Cantonese Opera Association-Silicon Valley, a nonprofit organization established in 2001, is a presenter and educator of the most well-known and popular type of Chinese Opera.  There are over 300 different opera styles in China, relative to the region from which they originate.  Cantonese opera music is a blend of classical…
Theatre Flamenco is the second oldest dance company in the Bay Area and the oldest flamenco dance company in the country.  Their commitment is to preserve and pass on to the next generation the beauty, passion, and appreciation for the art, music, and culture of flamenco,…
Orgilsaikhan Chimeddorj, Ulziisaikhan Lkhagadorjv, and Otgonbaya Chunsraikhachin — members of the Mongolian traditional music ensemble Nutgiin Alyaguu — graduated from the Music Conservatory of Mongolia, the country’s most prestigious music school.  Ulziisaikhan Lkhagvadorjv is a particularly well-known and respected performer; he is proficient in five Mongolian instruments and the rare…
Fua Dia Congo, founded in 1977, is guided by a Kikongo proverb, Wa Dia Fua Yika Dio, meaning “What you inherit, you must add value to.” For forty years the organization has been resolute in its dedication to preserving and presenting the music, dance, cultural arts…
San Francisco’s Community Music Center’s mission is to make music accessible to people of all ages, musical levels, and financial backgrounds.  Their students range in age from one to 90+ years old and enjoy classes in everything from Western classical to Chinese to Latin Music.  Community…
Founded by dancer and teacher LaKiesha Golden, Cultural Arts of Gold’s mission is to preserve the arts and culture of Congo.  The annual Congolese Dance and Drum Festival, also known as Biamvu Bia Kongo (Bridges of Congo), aims to preserve the history of the cultural traditions of the people Congolese…
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Jun Daiko

Based in Mountain View, Jun Daiko practices and teaches the art of kumidaiko, or Japanese group drumming. In 2014, Jun Daiko received a grant from ACTA’s Living Cultures Grants Program to support a mentorship with master artist Kyosuke Suzuki.  He will instruct…
Master artist Juana Alicia Araiza founded the True Colors Mural Project in 2008.  She directs this public mural program based in the East San Francisco Bay Area.  TCMP preserves and revives the legacy of Mexican and Chican@ Mural Movements through the teaching of its philosophy and…
The batá is a sacred drum tradition originating among the Yoruba people of West Africa and brought to the New World during the slave trade era.  Female in nature, the three two-headed drums played by three men activate a sacred language that communicates with the spirit world of the Orisha (or…
Congolese Ngoma, Drumming