Desmound Williams @ Ventanas
Desmound tantalizes both club-goers and record buyers with his highly intricate style. He has received critical acclaim for his work on Thievery Corporation's The Mirror Conspiracy and his own Delights of the Garden. Williams seamlessly flows through the lands of dub, bossa, house, afro-beat, and trip-hop. His latest work on Rhythm & Culture included some very dubby Afro-Cuban House, which we will no doubt get a taste of this Friday after the Latino Film Fest.

tickets $10 online

KRS-ONE, Tony Touch, HALO@ L5 Nightclub
Direct from New York, two legends of hip hop. KRS-ONE needs no introduction as the front man of Boogie Down Productions (BDP) and a successful solo career, KRS is considered one of the pioneers of hip hop. Also in the house is NYC DJ legend TONY TOUCH working out an exclusive DJ set that will not be forgotten. This is the first time San Diego has seen two legends of the hip hop community under one roof at a night club. Also with Ikah Love, MC Profile and Charlie Rock. With Halo in the back room, this is quality top to bottom - Halo's sultry deep house grooves are bound to keep the headz movin'...he's been working hard these days, spinning almost every night at the WMC, and recently rocking Onyx Room with a two deck/one CDJ set of all things house

tickets $15 tickets.cultivatelife.org

Turiya Mareya & The Art of Peace Jazz Ensemble @ Voz Alta
The Art of Peace Jazz Ensemble features original music with some of Southern California's most powerful and innovative Latin Jazz Artists. Musical director Turiya Mareya performs on piano and bass clarinet. Her unique approach is based on World Music influences drawing on the trance inducing and spirit calling focus of African and Indigenous approaches to music. She honed her abilities in latin jazz heading the kokopelli latin jazz ensemble and performed at jazz festivals opening for artists such as Arturo Sandoval, David Murray, Eddie Palmieri, Poncho Sanchez and Jane Bunnet. She has recently returned from in Madrid where she was performing and teaching. Hollis Gentry II is one of the founding members of Fattburger. He helped create the sound that changed Southern California's jazz scene forever. He has collaborated around the country with the top names in jazz including Freddie Hubbard, Jimmy Smith, Mel Torme, Randy Crawford, Bobby Hutcherson, David Benoit, and Larry Carlton. Gene "Negro " Perry Gene Perry is the founder of Afro-Rumba and is originally from Puerto Rico. He has played with all the major Latin artists in Southern California including Jaime Valle and Gilbert Castellanos and is highly respected and popular in San Diego as an innovative and powerful percussionst. David Millard performs on Alto sax, Alto flute, C flute, Piccolo, Guitar and Alto Violen. He has worked with Taumbu, Daniel Jackson andJaime Moran . He is a member of the Kokopelli Latin Jazz Ensemble. Dylan Savage performs on drums, one of San Diego's youngest jazz artists he is performing with Pa'lante and other Southern California artists.

tickets $7 tickets.cultivatelife.org

district 3 Opening @ district 3
3.19 & 3.20
Creativity and determination are the foundation behind District Three, who showcase emerging local, national and international artists. Throughout the month, District Three will be presenting various creative and community-related events. Over the weekend they will feature artists: Mear One, Sergio Hernandez, Poor Al, Ben Horton, Marcel de Jure, and Mike Maxwell.

Black & White Party @ Common Grounds/Hot Toddies
Common Ground Hall is home to one of San Diego's only true dancehalls.  Known on the streets as the Coca Cola building (due to it's location directly across the street from it), this is one of  SD's longest running, best-kept underground secrets. If you've never been - and chances are you haven't -  be sure to make it out this Saturday when San Diego's own Selector Dash Eye and MC Tesfa of Tribe of Kings Soundsystem go head to head with DJ Special & Fyness of LA's Ruff Cutt Sound. The party starts at midnight, goes well into the morning, and costs you five bucks more at the door if you don't wear black or white.

