Club Mandalay: Jazz & Ancestral Philippine Music at the I-Hotel

Club Mandalay is a monthly live music gathering at the International Hotel Manilatown Center — a space rooted in Manilatown’s history where sound becomes a way to remember, reconnect, and be together.

This special afternoon brings together two of Manilatown’s resident ensembles:

Sharing improvisations that reflect the diverse musical experience of San Francisco — music shaped by jazz, storytelling, and creative dialogue.

Presenting pre-colonial Philippine music and dance traditions — including kulintang and indigenous movement — honoring cultural knowledge passed forward across generations.

Together, these ensembles embody a living bridge between contemporary expression and ancestral tradition. Jazz and indigenous sound meet not as opposites, but as continuations of one another — rooted in rhythm, listening, and community care.

Club Mandalay takes place in the very building that stands because of collective action. The original International Hotel was home to generations of Filipino and Chinese immigrant elders who were unjustly evicted in 1977 after years of resistance. Their struggle became a defining moment in Asian American civil rights history. Today, we gather in this rebuilt space not only to remember that fight, but to carry forward its spirit of solidarity, dignity, and perseverance through art.

At Club Mandalay, music is offered as more than performance. It is shared as:

• Remembrance of those who came before us
• Affirmation of belonging in the present
• Inspiration to imagine a shared future shaped by perseverance, creativity, and collective responsibility for our common home

Rooted in the legacy of Manilatown and the I-Hotel, these gatherings welcome people of all backgrounds — whether you are a longtime community member, a neighbor, a visitor, or simply curious.

This event is free; donations are greatly appreciated in support of Manilatown’s community arts and cultural programs.

Club Mandalay is made possible by the generous support of the Asian Pacific Fund, San Francisco Grants for the Arts, San Francisco Arts Commission and the California Arts Council. For more information about Club Mandalay, the Manilatown Jazz Ensemble, the Manilatown Ancestral Ensemble, or the Manilatown Heritage Foundation, please contact us at: [email protected]

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Host or Publisher Manilatown Heritage Foundation