THOSE FUNNY LITTLE PEOPLE – Representing Ireland and Germany!
Costume characters performing interactive, mini-musical presentations. An Evanston Ethnic Arts Festival favorite!
LINDA GORHAM - African-American Folkloric storyteller
Linda energizes her audiences by using movement, humor, and sometimes zaniness as she tells multicultural folktales updated with "attitude." Her stories amuse, stimulate and make you laugh out loud. And, watch out, you just may learn something!
TRICIA SEBASTIAN BAND - Mexican music for “los niños”
Tricia Sebastian children’s music entertainer and recording artist will be performing a bilingual concert for families with children who love to sing and dance. Along with many traditional and original songs, Tricia will feature Spanish and English songs off her bilingual children’s album entitled Canta Conmigo. The audience will be encouraged to participate in spontaneous dancing, singing, and instrument shaking. Come join us for a fun-filled musical family event!
VONORTHAL PUPPETSFor more than 10 years VonOrthal Puppets have been captivating audiences with its creations for over a decade. For the Festival they will present “Tara’s Story: The Birth of the Universe.”
JASC TAIKO YOUTH ENSEMBLE – Japanese drum ensemble
JASC Tsukasa Taiko is the leading taiko (Japanese drumming) ensemble in the Chicago area. Basing its operations out of the Japanese American Service Committee of Chicago (JASC), JASC Tsukasa Taiko's mission is to preserve and pass on the traditional concepts of taiko as a cultural legacy and to utilize these concepts in expanding and evolving the taiko form.
TUM BALALAIKA KLEZMER BAND"Tum Balalaika" Klezmer Band from Chicago performs Russian, Yiddish, Klezmer, Gypsy, Ukranian, Romanian, and Jewish music and songs. Artistic Director Peter Sadkin. Authentic group of professionally trained musicians with wealth of experience playing in orchestras in Russia, Belorussia and Ukraine. Beautifully arranged tunes played on bayan (Russian button accordion), violin, clarinet, flute, sopilka, koval, tzimbali and others from Russian, Gypsy, Ukrainian and Yiddish heritage. Polkas, waltzes, kadrils, gopaks and other traditional dances.
CURUMIN - (KOO-roo-mean) from Sao Paulo, Brazil
Born in Brazil to Spanish/Japanese parents Curumin began his journey through the world's music, from Jorge Ben to Devo to Bebeto. He’s formed several bands since his pre-teen years and has garnered the attention of such greats as composer Arnaldo Antunes, the samba-punk singer Andrea Marquee, as well as Brazilian hip-hop groups like Lino Crizz & Guetto Jam and SP Funk. It was with these groups that Curumin got his first taste of world touring, blowing away audiences across Latin America and Europe.
His newest creation, “Japan Pop Show” features funk, psychedelic rock, hip-hop, reggae, dub, and more all co-exist, sometimes even within the same track. There’s enough influence from Brazil’s musical past to keep traditionalists listening, but enough forward thinking to take the album into new territory.
TULLY ACADEMY OF IRISH DANCEThe Tully School is highly regarded in the Irish Dance community, having produced many champion dancers over the years. Sheila's students have performed at Walt Disney World in Florida, The White House, and at Soldiers Field and the United Center in Chicago. Her school has won first place in their category almost every year at he Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade. Many of Sheila's students have won at the Midwest Irish Dance Championships and have gone on to compete at the World Championships in Ireland.
CFAS ENSEMBLE - Presented by the Chinese Fine Arts Society
This group is a dazzling string and piano ensemble (winners of the MFHC - Music Festival in Honor of Confucius, sponsored by CFAS). The CFAS is a Chicago cultural not for profit with a mission: - To Discover Chinese music and its cultural significance- To Develop interest in performing and studying Chinese music and arts- To foster success in these artistic endeavors through Determination and Discipline
MARILYN PRICE - Presents: “A Wonderful Whirl of Puppets”
Stories from around the world–folktales and parables and stories from her imagination and experience. Many are stories that are familiar and reconstructed to suit the audience–but the drama is kept intact and the message is always clear. Countries of story origin may include: Africa, China, Indonesia, Spain, Mexico, England, North and South America and the Middle East! New stories and countries are always being added.
S.O.U.L. CREATIONS – African drum and dance presentation followed by African drum workshop
S.O.U.L. Creations Inc. is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3), community-based, educational agency. The mission of S.O.U.L. Creations is to blend academic, social and cultural elements to create a unique process of self-discovery that educates, empowers, and validates youth. The aim is to help them reach their highest personal potential. S.O.U.L. uses academic, social, and cultural models to guide youth in their process of self-discovery, self-empowerment, and self-expression. Our vision is that S.O.U.L. Creations will be an independent, interntional, and unconventional educational organization recognized for its ability to strengthen communities through their youth.
EVANSTON ESCOLA DE SAMBA – Brazilian Carnival parade to kick off the day followed by traditional Brazilian music performance
Orquestra de Samba (ODS) is a collaboration of ten Chicago area musicians with classical, jazz, latin, and Brazilian musical backgrounds. This innovative ensemble came together in 2002 to explore the depth and beauty of Brazilian music and has since brought its cultural enrichment program to thousands of people in the greater Chicago area through in-school concerts, community events, workshops, and cultural arts festivals. Today, the exciting sound of Orquestra de Samba brings audiences to their feet with percussive Batucada, powerful brass choruses, poignant melodies, and unique arrangements of works by Brazilian composers such as Pixinguinha, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Heitor Villa-Lobos.
THE MAHAUL TRIO – Classical Indian music
Don’t miss out on this great array of entertainment and come enjoy yourself at the Evanston Ethnic Arts Festival July 18th and 19th!
-L.A.U.R.E.N.
Evanston welcomes Paul Cebar on Thursday, June 18th at James Park as we kick off the 2009 Starlight Concert Series! 
