Google
Community Events Calendar

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

explorASIAN 2008 Festival - May 1 to 31


May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada!

Celebrate your heritage at the explorASIAN 2008 Festival in Metro Vancouver.

Check out all of the exciting events on the online festival calendar.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

BEYOND THE BOOKENDS: UBC Asian Library Open House - Apr 26 - 9am

9:00am - 5:00pm
UBC Asian Centre (1871 West Mall)
http://www.library.ubc.ca/asian/

Library nowadays is more than shelves of books. By providing tools through the support of learning on an interactive basis, it is a centre of turning information and data into knowledge. This Open House is an occasion for the public to learn more about our collections other than books: Asian languages electronic resources, interactive language learning software, and multimedia materials such as Asian movies and documentaries. We will also spearhead displays on our new Vietnamese
collection and the Cantonese Opera in British Columbia as well as a lecture on Chinese calligraphy. Participants may get something interesting in our big book sale, library bazaar or Asian Food Fair. They may also win a free pass to the UBC Museum of Anthropology while taking the course "Plants in Japanese Gardens" offered by the UBC Botanical Garden.

The Language of Music, The Music of Words: A Musical Evening with Joy Kogawa and Friends - Apr 25 - 8pm

A National Poetry Month Event at Historic Kogawa House

When: Friday, April 25, 2008, 8:00 p.m.
Where: Historic Joy Kogawa House, 1450 West 64th Avenue, Vancouver
Cost: By donation

Space is limited. To secure a seat, please RSVP by emailing kogawahouse@yahoo.ca
Wine and cheese will be served.

British Columbia composer Leslie Uyeda presents the world premieres of two song cycles set to five of Joy Kogawa's most exquisite poems: Stations of Angels (performed by soprano Heather Pawsey and flutist Kathryn Cernauskas) and Offerings (performed by Heather Pawsey and pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa), both works composed composed especially for these artists. Poets Joy Kogawa, Heidi Greco, Marion Quednau, and Vancouver's poet laureate George McWhirter will read from their works.

The evening will conclude with the Vancouver Public Library's awarding of Ms Kogawa the George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award for an outstanding literary career related to British Columbia.

This National Poetry Month event takes place in Joy Kogawa's childhood home, a place representative of the many confiscated properties owned by Canadians of Japanese descent who were interned during the Second World War. After a hard-fought effort to save the house from demolition, the tiny bungalow is being restored and will host a writer-in-residence program. Proceeds from The Language of Music, the Music of Words will fund the honorarium for the first writer to live and work at the house,
beginning in March 2009.

www.kogawahouse.com

Friday, April 18, 2008

Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular - April 25 to 28

April 25 8:00 pm
April 26 8:00 pm
April 27 2:00 pm 7:30 pm
April 28 7:30 pm

Place: Bell Performing Arts Center, 6250- 144th St. Surrey, BC
Tickets Hot line: 604-454-1110 | online booking: www.bestchineseshows.com

Watch a 5 min introductory video:
www.bestchineseshows.com/multimedia/video

Inspired by 5000 years of history, this bilingual show takes you from the brilliance of the glory days of ancient China to the present day. A landscape of beautiful large-scale dancing, legendary characters, thundering drums, regal music, stunning costumes, and innovative choreography will transport you to distant realms of splendor through myths and legends, spectacle and variety. Join this momentous event as the splendor and beauty of the East will be majestically brought to life at the Bell Performing Arts Center. Don't miss this exciting opportunity.

In 2008, the Divine Performing Arts Spectacular will expand its scope to cover more than 65 cities during its tour spanning five continents—Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. Cities include Ottawa, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Sydney, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Tokyo, etc. The global tour will reach approximately 650,000 attendees worldwide.

Asian Heritage Month Exhibitions at Place des Art - Apr 23

APRIL 23 to MAY 24
Asian Heritage Month Exhibitions at Place des Art

Place des Arts
1120 Brunette Avenue, Coquitlam
t 604.664.1636
www.placedesarts.ca

Opening reception: April 24 at 7:30 pm with artists in attendance

Open to all ages
Free admission

Inner Space: Atrium Gallery
Elham Sarvi and Tracy Cuiyi Xie
Mixed Media and Acrylic on Canvas

Iranian-born miniature artist Elham Sarvi and Chinese-born Chinese brush artist Tracy Cuiyi Xie come together to share their cultural and immigrant experiences in their exhibit Inner Space. Although working in different mediums (Sarvi in mixed-media and Xie in acrylic on canvas), both artists take a modern approach to their art, which is also influenced by the historical culture of their homelands. They believe their work has great relevance in Canada, where a multi-cultural audience shares their experience and where diversity is accepted and encouraged.

