SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21 Blues Ambassador – Taj Mahal’s 40 years of international touring have brought him to locales across the globe, and the veteran bluesman has made the most of it, gathering and distilling countless musical traditions from West Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, the Hawaiian islands, and elsewhere into his Mississippi Delta blues/Appalachian backwoods roots music foundation. The result is oft-times uneven, as Taj has taken a misstep or two, but the singer-composer and multi-instrumentalist – a two-time Grammy winner – remains one of the most influential American bluesbased artists since the 1970s. Hear his latest musings when the Taj Mahal Trio returns yet again to the Lobero. WHEN: 8 pm WHERE: 33 East Canon Perdido St. COST: $40 & $50 ($105 patron tickets include priority seating and pre-concert private reception) INFO: 9630761 or www.lobero.com

based styles like champeta and porro with popular cumbia rhythms and the New York City sounds of soul, funk, and jazz to create an explosive performance filled with unshakable grooves and danceable rhythms. M.A.K.U.’s lineup, put together by Columbia-born founder Camilo Rodruiguez – who commuted between the South American country and New York City twice a year for a decade – consists mostly of Colombian natives, including vocalist Liliana Conde, also known as Lana Baja, who also plays tambor, maracon, guacharaca, and cincerro. As always, ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! presents the group twice in our area, sandwiching an appearance in Guadalupe. WHEN: 7 tonight & Sunday WHERE: Isla Vista School (6875 El Colegio Road) tonight, Marjorie Luke Theatre (721 E. Cota Street) Sunday COST: free INFO: www.facebook.com/VivaelArteSB WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25 Farewell, Fearless Funder – Geoff Green has been the executive director of The Fund for

Santa Barbara for more than half of its 35 years, having joined the grassroots organization back in 1998. Later this month, he’ll be adding two words to his title, as Green moves on to take over as executive director of The Fund for Santa Barbara City College. He’ll be trading his current position at the nonprofit devoted to progressive philanthropy projects (including handing out an annual Social Justice award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival) for the similarly sized SBCC job, which currently disburses $3.5 million a year for scholarships for financially strapped students but is looking for rapid growth after the failure of Measure S last fall. But not before one final fundraising effort for Fund for SB: tonight’s Boast & Roast at El Paseo Restaurant, featuring barbs and laudatory comments from colleagues and local luminaries, plus music for dancing by Tina Schlieske & the Graceland Exiles (with Laura Schlieske) and an appetizer buffet. WHEN: 5:30-9:30 pm WHERE: El Paseo Restaurant, 813 Anacapa St. COST: $35 (or more, sliding scale available) INFO: 962-9164 or email events@fundforsantabarbara.org  •MJ

SUNDAY!

International Children’s Film Festival

Ready, Set, Adventure!

SUN, FEB 22 / 11 AM / UCSB CAMPBELL HALL $7 / $5 children (12 & under)

“Film showcase gives children a chance to see their peers across the globe.” Los Angeles Times (Contains mild, brief swearing in one film.) (Approx. 80 min.)

A Tribute for Billie Holiday’s 100th Birthday

SUNDAY!

Cassandra Wilson

Coming Forth by Day: A Celebration of Billie Holiday SUN, FEB 22 / 7 PM / UCSB CAMPBELL HALL CASSANDRA WILSON COMING FORTH by DAY

Tickets start at $30 / $15 UCSB students

Event Sponsors: Cristina & Erck Rickmers Best-selling Author of A Series of Unfortunate Events

Daniel Handler

Who is Lemony Snicket? And Other Wrong Questions MON, FEB 23 / 8 PM / UCSB CAMPBELL HALL $25 / $15 UCSB students

Nederlands Dans Theater 2 TUE, FEB 24 / 8 PM / GRANADA THEATRE Tickets start at $35 / $19 UCSB students A Granada facility fee will be added to each ticket price

“Simply stunning: can human beings really dance so brilliantly with such apparent ease?” The Independent (U.K.)

Sponsored in part by 2 Nights / 18 Amazing Films Best of the 39th Annual

Banff Mountain Film Festival WED, FEB 25 & THU, FEB 26 (A different program each night ) 7:30 PM / ARLINGTON THEATRE

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

$16 / $13 UCSB students and youths (18 & under) An Arlington facility fee will be added to each ticket price

ArLight Feet at Granada – It’s been nearly a dozen years since Nderlands Dans Theater 2 visited Santa Barbara, as UCSB Arts & Lectures impressario and major dance enthusiast Celesta Billeci is devoted to diversity in programming. So it’s something of a celebration when the ensemble featuring 16 of the world’s most talented young dancers that serves as the breeding ground for the main company comes our way again with a program full of promise and playfulness. On the bill of fare tonight are pieces by Johan Inger (I New Then, set to the music of Van Morrison), Sol León and company artistic director Paul Lightfoot (Shutters Shut, set to a Gertrude Stein poem, and Subject to Change, set to Schubert’s “Death and the Maiden”), and former Batsheva Dance Company dancer Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar (Sara). Expect energy and enthusiasm and deep emotional exploration. WHEN: 8 pm WHERE: Granada Theatre, 1214 State Street COST: $35-$45 INFO: 899-2222, www.granadasb.org or 893-3535 and www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu

19 – 26 February 2015

Photographer and Filmmaker

Carsten Peter - Extreme Planet SUN, MAR 1 / 3 PM / CAMPBELL HALL $25 / $15 UCSB students and youths (18 & under) photo: Carsten Peter

National Geographic Live series sponsored in part by Sheila & Michael Bonsignore Corporate Season Sponsor:

(805) 893-3535 www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu Arlington event tickets can also be purchased at: (805) 963-4408 Granada event tickets can also be purchased at: (805) 899-2222

This moment is so much bigger than me. – Halle Berry

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