La Peña Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, Ca. 94705 510-849-2568 www.lapena.org
A local cultural center with a national reputation and a world vision
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ATTN MEDIA: for more information please call 510-849-2568
Classes Coordinator Sylvia Sherman, at ext. 16
or Fernando A. Torres
ext. 15

September 2006.-

La Peña Enseña: La Peña Announces its Free & Fee Music Classes Fall Session 2006

With more than 18 classes from a Latin American Children’s Choir to New Millenium Theater, to Latin Jazz Orchestra, La Peña Cultural Center, a cultural landmark in South Berkley, launches its new session of music classes, with free and low cost classes for young people and adults.

According to Sylvia Sherman, coordinator of La Peña’s Arts Education Program, the classes offer for the first time a Tejano/Norteño acordeón, accordion, workshop led by reknown musician and historian Jose Cuellar (a.k.a. Dr. Loco). “Jose will brings to the classes years of experience and research of Mexican and Chicano music. We are proud to have him here and we are very happy to be offering this workshop absolutely free,” said Sherman.

Continuing to offer free and low cost classes, particularly in art forms which are not readily represented in school curriculum; but are important in passing on specific cultural traditions and offering a space for young people to have a voice is critical in these time. Despite the extreme cuts in California state support for arts education in community, La Peña has raised funds from other sources to ensure that this core aspect of our work to train new artists continues. “Some of our current teachers, and many professional artists on our stage today are former La Peña students,” says Sherman

In addition to Dr. Loco’s Tejano/Norteño accordion class, Mexican musician Tomás Montoya will teach the basics of Mexican guitar. In another guitar class (small fee aplly) singer and composer Rafael Manriquez will lead students into the rich world of the Latin American Guitar.

Master Afro-Peruvian folk artist Lalo Izquierdo along with Gabriela Shiroma and Pedro Rosales will teach Afro-Peruvian aajón (a box in which traditional Afro-Peruvian rhythms are played), and zapateo,(traditional Peruvian dance which features intricate foot work) that includes traditional rhythms such as festejos, valses, and landos.

Marc Pinate, spoken word and theater artist, will conduct a New Millenium Theater class for artists of the next generation. This class incorporates techniques for street theatre, methods for acting and hybrid performance including spoken word, dance/movement, music and digital media. Students will create a variety of original theatrical works that will be performed in a range of public spaces including outdoor rallies.

Hip hop artists Brutha Los and Raul Perales will continue with their The Lab Live Hip Hop Ensemble, which has already become an important creative place for those learning classic hip hop beats, improvisation & freestyle, accompanying singers and emcees.

At a glance

La Peña’s Free & Fee Classes
La Peña Cultural Center; 3105 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley, Ca. 94705 510-849-2568 www.lapena.org 2 blocks East of Ashby BART To Register: Call (510) 849-2568 x20

PERCUSSION

Beginning Latin Percussion
(Monday 7:15 - 8:15pm, CR I) Free. Instructor, Josh Jones. Introduction to Afro-Cuban rhythms for congas. Class meet year round.

Afro-Peruvian Cajon & Master Dance Classes
(Saturday 2 – 4pm: Cajon 2-3pm • Dance 3-4pm, TS) Fee: $10/class. Instructors: Lalo Izquierdo, Gabriela Shiroma, Pedro Rosales (rotating). Lalo Izquierdo Master Choreographer & founder member of Peru Negro, Gabriela Shiroma & Pedro Rosales current directors of De Rompe y Raja, will teach how to play, dance and sing Festejos, Valses, Landos, & Zamacuecas.
Bring your Cajon! Call 510-712-5516 for more info. Class session begins October 7, 2006.

Djembe Drumming
(Sunday 11am-12:30pm, CR I) $12/class Instructor: Master drummer, Amadou.
New students please call Rick Rocamora at 510-531-3834. Class meets year round.

Bomba, Afro-Puerto Rican Percussion and Dance
(Sundays 12:30 - 2:30pm, TS) $15/class or $50 for 4. Instructor: Hector Lugo and Shefali Shah.
(For full information see Dance)

Domingo de Rumba
1st and 3rd Sundays 3:30 – 6:00pm, Café) Free. This community jam session is open to community participation for drummers, singers and dancers who play “rumba”.

ENSEMBLES

The Lab Live Hip Hop Ensemble
(Monday 4:30 - 6:00 pm, Café) Free. Instructors: Brutha Los and Raul Perales. (see Young Adult for full description)

Latin Jazz Orchestra
(Monday 8:15 - 10:00pm, Café) $10/class paid monthly or $15/class drop-in. Music Director: Josh Jones. In this large ensemble with horns, vocalists, and percussionists, students learn and perform great Salsa and Latin Jazz arrangements. Class meets year round.

STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

Beginning/Intermediate Latin American Guitar
(Wednesday 6 - 7pm, 7- 8pm, CR I) Instructor: Rafael Manríquez. Fee. More info: rafael@rafaelmanriquez.com Class on break November 13 – Feb 07.

