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“Black Heritage Auction” to Feature Songs, Notes and Jewelry of Tupac Shakur

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Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur

On April 7th rap legend Tupac Shakur will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Brooklyn, New York. On the same day and only a few blocks away, a large selection of Tupac’s lyrics, song lists, clothing, and jewelry will be offered in the first “Black History Auction” held specifically to honor the achievements and contributions of African-Americans.  Over 300 items will be sold live by auctioneers Alexander Historical Auctions at The Dumbo Loft, 155 Water St., Brooklyn, New York starting at 2:00 PM.

Offered for sale will be more than three dozen items from the legendary artist, including: 14 sets of lyrics, including “Catchin’ Feelins,” “Wonda Why They Call U Bitch” and “I Ain’t Mad At Cha”; his track list and a master recording for “All Eyez On Me”; his first music contract; contracts made to secure bail money; and his prison identification. Personal items include Tupac’s signed Koran, Rolls Royce license plates, his trademark nose and ear studs, screen-worn clothing, and jewelry, including a bullet-struck medallion from his fatal 1996 shooting.

Also being offered is a signed photo of Dr. Martin Luther King with a quote from the Constitution: “…all men are created equal…” along with a letter by King mentioning “Jackson,” Thurgood Marshall, and the Freedom Riders, and an important signed copy of his “Stride Toward Freedom.” Malcolm X is represented in a letter from prison discussing the “blackness” of a man, and several other important items. From President Barack Obama is a 2012 NCAA “Final Four” leader board, which appeared on ESPN, signed at the center. Boxer Muhammad Ali is represented in several lots, including a signed print of his painting showing a victory in the ring, adding his famous “Float like a butterfly” quote and a print of a painting later “censored” by the U.N.

Other notable items to be offered include:

  • The first literary work of a black American, a first edition of Phillis Wheatley’s  “Poems,” 1773
  • Booker T. Washington’s notes on the education of blacks
  • Early Black Panther items including a very rare armband
  • Gen. Colin Powell’s dress uniform
  • Michael Jackson’s fedora, sequined bowtie, belt, shirt, and signed photos

Bidding will be available live, by telephone, and at the bidding websites invaluable.com,the-saleroom.com and liveauctioneers.com.  The entire sale may be viewed online at http://www.alexautographs.com/pdfs/AlexanderHistoricalAuctions67.pdf. Alexander Historical Auctions may be reached at 203-276-1570, email:sales@alexautographs.com.

Green Dolphin Welcomes Josephine Howell

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Join us every 3rd Friday for live music at the Green Dolphin Street Lounge
JOSEPHINE HOWELL

Josephine Howell
Josephine Howell

500 30th Ave S Seattle, WA 98144
Josephine Howell’s gospel roots make you feel good as she sings from her heart and ignites your soul. She performs soul, jazz, rhythm and blues immersed in real life stories. She has performed in venues nationally and internationally, at the 2014 and 2015 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, with the song “Same Love.”

Come and enjoy great music by local jazz artist from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. for only $20 Admission
($15 for Lifetime Members) which includes a Happy Hour Buffet Menu. Please call to reserve your table, 206-726-4926.

Shyan Selah & Washington DECA Join Forces to Reach Youth

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Shyan Selah & Washington DECA Join Forces to Reach Youth
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Shyan Selah Extends the Cafe Noir Tour with a Performance at the Museum of Flight

This past week Shyan Selah expanded the youth education outreach that is part of his Café Noir Tour with a special appearance and performance at theMuseum of Flight in Seattle forWashington DECA, which hosted this year’s Western Region Leadership Conference for the national organization.

Brent Mason, Director of Philanthropy for Washington DECA, invited Shyan to be a part of the conference’s festivities after watching a Café Noir Performance at the Dash Point Starbucks in Federal Way, WA.

