Collaboration Globalism and Music

Recently, I have had the good fortune to work on music with Wesley Ueunten, who is a singer and performer on the sanshin (3 string Okinawan lute). Wesley is also a scholar, starting recently as a Professor in Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University. He is providing a wonderful perspective on Okinawan music and how it has been traveling through our global culture. In recent performances together at State and Mt. Edea Tea Garden (for the National Japanese American Historical Society), Wesley has talked about the journey of the song Shima-uta, which became a hit song in Argentina, and the need to retain the meaning of the song. An interesting challenge on the issue of cultural preservation in our global society. In any case, come check him out on Thursday, Sept 27 at ODC Theater in SF, Wesley, me, bassist John Carlos Perea and percussionist Dohee Lee will be performing some of this music.