Nestled on the corner of South First and San Carlos, at the edge of San Jose’s SoFA arts district, is a fairly ordinary office building that transforms when the clock strikes five. Entering the office on weekdays, you will see the staples of a nonprofit workplace: overhead fluorescent lighting, cubicles, filing cabinets, and a water […]
In high school, ballet dancer Naomi Thien Kim Le’s father, Chinh Le, told her something pivotal: “If you can’t live without it, don’t live without it.” She took his words to heart.
Naomi has now danced professionally with San Jose’s New Ballet Company since 2020. At 23, she feels she still has more to accomplish. “Every year, there’s a new side of myself that unlocks into ballet. I’m achieving more and more despite getting older.”
Ann Watts In 2000, a local school received a seed donation to grow an arts program. The school put out a request for applications and proposals, looking for a bright mind to guide its vision. Enter Ann Watts, a bubbly professional dancer with experience teaching and a scrappy tech startup attitude. Watts continues the story. […]
Wowing crowds with outstanding performances at just the age of three, Amara Lin is no stranger to the music world. Fast forward to today, and she is the lead singer for two bands and teaches music at three different schools. She’s really come a long way with music. Though she doesn’t come from a musical […]
Art as an expression and a responsibility “I felt powerful on the inside. But on the outside? I used to feel small,” reminisces Arturo Magaña, artistic director of Ensamble Folclórico Colibrí. Continuing, he shares, “That’s why I chose the hummingbird as our mascot. It also fit because the hummingbird is a messenger in Mexican culture…there […]
On Aki Kumar’s [2014] album, Don’t Hold Back, the track “Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Yeh” begins with some sitar chords before Kumar interrupts: “Hey, you’d better cut that Bollywood shit out! That ain’t the blues…this is the blues!” The music restarts, now bluesy-sounding: a cover of a 1960 tune by Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar.
After a musical restart stateside, Ha Nguyen admits that full-time musicianship and motherhood have brought new clarity to her craft. In her earliest musical memory, Ha Nguyen felt like a rock star, foreshadowing the adoring crowds to come. Standing atop her bed, holding a broom like a guitar, she closed her eyes and was instantly […]
Preserving tradition: Moving from polished performance to heading a school. The Abhinaya Dance Company of San Jose performs Bharata Natyam, a popular South Indian classical dance. The dance originates from the Natya Shastra, a Hindu treatise on the performing arts. From this text, a distinctive style of dance was developed during 200 CE in the […]
This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube. Join bassist, composer, and arranger Saúl Sierra and his quintet at the 35th San Jose Jazz Summer Fest on Sunday, August 10, 2025 at 1 PM at the Montgomery Theater in Downtown San Jose for a performance that combines Saúl’s roots in Mexico City, […]
This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Join singer-songwriter Ren Geisick to celebrate the release of her new album on June 21, 2025, at Art Boutiki in San Jose. Her full-length album, The Place I Planned to Go, will be released on June 20, 2025, featuring 14 original songs that showcase […]
“…I would pick up one of my dad’s guitars at home and download tabs from the Internet and try to teach myself Green Day songs.” Raised on San Jose’s South Side by two social workers, local punk guitarist Mike Huguenor’s upbringing was culturally eclectic. His parents actively encouraged the consumption of all genres of literature, […]
“I think instrumental music is the most compassionate form of music, because it listens to what you’re feeling instead of telling you how to feel.” As a teen, Yvette Young dreamed of being in a band. But while studying performing arts education and fine arts at UCLA, she dreamed of showcasing work in a gallery. […]
Kia Fay Donovan and Mark Arroyo This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. MindFi Performance of “The Many Faces of Men” in Content Black Backdrop at the end of this post. What happens when a hair salon becomes a stage, a friendship becomes a band, and a guitar and voice create […]
Growing up in Saigon—now Ho Chi Minh City—Vinh G. Nguyen was the kid who preferred to be alone. He cherished his time painting with watercolors and oils and sketching fashion ideas. When he was 10, he immigrated with his parents to the United States. Despite the challenge of learning English late in elementary school, his […]
Elena Sharkova balances her baton deftly on the tip of her finger, demonstrating the balancing act that is her life. “I consider myself fearless,” she says. “I’m not aggressive, I just roll my ‘R’s.” Ever since she emigrated to the U.S. from her hometown of St. Petersburg, Sharkova has been learning how to juggle her […]
Since 1991, the SVLaureate program has awarded more than 150 of the finest artists the South Bay has to offer with honors, recognition, and a cash prize to assist them in pursuing their craft.