Mexican Guitar (for beginners)
(Tuesday 6:30 – 7:30pm CR I) Free. Instructor: Tomas Montoya. (For full description, see please section on Mexican Music)

VOCAL

Latin American Vocal Ensemble
(Monday 6 - 7:30pm, CR) Instructor: Rafael Manriquez. Fee. Learn Latin American songs sung in harmony. More info: rafael@rafaelmanriquez.com Class on break November 13 – Feb 07.

La Peña Community Chorus
(Tuesday 7:45 -10pm, TS) Director: Lichi Fuentes. Monthly Membership Dues Required. For chorus info call Nancy Gendel at 510-845-5161. At present there are openings for tenors and basses only.

DANCE

Kidz Funk
(Saturday 1 - 2pm, TS) Instructor: Alvin Jackson, $7 class. Please see full description under “Youth”.

Afro-Peruvian Cajon & Master Dance Classes.
(Saturday 2 – 4pm: Cajon 2-3pm • Dance 3-4pm, Theater) Fee: $10/class. Please see full description under “Percussion”.

Ballet Folklorico Juvenil
(Saturday, 2- 4pm, CRI) Instructor: Sonia Ramirez. Please see full description under “Young Adult”.

Bomba, Afro-Puerto Rican Dance and Percussion
(Sundays 12:30 - 2:30pm, TS) $15/class or $50 for 4. Instructor: Shefali Shah and Hector Lugo. Students will learn bomba dance, rhythms and songs, accompanied by live drummers. For more info: email bombayplena@sbcglobal.net Class session begins September 10, 2006

MEXICAN MUSIC

Tejano/Norteño Acordeon Workshop (for beginners)
(Tuesday 6:30 – 7:30pm, CRII) Free. Instructor: Jose Cuellar (a.k.a. Dr. Loco). Open to all who want to learn the basics of playing the diatonic button accordion from Dr. Loco. Class will progress from learning scales, chords and fingering patterns needed for playing well-known traditional tunes to learning how to develop your personal style of accordion playing. Class session starts October 3, 2006

Mexican Guitar (for beginners)
(Tuesday 6:30 – 7:30pm CR I) Free. Instructor: Tomas Montoya . Open to all who always wanted to learn the basics of Mexican guitar. Learn the fundamentals of guitar holding, melodic picking and rhythmic strumming, with an emphasis on similarities and differences across the various musical traditions of Mexico. Students will progress from learning essential techniques and standard tunes to learning how to play along with singers and other instruments. Class session starts October 3, 2006

Tardeada
Monthly Sunday afternoon Mexican music jam session by Kiko of “Fuga” Check www.lapena.org under “Mexican Music” for updated schedule

CHILDREN

Amiguitos Family Programming
(Saturdays10:30am during the school year,TS) La Peña offers interactive arts programs for families with young children.

YOUTH

Kidz Funk
(Saturday 1 - 2pm, TS) Instructor: Alvin Jackson, $7 class. Students will learn various styles of dance combined to make fusion: West African, Jazz and Hip-Hop. Kidz will learn improv techniques to back up choregraphy. Class session starts September 23, 2006.

YOUNG ADULT

The Lab Live Hip Hop Ensemble. (Monday 4:30 - 6:00 pm, Café) Free. Instructors: Brutha Los and Raul Perales. Open to Musicians, Emcees, Spoken Word Artists, Singers. Learn about: Making Live Arrangements, Classic Hip Hop Beats, Improvisation & Freestyle, Accompanying Singers & Emcees, Accompanying Musicians, Mic & Breath Control, Working the Crowd, Performance Opportunities! Bring your instrument. Class session begins September 11, 2006.

Sign of the Times: Theatre for the Next Generation and the New Millenium
(Tuesday 4:30 – 7:30 pm, Theater) Free. Instructor: Marc Pinate. This youth theater class is open to 15 to 25 year olds. Students will learn basic and intermediate performance skills in three areas: 1) Guerrilla Theatre (a.k.a. street theatre, Xicano Theatre, agit-prop theatre, didactic theatre); 2) Traditional western method acting (Stanislavski Method); and 3) Hybrid Performance (mixing of theatre with spoken word, dance/movement, music and digital media). Along with instruction students will create a variety of original theatrical works that will be performed in a variety of public spaces including outdoor rallies, community events and in La Pena's theater. For beginning to intermediate students. Class Session begins October 3, 2006

Ballet Folklorico Juvenil
(Saturday, 2- 4pm, TS) Instructor: Sonia Ramirez. Open to young people from 12 - 21 years old. Students learn dances from various regions of Mexico. This is a group, which prepares for performances in various community settings. New participants will be auditioned in September. Please contact the instructor to arrange for an audition at soniaroman@sbcglobal.net.

La Peña Cultural Center
Since 1975, La Peña Cultural Center has raised the social and cultural consciousness of our community with cultural projects that bring people together to work towards a just future.

La Peña thanks our supporters!
Alameda County Arts Commission, Berkeley Civic Arts Commission, California Arts Council, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, East Bay Community Foundation, Ford Foundation, Gerbode Foundation, National Performance Network, The James Irvine Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Nonprofit Finance Fund, San Francisco Foundation, Sees Candies, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Vanguard Foundaton, Zellerbach Family Fund, and to our many generous individual donors!