PAD ARTIST ROSTER
Performing Arts Discovery Showcase: artists ready to tour.
2024 PAD SHOWCASE ARTISTS
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Allan Harris & The Cross That River Band
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Dave Meder
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Delbert Anderson Quartet
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Farofa
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Floco Torres
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Jesus Muñoz Flamenco
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Kalindá (Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda)
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MOLODI
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Peter-Rockford "Tau" Espiritu
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The Urban Renewal Project
2024 ONLINE SHOWCASE
Introducing the 2024 PAD Showcase artists! This year’s cohort of 10 artists/ensembles received support from our expert video production team to create a professionally-produced live performance video. The showcase videos are promoted to international markets as part of the PAD program.
Allan Harris & The Cross That River Band
Ever since he burst on the jazz scene in the latter part of the twentieth century, the Brooklyn-born, Harlem-based vocalist/ guitarist/bandleader/composer Allan Harris has reigned supreme as the most accomplished and exceptional singer of his generation. Aptly described by the Miami Herald as an artist blessed with, “the warmth of Tony Bennett, the bite and rhythmic sense of Sinatra, and the sly elegance of Nat ‘King' Cole,” the ample and aural evidence of Harris’ moving and magisterial artistry can be heard on his 14 recordings as a leader; his far-flung and critically-acclaimed concerts around the world, and his numerous awards. Mr. Harris is a real storyteller through authentic interpretations of the American Songbook, classic and contemporary jazz, popular standards, blues and originals.
Dave Meder
Pianist, composer, and educator Dave Meder is one of the prominent artists of his generation, known for a broad musical palette recognized in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition, the American Pianists Awards, and the Chamber Music America New Jazz Works commissioning program. His defining aesthetic is a strikingly postmodern sense of stylistic adventure, incorporating what All About Jazz describes as “a vibrant hybrid of the whole American spectrum.” His first album Passage was counted among the top five jazz debuts in the Ottawa Citizen and was included in the annual “Favorite Jazz Albums” list from All Music Guide, noted for its skillful balancing of “post-bop harmonies with soulful gospel warmth and contemporary classical sophistication.” His second release Unamuno Songs and Stories used the works of Spanish Civil War-era philosopher Miguel de Unamuno to respond to sociopolitical turmoil in the United States, while his latest release New American Hymnal continues a musical exploration of American civic and religious culture.
Image credit: Adrien H Tillmann
Delbert Anderson Quartet
Delbert Anderson Quartet is led by Navajo(Diné) Jazz Trumpeter and Composer, Delbert Anderson. He is both a leader and innovator in today's contemporary Jazz scene and a Diné culture bearer. His work brings forth traditional Diné songs once sung in Diné social circles called "spinning songs," and captures their voice in the language of jazz and funk. Through the support of visionary multi-cultural Jazz fusion drummer Khalill Brown, pianist Robert Muller and bassist Mike McCluhan, Anderson builds safe havens for Diné melodies to converse with various styles and pathways for expression. In all their forms, compositions are guided by the time-immemorial Diné principles of Hózhó-harmony, beauty and balance with self, other and nature and K’é or kinship. In this way, Anderson connects across genre and culture, all the while, remaining steadfast in a signature sound that is as strong as the centuries of traditions it was built upon.
Image credit: Nouveau Productions
Farofa
Engaging, dynamic, and captivating: that’s what people worldwide say about this smokin’ hot Brazilian quartet. San Diego Story raves, “Farofa is bringing a much-needed fresh flavor to the contemporary jazz scene.” Like farofa, the tasty side-dish made from yucca flour, this world music band cooks up a blend of pop, jazz, Afro-Brazilian rhythms, rock, and their own originals - an entire musical universe! Cal Presenters Spotlight Award winner, Farofa is propelled by the stunning virtuosity of percussionist Felipe Fraga, bassist Nando Raio, JP Mourão on guitar, and violinist Ted Falcon.
Image credit: Diego Ruvalcaba
Floco Torres
MLK once said that “we must accept our finite circumstances, but we must never lose infinite hope”. This sentiment rings especially true for Ohio-based artist Floco Torres, whose struggles earlier in life have paved the way for the deeply personal, grounded, and motivational lyricism that has evolved into a robust career in hip-hop.
As a child, Torres played the violin, drums, and trumpet. His parents also encouraged him to journal, with this gradually evolving into a love for writing lyrics when he first discovered hip-hop. Now with 24 unique musical projects to his name, including involvement with a hip-hop group called ‘Free Black!’ with producer/drummer HR3 and Akron, Floco Torres is showing no signs of slowing down.
Image credit: Bland Hudson
Jesus Muñoz Flamenco
Jesús Muñoz Flamenco is a bold transcendence of ancient rhythm and tradition, evoking deep emotion and profound artistry. Artistic director, Jesús Muñoz, founded the company in 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico with a passion to create visceral, cutting edge Flamenco art that was uniquely his own style. The company has since formed a physical and sonic vocabulary that intersects Flamenco with Latin, Jazz and Hip-hop, reflecting the experiences and backgrounds of company artists and audiences. Muñoz has been on over 2,000 stages in USA, Mexico, Canada and Spain and has introduced Flamenco to over 65,000 people through arts education and has created eight original full concerts whose quality of work has reached world-class stature and reputation with collaboration from prominent artists globally.
