January 17 - 23, 2022 Vol. 30 No. 03
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$1.10 goes to vendor
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Arts & (Home) Entertainment
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SportsWise
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Cover Story: Evictions
More and more events are happening in Chicago, and we want you to know about the best of the best!
The SportsWise team discusses COVID-19 and its effect on the world of sports.
When experts predicted 21,000 Chicago households would face eviction when the pandemic moratorium lifted, Cook County leaders and advocates teamed up to halt the eviction avalanche. The new Early Resolution Program (ERP) helps landlords get paid and keeps families housed and off the streets. Cook County has awarded nearly $90 million in emergency rental assistance to residents impacted by COVID-19. “There’s been more attention to eviction in the last year than in my previous 30 years as a legal aid attorney,” said Michelle Gilbert, Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing legal and policy director. “We realize that prevention is better than treatment.”
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From the Streets
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The Playground
George Harrison of The Beatles called sitarist Ravi Shankar the “godfather of world music.” The “Ragamala to Rockstar” exhibit at the South Asia Institute examines his times and the role he played.
This page: An eviction notice posted on a door (Wendy Rosen photo).
Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher
dhamilton@streetwise.org
StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI
Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief
suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com
Amanda Jones, Director of programs
ajones@streetwise.org
Julie Youngquist, Executive director
jyoungquist@streetwise.org
Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616
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ARTS & (HOME) ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Since being stuck inside, which shows have you been watching? Which movies? Have you read any good books lately? Any new music releases have you dancing in your living room? StreetWise vendors, readers and staff are sharing what is occupying their attention during this unprecedented time. To be featured in a future edition, send your recommendations of things you do at home and why you love them to Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org
A Reliable Perspective!
Journalism and Police Accountability: Perspectives from the Chicago Reader and the Chicago Torture Justice Center Inspired by the Chicago Reader's extraordinary, decades-long reporting on police torture in Chicago, this program explores the role of journalism in uncovering police violence. How has such coverage influenced actual practices and policies related to policing? Join the Newberry for a virtual conversation at 6 p.m. on January 19, with Reader publisher Karen Hawkins, former Reader reporter John Conroy, Aislinn Pulley, co-executive director of the Chicago Torture Justice Center, and Mark Clements, an activist and police torture survivor. Since its founding in 1971 as a free and independent weekly newspaper, the Chicago Reader has become the place Chicagoans look for cuttingedge criticism, long-form investigative journalism, and much more. Co-sponsored by the Chicago Reader, this program is being held in connection with The Chicago Reader at 50, now on view in the Newberry exhibition galleries. Register for free at https://www.newberry.org/programs-and-events
B I N G O !
Bible Bingo Now in its 11th year, Bible Bingo is a long-running, interactive comedy play, written by Vicki Quade. The premise is that Mrs. Mary Margaret O’Brien, a former nun, is here tonight to raise money with bingo. It’s a crazy night of bible trivia, audience interaction, and the funniest quiz about the Holy Family you’ve ever seen. Add to that a box of wacky prizes, fun bingo cards, and a lot of Catholic humor for a night of entertainment you’ll never forget. And in this interactive bingo show, you’ll actually play bingo. All ticket buyers will have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. The Greenhouse follows the City of Chicago mandate that masks are to be worn indoors in public places. Shows are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through March 12. Tickets are $35, with group rates available at greenhousetheatercenter.com.
Live Literature!
(HOME) ENTERTAINMENT
2022 Fillet of Solo Festival Former Lifeline Theatre Artistic Director Dorothy Milne and former Live Bait Theater Artistic Director Sharon Evans are pleased to announce the 25th Annual Fillet of Solo Festival, presented virtually by Lifeline Theatre. Celebrating the breadth of Chicago’s enduring storytelling and live-lit scene, Lifeline virtually brings 10 storytelling collectives and 28 solo performers together from all over the country in a three-week online gallery of powerful, personal stories. The 2022 Fillet of Solo Festival will stream from January 21–February 13, online via a password-protected website where ticket holders will have access to the full lineup of stories until the Festival concludes. Ticket prices are “Name Your Price” (suggested $45) for access to the gallery for the full three weeks PLUS live virtual extras including panel discussions and storytelling workshops with Festival artists. Tickets are now available for purchase by calling the Lifeline Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com.