“From the moment that I heard Shyan perform and tell his story at my hometown Starbucks I knew that he was a perfect partner for Washington DECA,” said Mason.  “His desire to make community, no matter where that might be, a better place for all along with his passion for wanting to help develop real-life skills in our youth is truly inspiring.”

Shyan performed a selection of songs from Café Noir Live, spoke about his background as an artist and entrepreneur in the music business and took questions from students during the “Night at the Museum” event which was attended by over 1,200 high schoolers educators & chaperones from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Mexico.

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“As it is with every opportunity that I get to impact lives, I am grateful and honored,” Shyan said. “The thing for me right now is I’m on a mission through my art form and projects to reconnect with communities of all sorts in the most meaningful of ways that cause lasting impact. Creating a relationship with DECA is a reflection of those efforts. I’m excited to work with Brent and his team and I’m thankful to be given this opportunity. DECA has a great history and legacy with high school students around the country in preparing them for their professional life. This recent event is just the start of something special. I can’t wait to continue to share my experience in entertainment culture and entrepreneurship with these amazing students.”

Shyan’s performance at the “Night of the Museum” event for Washington DECA was sponsored in part by Brave New World and eClincher.

To learn more about Washington DECA visit www.wadeca.org. To stay up to date with Shyan Selah performances and events, please visit www.shyanselah.com.

Shyan Selah: My Story in Music

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Shyan Selah and Brave New World commemorate a new alliance with The Right Brain Center for the Arts with an appearance and performance for Garfield High School students at the Quincy Jones Theater.
Shyan
Shyan will be speaking to students as part of a special lecture titled: Shyan Selah: My Story in Music. The event marks the kick off of a brand new Recording Arts and Technology class that will be offered to Garfield High School students beginning February 2017. The class will be offered five periods a day and will cover basic introduction into music recording and production to advanced level studio recording and production. The courses will take place in a new state of the art recording studio to be housed on campus. The Right Brain will also be offering its classes after school to reach more youth in the community.
“We are very pleased and honored to be working with Shyan Selah,” says Val Seid, Founder and President of the Right Brain Center for the Arts. “Shyan brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the music industry. Most importantly though he is very passionate about giving back to the youth of our community and sharing his experiences with them. We couldn’t ask for any one better than Shyan to help us kick-off our new class at Garfield High School. We are very excited and hope to continue our relationship with Shyan for the long term.”
Today’s musical event featuring Shyan is the first in a an ongoing series being co-produced by The Right Brain and Brave New World to bring music and entertainment professionals to students in the Seattle community as part of an effort to give them real information and experience about the music industry as a whole.
“First and foremost, I think what the Right Brain Center for the Arts is putting together at Garfield is what it’s all about when it comes to taking action within our community,” says Shyan. “In my opinion, innovation is the greatest form of protest and when you bring innovation to the community it can do powerful things. I’m very excited and honored to be coming back to Garfield to share my story, my music, and my message with the students there. Some of our most talented musicians have come from the Central District area and have come out of Garfield High School, so to be in the Quincy Jones Theater is a tremendous blessing as not only was he a former Garfield student, but a producer, songwriter, and influencer that I admire greatly. I’m looking forward to this event and many more to come with The Right Brain and Garfield.”
To learn more about The Right Brain Center for the Arts visitwww.therightbrain.org.
To learn more about Shyan Selah, his music, and his community outreach, visitwww.shyanselah.com.

Shabba-Doo, aka Adolfo Quinones, “The King of Crenshaw” Exclusive Northwest lecture & hip hop demo

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Celebrate Indian Arts and Culture at Diwali: Lights of India

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Diwali-1024x654Join us for Seattle Center Festál: Diwali: Lights of India, 12 p.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 6, in Seattle Center Armory. The final Festál event of 2016 is also the newest – in its first official year at Seattle Center – sharing the story of Diwali as it presents Indian music and dance, crafts, children’s activities and flavorful Indian food.