Latino Film Fest Closing Gala Celebration & Awards Ceremony @ Westgate Hotel
Celebrate the close of the film festival and get your groove on with incredible latin and world music including, Areito Borincano (Folkloric Puerto Rican Dance Troupe), Orcqesta Binational de Mambo (Big Band Mambo and Salsa), Gilbert Castellanos Quartet (Latin Jazz), Bobby Matos & Rogelio Mitchell Acoustic Duo (Afro-Cuban), DJ Sean Perry (Vintage Salsa/World Rhythms).

tickets $25 online

World of Wonder: Paintings in the Key of Stevie @ Magpie
It ain't no superstition that everybody loves Stevie. He has written some of the most influential, important, and beloved do-be-do's of our time, and Magpie Arts wants to do its part in paying homage to him with its "World of Wonder" art show. Curator, Chako Suzuki, has drafted two bad mamma jamma artists, Evah Fan and Susie Ghahremani, to paint new works influenced by such heavenly grooves as Sir Duke, Boogie On, Reggae Woman, and Do I Do.

Cutie-pie artist couple, David and Meegan Cuzick mulled over of the idea of opening a hybrid gallery and boutique for over a year. Lots of brainstorming, buying, and hammering later, Magpie was born - its moniker a twist on Meegan's name and an ode to their fascination with birds. David built up the space and Meegan lovingly plucks each vintage item for the store to make visiting Magpie an experience and not just a shopping trip.

Evah Fan swears that she was smarter before the removal of the wisdom tooth. She is raspy-voiced and often mutters in her native Jalapeno. Evah usually works with acrylics on paper, but guache is another favorite to get dirty with. The images produced are usually out of place, making sense in a nonsense way.

Susie Ghahremani works as an illustrator, musician and painter out of her apartment in Rhode Island, the same town in which she received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2002. The patterning and attention to detail and color in her paintings and mixed media pieces are heavily intertwined with her interest and experiences in music. Her work has been featured on record covers, in a number of juried art shows around the world, and has seen publication in many magazines, including Bust, Martha Stewart Kids, Mac Design, and Utne. When Susie isn't making art or making music, you can find her rollerskating through her neighborhood of historic Benefit Street while eating ice cream and listening to the Pixies.

Opening night reception 3.27: Free
The show will run until April 27, 2004.

S/he's Crafty @ Gelato Vero Caffe
The S/he Collective supports women's recognition in the arts with a combination of art and activism to advance gender equity in the artistic and political communities. The S/he Collective utlizes collaboration, feminist organizing, and youth-mentoring to create a community that promotes women's art and positive social change. This spring's Craft Fair is packed full of fantastic women artists. Look forward to seeing an interactive installation by the Clothesline project.

Noon-5pm on April 4th, 2004 at Gelato Vero Caffe, 3753 India Street @ Washington. Admission is free.

David Prince's M3 Miami Music & Multimedia Summit brought the focus back to the Conference itself, with artist showcases, panel discussions, and exclusive performances from cutting-edge artists, such as Danger Mouse performing his much-hyped Grey Album live. Prince's influence on the WMC this year was tangible and positive, and the M3 Summit succeeded in its mission to “promote both the culture of electronic music and its creators; provide devoted music-heads and industry professionals a diverse, cutting-edge musical lineup; educate industry leaders and veterans about the best ways to adapt to the rapidly changing industry and new technologies; and welcome leaders from related industries and help them actively participate in electronic music culture.” On the other hand, as the years pass and the parties grow, the industry focus of the Conference itself begins to wane, as this year punters began to take over and events turned into human traffic jams. Which in and within itself isn't bad – but the presence of the shiny-shirted, bridge-and-tunnel plastic crowd made Collins Avenue look a bit too much like the Front Beach Road on Spring Break in Panama City at times, and to a degree skewed the primary focal point of the WMC – the music.

Yet no one could deny the unmistakable energy that turns Miami into “the American Riviera” - the cultural heartbeat in the streets of South Beach was palpable and constant – a different language being spoken with every passing group, different beats ringing out from each building, but a common positive energy between all of them – music and culture and celebration and excess all colliding in perfect unison for a few short days under a full moon and amongst the thick tropical Southern Florida breezes. Tantalizing beaches beckoned all weekend – with temperatures in the upper-80s, blue skies and sunshine in excess, the delectable aroma of grilled food wafting from 10th to 14th Streets due to the Food and Wine Festival taking place, and the endless stream of topless women and chiseled, tan men - the fabled South Beach was a paradise for the senses all week long. The full moon on Saturday night caused a low tide and a very high shelf in the turquoise 74 degree water, which allowed a sandbar to raise itself out of the water about 20 yards out – laying on the cool white sand, surrounded on both sides by the warm ocean as a small film of water passed over your back and the sun warmly massaged your skin made it very, very difficult to leave the beach during the day. But, the pulsing energy of the Conference parties was also hard to ignore, with bass ricocheting off the art deco high-rises that hugged the coast and tens of thousands of people lining the streets day and night.