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Classical Lunch Hour!
Dame Myra Hess Concert The International Music Foundation presents the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert. Enjoy free weekly classical concert in-person at the 17th Church of Christ, Scientist, 55 E. Wacker Drive, Wednesday, January 19, at 12:15 p.m. In accordance with the Chicago mask mandate, all attendees will be required to wear a face mask throughout the performance, regardless of vaccination status. This week, the Avalon String Quartet performs music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Libby Larsen. Concerts may also be viewed at imfchicago.org or listened to on 98.7 WFMT.
The Field for Free!
Field Museum Free Admission Day Free Admission Day is the perfect opportunity to explore the Field Museum’s general admission exhibitions with your family or a group of science-loving friends. Or, use these days to check out special ticketed exhibitions or a 3D movie with a discounted Discovery or All-Access Pass. Tickets for Free Day on January 19 are only available on-site to Illinois residents and cannot be reserved in advance. Please ask a Guest Relations staff member about it when you arrive at the museum and be ready to show your Illinois proof of residency. The Field Museum is located at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, open from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'!
OKLAHOMA! This is "Oklahoma!" as you’ve never seen or heard it before—Tony Award Winner for Best Revival of a Musical reimagined for the 21st century. Direct from an acclaimed run on Broadway comes an "Oklahoma!" that looks and sounds like America today. "Oklahoma!" tells a story of a community banding together against an outsider, and the frontier life that shaped America. Upending the sunny romance of a farmer and a cowpoke, this production “lets us experience Rodgers and Hammerstein’s greatness anew.” (The New Yorker). Without changing a word of text, this visionary production allows the classic musical – and our country – to be seen in a whole new light. Running through January 23 at the CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St., with showings at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday - Friday, 8 p.m. on Saturday, and 2 p.m. matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tickets start at $27 at broadwayinchicago.com.
A Celebrated Writer!
'Ray Bradbury: Inextinguishable' "Ray Bradbury: Inextinguishable" honors the incredible writing and enduring impact of one of America’s most celebrated writers, the author of “Fahrenheit 451,” “The Martian Chronicles,” and “The Illustrated Man.” Featuring personal artifacts from Bradbury’s life like his desk, typewriter, paintbrush set and more, this exhibit illustrates his worldwide influence on everything from Disney to NASA to the Russian Space Program. Special exhibit included with museum admission. Discounted group rates available. On view at the American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave., or virtually at americanwritersmuseum.org through May.
Be the Change!
Chicago Scholars Chicago Scholars is seeking candidates for its college class of 2027: current juniors in high school who would be first-generation college students, who are demonstrated leaders and who are committed to furthering their education. Applications are due at 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, February 9, and include basic personal information, two short essay responses, a letter of recommendation and transcript from high school counselor. Chicago Scholars creates a 7-year relationship with students that extends beyond the last year of high school. According to its website, 83 percent of Chicago Scholars complete college in six years, compared to 48 percent of Chicago Public School students overall. The program does not award financial scholarships, but connects students to resources from its college partners, as well as local and national scholarship organizations. Once enrolled, scholars receive a College Success Team staff member who connects them with supports on campus, assists them with financial aid and checks in to make sure they are adjusting to the academic and social atmosphere of their campus. More information at chicagoscholars.org
Nature on Film!
National Geographic Live - Wild Hope Photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale shares her personal odyssey — from documenting the heartbreaking realities of war to witnessing the inspiring power of an individual to make a difference. Hear her awe-inspiring stories of the reintroduction of northern white rhinos and giant pandas to the wild, as well as the first elephant sanctuary in Kenya that is owned and run by indigenous people. Join us as she shares the incredible images and adventures that have transformed her into a celebrated global storyteller, photographer, and filmmaker. At the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B Wells Drive, at 2 p.m. on January 23. Tickets start at $51 at auditoriumtheatre.org. -Compiled by Dave Hamilton & Suzanne Hanney
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Vendors Russ Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.
