daughter of Cambodia Reunites with the Sister She Left Behind

In her second memoir, Loung Ung picks up where her first, the National Book Award-winning First They Killed My Father, left off, with the author escaping a devastated Cambodia in 1980 at age 10 and flying to her new home in Vermont. Though she embraces her American life-which carries advantages ranging from having a closet of her own to getting a formal education and enjoying The Brady Bunch-she can never truly leave her Cambodian life behind. She and her eldest brother, with whom she escaped, left behind their three other siblings. This book is alternately heart-wrenching and heartwarming, as it follows the parallel lives of Loung Ung and her closest sister, Chou, during the 15 years it took for them to reunite.

Loung Ung is National Spokesperson for the "Campaign for a Landmine Free World," a program of the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation. VVAF founded the International Campaign to Ban Landmines which was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.

Tuesday May 3, 6:00pm, Reception; 6:30pm, Talk
$10 members, $15 for non-members
Hilton Houston Post Oak
2001 Post Oak Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77056
713-439-0265
Email: txcenter@asiasoc.org

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Orphans created by the AIDS Epidemic in Central China
Presented by Asia Society Texas in collaboration with the Asian American Health Coalition

During the 1990s, blood selling became a popular way to earn supplementary income for poor peasants in Central China. Due to unsanitary blood collection practice many blood donors contracted HIV and other blood-related diseases. As more and more peasants die of AIDS, the children they leave behind will become orphans. These children may not be able to go to school due to lack of financial means. Without an education, these orphans, potentially millions of them, will be less likely to be employed when they grow up. Working on behalf of Chi Heng Foundation, the speaker has visited Central China several times over the past one and a half years, providing assistance to over 2000 children whose parents have died or are suffering from AIDS in the area.

Wednesday, May 4, 6:00pm, Reception; 6:30pm, Talk
Free and open to the public
Compass Bank, second floor Conference Room
(Corner of San Felipe and Kirby - 2001 Kirby Drive)
713-439-0051
Email: txcenter@asiasoc.org



Thank you for supporting great educational and cultural activities.

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M  a  r  k @houstonculture.org


Traditions of Mexico:
http://www.houstonculture.org/mexico

Latino Music Initiative:
http://www.houstonculture.org/musica

Texas-Mexico Border Issues:
http://www.houstonculture.org/border