The smaller poolside events had that distinct Conference feel about them – the Creek Hotel was chalk-full of quality all weekend, with a stocked bar, large groups from the UK, the Mediterranean and beyond - and with one room opened up into a mock DJ booth, jocks like Lee Burridge, James Zabiela and Trendroid dropped by to spin rekkids throughout the day. But with names like Subliminal, Yoshitoshi and M_Nus dropping bombs at Miami's choicest palatial venues, the massive label events with rock-solid talent would also make everyone's itinerary and undoubtedly go down as parties of legend. There was something for everyone at this years Winter Music Conference – here is just a small taste of some of the events Cultivate attended: Full review

Three days and nights of music, community, and dancing in the magical Mojave. Over 35 performers on two sound stages and a late night tent. An awesome and eclectic array of performers for music loving souls of all ages. All in the shadows of the infamous Joshua Tree National Park. Artists include, the soul of john black, the slip, maktub and more. Stay tuned for a more detailed preview in an upcoming edition.

more info and tickets

Our friends at Vavi Sport and Social Club and planning a trip to Vegas. They always throw top notch parties for young pros and will stack the weekend with great activities. They have blocked off a row of rooms at Stratosphere Hotel which has a roller coaster on top of it and is on the North end of the Vegas strip! You'll be set up with fully equipped buses with free drinks on board. Saturday night we have a cocktail hour, followed by a free buffet dinner, and VIP entrance to one of Vegas' hot night spots! Escape the good weather to even better weather...vegas.

more info and tickets

Synaptic @ Shooters
Techno weekly in San Diego ? With afterhours? Last year a record company with very little promotional experience, Oceanliner Records, started a small monthly techno and minimal techno night in North Park . No one had any expectations. The promoters of what came to be known in town as OCNLNR were just looking to fill what they saw as a small void. The reaction was very positive, and techno people started coming out of the woodwork. Slowly, one by one, people showed up saying that this was something that San Diego had been missing. The night featured live performances by San Diego live acts Nominal and Lazarus, Los Angeles groups like Omsk411 and Droid's Acid Circus. Even Murcof of Nortec fame played a laptop set. Promoters of this night eventually couldn't handle all of the demands of the monthly and decided to concentrate on other, more special events.

But someone had to carry the techno torch, and now local Promoters Vinyl Jockeys and 4486 are bringing back the bang with an all techno weekly in the heart of North Park , and with afterhours! Featuring live pa's and dj's each week, these guys have learned the techno ropes by watching and learning from the best in Detroit and Swedish techno. This night is an anti-dress code, underground alternative to the glitz and house music of downtown. From the words of the promoters themselves: “Synaptic is San Diego 's newest underground weekly. This night was created for you by like-minded individuals who felt that the local club scene was lacking that underground vibe that we all have grown to love. No dress code, quality underground dj's, affordable price, afterhours, and no BS.” I think that speaks for itself. Some DJ's featured for the month of April are Ron D. Core, Daeman, Jon E. Thin, and residents Lo-Fi and Matthew James. Synaptic is located at Shooterz in North Park, 3815 30 th St. in San Diego . All nights go from 9pm-4am .

Tribe of Kings – Weeklies – (Reggae)
Who ever said the Island Life has to hibernate for the winter? We aren't suffering through a mind-numbing winter like back East – like the legendary Robert Nesta Marley said: “The sun is shining, the weather is sweet – make you want to move your dancing feet.” The Tribe of Kings continue mashin' in San Diego, almost seven nights a week:

Mondays @ Dub Dynamite @ Bar Dynamite
Tuesdays @ SideBar
Wednesday @ Wheel Up @ Thrusters
Thursdays Hi-Grade @ Galoka
Timeless @ Blue Agave on Fridays
Legendary Downtown Top Rankin' @ Shaker Room on Sunday nights

Big Ups to selectas Unite, Kofi, Dasheye, Jay Dread, and Rashy, and Tes on the mic – these rastas just don't quit!