Russ: Hello, and welcome, everyone. Today’s topic is COVID-19 and the effect it’s having in the current world of sports. If y’all don’t mind, I’d like to kick it off. Donald: Go right ahead, homeboy. Russ: Thanks, Don. Well, it just seems as if every time I turn to a sporting event, the first thing I see are games being cancelled. The sad thing is, it didn’t even matter what sports it was I was looking to watch; they were all being cancelled. The college football games, basketball, hockey events…
SPORTSWISE
Patrick: Yeah, it’s almost madness out there. I’m to the point of not knowing what would be a good solution to this madness. Russ: I have a couple of suggestions. The first is keep the testing going; the second suggestion is to shut down the entire season until things get better. John: It seems as if things’re getting worse, so the second option could be an excellent idea. Donald: Agreed. Russ: The other messed-up
thing about all of this is that the virus isn’t just affecting our sports; it’s also affecting the movie theaters, the restaurants, etc.—I mean, enough is enough! Listen, if things get any worse, I’m going to shut it down. I’m 63 years old with COPD, and I can’t take that chance that they’ll, simply, come up soon with a solution and everything’ll be all right. So, no, I’m not holding much hope. I mean, just with the past college football playoffs, there was a decent chance that one or all of those 4 teams in the Final Four could have had to forfeit these major games due to COVID-19 infections. One team could have gone on to the final round without winning a game, and that, to me, is not cool. Donald: I’m with you, Russell: the current effects on the sports world has been devastating. Especially considering the fact that we have players— while a game is being held—
getting up, removing their team’s clothing and walking out.
more players had tested positive than in the previous 14 weeks combined. Combined.
Patrick: Oh, you mean Tampa Bay's Antonio Brown. I do know there have been many cancellations due to teams—in every sport—not being able to even field a complete-enough team to, at the very least, limp through a competition. I also read that the NFL entered the season with vaccination rates of 94% for the players and nearly 100% for the other staff members. In six testing periods between September 5 and November 27, 110 players out of 1696 and 187 staff members out of 7,360 tested positive.
John: And, to add a lil’bit to that, since that date—December 13—nearly 200 NFL players have tested positive for the virus and, about a week later, 150+ players were on the COVID-19/reserve list.
John: That’s pretty good. Patrick: I know, right? Well, toward the end of week 14, omicron made its presence known and, on December 13, a whopping 37 players tested positive, and it didn’t stop there. By the end of the week,
Russ: It’s been amazing, y’all. Like I said, I’m nearly ready to give it all up because this is so frustrating. I want a solution. And I want it soon. I do have hope, but I’m worried. Patrick: Well, the one thing to lean on, Russ, is a vast majority of those testing positive are vaccinated and asymptomatic. And, with that, the theory is that there’s less of a viral load, leading to a lower spread. Sounds like a positive path, fellas. Any comments or suggestions? Email pedwards@streetwise.org
Cook County Diverts Predicted COVID-19 Eviction Avalanche by Wendy Rosen
The predicted “avalanche” of 21,000 pandemic-driven evictions didn’t happen when the Illinois moratorium was lifted Oct. 3, 2021 and the reasons, advocates suggest, are an infusion of rental assistance cash and a new court diversion program. Cook County has awarded nearly $90 million in emergency rental assistance to residents impacted by COVID-19, according to the Cook County Bureau of Economic Development. Efforts to stave off the housing crisis began early in the pandemic, when Cook County leaders grew increasingly concerned that the region’s ongoing affordable housing crisis, together with a looming eviction crisis, would force low-income renters to move from homes to homelessness. The Early Resolution Program (ERP) was started by the Circuit Court of Cook County, The Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF), government agencies, elected officials, and commu-
Cook County launched the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD) initiative at a Nov. 23, 2020 virtual press conference. From top left: Chicago Department of Housing Commissioner Marisa Novara, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, Chief Judge Timothy Evans, Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, Chicago Bar Foundation Executive Director Bob Glaves, Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya, ASL Interpreter Elizabeth Treger.