We have to be able to do something musically that speaks to people that don’t speak the same language. –Jason Eckl Every year, the San Jose Jazz Summer Fest pushes musical boundaries by booking diverse acts that break the mold of what listeners know as jazz music. The 2016 lineup is no exception. Soul, blues, […]
Ben Henderson has soared enough of the sparkling sky to pick out the stars of highest importance—mental health over stardom, family over fame, and art that is slow in the making. If you have gone downtown for any of life’s simple delights—grabbed a coffee or pastry, sipped a beer while DJs spun vinyl, bought tickets […]
Jon Dryden is a pianist, composer, professor of Jazz Studies at SJSU, and one of the 2025 Jazz Aid Fund grantees, performing at the San Jose Jazz New Works Fest on March 7 in the SJZ Break Room. We had the chance to pick his artistic brain on topics from what inspires him, how he […]
The nonstop party that can accompany DJ life almost robbed Brotha Reese of everything. Twenty years in, with a new outlook, he’s as dedicated as ever to sharing joy through song selection. The sounds of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Find A Way” escape from under a partially open garage door. The song is playing as […]
What led you to pursue a career in theater? I totally fell into theater by accident. I wanted to go to school to be a surgeon, but during my senior year of high school, I was bribed to choreograph for a musical. I was already a part of the marching band, a dance team, and […]
Celebrating the vibrancy and impact of early-career artists across disciplines. SVCreates is excited to announce the 2024 Content Emerging Artist Award recipients, celebrating the vibrancy and impact of early-career artists working in all disciplines across visual, performing, and literary arts. This award, a testament to SVCreates’ commitment to building the capacity and amplifying the voices […]
It was 1983, and the AIDS epidemic was still in its relatively early stages: hundreds of lives had been claimed in the US, those of gay men disproportionately so. Queer communities in cities around the world were filled with anxiety and fear around the virus and the lack of political action to take it on […]
This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube. What does it mean to find your voice? For Miguel Kultura, a Mexican American musician, rapper, and producer, the answer lies in the beats he produces and the stories in his rhymes. Growing up in San José, Miguel loved hip hop, funk, and soul […]
You may not know it, but the guy serving you drinks from behind the counter at The Fountainhead Bar can also serve up slices of fascinating musical history. David Ma runs The Fountainhead Bar by night and works by day as a freelance journalist with a long background in music, writing for such publications as […]
Tommy Aguilar discusses the very early days of his interest in music and event production, the nuanced arena of producing music events in the South Bay, what events he has coming up, and the future of Universal Grammar.
At the center of Needle to the Groove Records lie four friends whose bonds have been strengthened in the pursuit of amplifying art. “Don’t put any of our jokes on the record,” cautions Allen Johnson. “Unless they land,” chimes David Ma. The witty banter among Johnson, Ma, Michael Boado, and Jeff Brummett reveals the camaraderie […]
Fighting for Something Else In rap music, as it is in real estate, location is everything. As an emcee, the municipality you represent can mean instant credibility and a springboard to success—or it can hang as a detriment to your progress. Cities like Oakland, Atlanta, Detroit, and New York all have cultural capital that allows […]
Mariachi music has existed for decades in its current form, and it is an important part of Mexican culture and folklore. Their signature charro costumes and sombreros are iconic, and the traditional songs serve as a type of Mexican oral history. Learning to be a mariachi is a skill often passed down from one generation […]
An Experience That Opens Your Heart It’s not surprising that Keith Hames named his performance ensemble Akoma Arts. The Akan people of Ghana call the human heart “akoma.” This word represents not only love, but patience, tolerance, faithfulness, goodwill, and unity. These are his values and the ethos of his West African ancestors. Since childhood, […]
This feature is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.
Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, and raised in San Jose, California, internet sensation DaQuane Fox, better known as Flammy Marciano, tends to be ahead of the curve when it comes to gaming, streaming, and even music. He began his music career in the late 2000s under the name […]
In the courtyard of Mexican Heritage Plaza, accompanied by the gentle sound of a waterfall and a slow sway of a dense crop of palm trees, Jonathan Borca admits he’s often a bit too busy. And in a moment of reflection, he shares the fascinating reason why. “I feel I have an existential window,” shares […]
First united by a single rare song, Anthony Perez and Stephanie Ramirez, known as Flipside Lovers, are on a mission to share California’s oldies story with the globe. The genesis of analog DJ duo Flipside Lovers can, coincidentally enough, be traced to a single 45 record. Anthony Perez began playing “You’re Acting Kind of Strange,” […]
This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube. Jonathan Borca is a San Jose community leader, performer, and rapper. He is currently the Deputy Director at the School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza and the San Jose District 5 Arts Commissioner. He performs poetry and rap as ‘The […]
SVCreates Content Emerging Artist 2023 Fish swim, birds fly, and human beings create. In an unassuming suburban garage in South San Jose, a music studio is tucked in parallel to a parked car, storage totes, and hanging bicycles. Often, you can find a poet getting active in the studio, chipping away at refining his craft, […]
A Sneak Peek at Harsimran Sandhu’s Short Film Pulp Cinequest Film & Creative Festival is back again. And stronger than ever. From March 6th to 17th, over 200 films, celebrity Q&As, and prestigious after-parties will mark the 33rd year of Silicon Valley’s premiere film fest. On opening night, a steady stream of moviegoers flowed into the […]
Dalia Rawson is the South Bay’s authority on all things ballet. A longtime performer with the now-defunct Cleveland San Jose Ballet Company, the Saratoga native has performed for numerous companies in addition to holding backstage management positions with the Silicon Valley Ballet. With the closure of that company, Rawson founded The New Ballet School in […]
As a stylist and vocalist, Kia Fay utilizes her disparate creative outlets for the same unified purpose: helping others celebrate their authentic selves…
If your Christmas season has become packed with tinsel-clogged, holly-infested Hallmark films, it’s time to shake things up with a good murder. A holiday whodunit at the City Lights Theater Company seems suitable for the season. After all, what December is truly disaster free? The Game’s Afoot (also known as Holmes for the […]
Not many folks can say they have evolved—if not created—a new type of art. But starting in 1973 when Roy Hirabayashi cofounded San Jose Taiko, a professional performing company, Roy and PJ Hirabayashi have cultivated a new Asian-American art form.
23-year-old, San Jose–raised singer and rapper Ervin Wilson displays the self-confidence and conviction of someone much older. He sums up this purpose with the motto, “The Authentic Speaks,” which represents all facets of his life, from his music to his spiritual conviction, to the way he walks into a room.
With every show Derrick Sanderlin played with his band Sine Wave, he transformed tension into a story for justice.
For singer-songwriter Jess Sylvester, growing up in the Bay Area and discovering Mexico has allowed him to create music that brings together diverse and seemingly disparate influences that reflect on chicanx realities.
Brother-sister folk-rock duo known as Bird and Willow creates poignant, delicate melodies braced by lush orchestral soundscapes.
Calpulli Tonalehqueh is an Aztec Dance Group based on the foundation of wisdom, harmony, and culture.
“The Changing Same [production] was a concept that literally came from a conversation me and Tommy had about music and society, the idea that ‘roots’ and urban music forms can [be] and often are the most progressive, quickly evolving, and influential genres,” shares Sake.
While other children played at house or hospital, Anjelah Johnson stacked books onto an imaginary desk, scattered papers everywhere, and fantasized that she was a stressed-out white-collar worker. “That was my dream growing up,” Anjelah reminisces.
Born and raised in San Jose’s Alum Rock neighborhood, saxophonist Oscar Pangilinan began playing in jazz ensembles in middle school, and his passion for music continued as he pursued a degree in jazz studies at San Jose State.
How a young rapper from North Carolina found his creative wonderland in San Jose.
(Article originally appeared in issue 5.0, “Underground” – Winter 2013.) The man behind Universal Grammar helped bring Kool Herc and DJ Jazzy Jeff to his hometown. He’s felt the elation of a successful club run coupled with the sobering lows of watching fickle audiences grow disinterested in his message. Through it all, he’s remained a […]
Andersen portions his time among Greaseland, recording and producing for blues artists, and touring as the guitar player for the blues band Rick Estrin & the Nightcats, a band he has played with for several years. He bears the visual cues of a bluesy character: his blonde hair is slicked back; he wears a pair of brown-hued, tinted Ray-Bans; his voice rumbles agreeably, like the sound of a motor engine idling; and he carries an almost-Southern drawl when he talks.
It was the end of July 2019—just days after a mass shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. Monday morning ICE deportation raids in Chicago were dominating the news—and Teatro Visión was about to present Raíces, a theatrical piece focused on the boundless human journey of immigration.
Randall King is the kind of artistic director that most theater companies dream of having. With a focus on the importance of the midsize theater companies and an ability to work both backstage and front and center, King has transformed San Jose Stage Company into one of the finest theaters in the area
When you first hear “CVNT KALL ME BRO,” the sheer force of the two-minute onslaught feels like the sonic equivalent of running into a brick wall.
