Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center

Ashkenaz is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Organization. Help support our diverse and affordable programming with your tax-deductible donation!

To Contribute By Mail or Phone Click Here

Sign up to receive e-mails about Upcoming Shows

Ashkenaz Live!

In the Spring of 2010 Ashkenaz embarked on a project in collaboration with Berkeley Community Media Center, with the Generous Support of The San Francisco Foundation, that began bringing video of performances at Ashkenaz to the TV screens of Berkeley and the Computer Monitors of You Tube, Vimeo and Facebook users. The program entitles Ashkenaz Live! Has finished its first season of twelve thirty minuet episodes feautring many of Ashkenaz's most historic performers, and what is to come in World music in the Bay Area. The project has also spurned the begining of production of a historical doccumentary aimed to feature a oral history of the venues 38 year tenure as Berkeleys home for world music and dance. .

You can also check out Ashkenaz Live by...

"Likeing" the show on Facebook
Visiting our YouTube Chanel
Visiting our Vimeo Chanel

or checking out the performances we've selected to embed on each page of this Website!

Live at Ashkenaz Audio CD Series

As Part of an ongoing effort to present the Music of Ashkenaz to the general public, we have released two CD's, with several more in production, feauturing the music of the clubs regular acts, organized by genre. Theses artists have generously donated the use of their music to the project, and represent the best Ashkenaz has to offer in quality world entertainment. All the tracks appearing on these records were recorded live in the venue, and the production quality features the skill of Ashkenaz Sound Engineers, and the beautiful ambiance of our all wood dance hall.

Featured Track-
Babá Ken &
the Afro-Groove ConneXion
Shaba

Live At Ashkenaz-Africa
Released in 2008, contains many of th diverse styles of African Music offered at Ashkenaz and features some of the finest African musicians around including tracks by Ashkenaz regular Baba Ken Okulolo, Grammy Award winning Kora Master Solo Cissokho, just to name a few.

Full Track List-
1. Afrissippi (Senegal) – Ayo Leele
2. Babá Ken & the Afro-Groove ConneXion (Nigeria)– Shaba
3. Solo Cissokho (Senegal) – Sayate Jong Tula
* featuring Ousseynou Kouyate
4. Thomas Mapfumo (Zimbabwe)– Mwana Wemurombo
5. Nawal (Comoros) – Salama
6. Moh Alileche (Algeria)– Be Happy > The Groom
7. Mamadou & Vanessa (Mali)– Haklima
* featuring Stephen Kent and Amadou Camara
8. Najite & Olokun Prophecy (Nigeria) – Bolo-Oya

Featured Track-

Asheba
In The Kid Zone

Live at Ashkenaz- Kids
Released in 2010, demontrates an often overlooked asset to Ashkenaz's programing. As an effort to introduce children to the music of the World, Ashkenaz presents quality childrens entertainers in fun and community oriented environment. This disc features professional musicians from around the world who are excited about their sharing music with the next generation. From the Caribbean stylings of Ashkenaz regular Asheba, to the Traditional Celtic Music of Four Shillings Short, Live at Ashkenaz-Kids will bring children and adults on a trip around the world.

Full Track Listing
1. Use a Napkin (Not Your Mom)
2. My Loose Tooth
3. When the Spirit
4. Pa Cantar de un Improviso
5. Asheba-Soggy Sunday
6. Asheba-In the Kid Zone
7. No Bones Within
8. Butterfly
9. Chechekule
10. We Like Funky
11. Bit by Bit
12. When the Cock Crows

Both albums can be previewed and purchased at CD Baby or at the venue itself.
Please ask a staff member, and they will glady assist you in obtaining a copy of eithier or both.

Image Gallery

Photographers say time and again, there is no place to shoot like Ashkenaz... With the joy of cross cultural entertainment comes performers with charisma, often wearing traditional and colorful clothing from around the world, feeding off a diverse audince focused on dancing. What more could a photographer ask for, besides a fast lens to deal with an often dimly lit room!

Click here to cycle through a album of some of our favorite shots taken at Ashkenaz performances!