Conversants: SELINA MORALES, Folklorist; ROD AMBROSE, Storyteller; BARBEA WILLIAMS, Theater/Dance Artist Storytelling as manifestation of change in African and African American communities is an ancient and powerful community practice. Listen and learn from a conversation between folklorist Selina Morales and SFA Master Artist, community leader, movement builder and storyteller, Rod Ambrose, about the vital role ... Read more

Photo by Ventzi Karayontchev Originally from Bulgaria, both Anton Shekerjiev and Iskra Valtcheva left their home country at an early age and traveled the world. Their paths crossed in Tucson, where their shared passion for Old World music and their love for their culture led them to the founding of the band Ludo Djore to ... Read more

Tucson City of Gastronomy hosts the premiere of a new video by the San Xavier Co-op Farm about the tepary bean, an ancient Tohono O’odham food that continues to thrive in the Sonora Desert due to its cultural significance, drought tolerance, health benefits, and delicious taste. In tandem with the video, farm staff share cultural ... Read more

The Saguaro Strutters are a local line dance team more than 20 years old. Most of the team's 10 dancers picked up line dancing by going to classes in Tucson. While the individual members and size of the group have changed over the years, they all enjoy dancing, performing, and promoting line dancing in the ... Read more

Karen Falkenstrom (Kathleen Dreier Photo) & Anne Pollack (Steven Meckler Photo) Karen Falkenstrom of Odaiko Sonora and Anne Pollack of Capoeira Mandinga share roles, responsibilities, and ethics of teaching and transmitting traditional practices. Deeply engaged in the practice and teaching of their respective forms, both artists will speak about their personal journeys acquiring and transmitting ... Read more

Photo by Steven Meckler Odaiko Sonora is Tucson’s Japanese taiko ensemble drumming group. “Taiko” is the word for drum in Japanese, and the ensemble is known for its high-energy performances. Formed in 2002, the group has been a TMY favorite for 18 years, bringing drumming, song, and folk dance in the taiko tradition to the ... Read more

A glimpse into just a few of the traditional foods in the Tucson basin, as Tanisha Tucker, Traci Faith Hamilton, and Maria Francisco discuss the harvest and/or preparation of three Tohono O'odham foods, tepary beans, ciolim (cholla buds), and yeast Bread. The family continues a tradition of saguaro fruit harvest and syrup production and also ... Read more

The Sound of Thunder was established in 2007 to represent Tucson's Korean community and its culture through the study and performance of classical Korean dance and drumming. The group has performed in TMY since its inception and has also appeared in Phoenix and Sierra Vista. You can view this event live on the TMY homepage ... Read more

General Tchefary was transplanted to the desert Southwest from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, West Africa. A recording artist and performer since 1998, he performs reggae music rooted in African traditions, spreading a message that traverses International borders and all aspects of humanity. He sings in five languages mixing his own traditional African melodies and Jamaican reggae ... Read more

Takoyaki Balls! Photo: Steven Meckler Food-to-go from beloved TMY food vendors at 3 Tucson locations. Study the menu first then show up to order, pay, and take home. That might mean a little bit of waiting, but that’s how it always is! And, while you wait, watch TMY performers share cultural expressions in music and ... Read more

Fadi Iskandar is a master violinist from Syria with a deep musical understanding and knowledge of Middle Eastern music, theory, and culture. Trained as a young boy in classical violin, he then learned Middle Eastern music from elders in his community through improvisation and the practice of mastering by ear “maqam” or musical scales. His ... Read more

This Tucson-based "legendary" Latin Chicano Blues band, Los Nawdy Dawgs brings a unique supernatural vibe to blues, Latin, and Chicano Rock. They believe the Arizona desert, Tucson sunsets, and bacanora create a special backdrop to their sound. The band's mantra is “Be good to the music and the music will be good to you," and ... Read more

Grupo Riken has been performing in the Tucson area since 2009, specializing in folk music from the Caribbean and Latin America, including Cuban bolero, Puerto Rican jibaro music and plena, Latin jazz, salsa, and bossa nova. The group’s unique sound comes from folk instruments such as the Puerto Rican cuatro, Peruvian cajón, and Afro-Caribbean bongos ... Read more

What happens when two different ethnic backgrounds from Africa meet in the Sonoran Desert? The rhythm of unity is born! Jaliya is Elijah Ndoye and Yacouba Traore. Elijah comes from the fishing community of Lebou, an ethnic group in Senegal, West Africa. He grew up in a culture where the emphasis was on piety and ... Read more