FIUTS CulturalFest 2023 Lineup!
We're excited to announce this year's incredible lineup of talented performers from all over the world at the FIUTS CulturalFest Performance Showcase 2023. These amazing individuals and groups will share music and dance at Benaroya Hall on Saturday, February 25th, 2023. Get your tickets here!
This year’s CulturalFest Performers are:
Unplugged: Unplugged is a fusion band that combines a both Western and Southeast Asian musical styles. This year, we are exploring the union between jazz, RnB, and Bollywood music through creating original mashups and arrangements. With a combination of traditional Indian and modern instruments, we bring a unique sound to our performances in an attempt to give our audience an experience to remember!
Ardhra: I'm Ardhra - a writer, singer, and poet from the Southern part of India. India is not a single story, culture, or truth. It is one of the most beautiful and chaotic coming together of multitudes. Therefore, identity in India is rarely singular. For me, personally, languages and the cultures of the states I have lived in and traveled to have been a huge part of the stories of my life, my country, and my identity. I believe that words are a significant part of our lives and music is often richer in meaning when there are stories being told. For my performance, I intend to foreground stories from a handful of India's cultures through songs of different languages.
Annie: I'm very excited to be able to perform 月之花影 (Yue Zhi Hua Ying), which translates to "Dancing in the Moonlight," at CulturalFest once again! It is a Chinese traditional dance of the Dai style that I learned back in 2018 at Qing Yang Dance Studio. This style represents the Dai Nationality, one of the 56 ethnic groups that are officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. The Dai are known for their rich, colorful culture and love to sing and dance. Animals like elephants and peacocks represent good fortune for them, and their glorification of peacocks then became part of their hand style in dances which is unique to them (you'll see that my hands will be shaped like it in my dance). Its beauty and elegance are the reason why this style is my favorite!
Vallenato Pan-Americano: Music and culture shared a reciprocal bond. Music is a way of staying close to someone’s roots and traditions, and a tool to share one’s culture and connect with the world. Our performance is a potpourri of some of the most popular and traditional songs of Vallenato and Cumbia, traditional Folk Rhythms from Colombia, that are popular in other Latin American countries and connect us. Performers: Daniel Acosta (Arranger, Clarinet, Guitar) Emilia Cardenas Vocals) Suny Chavarria (Vocals) Francisco Ehrenberg (Guitar, Percussion) Juan Martinez (Bass Guitar) Leo Mayer (Percussion) Antonio Olivas-Martinez (Dancer) Jonathan Niño-Cortes (Accordion) Laura Ordoñez (Dancer, Costumes) Angy Porras (Lead Voice, Costumes) Caelan Ritter (Percussion) Andrea Sanchez (Dancer) Tania Vallejo (Flute) David Villalobos (Dancer)
Awaaz: UW Awaaz is a South-Asian fusion a cappella group which takes songs from South-Asian and Western culture and creates harmonious arrangements of all varieties. Founded in 2009 by UW alumni Joyita Banerjee and Pratyusha Banik, Awaaz has followed in the tradition of other South-Asian a cappella groups while continuing to innovate the genre by incorporating elements from different cultures and media. As a fusion a cappella team, we strive to share the diversity in musical genre across the South Asian diaspora, and also illustrate universalism in certain core features that are similar among all musical styles.
Pei: There are four categories in the traditional Chinese music system: court music (雅乐), religious music, literati music (文人音乐), and folk music. Among all, literati music is the most unique music genre that distinguishes itself from the rest because it is rooted in the comprehensive Chinese cultural system that integrates music, religion, philosophy, aesthetics, literature, etc. Qin (or Guqin), as the representative of this literati culture, is thus endowed with a different role other than entertainment. Accordingly, there comes an inseparable history between the class of highly educated scholar-officials (士人) and literati music represented by Qin. Additionally, it is worth noting that scholar-officials in traditional China were a very distinctive population separated from the laypeople: they were not only born noble and highly educated but, more importantly, scholar-officials were expected to be the resolved ones who pursue and practice social responsibility and the sage spirit of compassion. Again, the concept of scholar-officials carries an extremely different connotation in traditional Chinese culture that it will be a misunderstanding to equal them with anything one can imagine of the modern-day bureaucrat. Qin is therefore supported by a large cultural system that promotes inward awakening and outward responsibility.
Taiko Kai: Taiko Kai plays with a style that stems from both traditional and contemporary uses of taiko drumming. Taiko has a long history of being used in festivals, ceremonies, and theatre but current taiko groups continue to develop the artform by writing and performing songs inspired by jazz, hip-hop, and more modern sounds. We hope to foster an appreciation of taiko drumming as an artform that is both traditional and still very much alive today by playing songs that showcase this. Taiko drumming has a long history in Japan and is used as a part of various celebrations and ceremonies. In the last century, taiko players began playing together in ensembles, using drums of varying size, which developed into the style now called kumi-daiko or group drumming. Taiko was brought over to North America by Japanese immigrants where it had a growth in popularity in the 1960s as Japanese-Americans sought to reconnect with their Japanese heritage in the wake of the civil rights movement. In North America, taiko drumming, while still very similar to taiko drumming found in Japan, has since developed styles and stances more commonly found on this side of the Pacific. Today, many taiko groups including ours draw inspiration from traditional taiko patterns, folk dance movements, as well as more contemporary rhythms. Our uniforms include hachimaki (headbands), happi (coat or vest), and tabi (split-toed slippers) which are reminiscent of clothing workmen or festival-goers in old Japan might have worn.
TCD: We are Traditional Chinese Dance at UW! Founded last year, our mission is to spread Chinese culture in the UW and Seattle communities through dance. We are beyond excited to debut our first group dance and team with you all! The piece we will be performing is called Life at First Sight; it’s a Chinese Classical Dance directed and rearranged by Annie Yao. In this piece, each dancer has a handkerchief scarf, a prop that is a unique, creative art form of Chinese dance that helps form expressive images.
The Kitchen (Brazil): Our presentation consists of showing a side of Brazilian music that is not as well known outside of Brazil Boarders, while it still poesses the very soul of Brazilian culture. Two voices, one guitar, one bass and a drum set will combine their sounds to transmit all we have to say.
Seattle Irish Dance Company: Seattle Irish Dance Company brings the magic of Irish dance to the Pacific Northwest. We are a group of talented, lively, and driven women who love to dance and bring on the craic. The company is made up of technically trained Irish dancers who have taken the creative license to spice up what you thought you knew about Irish dance. Seattle Irish Dance Company offers performances that are technically outstanding and uniquely choreographed, but mostly really fun.
Seattle Irish Dance Company is the premier professional Irish dance company based in the Pacific Northwest. SIDC is passionate about challenging and empowering dancers to continue training and performing outside of the competitive world of Irish dancing. SIDC continues to be one of the few opportunities that enables Irish dancers to perform professionally without sacrificing other full-time career ambitions.
Anita & Vasya (Armenia): Vasya and Anita are a couple who have been dancing together 6 years. During their partnership they have become third in the nation and champions of various ballroom competitions. Anita, coming from an Armenian background, is proud to be representing her country.
We hope you enjoyed learning about some of the performers that will be taking part in the 2023 FIUTS CulturalFest Performance Showcase! Get your tickets here!