New Venture Takes a World-Music View

After three years of seeking, with limited backing, to broaden South Orange County’s artistic horizons as programming director for the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library’s Multicultural Arts Series, Sundarajan Mutialu is striking out on his own.

The Fiji-born Mutialu has helped launch the Multicultural Arts Society (MAS), a nonprofit organization aimed at providing affordable arts events that bridge world cultures. Its first program, San Juan Summer Nites, debuts tonight at Historic Town Center Park.

The free event--to be held the third Wednesday of each month--will feature live music, food, business booths and a children’s activity area. Colombian-born saxophonist Justo Almario and his Latin jazz band, Tolu, play tonight’s opener.

The society is also presenting a World Music Series beginning Saturday evening with two performances by Druha Trava, an award-winning bluegrass band from the Czech Republic. The concerts will be at Marco F. Forster Middle School in San Juan Capistrano. Though it lacks the ambience of the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library, the new location does offer one big bonus--more seating.

“There is still a cultural void here in South County, and our goal is to provide arts and music that enrich the human experience,” Mutialu said. “We’re not a Santa Ana group; we’re not a San Juan group. . . . We’re a globally minded group. Wherever someone wants cultural or educational programming, we’ll try to be there.”

Mutialu is the library’s second program director to cite diminishing support for his departure. Predecessor Jose Aponte resigned in 1995 to become director of the West Palm Beach Public Library in Florida, saying he was disillusioned by the 60-hour work weeks, bureaucratic hassles and lack of financial assistance as the emphasis shifted to library services.

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During his five years as librarian/program director, Aponte booked primarily South American and African-based musicians--including Poncho Sanchez, Sambo Ngo, Juan Carlos Quintero and Correo Aereo for the library series.

Mutialu has since presented a range of musical styles including country blues, Native American flute music, Paraguayan harp, contemporary Irish folk, bluegrass, zydeco and other strains of world music.

Though he achieved some success, the engineering and marketing consultant who volunteers his services to MAS said his separation from the library was inspired more by the library staff’s de-emphasis on the arts.

“When Jose left, the library continued withdrawing its support for the arts and the music series,” he said. “Its primary motivation, particularly of late, has been to provide strict library services. The music series was no longer considered a library program, plain and simple.

“I wanted to get the community more involved, not less. For instance, we had this Artists in Residence program where musicians like [Herman Pinilla of Huayucaltia] would teach the public how to play genre-specific instruments, like the Andean flute. But Renee Welling, the librarian who replaced Jose . . . dropped the program. I personally feel the library should be about more than just books.”

(Welling and her regional supervisor, Christine McSparren, declined to be interviewed for this article.)

Summer concerts at Forster’s school courtyard can accommodate about 600 people; an adjacent auditorium will seat about 350 in winter months. The library’s La Sala Auditorium holds fewer than 200.

“We were turning people away from the library, particularly during the winter months,” Mutialu said. “I don’t want to tell somebody who drove down with two kids from Long Beach that I don’t have any seats for them.” (Advance tickets were not sold.)

Mutialu said MAS plans to revive the Artists in Residence program and to develop, in collaboration with local schools, cultural and educational programs, student scholarships and technical production training (in sound, color, lighting, etc.).

The key to making it work, added MAS’ president and programming director, is community support.

“Operating under the umbrella of the library, which is an agency of the county, it was very difficult to obtain funding from various foundations and other sources,” Mutialu said. “With MAS, we’re in a better position financially because we’re an independent body. And so far, we’ve had good luck attracting sponsors, such as KSBR radio, the Capistrano Unified School District, Cafe Mozart and the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce, among others.”

Mutialu said he and the 12-member World Music Series committee feel optimistic about the potential of MAS.

“I live here and want to continue working for this community but not under conditions where we have no latitude in moving forward. The music series had become stagnant and was in danger of dying off. “We’re off to a good start, and we’re all working hard on [acquiring] more resources to keep it headed in the right direction.”

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CAPISTRANO CONCERTS

San Juan Summer Nites:

* Tonight: Justo Almario (Latin jazz)

At Historic Town Center Park, 31806 El Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano. 5:30 p.m. Other concerts TBA on the third Wednesday of each month. Free. (949) 493-4700.

World Music series:

* Saturday: Druha Trava (Czech bluegrass)

* June 27: Brothers of the Baladi (Middle Eastern folk music)

* July 11: Huayucaltia (Peruvian folk-contemporary)

* July 18: Marcos Ariel and Justo Almario (Latin jazz)

* Aug. 18: Abraham Laboriel (jazz fusion)

* Aug. 29: Balfa Tojours (Cajun)

Concerts take place at Marco F. Forster Middle School, 25601 Camino del Avion, San Juan Capistrano. 7 and 9 p.m. $3-$6. (949) 493-1133.