Democracy Now! Election 2012 Silenced Majority Tour

Text by Democracy Now!

Democracy Now! is on the road for a 100-city Election 2012 Silenced Majority Tour. Between now and Election Day, Democracy Now! will broadcast live across the United States, traveling through many of the electoral swing states, going beyond the mainstream media’s obsessive focus on the latest poll numbers and candidate gaffes, to examine how people are organizing; the impacts of restrictive voter ID laws that are making it harder to vote; and how the massive influx of campaign cash following the Citizens United decision is changing how our democracy works.

Amy Goodman‘s latest book, The Silenced Majority: Stories of Uprisings, Occupations, Resistance, and Hope, written with Denis Moynihan, provides a vivid record of the events, conflicts, and social movements shaping our society today. The Silenced Majority pulls back the veil of corporate media reporting to dig deep into the politics of “climate apartheid,” the implications of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the movement to halt the execution of Troy Anthony Davis, and the globalization of dissent from Tahrir Square to Liberty Plaza. Throughout, Goodman and Moynihan show the work of ordinary people to change their media—and change the world.

Join us for a public event near you—to help raise critical funds for the public community television and radio stations across the country. Continue reading →

Film screening: “Goddess – Chinese Women on Screen” @ Asia Society New York from November 9 to December 8, 2012

Asia Society New York announces the presentation of a film series to celebrate major screen divas in the history of Chinese cinema. The title of the series, Goddess: Chinese Women on Screen, is inspired by one of the selections, the 1934 silent classic The Goddess, featuring Ruan Lingyu—the “Chinese Greta Garbo.” Nine films from China and Hong Kong will be screened in 35mm print format. The series will run from November 9 to December 8, 2012 at Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue (at East 70 Street), New York City.

Clockwise from top left: Gong Li, Ruan Lingyu, Maggie Cheung, Xie Fang, Xue Jinghua, Brigitte Lin.

Chinese cinema has produced some of the most memorable and mesmerizing female screen icons. This film series pays tribute to the most significant divas in the industry’s over 100 years of history, beginning with the silent period. It includes unforgettable performances by Li Lili (1915-2005), Ruan Lingyu (1910-1935), Xie Fang (1935- ), Liu Xiaoqing (1950- ), Brigitte Lin (1954- ), Maggie Cheung (1964- ), Gong Li (1965- ), among others. The series recognizes the achievement of Chinese actresses, surveys the representation of women on screen across generations, and highlights the strength, resilience, beauty, love, and desire of Chinese women. The films in this series are all major Chinese classics, each with at least one woman in a prominent role.

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One of Sohrab’s favorite indie rock bands: The Secret Chief’s 3 @ The Stone, October 11, 2012

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

During my last week in Tokyo one of my favorite US bands played at the Stone in New York: the Secret Chiefs 3 (SC3) led by guitarist and composer Trey Spruance (formerly of Mr. Bungle and Faith No More). A band which fuses Persian music, surf rock, heavy metal, film music and electronics. Luckily I found videos of this show in YouTube. SC3 has always been a general name for several different bands. “Each representing a different aspect of a musical and philosophical intersection.” That night SC3 played under the name of Ishraqiyun,  a six piece band with following members: Trey Spruance (guitar, saz), Ches Smith (drums), Timba Harris (violin, viola), Toby Driver (bass), Shahzad Ismaily (bass) and April Centrone (percussion). They mainly used Middle Eastern (Persian) melodies and rhythms adding sounds of western metal, surf rock, and noise.

Last year in November I had the chance to see this band for the first time at Le Poisson Rouge. Me as an Iranian this concert was a revelation: Trey proved that Iranian or Persian music can “rock” and can “move” US rock fans. After the show Trey I interviewed him backstage (watch the video here).

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Music listings – 10/29 through 11/4

1. Sean Hayes w. Birds of Chicago

Date: Tuesday, October 29, 2012
Time: 7pm
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012, ph: 212- 505-3474)
Ticket: $20
Genre: singer-song writer

Sean Hayes’ worn, soulful music defies easy categorization. Described as loose, dusty, and alive, his songs radiate a free-spirited charm that rarely seems attached to any particular era. The result is a sound infused with eclectic instrumentation and an unpolished warmth. Born in New York City and raised in North Carolina, Sean Hayes now resides in San Francisco. His songs have been re-mixed by DJs and and covered by folk artists. His unique soulful voice infects audiences with charm, equal parts affirming and heartbreaking. His most recent album is Run Wolves Run.
Birds of Chicago, is a collective based around JT Nero and Allison Russell. Whether touring as a duo or with the full family band, Nero and Russell have emerged as two of the most compelling new voices in North American Roots music.

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Concert Recommendation: Sylvain Leroux “Quatuor Creole” CD release concert!

Date: Thursday, November 1, 2012
Time: 8pm – 9pm
Venue: ShapeShifter Lab (18 Whitwell Pl, between Carroll St & 1st St,Brooklyn, NY 11215, 646-820-9452)
Ticket: $11

On Thursday, November 1, 2012 Downbeat Rising Star Sylvain Leroux will present a live performance of his latest project “Quatuor Creole” featuring legendary vibist Karl Berger. Released in June, the CD has been well received by critics, eliciting such comments as: “… perfect contemporary music release…” (Dustin Garlitz, JazzTalent.com); “… gentle as a river in the afternoon sun.” (Thurston Hunger, KFJC); “… worthy addition to the canon of the world- jazz…” (Hrayr Attarian, All About Jazz); “… mellifluous acoustic quality…” (Howard Mandel, Jazz Beyond Jazz); “…belongs to a lineage of precious recordings […] such as CoDoNa, Oregon, Steve Wilson, Don Cherry, Dollar Brand and Chico Hamilton…” (Dan Behrman, Magazine Son & Image–translated from the French).

With Quatuor Creole, Leroux reexamines the fusion of European and African music that took place in the Americas and informs it with his deep experience.

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