Chinatown Music Festival

Chinatown Music Festival Returns to Portsmouth Square, Celebrating Diverse AAPI Voices and Uniting the Community Through Art to Support Chinatown’s Recovery

SAN FRANCISCO — The Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco (CCC) is pleased to announce the return of “Chinatown Music Festival,” a day-long outdoor celebration of art and music that showcases the creativity and diversity of the Chinatown community, taking place on August 28 from 11 AM-5 PM in Portsmouth Square. The festival is free and open to the public, featuring artist performances, dancing, and art activities.

The theme of this year’s festival is “Solidarity.” The Chinatown community has been hit hard during the pandemic with anti Asian violence and the struggle for economic recovery. Amidst these challenges,the multicultural festival brings the community together, celebrating art forms across genres and engaging diverse participants to create a deeper understanding of Chinatown and the Asian American community.

Event Details

Chinatown Music Festival

Saturday, August 28, 2021

11 AM - 5 PM

Portsmouth Square, San Francisco, CA 94108

Free

Performers:

LionDanceME

Founded in 2012, LionDanceME incorporates a mix of traditional and modern lion and dragon dance. Originally started as a single high school club, LionDanceME has since expanded and added programs in schools all around San Francisco, and all across the United States and internationally. They are also known for their appearance on America’s Got Talent.

Barbary Coast Brass

The Barbary Coast Brass is composed of young musicians based throughout the Bay Area. They all maintain individual careers as performers and teachers as well as playing together in small chamber groups like the Barbary Coast Brass.

Rebirth Canal

Camille Mail Davis is the founder of Rebirth Canal. Camille Mai talks about music as being her insistence on keeping every door open. A pianist, vocalist, composer, and leader of the band Rebirth Canal, Mai has created a protean body of songs infused with Latin American rhythms filtered through an abiding affection for the slinky grooves of the late, pervasively influential producer J Dilla. But that's just the rhythmic foundation of a sound that can encompass traditional Vietnamese modes, jazz improvisation and harmonies, French chanson and beyond.

Chino Yang, with Swave and Freeze Gang

Chino Yang, aka Yang Xiaochuan, is a San Francisco-based artist whose music spans hip-hop, R&B, trap, and boom bap. He performs in Chinese, English, and Spanish, and also hosts a bilingual talk show. His music has been recognized by multiple awards nationally, including the 2018 The Rap of China North American Champion.

29th St. Swingtet

Heavily rooted in the “gypsy jazz” sound of French swing guitarist Django Reinhardt, The 29th St. Swingtet also draws upon various different jazz oriented genres including be-bop, blues and Latin..In further completing their unique and eclectic sound, the group also infuses the sounds of pop, ska, hip-hop and world music. The 29th St. Swingtet ardently seeks to revitalize the age of jazz swing in a youthful and energetic manner.

Chris Songco

The Chris Songco Band is an experience that has you sitting on the edge of your seat. Improvised freestyles directed at your funny bone interspersed between heartfelt songs of mental disarray and quarter life crisis. Electrifying melodies over a variety of genres.

The Autonomous Region

The Autonomous Region presents both classic standards and modern arrangements of jazz favorites. Led by vocalist Caroline Cabading, this Chinatown-based ensemble performs regularly at the International Hotel Manilatown Center in San Francisco and also enjoys a variety of public and private engagements throughout the Bay Area.