Powell Street Festival's new artistic director eyes the cutting edge

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      The 39th edition of the Powell Street Festival is the first under new artistic director Mark Takeshi McGregor—and for those wondering why the heritage event has picked an avant-garde flute virtuoso to take the helm, he’s got a ready answer.

      “Powell Street is definitely a festival that celebrates tradition and history, but it’s always trying to look forward,” says the Steveston-raised musician of the fest, which runs Saturday and Sunday (August 1 and 2) in and around Oppenheimer Park. “Look at Japan in general: we’re talking about a country that has centuries of culture and history, but today they’re on the cutting edge of fashion, of visual art, of the contemporary performing arts—and I think the Japanese-Canadian culture here in Vancouver reflects that.”

      Consider Souldaiko, which sets hip-hop dance moves to taiko drumming (Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in Oppenheimer Park). Or pianist Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa’s Cosmophony, in which 11 Canadian composers contribute sonic portraits of our sun and its attendant planets (the same day at 2 p.m. at the Firehall Arts Centre). Or drummer Bernie Arai and keyboardist Chris Gestrin’s Wabi duo, in which the two jazz improvisers explore Japanese concepts of restraint, minimalism, and imperfection (Sunday at 4:30 p.m. at the Firehall).

      Powell Street’s diversity spans everything from belly dancing to demonstrations of kyudo. For a full schedule visit www.powellstreetfestival.com/.

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