Conversation with Ellas

Grammy award-winning tabla musician Zakir Hussain is the 2022 Kyoto Prize Laureate in Arts and Philosophy. He has opened new possibilities beyond the framework of traditional Indian music in collaboration with artists of other diverse genres worldwide. Dr. Hussain's performance innovations include a unique method of creating melodies on the tabla, originally regarded as a rhythmic instrument of accompaniment. In the process, he has expanded the tabla's possibilities and established it as one of the most expressive percussion instruments in the world. UC San Diego Professor of Indian Classical Music, Kartik Seshardi hosts an enlightening conversation with Dr. Hussain, before the laureate takes to the stage for thought-provoking lecture performance on the tabla and Indian classical music. Series: "Kyoto Prize Symposium" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 38887]

Ellas is a new trio that performs an exciting blend of mariachi, jazz, country, and various other styles. Series: "Critically Human" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 38284]

Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have risen like a phoenix from the ashes of war and enflamed the passion of fans across the globe with their uplifting songs of hope, faith and joy. From their humble beginnings in West African refugee camps, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars have performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages and matured into one of Africa’s top touring and recording bands. Series: "Critically Human" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 38277]

LADAMA is a group of four women, virtuosic musicians, and educators— Lara Klaus, Daniela Serna, Mafer Bandola and Sara Lucas— from different countries and cultures of the Americas, who are sisters in song, rhythm and spirit. Harnessing music from their respective countries of origin — Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and the United States — the group uses traditional and nontraditional instruments from across the Americas, but with a modern twist to produce Latin Alternative music. Series: "Critically Human" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 38276]

"Still We Rise" is a concert celebrating American diversity in music and the legacy of UC San Diego Professor Emeritus and pianist Cecil Lytle. This year’s program celebrates both the 25th anniversary of the Lytle Scholarship and the establishment of the Cecil Lytle Endowed Chair in African and African American Music. The concert features music and poetry from the African American experience. Series: "Rebecca Lytle Memorial Concerts" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 37564]

These five siblings got their start playing in various other bands in the Vancouver music scene before joining together to form SuddenRush. Their sound is a seamless blend of Hmong sentimental song style and epic country rock, which works so well together it’s surprising more people haven’t thought to do it. The band had a break-through hit with their song “Mi Noog” in 2007, and has remained popular with Hmong audiences in Canada and the US ever since. Series: "Critically Human" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 37328]

Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles prides itself on being the world’s first LGBTQ mariachi band. Their tight, energetic, and intricate sound has been honed by the work they’ve had to do to navigate the typically hypermasculine and heteronormative world of mariachi as gay and trans musicians. The band has performed at numerous gay and transgender pride events as well as in the #SchoolsNotPrisons tour for the California Endowment. They have been featured multiple times on Univision morning shows, and in the Smithsonian Folklife magazine. Series: "Critically Human" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 37330]

Ellas is a new trio that performs an exciting blend of mariachi, jazz, country, and various other styles. This performance presented by UC Merced UpstART is one of their debut concerts. Series: "Critically Human" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 37327]

The band La Santa Cecilia, named for the patron saint of music, is dedicated to voicing the experience of a new bicultural generation in the United States. Their music is rooted in their Mexican heritage, but also inspired by traditions of bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz, rock, and klezmer. They have made seven albums, and their 2013 release Treinta Días won the Grammy for Best Latin Rock Album (Alternative or Urban). They have also been nominated for two Latin Grammies, and their album El Valor was named one of the best of the year by NPR’s Alt Latino. Series: "Critically Human" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 37329]

Sweden is mostly known internationally for being a pop music powerhouse, but they also have an equally vibrant folk and world music scene less well known to the outside world. Sallyswag is a nine-woman power band that has taken that scene by storm, weaving together its roots in dance hall, Balkan, R&B, Swedish folk, hip-hop, and afro-beat to create an entirely original sound that’s been electrifying audiences since their foundation in 2014. They took home the Newcomer of the Year award at the 2015 Swedish Folk and World Music Gala for being a “refreshing sucker punch” (approximate translation) and have been performing to rave reviews on their national circuit ever since. This was Sallyswag’s first concert for a North American audience. Presented by UC Merced UpstART. Series: "Critically Human" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 37326]