The theater is showcasing its first ever murder mystery performance and they’re starting with a bang. The Hollow is a play written by the Queen of Crime herself, Agatha Christie, and takes the audience on a trip to the sunny English countryside… but there’s a storm coming.
Comics Brian “BMo” Moore and Ruben Escobedo III decided to not only be comics in their own right, but to also take on hosting their own show, where five of the Bay Area’s best comedians compete against each other in a format that’s half improv, half standup, a dash of weirdness, and all laughs.
Cultivated from a love for classic rock and strengthened by music’s potent connectivity, Magick Blues Band’s debut is the realized vision of an idea conceived years back by its founding members.
For ten years I have heard booming thunder during springtime in downtown San Jose. It wakes me up and makes the windows hum. The sound motivates me to slip on some sandals and hustle down to Japantown. That thunder means San Jose Taiko, every bit as powerful and exciting as the first day I heard them.
People don’t know what race or age I am under the mask, under the guise of the character. The mask lets people develop their own interpretation of who Dru is. I like that people can have their own personal experience with the music.
At the age of 12, Marissa Martinez started writing fan fiction about her favorite show, Avatar: The Last Airbender (still her favorite show to this day). Greatly invested in the storytelling and character development, especially those of her favorite characters, Toph and Katara, she joined an online community that gave her a platform to share fan fiction for books she was reading as well.
A San Jose native, Ray Furuta has devoted his career to the flute. As a prodigious high school student, he was invited to take private lessons with renowned flutist Carol Wincenc and continued to study under her private instruction through college.
Artistic Director of Teatro Visión As a boy, Rodrigo García was told that performing arts made a good hobby, not a career. This assumption was flipped on its head, however, after he moved from Mexico City to the States and encountered Teatro Visión, a theater that inspires, empowers, and dignifies Latino voices while also exploring […]
With over 20 years under his belt as the San Jose Children’s Musical Theater (CMT) Artistic Director, Kevin Hauge can boast a host of accomplishments, including 10 consecutive National Endowment for the Arts artistic excellence awards and exclusive rights to produce and premiere shows like Miss Saigon, Aida, American Idiot, and Billy Elliot before other companies.
The Bellarmine High and Santa Clara University grad returns home from New York to star on The Stage. The acting profession is a rewarding and trying one. The joy of being an integral part of the storytelling process is peppered with the continual fear of having to audition for your next job. And how many […]
Juan Miguel Saucedo’s work as Miguel Kultura may have been birthed out of a time of crisis, but he’s since used his creative message to inspire cultural pride and compassion…
When Chike Nwoffiah arrived in the Bay Area from Nigeria to pursue a career in biotech, he was shocked to see the way Africa was portrayed. Home to over one billion people, it’s a vibrant land full of both modern cities and rural villages, yet few are exposed to the rich diversity and vitality of the continent and its people.
Joey “Jam” Flores pays tribute to War and to his uncles, Sonny and Rudy Madrid, who paved his way in the culture of music.
A renovated theater is easy to miss on the outside, but 3Below promises multifaceted entertainment for those who come in search of adventure.
Beneath the light-hearted narrative frame, there lies the distinct punk-rock ethos of urging viewers to “do it yourself,” despite what supposed gatekeepers may say. The storyline mirrors the way BAMN’s core unit of creative partners feel about their own road to success. Self-described underdogs of the scene, BAMN strives to share compelling stories that inspire community pride. That inspirational, and at times political, message stretches across several forms of media.
A love for underground bass music culture has guided Aaron Schwartz’s journey as both a DJ and producer. With a record deal newly inked, he’s set to continue sharing his heavy grooves and whirlwind rhythms.
Hailing from Monterey and San Jose, Rachel and the Soul Service deliver sparkling musical freshness—a groovy yet unprocessed blend of soul and R&B. The group’s tight chemistry is the clearest quality of their performance, resulting in a unity of sounds that comes across as fun, entertaining, and constantly innovating.
Some storytellers steadfastly hold that plot should sweep a narrative’s characters along on a journey. Others adamantly advocate that characters’ reactions to their surroundings and circumstances should drive the plot. It’s a heated debate among fiction aficionados. Sean McCarthy, founder of video production company Guerilla Wanderers, seasoned director, writer, producer, visual effects supervisor, and actor, lands in the character-driven camp.
The Zae baby! Every show began with the same battle cry, followed by a vocal roar and a flash of the 408. Daniel Martinez—known…
Knowmadic is a rare example of the San Jose artist who has found legitimate financial success through music. “The first real royalties check that I got that let me know I could quit my shitty day job and do what I love for a living.” He also pointed out that he found his unique sound four or five years into his career, and that is where he marks the beginning of both his artistic and monetary success.
