An elaborately costumed dancer perfoms the Colombian aerobic dance Zumba by Jaime Martinez of Latin American Workout during a Carnaval celebration at the de Young Feb. 5. The performance is part of Cultural Encounters: Friday Nights at the de Young, a series of events combining performing and visual artists with community arts organizations. CHLOE ASHCRAFT / THE GUARDSMAN
By Greg Zeman
The Guardsman
It’s practically impossible to walk through San Francisco on any given day without hearing the diverse rhythms of its streets ringing from the crowded corners and echoing off of the painted walls.
Any style of music imaginable—and some which even bend the limits of imagination—can be heard in this city, if one knows where to look and listen.
There is a unique cultural character to each of the city’s many neighborhoods, and each one has its own musical tradition and history.
The Filmore was once the creative center of jazz in the city, and a recent musical renaissance happening there could return it to its historical prominence. But the true soul of San Francisco’s timeless love affair with jazz — and all forms and movements in music which are raw and spontaneous — can be heard on the streets.
From instrumentalists weaving melodies with saxophones, guitars, violins and all sorts of instruments you may have never heard of to percussionists banging out intricate rhythms on buckets, boxes, trash can lids and anything else that makes a tasty noise when hit, the variety of street musicians in the city is practically unrivaled.
A young girl clutches her pillow, in a flurry of feathers, during the Great San Francisco Pillow Fight at Justin Herman Plaza on Feb. 14. A flash-mob tradition since 2006, the pillow fight begins as the Ferry Building clock strikes 6 p.m. Hundreds attend the event, advertised through word-of-mouth, as a non-traditional way to celebrate a traditionally romantic holiday. Feathers, adrift for blocks, cling to attendees and bystanders. At 10 p.m. pillows are replaced with boom-boxes and brooms as the flash-mob clean up crew removes feathers and cotton debris from the plaza and surrounding blocks. CHLOE ASHCRAFT / THE GUARDSMAN
By Tristan Crane
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
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Photos by Alex Luthi
ONLINE EDITOR
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Photostory by Christina R. Hernandez
Editor
The Dia de los Muertos festival in Fruitvale ran down Oakland’s International Boulevard, stretching from Fruitvale Avenue to 39th Avenue on Oct. 26, 2008. The main attractions were the altars, a Dia de los Muertos staple, created by professional artists and members of the public who were moved to honor life and death.
Dia de los Muertos, Spanish for “Day of the Dead,” is a Mexican tradition of honoring the dead, dating back to pre-Columbian times. It is currently celebrated in Mexico on Nov. 1-2, coinciding with the Catholic holidays of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Altars include traditional decorations, such as hand-made skulls and skeletons, adorned with elaborate designs, yellow marigolds, sugar skulls, and pan dulce, though personal artifacts and photos are also used.
Three stages, located at Fruitvale Avenue, Fruitvale Village, and at 35th Avenue along International Boulevard featured a variety of Latino bands and dancers. It was unclear exactly where the official festival ended, as crowds stretched to the 4000 block of International Boulevard, reaching a fourth stage just past 40th Avenue.
Around 1 p.m., crowds congested the boulevard, especially around the stages. Intersections that would have normally taken seconds to cross on foot instead took several minutes, as people tried to navigate themselves though the festival or get a better view of the performers. Bands, including including Toni Quintero y Su Poder Michoacano and Mystique and others of different genres such as Latin rock, salsa, Duranguense and Norteño performed during the festival.
Aztec and Mexican folk dancers in full regalia entertained the visitors with different styles of dancing, and a troupe of “muertos” played tag games with children in the crowded street. Many vendors sold Dia de los Muertos decorations. The predominant element of the decorations is the skeleton, often specifically the skull, or calavera.
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BY JENNIFER NICHOLS
EDITOR
In the a pool of water outside the de Young museum stands the Saffron Tower, a striking 30-foot yellow glass structure. It is just a small taste of the magnificent display inside by world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly.
