IlluminAsia

Red Baraat is a Brooklyn-based band that delivers a gut-busting fusion of jazz, hip-hop beats, rock muscle, funky go-go, and scalding hot bhangra. Led by dhol drummer and composer Sunny Jain, the band can mesmerize an audience with a funk groove, turn a switch, and drive the same crowd to the brink of delirium.

World trance vocalist Mamak Khadem blends her roots in the ancient poetry and music of the Persian masters with a bold and revolutionary new sound. Born in Iran, where she was part of the Children’s Choir for National Radio and Television of Iran, Khadem was trained in Persian classical music from an early age.

Pioneering turntablist and composer DJ Qbert (aka Richard Quitevis) keeps the evening’s pulse elevated by showing off his technical virtuosity and mixing innovation. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Qbert emerged out of the Filipino mobile DJ scene of the 1980s and ’90s and is a founding member of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, a legendary turntable crew that invented the concept of a DJ band. A DMC World DJ champion and Hall of Fame inductee, Qbert helped revolutionize turntablism, taking it to new technical and creative heights.

Hailing from Tuva, a small republic in the heart of Central Asia, Alash showcases a mastery of throat singing, a technique for singing multiple pitches simultaneously. Committed to preserving and developing the Tuvan musical tradition, this trio makes music about generations, stability and change, depth and spontaneity, growth and loss, roots and breezes.

Founded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998, the GRAMMY Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble creates music that engages difference, sparking radical cultural collaboration and passion-driven learning to build a more hopeful world. The musicians of this collective represent dozens of artistic traditions and countries, from Spain and Japan to Syria and the United States, and perform in many configurations and settings.

Gusti Sudarta is an Indonesian shadow puppet master. Visitors will enjoy a rare opportunity to experience Balinese shadow puppet theater (wayang), accompanied by a small gamelan (traditional bronze percussion ensemble). Using intricately carved and painted puppets made from buffalo hide, Sudarta tells “The Legend of Sutasomo.”

Washington Samulnori is a D.C. music troupe dedicated to preserving and performing Korean percussion traditions. With a repertoire derived from farmers’ band music (nong-ak), the group synthesizes the influences of folk and religious music. Founding director Sebastian Wang is a D.C. native and a graduate of the Korean National University of Arts in Seoul, Korea. These performances are sponsored by the Korean Cultural Center.

Rizqi Rachmat is a dancer and dance educator who combines years of urban dance, freestyle/fusion hip-hop, and performance choreography with martial arts styles. He is a founding member and artistic director of Urban Artistry, an international urban arts culture and education project based in Washington, D.C. He is mentored by Junious “House” Brickhouse.

Asanga Domask is an educator, performer, choreographer, arts administrator, and founder and artistic director of SerendibDance, a Sri Lankan traditional and folk dance company based in the Washington, D.C., area. She grew up in Sri Lanka, where she devoted most of her childhood to the art of traditional dance—kandyan and “low country”—under prominent dance masters, including Nandana Balasuriya, Chitrasena and Vajira Dias, and Gyana Magammana.

District of Raga, previously known as DC Raga Jam, was launched in January 2017 with a vision of creating a space for practitioners and lovers of Indian classical music to gather for musical dialogue and community within Washington, D.C. Their inspiration came from the hugely successful community of musicians in New York City known as Brooklyn Raga Massive.

DJ Ayes Cold (aka Ayesha Chugh) is a “genre-nonconforming” club and bass music DJ from Washington, D.C. From footwork and grime to dancehall house and hip-hop, Ayes is known for her eclectic selections. She has backed rising artists like Princess Nokia, deejayed at festivals like Bonnaroo, Trillectro, Broccoli City, and South by Southwest, and toured as part of Madame Gandhi. Ayes has also opened for Goldlink, Shabazz Palaces, Gaslamp Killer, and Tokimonsta.

The Pinstriped Rebel (aka Les Talusan) spins all-vinyl sets, drawing from her eclectic collection of pop, indie, and underground hits, as well as rare, obscure gems. Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, and now living in D.C., she has been DJing at clubs and playing in bands since she was young. With twenty years of experience, and a reputation for her perfectly crafted mixes, she has a long history of supporting AAPI, LGBT, and women-focused organizations.

Kwon Myoung Won (aka Mook Jae) is a Maryland-based artist who creates painting and calligraphic work that draws upon his Korean heritage. He explains, “In Korea I learned and practiced traditional techniques, but now I experiment with new techniques,” he says. “I try to bring the good of both my past and present, tradition and contemporary ways so that what I create will truly reflect my life.” This demonstration is sponsored by the Korean Cultural Center.

Multidisciplinary artists CHELOVE (Cita Sadeli), MASPAZ (Federico Frum), and SUPERWAXX (Mia Abu-Bakr) bridge illustration, design, and D.C.’s graffiti scene. Working collaboratively and independently, they have created projects in D.C. and around the world. Drawing inspiration from pop culture, the natural environment, their multicultural heritage, and the creative energy of IlluminAsia, they will live paint a mural that explores cultural hybridity, identity, and migration.

Stephan Berwick is an American pioneer in Chinese martial arts and the founder of the True Tai Chi program in Washington, D.C., an official branch of the historic Chen Village Taijiquan Academy. He is a thirteenth generation Chen-style Taijiquan expert, long recognized as an early proponent of mainland Chinese martial arts. This presentation is sponsored by the DC Mayor’s Office on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs.

Amadou Kouyate is the 150th generation in a family of Manding Diali, or oral historians and musicians of West Africa. Born and based in Washington, D.C., he plays the twenty-one-string kora and the djembe and koutiro drums, with a repertoire ranging from centuries-old West African songs to contemporary original compositions incorporating blues and jazz.