Hello San Diego!

Welcome to the latest edition of the San Diego Participant Observer Newsletter!

This month, in celebration of Native American Month we have a recipe for Manoomin (Ojibwe Wild Rice) with Berries and Nuts! A truly unique blend of ingredients to push your culinary horizons to new heights. Our book of the month, which is also this year's "One Book - One San Diego" (who we are honored to be a community partner for each year) is Deacon King Kong. The book brims with humor, poignancy, and sharp social insight, and McBride’s masterful use of vernacular speech makes every character leap vividly off the page. Above all, the novel shines for the deep humanity McBride discovers in the most unexpected people and places. Our CD of the Month suggestion is for Georgia - Sacred & Secular Vocal Polyphony by the ensemble, Basiani, where you can experience interweaving vocal melodies spanning songs that range from classical religious compositions to folk songs.

On to the events!

Special shoutout to the San Diego Asian Film Festival which opened last night and continues until the 15th! Well over 100 new and surely exciting films to see and enjoy.

Festivals and cultural celebrations include the Valley Arts Festival in Oceanside, a Creative Cultures Arts Festival in Carlsbad and the House of Mexico Mixer in Balboa Park.

This week's music and dance options include Miguel Bosé at Cal Coast, the astounding Fado singer Mariza Balboa Theatre, Moai- Tales of the Rapa-Nui at Grossmont College, Spooky Cumbia at the Liberation Center, A Night of Flamenco Guitar with José Antonio Rodriguéz at Paper Moon, the Jewish Men's Choir at Ner Tamid Synagogue, Mexican grupero band Bronco at Cal Coast, The Sleepwalkers & Los Paisanos Cumbia Reventón at Winstons, a 4 guitar concert of music of Spain & Latin America at Mission Theater, the Odissi Dance Recital at the Kroc Theatre, Obrigado Brazil at Incarnation Lutheran , the Suhaila Super Star Gala at Queen Bee's, Shardad Rohani at Mandeville Auditorium, and Japanese rap artist Lotus Juice at Music Box. Next week's options include Ozomatli at Belly Up (Thursday), the Bachata Festival at El Flow (next Thursday to Sunday), and A Night of Tasnifkhani at the Persian Cultural Center featuring setar master Kourosh Taghavi.

Interesting talks around town include Saturday's talk at the Batiquitos Lagoon Nature Center: San Diego County's Indigenous Peoples, Then & Now. Also on Saturday at the Italian Cultural Center of San Diego, there will be a talk on Italian Identity, Gadda, and that Awful Mess.

We mentioned the 26th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival above (go go go), and at the Barona Cultural Center & Museum, you can celebrate Native American Month with film screenings throughout the month. Tuesday, Él will screen at the Digital Gym. On Thursday at La Paloma, you can watch The Best of SDIFF Ristretto Shorts. And at Balboa Theatre, there will be a Moana Live-To-Film Concert which, is sure to dazzle.

Theatrical offerings include El Alebrije, a reimagining of "The Nutcracker" through dance, theater, music, and puppetry at CCA (Friday and Saturday, Arms and The Man at Lamb's Players, Something Rotten at Oceanside's Star Theatre (ends Sunday), Titus Andronicus at the Old Globe (tickets are reasonably priced!), A Midsummer Night's Dream at Canyon Crest Academy. Next Thursday, you can watch an enactment of Julius Caesar at the Bornemann in San Marcos for free. Next Thursday, the students at Westview High School will start their brief run of The Play That Goes Wrong. Also getting underway next Thursday will be the Diversionary Theatre Black Box's production of Beauty's Daughter.

Foodies might like Saturday's Soondubu Jjigae Workshop at Good News. The dish is one of our family's favorites! You can merge your love of both art and food at the University Heights Arts Open and the UHCDC’s Taste of University Heights event on Sunday!

Art-center events include the Native American Art Show at Exclusive Collections (Friday and Saturday), the Transformed by India/Transformed by Mingei Museum talk by Stephen P. Huyler (Saturday), and next Wednesdays opening for the Reimagining La Linea exhibition at Mesa College.

Other events more than worthy of your consideration are comedian Marget Cho at Mic Drop tonight (Friday) and Saturday night, another installment of Jewish Poets - Jewish Voices at the JCC (Tuesday), Anza Borrego Archaeology Day on Saturday, Indigenous Ocean Day at Birch Aquarium (also Saturday), and wrapping up the cavalcade of fun and interesting events we report on this week is a Dia De Los Muertos Fashion Show next Friday at Southwestern College!

All the Cross-Cultural Events in the Next Two Weeks:

Festivals, celebrations, and community events: Valley Arts Festival • Creative Cultures Arts Festival • House of Mexico Mixer • Kimono & Culture Fair • San Diego Anime Con.

Music and/or dance performances: Miguel Bosé • Mariza • Moai- Tales of the Rapa-Nui • Spooky Cumbia • A Night of Flamenco Guitar with José Antonio Rodriguéz • Jewish Men's Choir • Bronco • The Sleepwalkers & Los Paisanos Cumbia Reventón! • Music of Spain & Latin America • Odissi Dance Recital • Obrigado Brazil • Suhaila Super Star Gala • Shardad Rohani • Lotus Juice • Ozomatli • Bachata Festival • A Night of Tasnifkhani • Lea Salonga • LuMaya • Blactronika Luv Dancing • Jose Maria Napoleon • Fiesta Navidad with Mariachi los Camperos • Raphaël Feuillâtre.

Interesting talks around town: San Diego County's Indigenous Peoples, Then & Now • Italian Identity, Gadda, and that Awful Mess • Cortes and Moctezuma II • Valarie Kaur.

Film festivals and special movie screenings: 26th Annual San Diego Asian Film Festival • Films: Celebrate Native American Month • Él • The Best of SDIFF Ristretto Shorts • Moana Live-To-Film Concert • Two to One.

Books and literature lovers are sure to enjoy: Jewish Poets - Jewish Voices.

Food and Drink events: Soondubu Jjigae Workshop • University Heights Arts Open and the UHCDC’s Taste of University Heights.

Fundraisers: Fundraiser: Para La Cultura.

Local theatrical productions: Arms and The Man • El Alebrije • Something Rotten • Titus Andronicus • A Midsummer Night's Dream • Julius Caesar • The Play That Goes Wrong • Beauty's Daughter • The Nutcracker (Temecula Community Theater).

Visual Arts events: Native American Art Show • Transformed by India/Transformed by Mingei Museum • Reimagining La Linea • Kintsugi Workshop.

Comedy performances: Margaret Cho.

Black History Month events: Bachata Festival • Festival de Danza Tradiciones de México • Django Festival Allstars.

Other notable events: Anza Borrego Archaeology Day • Indigenous Ocean Day • Dia De Los Muertos Fashion Show.