National Sawdust Celebrates Activism With Vietnamese Artist Mai Khoi And Musician Madame Gandhi Next Week

At a time when many feel called to advocacy, National Sawdust - the music incubator and venue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn - opens its fourth season highlighting their commitment to activism by featuring two artists who have gained notoriety inciting political or social change. Acclaimed Series NationalSawdust+ returns with the New York City debut of Mai Khoi - dubbed the Lady Gaga of Vietnam - for an evening of international music, poetry, and conversation on September 11. Then, on September 13, Madame Gandhi presents her acclaimed and empowering voice, music, and written work in the venue.

Mai Khoi has been persecuted for her open criticism of the state, particularly as she evolved from her pop star roots into an experimental folk artist chanting lyrics infused with themes of resistance and protest. In March 2018, as part of a crackdown on dissent, Khoi was briefly detained by the Vietnamese government as she returned home from her European tour. Making her NYC debut with fellow activist musicians Quy?n Thi?n ??c and Nguyen Duc Minh, Mai Khoi and the Dissidents will give Brooklyn audiences a chance to experience her luminary voice, which "pushes the boundaries of what we know and understand about Vietnamese pop music" (The AU Review). They will be joined on this program by Paul Tran, the first Asian American since 1993 to win the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grand Slam. The September 11 event, presented in partnership with an artistic freedom program "Artists at Risk Connection (ARC)" of PEN America, will feature a live performance and a reading, followed by a discussion and audience Q+A.

Recognized widely as the former drummer for internationally renowned artist M.I.A. and the free-bleeding runner at the 2015 London Marathon, Madame Gandhi (Kiran Gandhi) was just named in Vogue as one of the "34 Stars Who Continue to Shine on a Global Stage." On September 13, she returns to New York City to headline a dynamic concert that will feature music from her solo career, including music off of her upcoming debut full-length album.

These events lead National Sawdust into their fourth season's Opening Weekend (September 15 and 16) focused on its mission of mentorship. The weekend includes a celebration of National Sawdust Founding Artistic Board Member and composer Terry Riley. Riley's work will be performed under the direction of composer-conductor and National Sawdust Artist-in-Residence Julian Wachner and will feature The Choir of Trinity Wall Street and NOVUS NY; Riley will share the stage with guitarist Gyan Riley and LCD Soundsystem's synth wizard Gavin Rayna Russom for a world premiere collaboration; and Devon Welsh kicking off the series of concerts curated by the Brooklyn-based AdHoc.

nationalsawdust.org

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