OACC’s Annual Fall 2010 Fundraising Extravaganza
Featuring the Premiere of Dohee Lee’s PURI 5: SPORA
October 16, 2010 at the OACC
The Oakland Asian Cultural Center (OACC) is thrilled to present its annual Fall 2010 Fundraiser, to be held at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 9th St, Ste 290 in Oakland. On October 16, at 7pm OACC will feature the premiere of Dohee Lee’s PURI 5: SPORA, a multidisciplinary new piece that will explore the themes of migration and the Asian diaspora within a context of international war through instrumentals, vocals and spoken word by renowned Korean percussionist Dohee Lee with performances by local and international musicians Van-Anh Vanessa Vo (Dan Tranh and other instruments) and Hiroyuki Jimi Nakagawa (Taiko) with special performances by Jamaesori and other artists TBD. An artist talk with Ms. Lee will accompany the premiere.
Visit the program’s website at www.oacc.cc/supportus/annualfundraisers/fall2010fundraiser.html.
Tickets will range from $25- $100. Special $10 early bird discount on all tickets $50 and above if you purchase them online by Friday, September 17th! Buy tickets securely and safely online at Eventbrite, www.oaccfall10fundraiser.eventbrite.com.
Proceeds from this fundraiser will help keep OACC’s programs and services alive, free or low cost to the 25,000+ participants and communities we serve.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Mona Shah at 510-637-0460 or via e-mail at mshah@oacc.cc.
Previous cycles of PURI (Korean word that refers to the relieving and releasing of suppressed suffering spirits) focused on the Korean War, sexual slavery and Korean mythology. This cycle will explore the shared stories of immigration and war histories through the lead artists’ experiences as Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean first-generation immigrants. After hearing their compelling stories of war, survival and the aftermath of these experiences, Ms. Lee was inspired to incorporate the themes of war and immigration into PURI 5: SPoRA.
About the artists:
Dohee Lee, a 2008-2009 Isadora Duncan Dance Award double nominee, dancer/musician and vocalistis the founder of the Ground breaking PURI Project born out of her desire to explore new art forms, in 2004. Since her arrival in the United States, she has been a vital contributor to both the traditional and contemporary Asian American Cultural Arts landscape of the Bay Area as well as the most “avant-garde” expressions of this area and where ever she goes.
Hiroyuki Jimi Nakagawa was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1957 and arrived in the United States in 1981. He studied jazz and performed with local bands before joining the San Francisco Taiko Dojo, directed by Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka in 1987. In 1997 he returned to Japan to continue studying taiko and to perform with Sukeroku Daiko Hozonkai and master Kenjiro Maru of the Wakayama style festival music. He is also a member of its performing group Essence.
Van-AnhVanessa Vo graduated with distinction from the National Conservatory of Music in Hanoi, where she continues to serve as a music professor. In 1995, Van-Anh won the championship title in the national dan tranh competition, along with the First Prize for best solo performance of modern folk music. In 2003, Van-Anh recorded the soundtrack for the Sundance best documentary film and 2003 Academy Awards® Nominee “Daughter from Danang” the soundtrack for 2009 Emmy® Award winner “Bolinao 52”.
Jamaesori (Pronunciation: “JAH-mae-soh-rlee”) is a collective of women of Korean descent who use traditional Korean drumming to support social justice movements. They are a diverse and intergenerational group of Korean-Americans, Korean adoptees, mixed-race Koreans and Korean nationals, queer and straight, community activists and artists. Jamaesori uses Pilbong style Pungmul, a participatory folk art tradition, to coalesce around the expression of communal hopes and to overcome sorrow and hardship. Since being founded in 1991, Jamaesori has taken inspiration from the spirit of Pungmul and contributed to the vitality of our community by participating in numerous events, celebrations and protests. They play to recognize our culture, o honor our history and to rally in shaping our future.
PURI 5 was commissioned in December 2009 with a grant of $5,000 from the East Bay Fund for Artists at the East Bay Community Foundation.
With Community Support from*: Dr. William Kwong, D.M.D., Merilyn Wong & David McClain, Mr. & Mrs. Nam Ly, Oakland Charter High School, Kin Chow, Robert Chu, Dr. Lawrence Ng, Sameer Siruguri, Yoshino Sushi.
Media Sponsors*: APEX Express (KPFA 94.1), Hyphen Magazine
*Partial list, as of September 9, 2010.
Oakland Asian Cultural Center 388 9th St. Ste. 290 Oakland, CA 94607 510/637-0455
oacc.cc
