The San Francisco Chinese Cultural Center hosted their 13th annual Chinatown Music Festival on August 27th, transforming Portsmouth Square into a melting pot of live music, art workshops, children’s games and other free exhibits.
Christian Tumalan’s Latin Jazz Trio headlined the all-day event and marked the first year that a Grammy Award-winning artist performed at the Chinatown Music Festival. Tumalan, a keyboardist born in Guanajuato, Mexico, received a Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album as part of the Pacific Mambo Orchestra in 2014.
The festival boasted a wide range of genres, including contemporary and classical Chinese, African, Japanese and American music.
According to Jenny Leung, the center’s executive director, finding diversity through music has always been a priority of the 13-year-old festival.
“It’s always been included as part of the spirit of the Chinatown Music Festival,” Leung said. “I think really, it’s working against the stereotype that Chinatown is only about traditional or Chinese music.”
The festival hosted eight different acts beginning with a lion dance performance by LionDanceME and UC Berkeley’s Cal Raijin Taiko Ensemble at its conclusion.
From the intense pounding of Japanese taiko drums used in Cal Raijin Taiko’s performance to the gentle plucking of a West African harp by Keenan Webster of Talking Wood, the festival showcased a range of melodic variety.
Vic Wong, who performed with his quartet, chose to play 1930s jazz and swing music.
“It’s very important to me to represent Asian American musicians in all kinds of different styles of music,” Wong said. “I don’t think there’s a specific genre in the experience of Asian American musicians.”
In addition to a number of free games for attendees to play, there was an exhibit where attendees were able to customize their own traditional Chinese paper fans.
“It gives the kids an opportunity to reconnect with their culture a little bit and also experience a lot of the traditions that — especially in Asian American families — kind of disappear,” said Henry Dong, a festival attendee.
According to Leung, who has worked with the organization for more than a decade, the festival was launched as a result of the San Francisco Chinese Cultural Center’s mission to make Chinatown a “museum without walls.” The goal is to transform public spaces such as parks and alleys into artistic places for the community.
Leung hopes the Chinatown Music Festival will have an impact beyond providing an entertainment experience.
“Our hope is that the Chinatown Music Festival will inspire more diverse and inclusive collaborations,” she said. “There are a lot of organizations and actual community groups that are doing the work, and we hope it can inspire that interracial solidarity and cooperation.”
