Danangon Kalunduyan & his Kulintang Ensemble

Glimpse images of Native American culture

Joe Kelly, hand crafts each of California Percussion's line of steel drum musical instruments.  Combining the latest technology and innovations, with a meticulous eye for detail, Joe produces some of the finest steel drums available today.  Joe speaks regularly at schools and universities, giving clinics and workshops pertaining to tuning, ensemble, history, and culture.  Joe also serves on the Board of Directors for a Bay area charity, Stars for the Future.  As a performer, Joe has played with artists and ensembles ranging from Wynnona Judd to the San Francisco Symphony.

Please join Joe and Saint Francis High School's steel drum band for an exciting presentation, discussing and experiencing the evolution of Trinidad's steel drum musical instrument.  You'll enjoy a show that begins with traditional instruments that pre-date the art form, taking you on a musical journey through the latest technology that creates today's finest steel drums.  There's a saying, "Once the Pan Jumbie (spirit) bites you, it's with you for life,"  so be careful!

Steel drum manufacturer, Joe Kelly

Joe will be assisted by the awesome Saint Francis High School steel drum band.

To kick-off our Sacramento conference on Thursday will be this year’s CMEA multicultural music educator of the year, Jeff Nevin.  Jeff Nevin has a seldom seen talent in music that has produced national recognition as a composer, scholar, performer and teacher.  His leadership in mariachi music education was recognized by MENC in selecting Dr. Nevin to its national mariachi committee in 2006.  He was a featured presenter at the MENC 60th National Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2006, and will be presenting a session on his new mariachi method book sponsored by KJOS.

A serious classical composer, Dr. Nevin’s works have been performed by the San Diego Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, La Jolla Symphony, Aguascalientes Symphony, the California EAR Unit, the Peninsula Symphony, Idaho Falls Symphony, Mariachi Sol de México, the Sol de México Symphony Orchestra, and many other ensembles.  Also a skilled performer, he is the founder and Artistic Director of Mariachi Champaña Nevín, principal trumpet in the La Jolla Symphony, a frequent substitute with the Pacific and San Diego Symphonies, has soloed with the San Diego Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Aguascalientes Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Idaho Falls Symphony, La Jolla Symphony, and has performed with artists including Placido Domingo, Charlotte Church, Kenny Loggins, Dave Brubeck, The Moody Blues, Garison Keilor and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.  Dr. Nevin studied conducting at the Pierre Monteux School and has conducted the San Diego Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, Aguascalientes Symphony, La Jolla Symphony and Orquesta de Baja California among other ensembles.  His theater credits include Music Director for the world college premier of “Mariachi Quixote”, the first musical with a full mariachi-music score, and Music Director for the La Jolla Playhouse Spanish and English productions of Lorca’s “Blood Wedding”.

CMEA multicultural music educator of the year, Jeff Nevin.

Laxmi G. Tewari

In Sacramento this year we join thousands of music lovers on every continent, ringing the world with a musical affirmation of the oneness of humankind. This performance by Laxmi Tewari and the Indian Singing Ensemble is part of the Seventh  Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days- a global network of concerts that uses the universal language of music to diminish hatred, respect differences, and reach out in global friendship.

Daniel Pearl, the Stanford University trained journalist for the Wall Street Journal and musician kidnapped and murdered by terrorists in Pakistan was a classically-trained violinist, as well as a fiddler and mandolin player who joined musical groups wherever he traveled. World Music Days commemorates his October 10th birthday and carries on his mission of connecting diverse people through words and music. 

This performance is scheduled for Thursday, March 13, in room 317, from 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.  We thank you for joining us in helping to spread "Harmony for Humanity".

Laxmi Tewari, Professor of Music at Sonoma State University, California since 1974, is an accomplished performer, teacher, and scholar. He has given concerts and lectures on Indian classical music all around the world and presented papers at international conferences. His voice provides the background vocal music for Sacred Verses, Healing Sounds by Deepak Chopra (two audio cassettes). San Rafael, California: New World Library, 1994. Since 1970, he has been studying and collecting the folk music of Turkey, India, and Trinidad & Tobago and has produced numerous books and compact discs from his field research, as well as four compact discs of his own performances. Some of his publications are: Celestial Music of Pandit Lalmani Misra, (DVD, Sonoma State University, California, 2007), Folk Music of Uttar Pradesh: India (D.K. Printworld, New Delhi, 2006), A Splendor of Worship: Women’s Fasts, Ritual, Stories, and Art (Manohar, New Delhi, 1991), and Folk Music of Uttar Pradesh, India (CD, Lyrichord, 2006). Sonoma State University honored him with its Outstanding Professor, Meritorious Performance and Professional Achievement, and Friends of the Library Faculty Awards. Doctor of Music Degree, Banaras Hindu University (India); Ph.D., Wesleyan University.

Indian Singing Ensemble