Non-stop performances on the Armory Stage allow festival-goers to travel across India, exploring the diversity of Indian classical and folk dance traditions. Nrityalaya Dance and Preetha Babu & Students present Bharatanatyam classical dance from Tamil Nadu, Urvasi Dance Company offers Odissi classical dance from Odisha, Telugu Bharati shares dances from Andhra Pradesh and a performance by STAR Kalai Kuzhu features the parai, a symbol of Tamil culture and one of the oldest percussion instruments in India. Other dance highlights include showcases by Srishti Dance Company, Dance Tantra, Shwetha Nirmal Group and Naosheen & Group. The festival closes with a danced drama by Abhinaya School of Performing Arts based on Geeta Govinda, a work composed by the 12th century poet Jayadeva, 4:05 p.m.-6 p.m.

Interactive activities and workshops provide engaging learning opportunities for visitors of all ages. Artist Annie Penta offers instruction on making flower mandalas, circular designs filled with intricate patterns to represent wholeness. Join artist Sudha Rajasekaran in the creation of rangoli, floor patterns created using dry flour, colored sand and flowers, or mold a playdough statue of Ganesha. Festival-goers may also decorate cupcakes, sample free vegetarian Indian cuisine, mix their own Indian spices, cook roti (Indian flatbread), try a class fusing yoga and dance and explore saris through a lively fashion show.

As Seattle Center Festál prepares for a milestone in 2017, the 20th anniversary of this illuminating series of ethnic cultural events at Seattle Center, we celebrate the diverse arts, crafts, foods and family activities presented on weekends throughout the year. The 24 Festál events, organized by ethnic/cultural organizations in partnership with Seattle Center, form the bedrock of our free, public offerings, captivating and enlightening festival-goers as they experience the distinct cultures that influence the character and course of our broader community.

Seattle Center Festál is a program of Seattle Center Productions. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206 684-7200.

 Seattle Center Festál

Seattle Center Festál 2016, a collection of 23 cultural events presented on weekends throughout the year, highlights the diverse cultures and common threads of ethnic communities in our region with traditional and contemporary art, music, foods, youth activities, workshops, marketplaces and more. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines, T-Mobile, RealNetworks, 4Culture and ArtsWA. Additional support is provided by the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation.

12th Annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration

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El Centro de la Raza will be hosting its 12th Annual Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration featuring a free Altar/Ofrenda exhibit, community dinner, and children’s activities.

Tuesday, November 1st, 2016
5:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Ofrenda Exhibit opens through November 18th
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10:00 am-6:00pm
Thursday 12:00pm-6:00pm

El Centro de la Raza
2524 16th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144

Día de los Muertos is a time for remembering and honoring the lives of those who have passed. This year’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) theme draws attention to systematic racial inequities and calls on people to exercise their right to vote in honor of those who have lost their lives.

This is the fourth year in which renowned Latino local artists Fulgencio Lazo, will build an altar/ofrenda for the exhibit incorporating beautiful artistic expression into our Día de los Muertos Exhibit.

Opening night is expected to draw between 1200-1500 individuals and families for the festivities. The event incorporates the organization’s cultural traditions through ofrendas conceptualized and created by a diverse representation of local community groups. Opening day presentations include Banda Gozona, Danza Azteca, Duo Finelli, Grupo Folklorico Violeta Parra, Salsa n’ Seattle. Presentations will take place at the Centilia Cultural Center, El Centro’s new event space.
Admission to the event is free and includes children’s activities and a variety of cultural entertainment. A free dinner will be served.

El Centro de la Raza’s 2016 Día de los Muertos Celebration is supported by the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 4 Culture, Washington State Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts and Seattle Public Utilities, with media sponsorship by KUOW 94.9.

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/elcentro72 or www.elcentrodelaraza.org.