Clay for You: Main Hall Gallery
Clay for You is a group of practicing artists and hobbyists who study under Korean master potter Clay Kim. The works of the artists in Clay for You reflect the rich history of Korean pottery. For these pieces, they have focused on traditional patterns and curves while creating functional pottery such as teapots, plates and candle holders.

The Vancouver Multicultural Children’s Festival - Apr 20 - 1pm

Vancouver Turkish Canadian Society presents The Vancouver Multicultural Children’s Festival

Vancouver Turkish Canadian Society is proud to announce “The Vancouver Multicultural Children’s Festival”, at Polish Community Centre (4015 Fraser Street, Vancouver). The events during which the children of many ethnic backgrounds will perform their songs and dances will run from 1pm to 4pm.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, founder of modern Turkey was the first world leader to dedicate a day to children in 1924 on the day of the first Turkish Grand National Assembly was launched in 23 April 1920. For many years now, children from all over the world come together for vibrant festivities on April 23 every year.

We invite you all to join us on this meaningful day in the spirit of our world class multicultural city. For more information, please contact Mine or Fatih at torafatih@gmail.com or 604-263-0020.

Everything Is Not Lost - Apr 19 - 8pm

APRIL 19 to MAY 18
Everything Is Not Lost
Christian Nguyen, Nhan Duc Nguyen, Pipo Nguyen-duy and Khanh Vo

Opening reception, Saturday, April 19, 8 to 10 pm

Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery
University of British Columbia
1825 Main Mall, Vancouver

Everything Is Not Lost features the work of Christian Nguyen, Nhan Duc Nguyen, Pipo Nguyen-duy, and Khanh Vo, four contemporary artists who address themes of family, loss, and the intricacies of memory.

These artists interpret the thirty-year influence of the Vietnam War through autobiographical experiences, narratives, and postmemories. Working in a variety of mediums, these four artists confront the socio-political and emotional complexities of warfare and the events that consequently define who they are today.

These artists unravel generational memories in an attempt to form an understanding of their own disrupted sense of historical continuity. By compiling fragments of public, collective, and personal memory, the artists formulate a new narrative unique to the Vietnamese diasporic condition.

Christian Nguyen is a New York-based artist whose work examines how images, upon entering public consciousness, are connected to a specific time and can expire. In his series of drawings, Nguyen uses iconic images of the Vietnam War that are engrained in public memory but evacuates them of human presence.

Nhan Duc Nguyen compiles interviews with Vietnamese restaurateurs and restaurant employees in Vancouver, discussing topics that range from favourite foods and their careers in the food and service industry to their experiences as boat people. Nguyen’s work composes the story of the Vietnamese in Vancouver through the
rise of its cuisine. A portion of his installation will be exhibited off-site at the Le Do Vietnamese Restaurant.

Pipo Nguyen-duy’s photographic work analyzes cultural displacement within the contexts of immigration and emigration. He investigates the liminal space that exists between Vietnam and the United States. Nguyen-duy’s current work draws inspiration from traditional landscape painting and his memories of childhood in Vietnam during the war. He currently resides in Ashland, Oregon.

Khanh Vo’s installation is an exploration of sociological time that references both the past and future of Vietnamese refugees in America. In his work, the New York-based Vo considers the idea of the “refugee space”, a concept he created to consider the displacement experienced by the Vietnamese in America.

Everything Is Not Lost looks into the profound relationship the artists have to a Vietnam they may have little or no recollection of. While an apparent cultural connection fuels the artists to directly engage with remembrances of the War, their work argues that the memory of Vietnam belongs to us all in varying ways, regardless of personal associations.

This exhibition is curated by Kim Nguyen, a candidate to the Master’s Degree in Critical and Curatorial studies at The University of British Columbia.