Butter @ Martini Ranch – Mondays – (Mixed)
This eclectic night is well versed in all types of good music. The music is based on quality and not Clear Channel's playlist, and is never pre-programmed. DJ Mada buying records for Access Music & Beatnick buying records for Siesta Music shows their musical knowlege in each respective genre. Recent requests have included Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jamiroquai, James Brown, Mary J. Blige, Atmosphere & De La Soul. The crates run deep so don't hesitate to ask for what you want to hear. No cover and the DJ's don't bite…unless you want them to.


Electroluxe presents VICE/VERSA @ Recognize [Every 2nd & 4th Friday]
Every second and fourth Friday of the month. 3.26 features The Fitness from Seattle with DJs Barry Weaver and Dr. Indulgent Spinning Electro, Electro-house, punk-funk, Italo Disco, No Wave, Acid House, along with some of your Electroluxe faves.

$5 cover info : 619.521.4747

Sunday Night Shakedown @ Red C Lounge – Sundays – (Hip-hop)
Jersan, Beatnick & Solo have a Sunday night session that's known for quality underground and proper hip hop, downtempo & all things soul. On any given Sunday you could hear Jazzanova, A Tribe Called Quest, Jeru The Damaja, Gangstarr, Roy Ayers, EPMD & Barrington Levy plus more coming out of the speakers. Many have graced the decks at this weekly including L.A. 's Presto, J. Logic, Cocoe & many of S.D.'s own talent. In little over a year this has become a staple in S.D.'s nightlife.

Low Clouds and Fog
Cassius King Gallery
Show runs 3/26 through 5/1
Paintings of war and confusion, a solo exhibition by Jeremy Farson.

Funkalosophy
Eveoke Dance Theatre's "Funkalosophy" pulls its adult audience deep into the world of urban culture as its dancers explore their own philosophies of funk, hip-hop and social change. Choreographers Gina Angelique and Ericka Moore offer an alternative to the drug-and-gun themes of mainstream hip-hop.

Eveoke offers a $5 student discount for all shows and a handful of "Pay-What-You-Can" shows. "Funk For Kids" performances are Feb 15, 29 and March 13. "Funk for Kids" is a shortened one-act performance, which eliminates the explicit language of the full show's second act.

Sushi Performance & Visual Art, 320 Eleventh Ave.
Extended through April 4th

Japanese Friendship Garden
March 20, 2004 Tokaido Road - Old and New, 10:30 a.m. ~ 12:00 p.m
Professor Tierney will lecture and show slides of the 52 sites of the Tokaido Road in the 19th and 20th centuries.

April 3, 10:30 a.m. ~ 12:30 p.m. , Kimekomi Doll (Limited Availability)
An unique opportunity to make your own Kimekomi Doll.

April 4, Sunday, 12:00 p.m. ~ 5:00 p.m. Garden Walk
A rare experience to visit the three residential Japanese designed gardens in Coronado Island and Point Loma.

San Diego Archaeological Center
Rose Canyon
Today we celebrate Rose Canyon as a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of a growing urban environment. Rose Canyon Open Space Park offers hiking trails, wildlife viewing, and a place for friends and families to reconnect and relax. The canyon was named for San Diego entrepreneur Louis Rose, and even during his time it was considered an idyllic place for a picnic. A walk through Rose Canyon is also a walk through history from the beginnings of human habitation in the region, Spanish exploration, Californio rancheros, and early American entrepreneurial ventures to modern-day commerce. This exhibit explores the history of Rose Canyon, and you're invited to visit this fascinating cultural landscape for yourself. Find the Center at 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road Escondido. Free to the public. Thru May 2004


California Surf Museum
"Early California Surfriders, 1900-1940" honors Doc John Heath Ball, the first surf documentarian, telling stories of those pioneering surfers in photographs by Ball and text.     The museum features surfing artifacts and memorabilia -- such as surfboards and clothing -- of local legends Phil Edwards, John "L.J." Richards, and Peter Johnson, and Duke Kahanamoku. The museum is located at 223 North Coast Highway; 760-721-6876.