El Centro de la Raza
2524 16th Avenue South
Seattle, WA 98144
Tel 206.957.4602
Fax 206.329.0786
socialmedia@elcentrodelaraza.org
www.elcentrodelaraza.org

Join us for our 12th annual Día de los Muertos celebration on November 1, 2016 at El Centro de la Raza. Performances will be at our brand new Cultural Events Center, Centilia! This year’s Dia de los Muertos theme draws attention to systematic racial inequities and calls on people to exercise their right to vote in honor of those who have lost their lives.

Largest Community-Powered Arts and Culture Festival in the U.S., Northwest Folklife Festival, Announces Region-Wide Call for Performers

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Submit to Perform at the 2017 Northwest Folklife Festival

Seattle, WA (October 26, 2016) – Northwest Folklife today announced its open invitation to musicians, dancers, community groups, artists, storytellers, and instructors to participate in its 46th annual Northwest Folklife Festival over Memorial Day weekend, May 26-29, 2017 at Seattle Center. Northwest Folklife is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to create opportunities for all to celebrate, share, and participate in the evolving cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest. From yodeling to beatboxing, square dancing to a complete immersion into the dance and music of Bollywood, the Northwest Folklife Festival celebrates the global traditions of independent and emerging artists throughout the Northwest.

Northwest Folklife’s signature Festival event attracts roughly a quarter million attendees from all over the world to Seattle Center grounds every year, rain or shine. The Festival prides itself on showcasing over 5,000 performers from over 65 cultural groups of the Northwest on over 25 stages in the course of just four days.

“Northwest Folklife is deeply committed to celebrating the diversity of our communities and de-mystifying our differences through immersion into new cultures and bringing people together physically, in shared spaces, such as the Folklife Festival. We encourage artists and cultural bearers of all ages to apply”, Kelli Faryar, Programs Director.

Interested parties must be based in the Northwest region including Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Washington state, and Western Montana.

WHEN:
Submission deadline is December 15, 2016.

HOW TO SUBMIT:
Visit us online for more information: NWFolklife.org

For more information, please contact:
Kelli Faryar, Programs Director
206-684-7014
Kelli@NWFolklife.org

From the Streets to the Skies: Shyan Selah’s Café Noir Project Travels Across American Airlines​​​​​​​

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For the last few months Shyan Selah’s voice has been featured as part of the MasterCard Selections Channel on
American Airlines. He was chosen as part of an elite group of wide ranging music artists from Jordin Sparks to Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top to talk about his current project and tour, Café Noir, as well as give a little musical taste from the Café Noir Live album out now.

Before singing the “Pink Butterfly (Urban Remix)” – the funk/soul/R&B track that’s been permeating throughout select Starbucks stores around the country, Selah talked about the project and how his unique approach to music and communnamed-3unity outreach has allowed him to venture where few entertainers can go.

“[Café Noir] is a community experience project,” said Selah. “It’s all centered around sitting down, having conversations – community and conversation….because it’s a community project we wanted to make sure we could fuse music with the people right in the neighborhood and Starbucks became a really cool partner of ours.”

That community experience project which has been developed and featured throughout high schools, colleges, and live music venues in addition to select Starbucks stores throughout the country, has already resulted in a live album, Café Noir Live, recorded at the 23rd & Jackson Street Starbucks in Seattle; and a second LP album is forthcoming this fall. Selah’s recent interview and live performance for the MasterCard Selections Channel is just one example of how the project is expanding beyond the communities on the ground he set out to reach.

“I was raised in an airline family,” he says. “I grew up in airports and doing a lot of flying as a kid and, of course, as an Artist and Entrepreneur it’s a must. The whole experience of being on a plane is very sentimental to me because my very first memories in life are centered around flying. I can say without a doubt this experience with American Airlines and Master Card is truly a blessing. To do what I love the most and have it played on one of the world’s biggest airlines is a cool highlight indeed. It was a lot of fun doing the production for this and I am truly thankful to everyone that made it possible.”

Those who missed the interview and performance on American Airlines can listen now via the YouTube link below.

For more information, visit www.shyanselah.com.