nity partners to provide tenants and landlords who suffered pandemic hardships with equal access to free legal assistance, mediation, and resources like rental assistance. The program extends negotiation time for landlords and tenants while they attempt to settle out of court. Cook County Board President Tony Preckwinkle unveiled the ERP in a November 2020 virtual press conference as part of the broader Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt (CCLAHD) initiative for residents dealing with eviction and consumer debt. Cook County’s ERP was initially funded with a $1 million allocation from the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. “The most vulnerable among us -- Black and Brown residents -- have been left to bear the brunt of the burden. This is unacceptable,” said Preckwinkle. “We understood that we needed to step in and provide solutions.”
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Lawyers’ Committee for Better Housing (LCBH) Staff Attorney Sam Barth works with the ERP to provide free legal services to tenants facing eviction. He recalled an older gentleman who lived alone in the same apartment for more than 10 years. After the gentleman lost his job in the food industry early in the pandemic, his rent piled up for a year and he received an eviction summons. He certainly couldn’t afford a lawyer, considering his ballooning debt. Prior to the pandemic, the gentleman would have likely arrived at his first court date without an attorney and possibly had a trial that resulted in an eviction order. According to Chicago eviction data compiled by LCBH, only 12% of tenants have attorneys, compared to 81% of landlords. Data also show that eviction trials for unrepresented tenants often last three minutes or less. CARPLS Supervising Attorney Melissa Wemstrom, who works with the ERP, said that sometimes the first time somebody might have known legal aid existed was after the court issued the order of eviction. “And they’re already facing, ‘OK, in seven days the sheriff is going to come out to do the eviction.’ And then unfortunately, at that point it’s pretty limited what we can do as attorneys.” Unlike criminal proceedings, where the right to an attorney is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, eviction is a civil proceeding. Defendants facing eviction -- and possibly homelessness -- are not guaranteed the right to an attorney. But that wasn’t the case for Barth’s client. When the gentleman logged into Cook County’s virtual court on Zoom, the judge referred his case to an ERP case manager who completed his intake and sent him to another Zoom room. There he met with an ERP staff member who consulted with him to determine whether to refer him to rental assistance, mediation, legal aid, or all three.
Activists staged an encampment outside the Richard J. Daley Center on Aug. 21, 2020 to pressure Gov. Pritzker to extend the eviction moratorium and lift the ban on rent control. Pritzker extended the eviction ban until Oct. 3, 2021. The Rent Control Preemption Act (HB 116) is pending in the Illinois legislature (Wendy Rosen photo).
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The gentleman then met Barth in a private breakout room where they worked to determine a way to negotiate a good outcome. Then, in separate Zoom rooms, the gentleman attended mediation with his landlord, and also met with social service providers who helped him apply for rental assistance.
Following ERP interventions, the landlord received the entire back balance, and the court dismissed the case. The gentleman is now stably housed, has found a new job, and is paying his rent. “And that’s like the perfect outcome, where the resources of the city and the state and the federal stimulus all work to keep this person from becoming homeless and keeping him in his apartment,” said Barth. Connecting tenants with attorneys early in the process helps them realistically understand their circumstances, their rights, and their options for negotiation, which makes a big difference, said Bob Glaves, executive director of CBF. “There’s almost always going to be a better alternative than eviction.” The ERP process often begins with a call to the CCLAHD hotline. The hotline number appears on a flyer attached to every eviction summons and encourages Cook County landlords and tenants to call for free assistance with eviction and debt problems. Hotline staff have handled approximately 16,800 eviction calls, Glaves said. CARPLS attorneys and paralegals staff the CCLAHD hotline and assist tenants and landlords with a variety of concerns before or after they receive an eviction summons. “And that ranges from helping people get connected to rental assistance, to helping them figure out when and how to go to court, referring them to programs, helping them understand the legal paperwork that they have in their hand, and ... what possible defenses they have,” Wemstrom said.
