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Sights & Sounds: Shanti Charan

Ryan Johnson/ cropped and resized

Sights & Sounds is your weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene. Shanti Charan is a local comedian. She told KALW’s Jen Chien about three fantastic arts events happening around the Bay this weekend.

Credit courtesy of Brown Girl Surf

Brown Girl Surf is an Oakland-based organization dedicated to fostering a community of diverse, alternative women surfers. Their party will feature a hip hop showcase featuring Coco Peila and Babii Cris, as well as hula dance from Janice Staab, and DJing from DJ Mexican Spitfire and Celebration Cypher. The evening will also include a slideshow and ceremony honoring Brown Girl Surf fall crew and volunteers.

SHANTI CHARAN: I'm a brown girl, and I love the water, but I don't think you have to be either of those to enjoy this party.

Yasiin Bey, the performer formerly known as Mos Def, will perform at the Fox Theater on Friday with Reggie Watts and Jallal. Bey is expected to release a self-titled album next week and confirmed this past weekend that he has plans for two further albums. 

SHANTI CHARAN: I've been a fan of his music for a really long time...and I haven't seen him as Yasiin Bey before.

Credit courtesy of the East Bay Alternative Book and Zine Fest

The East Bay Alternative Book and Zine Fest is an annual event founded in 2010 by Tomas Moniz and MK Chavez. It's a fully volunteer-run and organized event with over 50 vendors attending, including irrelevant press, Mixed Rice Zines, Scumburbia, Unity Press, and Thick Thigh Collective. This is an all-day event taking place at the David Brower Center in Berkeley. 

SHANTI CHARAN: You have people who draw, people who sketch, people who are writers...this collective is a bunch of awesome artists.