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: a San Francisco actor who was recently nominated for a Tony; how the podcast “Folktales from Sudan” teaches us life lessons, and a one-man band known for using tech and Latin music.
Today's show is rich in culture.
Francis Jue
Actor Francis Jue recently received a Tony nomination for his performance in the Broadway play "Yellow Face." Francis lives in New York, but he's from San Francisco. "Yellow Face" is a comedy by playwright David Henry Hwang, and semi-autobiographical. Back in the '90s David spoke out against a white actor playing an Asian character in the play "Miss Saigon." But later he mistakenly casts a white actor to play the leading Asian character in his own play. Francis plays David's father and other characters. The play is funny and deep too. Parts of it takes place during a time the 1990s when Chinese Americans were racially profiled and accused of espionage.
You can see a screening of "Yellow Face" this Sunday, during the Center for Asian American Media's film festival called CAAMFest. It'll be followed by a panel discussion with the cast, including Francis Jue. CAAMFest is running this Thursday through Sunday. Also, The Tony Awards airs on June 8 on CBS.
Hana Baba
There's a crisis going on in the world that does not get enough attention. The civil war in Sudan just crossed the two-year mark. In that time, 13 million people have fled their homes. According to the UN Refugee Agency, what's happening in Sudan is "the largest" and "fastest growing displacement crisis in the world."
As the great writer Toni Morrison said, "This is precisely the time when artists go to work... That is how civilizations heal."
KALW's very own Hana Baba has created a lovely podcast for children and adults. It's called "Folktales from Sudan." In her beautiful voice, Hana tells stories from her country that ignite the imagination, and teach us life lessons. Beginning Wednesday, May 14 you can see her tell these stories in person at an Oakland Public Library branch near you.
Malpica
The San Francisco International Arts Festival is wrapping up this weekend. Attendees have enjoyed works from artists abroad and here in the Bay. There's a lot of live music to check out before the festival ends, including Pablo Quintero, whose stage name is Malpica. Malpica is from Colombia. He blends Latin American rhythms with looping technology, which makes him a one-man band. Malpica is also a guitarist, producer, music educator and sound engineer. He'll be performing this Saturday night at the Abanico Coffee Roaster in the Mission.