The new virtual court process is more accessible as well. Instead of having to commute to the courthouse, renters now log into Zoom court. A tenant currently using the ERP said that aside from waiting on Zoom for three hours before her case was called, she likes virtual court, “it beats travelling,” she said. Before the ERP, some evictions could be over in minutes. Now, the first court appearance is a case management conference scheduled at least 30 days after the initial filing, with the second court date set 2 or 4 weeks later. Judges typically divert cases to the ERP when unrepresented landlords and tenants have nonpayment of rent issues (cases involving property damage or threats to other tenants are generally not eligible). “Our whole goal for this stage is for all the clients to feel supported and to have a moment to kind of relax in a situation that’s really nerve-wracking,” said Cassie Lively, executive director at The Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR), the partner agency that staffs the ERP case manager and mediator roles. After the intake process, a case manager may move clients to private Zoom rooms where attorneys help them negotiate more time for rental assistance to arrive, a payment plan, or a move out date. Other cases are triaged to mediation, where CCR staff guide landlord and tenant discussions. “There is a chance to create a human connection ... for the parties to understand each other better and to be more creative in thinking about solutions that might work for them,” said Lively. “We find that when a mediator is helping that www.streetwise.org
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COVID-19 relief efforts were funded with federal money funneled to the state and local governments: Federal
• The U.S. Department of Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) distributed two rounds of funding to state and local governments: $25 billion in ERA1 and $21.5 billion in ERA2. According to the U.S. Treasury, government agencies have made more than 2.5 million ERA payments to renters and landlords.
State
• Since 2020, the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) awarded over $776 million in emergency rental assistance to more than 103,100 Illinois residents with federal funding from the CARES Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act. • IHDA disbursed more than $98 million in Emergency Mortgage Assistance (EMA) to more than ten-thousand Illinois homeowners. Nearly 7,000 Cook County residents received $66 million in EMA from IHDA.
conversation happen people can be a lot more honest and vulnerable and have a dialogue in a way that’s hard for people to have directly with each other.” Judges have referred more than 3,185 eviction case to the ERP since April 2021, according to data provided by CBF. So far, about 25% of the eviction cases have reached out-ofcourt settlements, and partners expect that percentage to rise as many more cases are still pending. Landlords diverted to the ERP are typically those who can’t afford or have never consulted an attorney before. They are grateful for help understanding legalese and changes to Cook County’s landlord-tenant laws, according to Martin Cozzola, supervising attorney at Chicago Volunteer Legal Services. Cozzola leads a small ERP legal team that has counseled close to 600 landlords who typically own 2- or 3- flats and typically live in the same building or neighborhood as their tenants. “Working to empower people on both sides of the conflict in eviction court helps people feel better equipped to continue to act as landlords to their neighbors and continue to rent to them at rates that are much more affordable than perhaps a big company that is headquartered out of New York City,” Cozzola said. “It’s going to go a long way towards keeping people from selling properties off, and I think that’s going to be really valuable for the long-term survival of Cook County’s naturally affordable housing.” Some landlords, however, express concerns with court delays that often drag out for three months or more. Michael Zink, partner at Starr Bejgiert, Zink & Rowells, has represented mom and pop landlords for nearly two decades. He said the slow ERP process is forcing some property owners who own five units or less to file eviction cases more quickly than they had prior to the pandemic.
• IHDA is launching the Illinois Homeowner Assistance Fund in early 2022 to prevent mortgage delinquencies, defaults, and foreclosures with approximately $387 million in emergency assistance funded by the American Rescue Plan Act.
In the past, small landlords typically worked with tenants to agree to payment plans or move out dates before they filed eviction cases, said Zink. But when tenants don’t comply with these handshake agreements, landlords who are depleting savings to pay bills are forced to spend several more months in the ERP before they can reach enforceable agreements and move forward.
• Gov. Pritzker signed the COVID-19 Emergency Housing Act in May 2021, sealing all eviction records between March 2020 and March 2022 so tenants would have an easier time finding housing in the future.