A portion of Nhan Duc Nguyen’s installation will be exhibited at the Le Do Vietnamese Restaurant:
2292 East Hastings St.
Vancouver, B.C.
Ph: 604.253.3508

http://www.belkin.ubc.ca/satellite/everything-is-not-lost

This project is part of a collaborative process with the Or Gallery and the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery.

Japanese Canadian National Museum presents "THE NEW CANADIAN Newspaper" - Apr 18 - 7pm

Presentation by Ian Fraser “A tribute to THE NEW CANADIAN Heroes”

This show is based on the vital role of a Japanese Canadian newspaper during the internment years between 1942 and 1945. It consists of over forty images of THE NEW CANADIAN journalists and Kaslo life. It summarizes a great Japanese Canadian newspaper story and careers of the leaders who made it. This exhibit was developed by the Langham Cultural Society, Kaslo and curated by Ian Fraser.

National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre
6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, BC V5E 4M7 Canada
www.jcnm.ca / www.nikkeiplace.org

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Vaisakhi: Harvest the Fun - Apr 19 - 6pm

Rishi Rich, Swami, Delhi 2 Dublin and Jagua

Bell Performing Arts Centre, 6250 144 Street (Surrey)
tix 25$ @ Highlife, Zulu, Kamal, Golden Star

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=37327000520
http://www.arts.surrey.ca

THE hottest South Asian bands on the planet. Come check it out... First Vancouver performances for Rishi and his new crew. First time in Vancouver for Swami. Both have worked with the biggest names in music, from Nelly Furtado to Madonna. They're also doing a CD signing at Kamal's in Surrey on Friday night at 7pm. Smokin!

Beats Without Borders: Global Bass Soundclash - Apr 17 - 9pm

The Red Room (398 Richards)
tix 10$ @ the door

http://www.beatswithoutborders.com

An exploration of the sub sonic forms of global music. Lots and lots of bass! We're teaming up with the lighta! crew on this one, hosts of Vancouver's best dubstep parties. If you don't know what dubstep is, check it out.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) 2008 Call for Entries

The Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) is Canada's oldest festival dedicated to exhibiting films and videos by North American artists of Asian heritage. It is committed to supporting both emerging talent and established filmmakers. Visiting artists have included Loni Ding, Justin Lin, Wes Kim, and Michael Kang, as well as BC filmmakers, Desiree Lim, Nilesh Patel, Eunhee Cha, and Jeff Chiba Stearns.

VAFF invites submissions for its 12th annual festival, November 6-9, 2008. Early bird deadline is April 30th; final closing deadline is May 31st (postmarked - no exceptions).

All films in the Open Call must include a North American Asian in a key creative role (writer, director, producer). Earlybird entry fee: $10 (CDN or US); Regular entry fee: $20 (CDN or US). Entry fee is non-refundable.

Genres for consideration include narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental. Exhibition formats accepted are 35mm, Beta SP (NTSC), and DigiBeta (NTSC) - and preview screeners may be submitted as VHS tapes or DVDs. No materials or screeners will be returned.

Awards include a juried award for Best Canadian Short. Programming includes Q & A sessions with the filmmakers, panel discussions with industry professionals, a Filmmakers' Luncheon, and special gala events. All screenings take place at Cinemark Tinseltown, a multiplex theatre within the city's Chinatown and Downtown districts. For more information and submission guidelines, visit www.vaff.org or email programming@vaff.org.

VAFF is a not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for independent North American Asian filmmakers to showcase their work to both Asian and non-Asian audiences. The society endeavours to represent the often ignored North American Asians caught between two cultures. It provides a cultural bridge between the Asian and non-Asian communities as well as the Asian communities themselves.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Slide Guitar Masters from Canada and India - Apr 9 & 10

April 9, 8pm (St. Bart's Church, Gibsons)
April 10, 8pm (St. James Hall, Vancouver)

Slide Guitar Masters from Canada and India
DOUG COX & SALIL BHATT (son of V.M. Bhatt)

in Slide to Freedom
with Ramkumar Mishra on Tablas percussion

Canada's slide-guitar legend meets East Indian veena slide-guitar performer for a meeting of east and west. From blues to ragas.

Presented in Collaboration with the Rogue Folk Club.

