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DíaPaSon's Maria De La Rosa: Sights & Sounds

Courtesy Maria de la Rosa

Sights & Sounds is your weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene. DíaPaSon's Maria De La Rosa told KALW’s Jen Chien about four amazing arts events happening around the Bay this week.

 Norteño superstars Los Tigres del Norte are playing in their hometown of San Jose with Paquita la del Barrio and Banda El Recodo at the SAP Center. Their songs tell the stories of both Mexican life and the immigrant experience, and they're known as the inventors of the contemporary corrido. Their prize-winning recordings have been widely covered, and their live shows are legendary.

La Misa Negra is a 7-piece band from Oakland, California, known for their unique blend of heavyweight cumbia and high-energy, Afro-Latin music. On stage, they deliver an electrifying performance that explodes with dance grooves and punk rock energy powered by horn and accordion-driven riffs, a fierce rhythm section, and a vintage-inspired sound. With their second release, the powerhouse septet unleashes 12 tracks that capture the raw energy of their live shows and solidify them as a new force in today’s Afro-Latin music scene. They'll be playing at Art Boutiki as part of San Jose Jazz Winterfest.
 
 

"One of the things that I like about Los Tigres del Norte is that they are constantly connected to their community and the music they produce has message ... [La Misa Negra] are a lot of fun, they are a cumbia band, they write original music as well as play oldies but goodies."

 
 

Credit Courtesy Brava! For Women In The Arts

Brava Presents Not My F***ing President's Day, an evening of stand-up comedy to rage and resist. Featuring a lineup of brown, queer, and Muslim comics including Chris Garcia (Comedy Central), Francesca Fiorentini (AJ+), Karinda Dobbins (opened for Trevor Noah), Johan Miranda ("Why Johan Miranda Should Be Deported."), Dhaya Lakshminarayanan (KQED's Women to Watch, Host of The Moth) and Zahra Noorbaksh ("Good Muslim, Bad Muslim", "All Atheists Are Muslim"). Stick around after the show for a meet-and-greet and toast with the performers!
 
 

"This is something brand new for me. I'm not much of somebody who goes to comedy shows. Every once in a long time. But the reason why I picked this is because it's at Brava. Brava supports women's arts and programming and they have been key in that. Anything that comes through their doors is going to be worthwhile."

 
During these classes series, students will learn dance, songs, drum rhythms, and history. Classes culminate in student performances. Bomba reflects the powerful forces that shaped Puerto Rico’s history, emerging from the African experience on the island before the 1700’s. The Bomba ensemble consists of “barriles” or barrel drums with goat skins, a “maraca” played by the lead singer, and a pair of “cuas”, or sticks traditionally played on the wooden body of the drum. Inspired and guided by songs and the drum rhythms, dancers improvise their movements in a dynamic communication with the “primo” or lead drum. This class is open to all levels and drop-ins are welcome. Instruction is geared to different levels and skills from beginner to more advanced.
 

"If you're looking for something to move with or something new to challenge your brain, you'll like it. You'll love it."