Welcome to “The Sights + Sounds Show with Jeneé Darden,” where every week we tap into the Bay Area arts scene and bring you rich conversations with artists. On today’s show: Scottish fiddle legend Alasdair Fraser talks about his upcoming spring concerts. Then justice is spelled with a "Z" in the opera "Zorro" and a food photographer inspired by his Mexican culture.
Alasdair Fraser
Alasdair Fraser has been playing the fiddle for practically his whole life. Next month he turns 70. He picked up the fiddle when he was a little boy in Scotland. His classmates teased him because they thought carrying a fiddle case was not cool. Despite the kids' teases, he kept playing anyway. Now, he's considered one of the great cultural bearers of the traditional Scottish fiddle music. He performs all over the world. Back in 1999, he played at the Kennedy Center Honors in tribute to actor Sean Connery. Mr. Fraser founded the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers. They have the following spring concerts coming up:
April 25 - Veterans Memorial Theatre in Davis
April 26 - Angelico Concert Hall on the campus of Dominican College in San Rafael
April 27 - Sonoma Country Day School's Jackson Theater in Santa Rosa
Héctor Armienta
The opera "Zorro" opens this Saturday, April 19 and runs until May 4 at Opera San Jose. This story takes place in Los Angeles in the early 1800s where Zorro defends the poor, enslaved and Indigenous people. The show includes romance, humor, suspense and some sword action. Composer Héctor Armienta created this production. He is the founder and artist director of Ópera Cultura, which is the only Latinx opera company in the country.
Chava Oropesa
Have you ever been flipping through a magazine, and food is far from your mind? Then, you see a picture of a juicy hamburger or a cool, sweet scoop of ice cream. Now, you're hungry! Well there are people behind the camera who capture those delicious images. Chava Oropesa is one of them. The Oakland-based food photographer has shot images for major brands such as Peet's Coffee. Visit his Instagram to see his work.
