Ensemble Mik Nawooj, also known as EMN, brings together two MCs, a lyric soprano, and a chamber orchestra, all under the musical direction of composer JooWan Kim, to make music that, in the words of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, “juxtaposes the rapid-fire staccato of rap with the bombastic percussiveness and dramatic tension of Western classical music. It's unapologetic and truly like nothing else.” The ensemble has been featured on NPR, NBC, and ABC 7, as well as in the San Francisco Chronicle, and has received a commission from the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. “The Oakland outfit is all about curious flair and compelling flavor,” says SF Weekly, “fusing threads of jazz, hip-hop, classical music, pop, and rock into a sprawling, social-class-crossing sound.”
 
With MCs Do D.A.T. and Sandman, soprano Anne Hepburn Smith, violinist Mia Bella D’Augelli, cellist Lewis Patzner, flautist Carmen Lemoine, clarinetist James Pytko, bassist Eugene Theriault, drummer Lyman Alexander, and JooWan on piano, the ensemble will be performing music from their new studio album, Ensemble Mik Nawooj: A Hip-Hop Orchestra, which includes original compositions as well as reimaginings of songs by the Wu-Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg. "The album contains pieces that directly reflect daily struggles of our lives and the indomitable will to overcome the hardships," JooWan says. Joining the ensemble tonight is dance company Mix'd Ingrdnts. There will also be a raffle tickets sold to raise money for EMN’s $3k matching grant from East Bay Funds for Artists. All funds from this grant will be used to produce EMN’s upcoming second album. Raffle prizes will be from EMN’s sponsors: Lyft, Oaklandish, Berkeley Bowl, Dandelion Chocolate, SF Mead, KPFA’s Hard Knock Radio, KCSM, KPOO, Bike Hub and more.

MAD NOISE is one of the top bands in the Bay Area. “These buskers have brains. Lots and lots of brains,” said the San Francisco Bay Guardian, which named them Best Band the past three years in a row. The SF Weekly has named them Most Hyperliterate Busking Outfit, and the Daily Californian has named them Best Local Band, calling them “an identity crisis with some rhythm.” With Brendan Liu on trumpet, Mogli Maureal on drums, Marica Petrey on vocals and cello, Khalil Sullivan on vocals and guitar, and Chris Weir on vocals and bass, the band serves up a deliciously entertaining musical feast.

visit the Ensemble Mik Nawooj website

visit the MAD NOISE website