DEBRA DELAHUNTY

Debra was born in Huntington Beach,CA and was always drawn to the Native American way of life. 

In 2009, Debra met Peter Lovio (Yaqui), (who became a close friend and her mentor), at Redbirds Children of Many Colors Powwow. He took her by the hand and introduced her to a flute maker and told her, “This is your next Spiritual Journey.” At that time she didn’t understand what he meant until the following week when she was at an open mic and he told her she was going to play. After she played (never playing an instrument before) she understood what he meant as it came natural to her.

Debra has put out one CD, and seven (7) years later plays her flutes for meditations, weddings and Celebrations of Life. You can also hear her play every third (3rd) weekend of July at Redbirds Children of Many Colors Powwow Flute icrcle, held at Moorpark College in Moorpark, CA where her journey began, and in December in Simi Valley, CA at Redbirds Blanket, School Supply and Toy Drive for the children on the Pine Ridge Reservation, SD. 

Debra Delahunty is a big supporter of the Shadow Land Foundation, where her CDs can be purchased and the money will go to help the foundation provide wolf education for children of all ages. Inquire about the CDs and the wolves at their website.

SHEININA RAJ

A prodigy Sheinina Raj was tabbed, unwittingly by her High School Art teacher to attend Canada’s prestigious Emily Carr University of Art + Design saving Sheinina from the brink of betraying her vocation to the leading edge of Contemporary Art making worldwide.

With twenty years of experience Raj’s professional career began in Toronto when the Art Director of Access Music Magazine asked her to photograph the 1998 Canadian Hip Hop scene. A legacy of Photographic artwork that graced the walls of the McMichael’s Canadian Art Collection Gallery. Available nationwide the Everything Remains Raw hardcover book published by McMichael’s features a Prelude written by Sarah Stanners the Director of Curatorial & Collections who references Raj’s art as important to Canada as the Group of 7. For this exhibition the Toronto Now Magazine’s feature story headlined Raj’s photography as “Iconic” for Canada.

In 2001 Grey McGear Modern the Los Angeles based gallery that represented Raj’s artwork called with

news that her exhibition had sold out, followed by a request for her to move to LA and continue to develop her international reputation.

Since then Sheinina has reopened Chinatown Los Angeles with her photographic light paintings projected onto Cirque Du Soleil performers and the architecture that frames Chung King Road. Her vision for a virtual park in the courtyard of the A+D Architecture and Design Museum served as an environment that came to life and aired as NBC’s Today in LA cover story. As the A/V Producer of the Genii Awards Raj projected her visual artwork onto the Skirball Cultural Center Auditorium creating the backdrop for Jay Leno as he honored Betty White with the coveted Life Time Achievement Award.

Raj continues her passion for arts and culture with Intercultural, an immersive vision and sound art experience that features a quadrophonic collaboration by Nelly Furtado. The conceptually rigorous detailed portfolio explores diversity through a collection of self-portraiture featuring artist Sheinina Raj arrayed in the traditional finery of 24 nations. Respectfully a humanitarian call for Sheinina, she stands to enlighten cultural ideologies, initiate respect for diversity and unify humanity for a peaceful coexistence worldwide.

In 2016 Sheinina launched the touring exhibition at the Elaine Fleck Gallery in Toronto prior to New York in 2017. As the destination exhibition at the Miami Design Preservation League Art Deco Museum Raj was honored with an Intercultural Day Proclamation from the City of Miami Beach. With the gracious support from Global Affairs Canada and the Embassy of Canada to the United Arab Emirates Intercultural exhibited at World Art Dubai where Sheinina received the “Most Innovative Artist” Award.

The Prime Minister of Canada the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau stated Sheinina Raj’s Intercultural art exhibition as, “The Best”.

The British Council awarded Sheinina Raj as a Presenter for her Intercultural Poster shown at their 2018

Going Global Conference Gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Having met with Ingrid Leary of the British Council NZ Raj was commissioned to join the “A” team as a Fijian Artist for the launch of the opening plans for the new National Gallery of Contemporary Arts Fiji. Sheinina’s visual art projection on the exterior of the architecture spoke of ancestry, present day and a peaceful vision for the future.

Artist Talks with Knight Foundation Director of Communications Anusha Alikhan and LA Weekly Art Critic Shana Nys Dambrot have brought art to the forefront of dialogue discussing culture and identity, while encouraging a peaceful union in galleries and museums across America.

