||| FROM BETHANY MARIE for ORCAS CENTER |||
Enjoy an eclectic mix of worldly music with Alpha Yaya Diallo and special guest, Rafe Pearlman and Friends on Saturday, July 30 as part of the FREE Summer Concert Series presented by Orcas Center, OrcaSong Farm, Country Corner, and San Juan County.
At 4 p.m., join Alpha Yaya Diallo for a special FREE workshop on the Village Green! In this workshop, Alpha will be giving some techniques on how to play some “manding blues” and a guitar playing method taken from the Kora, a traditional instrument from West Africa. Most of these styles can be played with your fingers or with a pick. Please bring your acoustic Guitar.
At 6 p.m., Rafe Pearlman, Daniel Berkman, and Diano Garcia take the stage for a set of beautiful and unique songs and sounds, inspired by a lifetime of travel. Rafe Pearlman started his singing career with the wolves, ravens and sled dogs of the Alaskan wilderness. The wild nature of his exploratory singing has led to performances spanning the globe, from India, Hong Kong, Israel and Germany, to Italy, France, Spain, Australia, Thailand, Mexico and all across the United States.
Diano Garcia Is a Lopez Island based master percussionist, composer, singer songwriter with extensive training in west African and Afro Caribbean traditions which he applies to contemporary styles. His life as a musician is composed of over 30 years of international experience.
Daniel Berkman is a San Francisco based composer, multi-instrumentalist, accompanist, singer-songwriter, electronic musician, looper, producer, film and dance score composer and innovator of electro-acoustic music, specializing in the Kora, viola da gamba among so many others.
At 7 p.m., Alpha Yaya Diallo, returns to the stage for a full concert set. Diallo, from Guinea in West Africa, is one of the most popular Canadian World Music artists. Now based in Vancouver, he’s earned a matchless reputation for the excellence of his musicianship and the excitement of his “live” shows—whether performing solo or with his band.
Diallo is a multi-talented artist. His dexterous acoustic and electric guitar playing, with its fluid melodic lines and compelling grooves, places him in the front ranks of African guitarists. In addition, he’s a skilled and experienced performer on a variety of percussion instruments and on the balafon (traditional marimba). Alpha also writes all of his compositions and sings with a supple, high, and beautifully modulated voice. Alpha Yaya Diallo appears courtesy of Doe Bay
Resort and Tour West Orcas Center’s Summer Concert Series on the Village Green is FREE thanks to donations from local businesses such as Rainshadow Solar and The Orcas Food Co-Op. More information and full concert lineup can be found at www.OrcasCenter.org.