Vancouver Show Tickets: $22 advance or $25 at the Door. Available soon at Highlife, Rufus Guitars, or online at www.vtix.com

Gibsons Show Tickets: $20 adult / $15 students. Available at Gaia's Fair Trade (Gibsons, 886-7117), MELOmania (Roberts Creek, 885-3607), & Ashley's Books (Sechelt, 885-8952)

GALITCHA - North Indian Folk and Sacred Music - Apr 5 & 6

April 5 , 8:00pm - Concert
April 6, 4:30pm - Family show

GALITCHA - North Indian Folk and Sacred Music

Rhizome Cafe, (317 East Broadway)

part of Caravan Local Global Music Series

When traditional Indian rhythms meet popular Western instruments, an irresistible new sound is born. Visiting us from Ottawa, Galitcha invites audiences to experience a host of musical sensations - from love songs to lively dance tunes, alternating between French and English, the performers explain the meaning of songs sung in the Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi languages. Music with a strong North Indian footprint overlaid with influences from Western folk, jazz and instrumentation from around the world with Kuljit Sodhi vocals, percussion; Stefan Cihelka tabla, percussion; Linsey Wellman flute, soprano & alto saxophones, vocals; Chris MacLean vocals, harmonium, guitar, dulcimer & ik tara.

www.galitcha.com

Saturday April 5 cover $10.00. Sunday April 6 cover: $6 adult / $4 Children.
To reserve, call Rhizome at 604-872-3166. www.rhizomecafe.ca

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

2008 Gamelan Extravaganza - Apr 6 - 2pm

Presented by Consulate General of Indonesia

Where: Robson Square (800 Robson St.), lower level (theatre)
When: Sunday April 6, 2:00 to 5:00 PM
Free admission

This annual concert brings together all the gamelan groups in Vancouver – Gamelan Gita Asmara and UBC School of Music (Balinese), Gamelan Kyahi Madu Sari and SFU School for the Contemporary Arts (Javanese), and Gamelan Si Pawit/VCC School of Music (contemporary Sundanese), as well as Klenengan Nusantara, an ensemble combining instruments from different parts of Indonesia played by Indonesian students in Vancouver. This year’s program of traditional music and dance as well as new music for gamelan will provide an opportunity to experience three vibrant world music traditions that have taken root in Vancouver and engaged the talents of composers and performers here for over 20 years.

The gamelan is an orchestra consisting of gongs, chimes, cymbals, bells, and other percussion instruments made of bronze, iron, bamboo, or wood, as well as drums and flutes. In some gamelan styles, singers and a two-stringed fiddle are also prominently featured. Gamelan in some form has probably existed in Indonesia for at least a thousand years, and has been performed and enjoyed by people from all walks of life, from beggars to kings. Traditional gamelan ensembles are featured in a wide range of events: accompanying dance and puppet theatre, marking family celebrations and ceremonies such as birthdays, weddings and circumcisions, and playing an important role in temple ceremonies and other religious rituals. Concerts of gamelan music are broadcast on radio and TV, and the music is widely available on CD.

For our concert the three major traditions will be represented by the central Javanese court style, the Balinese gong kebyar, and the Sundanese (west Javanese) gamelan degung. Gamelan arts in Vancouver have long been supported by three institutions of higher learning. Javanese gamelan has been taught at SFU since 1987, and since 1995 the program has been directed by Sutrisno Hartana, who also directs the community group Gamelan Madu Sari (“Essence of Honey”). At the UBC School of Music Dr. Michael Tenzer has been teaching Balinese gamelan since 2001 and directing Gong Gita Asmara (“Song of Love”), currently with co-director Wayan Sudirana and dance director Ni Putu Widiantini. And at the VCC Department of Music Jon Siddall has been teaching contemporary composition and performance for Sundanese gamelan since 1999 on Gamelan Si Pawit (“The Beginning”). Klenengan Nusantara (“Music of all the Islands”) is a project of the Indonesian Consulate General under the direction of Sutrisno Hartana.

We especially encourage families and everyone interested in the performing arts of Asia to come to this free event.

For more information on the Extravaganza please contact the Consulate at (604) 682-8855 X250 or congen@indonesiavancouver.org.

Vancouver gamelan websites:
http://www.gitaasmara.ca/
http://www.eciad.ca/~adulic/semar/