Unanimously Art Critics from, Miami Herald, Miami New Times, Huffington Post, Argonaut News and Fiji Sun have given Sheinina Raj critical acclaim.

A decorated artist Raj is a recipient of the 2018 International Photography Awards celebrated at Carnegie Hall in New York City. As the Tokyo International Foto Awards Gold Award winner Sheinina’s awarded artwork exhibited at the Shibuya Cultural Center, Japan, Feb. 2019.

Intercultural will next exhibit at the Lois Lambert Gallery at Bergamot Station May 2020 followed by the UN Head- quarters in Geneva with Fiji as the Host Nation in June 2020.

Hobey Ford’s Golden Rod Puppets

Winner of puppetry's highest honor, the UNIMA Citation of Excellence, and recipient of three Jim Henson Foundation grants, Hobey Ford is known for excellence in puppetry performance and craft. 

Hobey's intricate shadow puppetry work and creation of the original rod puppets, the "Foamies", have earned him a place on stages across the world. Hobey's performances incorporate a variety of puppetry styles including Bunraku, rod, marionettes, "Foamies", and shadow puppetry. Hobey adapts folk tales from various cultures for many of his performances, always adding a special "Golden Rod" twist. He uses his own voice to create characters and sound effects, tell stories, and sing. 

Hobey utilizes his artistic study at The State University of New York at Purchase and the University of North Carolina at Asheville to design and construct all of his Golden Rod Puppets and the beautiful sets that surround them. Hobey also draws on his early experiences growing up in coastal Connecticut or living in a Nevada Native American community in writing the scripts for some of his performances such as "Whale Walker" and "Turtle Island Tales".  

Hobey is considered both an innovator in puppetry craft and a master storyteller. He has created both the "Foamies" and the clever hand puppet known as "Peepers". The "Foamies" are large animal puppets carved from blocks of foam. After studying each animal's characteristic movements, Hobey designs various control mechanisms to make the puppets themselves move in a life-like manner. The "Foamies" are presented using both stage and house performance space.

Hobey tours a variety of shows for educational performances and family concerts including: World Tales – puppetry techniques and stories from around the world; Animalia – the beautiful story of the animal world, ecology, metamorphosis, and animals who are endangered; Turtle Island Tales – Native American stories with moving scenery and exquisite shadow puppetry.

Hobey’s production Migration is a sequel to the popular Animalia. Migration is the story of Beatriz, a young girl who travels with her family from their home in Mexico to work the harvest in Maine. The story of Beatriz’ journey is juxtaposed with the stories of other animals that migrate: Monarch Butterflies, polar bears, the Godwit bird and the Sperm Whale.   These extremely realistic puppets are performed behind a thin circular theatrical scrim onto which is projected Hobey’s original artwork.  The puppets appear to be performing within the video projections on a hypnotic dance between the puppeteer, puppets and original artistic scenery.

Hobey’s latest production, Sea Song,  is about a city boy, addicted to video games is sent to at a remote beach house with his grandmother far from any internet.  There the boy discovers the wonder of sea turtles and nature.

In conjunction with The Kennedy Center's Partnership In Education program, Hobey provides teacher workshops in puppetry across the country: "Telling Folktales With Shadow Puppetry", “The Magic of Peepers Puppets: Exploring Writing Through Puppetry” and "From Larvae to Butterfly: Metamorphosis Through Puppetry".

D   E   N   N   I   S

D   I   K   E   N

DRUMMER /PRODUCER

with

T H E   S M I T H E R E E N S

SPECIAL GUEST on

INTERVIEWING THE LEGENDS

with RAY SHASHO

Founded in New Jersey in 1980, The Smithereens have been creating electrifying, original rock’n’roll for 39 years. Jim Babjak (guitar,) Dennis Diken (drums,) and Mike Mesaros (bass) grew up together in Carteret and lead singer, the late Pat DiNizio, hailed from Scotch Plains. The band paid its dues in clubs all over the NYC tri-state area from Kenny’s Castaways in Greenwich Village to the Court Tavern and Stone Pony in NJ. As The Smithereens’ fame escalated, they were in heavy rotation on MTV and appeared on The Tonight Show, Conan O'Brien, and Saturday Night Live. They’ve since performed on stages coast to coast from the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles to the Meadowlands Arena in NJ to Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan, and internationally from Europe to Australia. Tour mates have included Tom Petty, Squeeze, The Pretenders, Lou Reed, and Ramones, among others.

