Rupa
and the
April Fishes
Iron and the Albatross
Nice Guy Trio
DJ Felina

++Rupa & the April Fishes signed to Cumbancha---worldwide release of their debut eXtraOrdinary rendition  April 2008--CD release at GAMH++

SF-based global fusion band Rupa & the April Fishes will be organizing another full night of music in celebration their CD's international release at the Great American Music Hall featuring some of San Francisco's most creative musical talents, bands that blend time and place to create rich sonic journeys.

Headlining the evening will be Rupa & the April Fishes, a group that seamlessly blends disparate styles of music to create a fresh new sound that has sold out houses on the West Coast to Mexico, in NYC and in Europe. The six piece band--including cello, accordion, trumpet, upright bass, drums, guitar and voice--was recently signed to celebrated indy label Cumbancha. The label will be distributing their debut album "eXtraOrdinary rendition" internationally this April and have plans to release their second LP in 2009. Rupa & the April Fishes' music blends sounds from folk traditions around the world, mixing American folk with French gypsy jazz with Latin American beats with Indian scales to create a feel that defies genre categorization and comes across with more ingenuity and unity than mere pastiche. Their songs in French, Spanish, English, Hindi and Romani embody the sound of many folks who struggle with and relish in their global identity, standing at the intersection of several cultures. 

Rupa & the April Fishes have most recently sold out their debut NYC performance at an APAP showcase, with featured picks in the New Yorker, the Village Voice and the New York Post. They have headlined and sold out the Great American Music Hall and the Independent in San Francisco. They have appeared at the Power to the Peaceful Festival with Michael Franti, on the air on West Coast Live sharing the stage with Richard Dawkins, and have toured with Dengue Fever. They will be appearing in this year's SXSW festival and have recently won CMJ's spotlight artist contest. The band's unique sound and vibe have been charming audiences since they came together in January 2006.

Rupa & the April Fishes includes Marcus Cohen on trumpet, Isabel Douglass on accordion, Aaron Kierbel on drums, Safa Shokrai on upright bass, Pawel Walerowski on cello and songwriter Rupa on voice/guitar.

This special evening will be opened with music by the Nice Guy Trio, headed by SF composer Darren Johnston. The Nice Guy Trio is Darren Johnston on trumpet, RobReich on accordion, and Daniel Fabricant on bass. Together, they create a sound that is intimate and sponaneous as they navigate through a uniquely diverse collection of original compositions and songs from folk traditions all around the globe.

The music will continue with Ara Anderson's colorful group Iron & the Albatross. The band's tunes can best be described as junky circus music, and feature tiny clocks, Scandinavian seascapes, The Great Tricycle Race of 1910, Chinese Operas, sailing vessels set adrift, Blackbeard's drunken ramblings, Handle-bar mustached acrobats thrown and airborne, and love poems discovered in dusty attics. Each piece presents a glimpse of an imaginary cinema scene, rustic theater characters, or vintage variety show acts. Ara has collaborated with several fine musicians including Jolie Holland and Tom Waits.

During the stage turnover, DJ Felina will keep the party going from her onstage boudoir spinning "equatorial beats."    DJ Felina's unique sound centers around music from and inspired by the equatorial diaspora. Her hip shaking sets run the gamut from Venezuelan neo-disco, to gypsy electronica, to French hip-hop. A rampant traveler she is driven to find music her audiences instantly love... but would otherwise not be exposed to. Felina makes it her job to keep her finger square on the pulse of what's happening in the world music scene and has played venues throughout the Bay Area as well as Paris, Rio, NYC and beyond.