Hip Hapa and Happening… Oct 25+ Heart of the City Festival

Hip Hapa and Happening… Oct 25th to…

Harry Aoki at St. John's College, UBC,
October 25, 2007
 5pm Fireside Chat + 8pm performance


I have known Harry Aoki since around 2002 when he Margaret Gallagher introduced us.  Harry is a walking encyclopedia of trans-migrational music history.  He has performed his harmonica or double bass with me, or for events that I have organized… as diverse as Joy Kogawa House, Canadian Club Order of Canada/Flag Day luncheon, or Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinner events in Vancouver or Seattle.  Harry organizes First Friday Forum, a musical cross-cultural and historical experience at the Nikkei Heritage Centre.

St. John's College
is delighted to host Harry Aoki for a talk and performance. He will be
bringing a special band to SJC and invites people to bring their
instruments and join in. For more information on how to participate,
please contact Prof. Chris Lee (
chrisml@interchange.ubc.ca). This event is part of a series at St. John's College on Asian Canadian culture. Free and open to all.  5:00 PM Fireside Talk and Coffee; and 8:00 PM Performance St. John's College Fairmont Social Lounge, 2111 Lower Mall, UBC.

The Heart of the City Festival has some great things happening this week and weekend!
I am particularly happy to see so many names and faces that I know, and call friends…

Gravity (world premiere)
Chapel Arts
304 Dunlevy Avenue
Oct 25 -27, Oct 31-Nov 3

Tricia Collins is hapa.  She shares her discovery of a historical family mystery through a journey from China to Guyana to Canada.  I first met Tricia in 2003 when she came out to paddle once in a dragon boat –  thanks to her hapa friend Adrienne Wong who was a team member that year.  Tricia is a bright light in the world who always brings joy and enthusiasm to her endeavors.

Maiko Bae Yamamoto does some incredible things in theatre, whether it is creating a small box to perform in, or outdoor theatre with Boca del Lupo or a large production like Concubine's Children.  Here she directs Tricia Collins.

• The Heart of the City Festival is thrilled to present the urban ink productions world premiere of Gravity, written and performed by Tricia Collins and directed by Maiko Bae Yamamoto. Chapel Arts, 304 Dunlevy Avenue Gravity
is an exciting new collaboration of theatre and video installation that
interweaves storytelling, memories and the stitching together of myths
and facts. , Free preview Wednesday
October 24, 7:30 pm. Thursday October 25 to Saturday October 27,
Wednesday Oct 31 to Saturday November 3, 7:30 pm. Pay what you will
matinee Sunday October 28, 2:30 pm. For more information contact
www.urbanink.ca www.urbanink.ca

Sawagi Taiko
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre
401 Main St.
Oct 26 7:30pm


The Heart of the City Festival presents a number of special concerts
this year by some of Vancouver’s finest world artists and musicians,
including Canada’s first all-women taiko group Sawagi Taiko, co-presented with the Powell Street Festival at the Carnegie Community Centre Theatre (401 Main Street, Friday October 26, 7:30 pm)

Silk Road Music (Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault)

Dr. Sun Yat Sen Gardens
578 Carrall St.

Sat Oct 27 3:00

Qiu Xia He and Andre have been friends since I got to know them in 2003 when they were featured in the CBC television performance special Gung Haggis Fat Choy.  The Silk Road duo has performed at Gung Haggis Fat Choy in 2004, 2005 and 2007.  And we also did a First Night Performance together at Library Square to welcome in 2006. Their concerts are always special and warm-hearted.

Silk Road Music (Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault)
at the beautiful setting of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.  This show is being taped for CBC Radio. 

CBC Radio 2 105.7FM
  (578 Carrall, Saturday October 27, 3 pm). www.vancouverchinesegarden.com

Riot in Vanocuver (best of the film series)

Carnegie Community Centre
401 Main St.

Sun Oct 28 7:30

Karin Lee is the Gemini Award winning documentary of Made in China, a story about Chinese babies adopted by White Canadian families. She has also made “Canadian Steel, Chinese Grit” and more recently “Comrade Dad.”  She is a great person, and it was a real pleasure to get to know her during the Chinese Head Tax Redress campaign.

•  In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the anti-Asian Vancouver race riots, we present a powerful evening of short films gleaned from Riot in Vancouver
a four part program by Asian, Aboriginal and South Asian media artists
that confront and question notions of displacement, family, language,
race and culture. Riot in Vancouver Artistic Director Karin Lee, co-presented with Anniversaries of Change 2007. Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Sunday October 28, 7:30 pm www.anniversaries07.ca

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