​The Smithereens’ take no prisoners sound, reflecting their Garden State roots, has resonated with fans worldwide over the course of 17 albums and 2500+ live shows. Their most recent release, COVERS, features 22 of the bands favorite songs first recorded by other artists. They've also inspired generations of musicians, including Kurt Cobain, who counted The Smithereens as a major influence on Nirvana.



And with the 2017 passing of Pat DiNizio, the surviving members have decided to persevere and carry on their shared musical legacy. Using guest vocalists including Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms and Marshall Crenshaw, they continue to entertain and rock fans all over the U.S. and the world!  

Purchase the most recent album from The Smithereens entitled ‘Covers’ at amazon.com

C O V E R S 

BY THE SMITHEREENS

TRACK LISTING

1. The Game of Love (Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders)
2. The Slider (T. Rex)
3. Ruler of My Heart (Irma Thomas)
4. Wooly Bully (Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs)
5. Let’s Talk About Us (Otis Blackwell)
6. Girl Don’t Tell Me (Beach Boys)
7. Up In Heaven (The Clash)
8. Time Won’t Let Me (The Outsiders)
9. Gloomy Sunday (Billie Holiday)
10. Yer Blues (Beatles)
11. One After 909 (Beatles)
12. I Want to Tell You (Beatles)
13. It Don’t Come Easy (Ringo Starr)
14. Well Alright (Live) (Buddy Holly)
15. Rosie Won’t You Please Come Home (The Kinks)
16. World Keeps Going ‘Round (The Kinks)
17. Downbound Train (Bruce Springsteen)
18. The Seeker (The Who)
19. Something Stupid (Frank and Nancy Sinatra)
20. Lust for Life (Iggy Pop)
21. The Stroll (The Diamonds)
22. Shakin’ All Over (Johnny Kidd and the Pirates)

UPCOMING SHOWS

19 Sat Oct

THE SMITHEREENS w/MARSHALL CRENSHAW in Pawling NY

Daryl's House Club

26 Sat Oct

THE SMITHEREENS: A NEW JERSEY HALL OF FAME CELEBRATION AT THE STONE PONY

The Stone Pony

27 Sun Oct

THE SMITHEREENS NJ HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

Asbury Park Convention Hall

01 Fri Nov

THE SMITHEREENS w/MARSHALL CRENSHAW in Natick, MA

The Center For Arts In Natick

02 Sat Nov

THE SMITHEREENS w/MARSHALL CRENSHAW in East Greenwich, RI

The Greenwich Odeum

15 Fri Nov

THE SMITHEREENS w/MARSHALL CRENSHAW in Port Washington, NY

Jeanne Rimsky Theater

30 Sat Nov

THE SMITHEREENS w/MARSHALL CRENSHAW in Tarrytown, NY

Tarrytown Music Hall

 20 Fri Dec

THE SMITHEREENS w/MARSHALL CRENSHAW in Scituate, MA

River Club Music Hall

18 Sat Jan

THE SMITHEREENS w/ROBIN WILSON in New York City

Sony Hall

07 Sat Mar

THE SMITHEREENS w/MARSHALL CRENSHAW in West Long Branch, NJ

A less than ideal childhood ultimately prepared Karen Sherbut for the role of her life as a role model, mentor, and humanitarian. In this capacity she provides what she so desperately had once needed; ultimately improving the lives of many young women, their families, and loved ones. Karen’s dream of providing for homeless girls came to fruition in 1996, when alongside her husband John, founded Safe Haven Foundation of Canada. Volunteering at the helm of the Foundation, Karen’s steadfast commitment continues to shape a better and brighter future for all of us.

In addition, for the past 22 years, Karen has been employed as the Vice President of Marketing at Britgary Properties. In recent years, Karen’s expertise has expanded to include operations and strategic planning of some of the Britgary’s newest endeavours

Karen has stood and fought her way through every challenge life threw at her; turning her adversity into a fire that would go on to change the world. It was this passion that drove Karen and her husband John to start the Safe Haven Foundation of Canada. She has empowered not just the 80+ girls that have gone through the program, but impacted countless others as an inspiration, mentor and beacon of light in what can be a very dark world.