For Immediate Release:
Bay Area Musicians to Greet GRAMMY Executives with Protest
Join us in Protest of the NARAS Cancellations of
Multiple Genres of Music for GRAMMY Awards
at NARAS Bay Area Chapter Meeting Tuesday May 10
May 10, 2011 - The San Francisco Chapter of NARAS is hosting a GRAMMY 101 conference today at the Premier Theater 1 Letterman Drive, San Francisco, 5:30pm). There will be two national representatives of NARAS, the organization whose leadership made these decisions, in attendance.
We, the Bay Area music community, will be there to present our petition which holds over 2,500 signatures in protest of the ill-advised April announcement by NARAS to eliminate thirty-one categories from the GRAMMY awards. These eliminations include the following categories: Latin Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Cajun, Zydeco, Hawaiian, World Music, Gospel, Blues, and Norteño, all of which have been unceremoniously canceled, without member vote or prior knowledge.
Help us hold the national leadership of NARAS accountable. We urge all of you to come and join today's meeting (May 10) to protest these shortsighted decisions and to stand with the music communities affected by it.
This is a FREE event that must be RSVP'd by registering at this link.
The press conference held yesterday at Yoshi's Oakland was hosted by five-time GRAMMY nominated Latin Jazz recording artist John Santos.
Among the distinguished panel of presenters were: Randall Kline (SFJAZZ), Peter Williams (Yoshi's), Wayne Wallace (Grammy nominated bandleader, composer, educator, record label owner, and NARAS member), Jesse Varela (radio programmer, music director KCSM), Clayton Leander (radio producer KPFA), and Sandy Cressman (vocalist, educator, NARAS member).
Press Attendance Included: NPR Radio, Oaklandnorth.net, KPFA, Jazziz, Urban Music Presents, KCSM, KPOO, jazzwest.com, and a few independent writers (most notably Andrew Gilbert).
Statements and attendance of many local musicians, producers, NARAS members, radio programmers included: Larry Vukovich, Avotcja, Roger Glenn, Geoff Roach (San Jose Jazz), David Flores, John Calloway, Tony Lindsay (Santana), Jeff Cressman (Santana), Fred Harris, Calvin Keyes, Roberta Donnay, Julius Menendez, Jaz Sawyer, Esther Manila, Greg Bridges, Luis Medina, Anthony Brown, Michael Acxon (Wayne's lawyer), Bud Spangler, Sue Taylor, Trelawny Rose, Kat Parra, David Belove, Anthony Brown, Myrna Salcido (SF Filipino Jazz Festival), Eddie Colon (booking agent), Stephanie Dalton (booking agent / producer / editor), Aida Salazar (Community producer/organizer), and others.
Statements were read from: Mr. Melvoin, Bobby Sanabria, Carlos Santana, Eddie Palmieri, Arturo Riera, Armando Peraza, Luis Raul Montiel from La Asociación Civil Jazz, Caribe y de la Fundación Jazz Venezolano, Susan Muscarella from the Jazzschool in Berkeley, Arturo Riera, Professor Robert Farris Thompson (Yale University), Tom Mazzolini (SF Blues Festival), Jose Rizo (Alma Del Barrio (LA), Rebeca Mauleón (SFJAZZ), and others.
For more information please visit www.grammywatch.info to keep apprised of updates relating to NARAS and the GRAMMYs as they relate to these categories that have been canceled.
NARAS GRAMMY Meeting
Tuesday May 10, 2011 | 5:30 pm
1 Letterman Drive
San Francisco, CA
FREE with Registration
To Register Please Visit:
http://grammy101sf.eventbrite.com/?err=29
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Press inquiries
Stephanie Dalton, Urban Music Presents