Most likely you have never seen art like this before. Every dramatically backlit piece is a blast of color and texture. Chihuly’s innovative glasswork includes organic plant and sea shapes, massive 1000-pound glass chandeliers, and Mille Fiore, a 56-foot garden of glass.
To the art world, the name Dale Chihuly sparks both controversy and awe. Before he developed his particular style in 1966, no one thought of using glass for large sculptures.
This is where the controversy comes in: All designs are his, but the work is executed and assembled by a team of artists and glassblowers he employs. When Chihuly hit the scene, art connoisseurs were not sure what to make of his process, even today some people are not sure what to think about it.
These days most people give credit to his genius and find his work too beautiful to have an issue with the creation process.
When you emerge from the exhibit, it truly feels like you’ve been in another world.
The de Young and the Legion of Honor will be showing Chihuly’s work until September 28. The de Young hosts the main exhibit while the Legion of Honor has several of his huge chandeliers on display. A ticket purchased at one museum will get you into the other free of charge on the same day.
With a student ID admission is $11 at the de Young and $10 at the Legion of Honor. Muni riders with a Fast Pass or transfer can get a $2 discount and both museums are free the first Tuesday of every month.
If you’re interested in learning more about Dale Chihuly and his work, including video and interviews, visit http://www.chihuly.com
Whatever you do, go and see this exhibit – it is not one to miss!
By Jennifer Nichols
Editor
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City life can get dull and repetitive if you don’t get out of town once in a while. Fortunately, Californians have many options to make life adventurous and interesting when boredom strikes.
For the adventurous or thrill-seeking who are looking for engaging and challenging activities, spelunking may fill that void. Spelunking, the sport or pastime of exploring caves, draws those who wish to challenge their body and mind – or do it just for the fun of it.
Caves are perhaps the least explored type of natural formations on earth. Historically, caves were explored for shelter, mystical reasons or out of pure curiosity. Adventurous spirits relied on minimal equipment which made cave exploration even more scary and hazardous. Imagine descending into one of the darkest places on the planet, equal only to the bottom of the ocean, armed with the dim light of a solitary candle. Add to this the skill and fearlessness needed to maneuver over slippery surfaces wearing shoes with little tread and without any idea how far the caverns reached or what may lurk within.
City dwellers can jump in a car and drive east for about three hours through increasingly beautiful scenery into Calaveras County. The area is home to hundreds of limestone caverns, many of which are open to the public all year round. Calaveras is also well known for its gold rush past, which is exciting for anybody interested in that particular era of California history.
Most of the caverns in Calaveras offer activities ranging from very affordable 45 minute walking trips to 3 hour belly-crawling journeys through sticky mud, to rappelling into massive caverns.
Experienced tour guides lead all of the trips and provide most of the equipment you’ll need. Once inside, a variety of geological structures including stalactites, stalagmites, crystal flowers and draperies can be seen while moving through narrow passageways and huge chambers.
The main chamber of Calaveras’ Moaning Cavern is large enough to fit the Statue of Liberty inside. The remains of people and animals who had fallen through the narrow entrance passage were found at the time the 165 feet deep cavern was first discovered. Evidence suggests that one person survived the fall and lived there for some time, but was unable to escape.
My partner and I decided to go for a two-day trip and though there are a wide variety of affordable accommodations, we decided stay at the Victoria Inn in the small town of Murphys.
The inn boasts gorgeous rooms with huge claw-footed tubs, king-sized beds, private balconies and what locals consider to be the best restaurant in the area. After a long day of climbing through caverns, we enjoyed some wine and got to know some local personalities at several tasting rooms within walking distance of the inn.
A quick online search provides all the information you need, including directions, accommodations, recommended gear and clothing and other nearby attractions. The caves are open all year. Some of them are even open on Christmas for those who are tired of sitting around and eating all day during the holidays and chose to live on the edge a little instead. Enjoy!