“I’ve had landlords almost in tears on the phone saying, ‘How am I going to pay these property taxes, how am I going to pay this mortgage bill,’” Zink said. “One of the most frustrating things for them that I hear all the time is, ‘I wasn’t given any of this. I’ve taken all these risks and I’ve put all this money in this, and it feels like it’s being almost taken away.’” Zink said that it’s important to understand that landlords and tenants are in this together and if one is struggling, then the other is struggling. In the past year he’s seen small landlords sell their prop-
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For Assistance:
erties after slogging through the court eviction process. Nationally, mom and pop landlords own more than 75% of the small rental properties that are home to most unsubsidized low-income families, particularly families with children, according to a recent University of California at Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation report. Zink is concerned when stressed out small landlords sell out. “These properties then are going to wind up getting sold potentially to somebody who doesn’t care as much. They might even get sold to some conglomerate who truly doesn’t care, who truly just treats everybody as a number.”
Clockwise from top left: Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle at an Aug. 16, 2021 press conference to call attention to the CCLAHD initiative prior to the end of the eviction moratorium in Illinois; Carina Segalini, administrator and project manager at the Circuit Court of Cook County, spoke on behalf of Chief Judge Timothy Evans at the CCLAHD press conference; Bob Glaves, executive director at The Chicago Bar Foundation; Scott Britton, Cook County Commissioner. Photos courtesy of the Chicago Bar Foundation.
Upcoming Event:
Though Zink said the ERP process needs improvements to speed things up, he does see benefits when the program helps landlords and tenants communicate and reach agreements. Glaves said ERP partners are working together to make the process more efficient. He believes a modest investment in a program like the ERP will help reduce the long-term social and economic costs of eviction. “There’s been more attention to eviction in the last year than in my previous 30 years as a legal aid attorney,” said Michelle Gilbert, LCBH legal and policy director. “We realize that prevention is better than treatment. That’s true for COVID and that’s true for homelessness. Preventing someone from becoming homeless is actually cost effective as opposed to trying to get them rehoused.” Wendy Rosen is a multimedia reporter covering a range of issues from immigration to housing. She is a winner of the National Federation of Press Women 2019 National Communications Contest for her photo story in StreetWise on Chicago’s Rohinga refugee community.
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'the godfather of world music' Ravi shankar exhibit at south asia institute by Suzanne Hanney
Ravi Shankar was depicted in Playboy Magazine’s All-Star band in 1968, seated on a carpet, his 4-foot-long sitar balanced at a 45-degree angle on his lap. Alongside him on this musical fantasy team were The Beatles; vocalists Frank Sinatra and Petula Clark; pianist Dave Brubeck; drummer Buddy Rich; Herb Alpert, Al Hirt, Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong on the trumpet. Shankar made the cut in 1969 and 1970 too. Shankar is the bridge between Eastern and Western music, according to “Ravi Shankar: Ragamala to Rockstar,” an exhibition of photography, video, films, poster art and ephemera through March 5 at Chicago’s South Asia Institute. George Harrison called Shankar “the godfather of world music,” and his association with The Beatles catapulted him even more into the rockstar superstar stratosphere, said Brian Keigher, exhibit cocurator. “He definitely was a changemaker, the right person at the right time,” said Grammy-nominated sitarist Gaurav Mazumdar, exhibit co-curator. The reason was Shankar’s childhood exposure to the West as a dancer and musician in his brother Uday Shankar’s troupe.
FROM THE STREETS
Born in 1920 in the northern India city of Varanasi, Shankar moved to Paris in 1930. He went to school there and traveled around Europe, the U.S. and Asia with the troupe. He spoke fluent French and English and understood Western audiences and musicians. He knew that the standard three-hour sitar raga wouldn’t work for them, that it had to be packaged differently, Mazumdar said.