The sound of Chuy Gomez on the radio is synonymous with the Bay Area. Some Chuy fans might also know him from his hour of music on CMC, a cable TV show from 4 to 5pm on local channels. His ability to connect with his listeners and the community have made him a popular local […]
With the vision of empowering artists through greater exposure in the marketplace, April Gee’s Petite Galleria offers carefully curated, individual, handcrafted art. April seeks people whose art embodies that passionate maker spirit, so it is unsurprising that her work at Petite Galleria empowers April to pursue her own passion: making music as Containher.
Storytellers, for instance, commit feats of valor too. Take the Bay Area film festival, production company, and film collective BraveMaker. “At our heart,” says Founder and Executive Director Tony Gapastione, “we really exist to elevate brave stories for justice, diversity, and inclusion.” He leans forward, elbows on knees, revealing a lens shutter tattooed on one forearm. “[We] talk about things that we know in culture are necessary to talk about… Let’s get better at having hard conversations!”
How do we care for our loved ones well? This question, simple in theory, isn’t always so straightforward. A group of San Jose State University students explore this concept in their story Felt Love, a 2D and stop motion animated short film. In Felt Love, a mom/seamstress finds her son peeking his head through her sewing room doorway, hopeful of story time, and must figure out how to balance work and family. It’s a straightforward film, but it’s sure to strike a chord — especially considering current events. Moms and dads attempting to work from home during the pandemic will feel a pang of sympathy for this mother and her internal battle as she’s torn between spending quality time with her family and providing for them.
San Jose rapper, songwriter, producer, and chess master Not every day, you come across a song that name-checks world-chess champ and eccentric recluse Bobby Fischer. In fact, by my nonscientific count, there are only two. It’s even more remarkable than that one of that pair would be a hip-hop single performed by a tribally tattooed […]
Local indie rocker Natasha Sandworms is learning to write from a place of happiness.
With years on the scene and a wealth of connections, DJ ThatGirl is now harnessing her network to empower female DJs through recently launched DIME Talent Group.
Henry Stein, a.k.a. Mild Monk, can cover a lot of ground. Lately, he enthuses about Japanese city pop, works of Haruki Murakami, Ella Fitzgerald, Tennis (the band), Studio Ghibli movies, and the composition of skate videos. “I want to be like a YouTube suggestion box,” Stein jokes. He wears his eclectic tastes on his sleeve, and all his projects seem methodically arranged and curated—from his album art to the videos he edits for his songs.
When discussing his career, Paulo “Cutso” Bello says “we” almost as often as “I”—a nod to the collaborative spirit he brings to DJ’ing. Cutso’s uncle let him loose on a turntable as early as age eight. “He was teaching me with Kraftwerk and Pet Shop Boys records,” he recalls. “I grew up around it.” By […]
Raised in San Jose’s Evergreen neighborhood, Lewis attended Expression College in Emeryville, where he studied audio engineering. His remixes have flipped songs by artists as disparate as jazz pianist Robert Glasper and Bay Area rapper K. Flay, and he’s collaborated with a number of producers who have been key players in electronic music’s new vanguard, including Sweater Beats, KRNE, and Sango, a heavyweight in the buzzing crew Soulection.
Since 1991, the SVLaureate program has awarded more than 150 of the finest artists the South Bay has to offer with honors, recognition, and…
John Beaver has three passions: animals, music, and life itself. As a zookeeper at Happy Hollow Park & Zoo, Beaver educates the community about…
In 2012 the group began to explore their sound, performing extended re-interpretations of hip, melodically rich tunes like James Blake’s “The Wilhelm Scream” or Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games.” Now their shows involve the three diving into the great creative unknown: completely improvising every number they play. The approach isn’t without precedent—jazz pianist Keith Jarrett has made a career of touring concert halls to improvise an entire evening of music—but it is unique to the San Jose scene.
Demone Carter is an emcee with an encyclopedic understanding of hip-hop’s history and cultural influence. His lyrics are punchy, candid bits of verse that…
Ren Geisick isn’t a typical jazz singer. Equally influenced by Bob Dylan and Nina Simone, her music flows seamlessly, from the soulful delivery of…
Chris Reed radiates positivity, and like his music, it’s infectious. He offers up an emotional integrity as he engages listeners with lyrical themes ranging…
Two movie buffs turned their love of short films into the internationally known San Jose Short Film Festival. We want our films to speak…
Written by Jon Havens Jon Havens plays guitar and occasionally sings for Hurricane Roses. We asked the former Content Magazine contributor to give us…