Image credit: Richard Malcolm
Kalindá (Escuela de Bomba y Plena Tata Cepeda)
Margarita “Tata” Cepeda stands as a trailblazing figure in the realm of Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba music and dance for 40+ years. Tata ' s exceptional contributions have not only enriched the cultural tapestry of Puerto Rico but have also resonated across the U.S. and around the world. Tata’s journey is steeped in familial legacy, as she is the granddaughter of Caridad Brenes Caballero and Rafael Cepeda Atiles, revered figures in the Bomba and Plena tradition. As a now seasoned dancer and folklorist, Tata serves as an ambassador of our roots, a representative of our Afro-Caribbean identity. She has become an inadvertent advocate for Bomba, breaking down barriers and granting access to a cultural treasure that was once restricted.
Image credit: Herminio Rodriguez
MOLODI
MOLODI is a Las Vegas based body percussion ensemble that blends stepping, beatbox, dance, and immersive storytelling with robust personalities…smothered in a big dollop of funk. Co-founded by performing artists Jason Nious, Khalid Freeman, and Antwan Davis, they share a passion to explore and expand the limits of the music we can make and the stories we can tell with just our bodies. Molodi’s members are a collection of world-class artists who share a love of rhythm. They have created, choreographed, and performed with productions including Cirque du Soleil, Stomp, Step Afrika, Usher, Stomp The Yard, corporate campaigns, cruise ships, television, film, and theaters across the globe. Highlights include performing at the closing ceremonies of the European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan and being featured at the International Body Music Festivals in Indonesia, France, and Ghana. While at home in Las Vegas Molodi serves the community by teaching through their arts education program, Molodi Unplugged, which reaches over 20,000 students per year.
Image credit: The Comic Kid
Peter-Rockford "Tau" Espiritu
Tau Dance Theater (TDT) is the only professional dance company founded by a native Hawaiian based in Honolulu. Established in 1996 by Artistic Director Peter-Rockford "Tau" Espiritu, TDT has continually produced original epic works to critical acclaim. In 2004, Hanau Ka Moku: An Island is Born toured statewide and to the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts at UC Davis. In 2006, NAUPAKA: A Hawaiian Opera was mentioned in the New York Times and is listed in the Encyclopedia of Hawaiian Music & Musicians. In 2009 Poli’ahu: Goddess of Maunakea toured statewide and was featured at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. TDT was a National Endowment for the Arts 2021 recipient of the Challenge America grant to explore and develop Pōhuli, the company’s own unique movement modality and vocabulary. The company also celebrated its 25th Anniversary by presenting the first ever locally produced dance concert on primetime statewide network television highlighting the talents of professional Hawaii based dancers.
Image credit: Elyse Butler Mallams
The Urban Renewal Project
The Urban Renewal Project is a sixteen-piece collective known for its genre-bending original music combining elements of jazz, hiphop and vintage soul, and for its explosive live performances that have captivated audiences from SXSW to the Java Jazz Festival. Since the successful Record Store Day release of their Vic Mensa feature Will to Survive in 2021, the group has split its time between producing the soundtrack to the historical fantasy manga series Pᴏssᴇ Cᴏᴍɪᴛᴀᴛᴠs and completing their fourth full-length album, set for release early this year.
Image credit: Eddy Navarro
2023 PAD SHOWCASE ARTISTS
25 artists/ensembles were selected for the 2022 - 23 PAD Showcase program cycle. View their 15-minute showcase videos and learn more about their work.
American Patchwork Quartet
Barron Ryan
Blato Zlato
Catharsis
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company
Dendê and Band
Dorian Wood
Eunbi Kim
Extra Ancestral
Janinah Burnett
Jin Hi Kim
Jussi Reijonen
Kinetic Light
Magos Herrera
Music From The Sole
Nejla Yatkin
Queen Esther
Rennie Harris Puremovement
Rini
Robert Moses' KIN
Sprig of That
TAIKOProject
Third Coast Percussion
Todd Marcus
Yang and Olivia
2022 PAD SHOWCASE ARTISTS
30 artists/ensembles were selected for the 2021 - 22 PAD Showcase program cycle. View their 15-minute showcase videos and learn more about their work.
Ananya Dance Theatre
ANIKAYA
Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles with Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cúellar
Boca Tuya
Cary Morin
Catalyst Quartet
Degenerate Art Ensemble
Ensemble Mik Nawooj
Gayelynn McKinney
Grupo Rebolu
Guy Mendilow Ensemble
Jalen Baker
Jamison Ross
Kenny Endo
Las Cafeteras
LaTasha Barnes
Lee Boys
Lone Piñon
Mali Irene
Michela Marino
Mythili Prakash
Nai Ni Chen
Olivia Komahcheet
PUBLIQuartet
Quinteto Latino
Ragamala
Revivals of Blackness
Staycee Pearl Dance Project & Soy Sos
Sunny Jain
Versa-Style Dance Company