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In 1938, Shankar returned to India to study with master sitarist Baba Ustad Allauddin Khan. From 1949 into the mid-1950s, he was the director of music at All India Radio. He traveled to the Soviet Union in the 1950s and the U.S. twice in the 1960s. Educated, articulate and handsome, as shown in exhibit portraits by photographers Francesco Scavullo and Yousuf Karsh, Shankar could explain Indian music on popular ’60s television programs like the Smothers Brothers, (pictured in the exhibit), or on the Dick Cavett and Mike Douglas talk shows. The exposure brought Indian music to millions of people in an era before cable TV, when there were only three television stations nationwide, Keigher said. Shankar was right person for the role because he handled it beautifully, Mazumdar said. “He could have been swayed away with the hippie movement and the drugs. He did none of that. He preached, ‘No drugs, let this music take you on a high.’ He stayed true to his tradition and to his music and his guru to the very end.” Harrison first noticed the sitar in April 1965 during filming of “Help!,” which had a sequence with Indian musicians in an Indian restaurant in London. He began playing several months later, after David Crosby of The Byrds, who was on a United Kingdom tour, gave him a Shankar album. Harrison turned to the sitar when John Lennon’s song “Norwegian Wood,” needed a little something more.
What sound would the sitar contribute? With a range of 3½ octaves, the sitar has four melodic strings that provide the overriding notes, whether low, medium or high, Mazumdar said. According to Wikipedia and Brittanica.com, fingering the melodic strings will activate up to 13 “sympathetic strings” that can be tuned to the same notes, an octave higher or lower, to create what some have called a “halo of sound.” Similar to Scottish bagpipes, drone strings add a background tone. According to Mazumdar, the base of the sitar, which is a dried, pumpkin-like gourd, gives resonance that wood would not. In August 1966, Harrison went to India to study with Shankar for six weeks. He returned, more accomplished on the instrument, to write “Within You Without You” on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, released in 1967. According to Mazumdar, who studied with Shankar from 1987 until the maestro's death in 2012, Harrison only understood why he was born after he met Shankar. “George was very deep person, conscious of, ‘What am I contributing, what am I leaving behind?’” Shankar was generous with his music, giving it to anyone who wanted to learn it, said Mazumdar, who lived and studied in Shankar’s home for a time. More important than Shankar’s five Grammys was his music, “which had a meditative quality about it, a healing effect on people.” A serious musician with a calm aura, Shankar was nevertheless lighthearted and playful in many ways, Keigher said. “He gave you all his attention when he talked to you.”
From Left: Shankar (lower left corner) illustrated as part of the 1968 Playboy All Star Band (Suzanne Hanney photo). Shankar teaches George Harrison how to play the sitar in India in 1966 (courtesy of South Asia Institute). Shankar's sitar (Suzanne Hanney photo). Ravi Shankar photographed by Francesco Scavullo (courtesy of South Asia Institute).
The exhibit's concert posters and albums from 1967 onward convey an optimistic and outgoing world view that seems like a distant memory now. Shankar premiered his concerto for the sitar with Andre Previn of the London Symphony Orchestra and won a Grammy for a duet album, “West Meets East,” with violinist Yehudi Menuhin. He was a hit at the Monterey Pop Music Festival in 1967 and at Woodstock in 1969. “It seemed totally natural and appropriate that this eastern spiritual music should be played at this festival celebrating the coming of the Aquarian Age, the beginning of a new time where East meets West… in terms of spirituality, which is the essence of this type of music vs. the assertive energetic connection of the Western ways of being,” said photographer Elliott Landy in exhibit material about Shankar at Woodstock. Shankar was the only rock musician of the period to play Monterrey, Woodstock, and the two Concerts for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in 1971, which Harrison helped organize at his behest. Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell and Billy Preston played for free in this benefit for East Asian refugees of civil war, flooding and famine. It was a model for Live Aid. Keigher met Shankar in the early ’90s and has since acted as an archivist for his family. Shankar first played Chicago’s Symphony Center at 13 with his brother’s troupe and could recall the cold winter walk from the Congress Plaza Hotel and later, Studs Terkel. He last played Symphony Center in 2010 with his daughter, Anoushka. “Ragamala to Rockstar” began as a centennial retrospective of Shankar LPs at Symphony Center, but was delayed because of the pandemic, Keigher said.
