Other Minds, although not having a festival this year, is producing a bunch of smaller individual concerts. This is the next one on March 6 at 7:30 PM at Kanbar Hall, Jewish Community Center, 3200 California Street, San Francisco. Sure wish I could go.
If the name Daniel Bernard Roumain is ringing a bell, but your memory is fuzzy, he's a New York violinist/composer. The New York Times and NPR and other places have profiled him. Infuriatingly, the coverage tends to be, "oh my god, a black violinist! with dreds!" Quoting NPR, now, "Daniel Bernard Roumain doesn't fit the image of a classical musician. The Haitian-American violinist and composer sports a silver nose ring and dreadlocks that reach to his waist." Roumain, however, embraces this, "Roumain has coined a name for his style: 'dred violin.'" After hearing a bit of Anthony Braxton's difficulties being taken seriously as a black man who composes opera, it's very clear why Roumain allows and encourages this kind of coverage. Being black and a classical musician is more than the liberal media can usually manage to wrap its' tiny brains around.
The NPR article is a lot better than the NYT one I saw several months ago. Maybe the novelty of a black classical violinist is wearing off enough that Roumain is being taken seriously for his art, rather than his improbability. His art, by all accounts, certainly merits interest. It's exciting that Other Minds was able to book him for this event. Lots of tickets are still available, get them while they're hot.
Tags: Other Minds, San Francisco, Celesteh
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