PostMark Urbana! Spotlight Series
Percussionist Jason Finkelman has been performing and presenting a wide range of genre blurring music in Urbana Champaign for over twenty-five years. 40 North and Urbana Arts & Culture Program are presenting three of Finkelman’s collaborative projects to kick off PostMark Urbana! in 2026 at Gallery Art Bar.
Sat. 1/10
Finkelman’s reimagined Nu Orbit Ensemble will launch the series. Established in 2002 to feature a blend of cross-cultural jazz and improvised music, Nu Orbit expands the original concept uniting the creative forces of Michael Linder (drumset and synthesizers), Louie Pappas (saxophones, flutes), Dimitri Glaros (keyboard, oud, viola), and Finkelman (berimbau, congas, percussion).
Sat. 2/14
A special edition of Kuroshio featuring Kavi Naidu (saxophones, flutes), Maxwell Osawa (drums), Sarah Kim Carmer (electric bass) and Finkelman (laptop electronics, percussion) will present a performance in reflection of Lunar New Year. Kuroshio was established in 2019 as an ever-evolving ensemble of improvising artists of Asian descent who explore identity, culture, and diasporic histories through sound. For Finkelman, a fourth generation Japanese American, this ensemble provides a platform to remember the World War Two incarceration experience his ancestors endured.
Sat. 3/7
The final performance of the spotlight series will feature Bourema “Ibrahim” Ouedraogo and Jason Finkelman performing original songs informed by Ouedraogo’s musical origins in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The program will be shared with solo performances by Shona mbira player Dan Kusaya. Ouedraogo is a singer / songwriter whose work reflects his upbringing in a family of musicians, memory of his home city, and inspiration from diasporic African arts in the United States. Finkelman joins Ouedraogo on calabash and congas, kalimbas and berimbau. As a looping artist, Kusaya incorporates the sounds of multiple instruments in performances featuring original songs and world music, along with storytelling and traditional Zimbabwean repertoire.
Performances will include visual artist, Matt Harsh, showcasing immersive projection art, taking place from 3-5pm at Gallery Art Bar. Admission Free.
This performance series is sponsored by the City of Urbana's Arts & Culture Program.
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