Keigher started the annual Ragamala classical Indian music celebration as part of the World Music Festival for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, for which he also programmed Millennium Park and Chicago Cultural Center events. He is artistic director for the World Music Institute in New York and co-founder and co-curator of the Boston University Global Music Festival. Keigher asked Mazumdar to co-curate "Ragamala to Rockstar" with him and Mazumdar made the introduction to the South Asia Institute. The South Asia Institute is important to Chicago because its focus is multidisciplinary arts from the region, Keigher said. Besides the collection developed by physicians Afzal and Shireen Ahmad over 50 years, the institute will offer a residential studio and art space. South Asians are often misinterpreted – exoticized or demonized – the result of not communicating enough. That’s why the South Asia Institute is important to Chicago -- and why “Ragamala to Rockstar” fits their mission, Shireen Ahmad said. “Ravi Shankar was bridge-building just like we are trying to do, but he was doing it decades ago.” Exhibit programming includes: January 29, 4 p.m., screening of concert film, “Tenth Decade: Live in Escondido” February 19, 4 p.m., conversation with Oliver Craske, who wrote “Indian Sun: The Life and Music of Ravi Shankar,” his first full biography, and who edited the new book on The Beatles, “Get Back.” February 26, 4 p.m., screening of concert film, “Ravi and Anoushka Shankar Live in Bangalore.” The South Asia Institute is at 1925 S. Michigan Ave., (312)929-3911. www.saichicago.org.
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e1 to 1/2/17 Sudoku 9.
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Streetwise 1/2/17 Crossword To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the Sudoku numbers 1 to 9.
51 Trade stoppage 55 Valley 57 Swerve 58 Basilica part 60 Banded stone 64 Persia, now 65 Casting need 66 Eating place 67 Monocle part 68 Genetic stuff 69 Warbled
Down 1 2 3 4 5 6
Race unit Astonish Damage Met highlights Carte start Touch down
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7 8 9 10 11 13 14 20 22 23 24 26 28 29 30 31 32 33 35
Main courses Highly skilled Western tie Corker While lead-in Shade tree Put to the test Domestic Eccentric Pared Recommend Permitted Grease one’s palm Tie the knot Behaved Deserved Orthodontic tools Swiss city Tank
37 39 40 42 43 45 46 48 50 51 52 53 54 56 59 61 62 63
Schuss, e.g. Henpeck Eggs Slowpoke Sicilian volcano French sea Belly button Mountain lakes Auspices Diabolical Insignificant Lima, for one Receptive Young fellow Main Literary collection Half a score Unit of energy
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Copyright ©2016 PuzzleJunction.com
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Across 1 Chest protector 4 Decorated, as a cake 8 Petition to a deity, once 14 Freudian topic 15 Christen 16 Jury panel 17 Completely happy 19 Some role players 20 Variety of limestone 21 In favor of 23 Torn 24 Oater group 25 Hoarding 27 Rumpus ©2016 PuzzleJunction.com 29 Top Tatar 30 Kid spoilers 12 Big ape 66 Go ballistic 35 Postulate 13 Cozy home 67 Dry, as wine 39 Hokkaido 18 Cheer starter 68 Comments to native the audience 22 Common 40 Scottish deciduous tree 69 Graf ___ landowner 70 Old verb ending 25 Fountain order 42 Camera part 26 Possesses 43 Helical 28 Flirtations Down 45 Turnips and 30 Kind of station 1 Jazz style beets, e.g. 31 Dead letters? 2 Block house? 47 Berth place 32 Cuckoo bird 3 Gets really 49 Fall behind steamed 33 Nanny 50 Ready 34 Military 4 Rather 53 Ward off address 5 Eatery 58 Ode or haiku 36 Miss the mark 6 It’ll never fly 59 “___ what?” 7 Dutch pottery 37 ___ Grande 60 Come to light 38 Kitchen meas. city 61 Verse form 41 Crucifix 8 Eclipse 63 “Hamlet” 9 Author Stout 44 Mont Blanc, setting e.g. 10 Inherent 65 Stop working 11 Traffic stopper 46 Wood eater
48 Country club figure 50 Ends of the earth 51 Any of various straight muscles 52 Decorative jugs 54 Poetic dusk 55 Plain writing 56 Everglades bird 57 Parasite 58 Prefix with legal 60 Feudal worker 62 E.U. member 64 Once around the track
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