Museum of Making Music
The past 100 years of American music and music making are highlighted at the museum, with over 450 vintage instruments, hundreds of audio and video clips, and an interactive stage. Find the museum at 5790 Armada Drive; 760-438-5996.

Serra Museum
"Commemorating 75 Years: The Serra Museum" is said to "remember the events leading up to the dedication of Presidio Park and the Serra Museum" on July 16, 1929. The exhibit includes a "visit back in time to 1929." The museum interprets the Native American, Spanish, and Mexican periods of San Diego's history and contains Spanish Colonial furnishings, art, and artifacts. It's located at the site of the West Coast's first European settlement, 2727 Presidio Drive. 619-297-3258.


Chinese Historical Society and Museum
View artifacts from San Diego's Chinese and Chinese-American history, culture, and art. Current museum artifacts include a 1920s warlord's bed, exhibits on Chinese footbinding and Chinese-American veterans. The museum is in a building originally built in 1927 for the Chinese Mission. Adjacent to the building is an Asian garden with koi pond and waterfall. Find the museum at 404 Third Avenue (at J Street); 619-338-9888.


Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego
An ambitious new exhibition at La Jolla's Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego surveys "Baja to Vancouver: The West Coast and Contemporary Art." MCASD joined curators San Francisco's CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts, the Seattle Art Museum and the Vancouver Art Gallery in visiting hundreds of artists' studios in a quest to find pieces that somehow characterize the corridor's social landscape. The resulting collection is a unique sight-and-sound tour of modern West Coast culture.

Thematically, the curators seem less interested in overt regional connections than evocative ones. The west has a history as rich and troubling as it is brief, a shaky present and an unpredictable future. The Baja to Vancouver artists bring a fresh perspective to its myths and realities, its intersections and its pervasively distinct vibe.

For further information, call 619-232-7931


San Diego Museum of Art
George Inness and the Visionary Landscape
American landscapes from 19th century painter George Inness will hang at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. The 35-piece exhibition, "George Inness and the Visionary Landscape," will open Jan. 24, continuing through April 18.

FILM
The San Diego Museum of Art will screen two films by German filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl (1902-2003). Most Americans have seen footage from both films -- "Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia" -- but likely haven't seen either in full.

"Triumph of the Will" (Triumph des Willens) is a much debated propaganda film centering on the now-infamous Third Reich and its 1934 party rally in Nuremberg. At this Sixth Nuremburg Party Congress -- filmed by the German Propaganda Ministry -- party leaders including Hitler, Himmler, Goebbels, Hess and Goering are shown. In her film, Riefenstahl crafts a powerful and chilling depiction of a political party on the rise. The second screening, "Olympia," shows footage from the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, where Hitler presided.

For more information on the exhibition and related films, music and lectures, call SDMA at (619) 232-793.



San Diego Museum of Man
The Turquoise Path/El Camino Turquesa: The Story of Turquoise in the Native American Southwest
O on display through April 2004, focuses on historical, social, cultural, and economic implications of the age-old stone. Turquoise jewelry-making techniques documented, and pieces from the museum's extensive collections exhibited.

Inuit: People of the Midnight Sun
Continuing through April 2004, brings to life the iliqqusiq or "ways and habits" of the Inuit (previously known as Eskimo). Artifacts include tools for hunting and sewing, handmade games, clothing, masks, and kayaks, offering an in-depth look at aspects of modern and ancient Inuit culture.

Efe: Archers of the Congo
Examines one of the most enigmatic and little-known groups on the planet. The Efe are one of about 12 pygmy tribes living in African rainforest. The more than 200 items include bows, arrows, quivers, wrist guards, hunting nets, musical instruments, utensils, and bark cloth paintings. Through summer.

Ongoing exhibits: Inquisition: Torture and Intolerance
Focusing on reality of torture in world today, including an interactive video and stories of modern-day torture survivors. Collection features dozens of macabre devices gathered from throughout Europe, some extremely rare, primarily used from 1400s up to early 1800s. Pieces on display are originals, including an iron maiden, a guillotine, chain flails, a knee splitter, and more.

Permanent anthropology exhibit Footsteps through Time: Four Million Years of Human Evolution
Features "more than a hundred touchable replicas of early humans, primates, and futuristic cyborgs (part human, part machine)." 619-239-2001.