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Lakeview Mural Covers the World
Imagine. You are an artist. You are presented with a creative challenge in the form of a blank canvas, irregular in height and stretching the length of 1½ football fields. You are asked to paint something colorful, evocative and transformative that will enhance Oakland. What would you choose? Given the peculiar dimensions, “we could have done a very long caterpillar,” laughs Oakland artist and muralist Peter Lee. What Lee in fact came up with for the canvas in question—a cement retaining wall at Oakland’s Lakeview Elementary School—is fantastical, educational, inspirational and grand.
The global mural, created by a team of nine local artists assembled for the project, is called Our Community—Our World. And cover the world it does, in multicolor splendor. All seven continents are represented in a panorama of natural and man-made landmarks, cultural icons and environmental symbols.
And there are quirky bits—flying Canada geese with children on their backs, for example, plus assorted creatures of the deep swimming in what Lee refers to as “a global version of Lake Merritt.”
Lee is a well-known Oakland character with his long hair, wispy beard, wide-brimmed gray felt hat and 8
paint-spattered jacket. You may have spotted him sitting at his easel on a street corner in downtown Oakland or somewhere around Lake Merritt, wielding his brushes, engrossed in his art. He is responsible for several notable Oakland murals—there’s one in the parking lot for the new Trader Joe’s on Lakeshore Avenue; another decorates the Leaning Tower of Pizza on Brooklyn Avenue, off Lakeshore.“Our question for this project became: Why not show the whole world?” says Lee. The completed work—a gift to the school—can be viewed by anybody strolling the sidewalk near the Grand Lake Theater or taking the northbound Interstate 580 on-ramp from Grand Avenue.
Each artist involved designed and executed one or more countries or continents. “We had five or six design meetings before we started painting,” says Lee, “to ensure cohesion.”
The project’s facilitator and director, Stephan Tompkins, who had the vision to transform what, for years, had been a grubby concrete blot on the landscape, cleaned and primed the wall for the art. He calls Lee “the rock star of this thing. I am the subtext. I’m riding on the energy of Peter and the artists. I handle the funds. [The fundraising drive is ongoing, as the mural needs to be maintained.] I do what I can to keep from interfering with the energy flow.”
Tompkins saw the value of an architectural geography reference source for kids. “Nowadays they don’t know anything,” he says. “‘They know of Pisa because of pizza, and if you ask who owns the Leaning Tower of Pisa, they’re likely to say Domino’s. Here [at the mural], kids ask mom, ‘What’s that?,’ and they learn about the world.” Which sure beats one long caterpillar.
For more on the artists and the current status of the Lakeview Mural Project, see www.lakeviewmural.org.
—By Wanda Hennig
Artists Paul White and Mindy Rodman call their work “functional and dysfunctional sculpture.”
“Our pieces sometimes look like they’re dancing,” White says of the whimsical contemporary furniture and sculpture he makes with his wife, Mindy Rodman, in their Oakland-based studio. “They have a lot of rhythm,” he says.
Inspired by music and modern dance, as well as the art of Henri Matisse, Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso, White and Rodman’s undulating designs often look like they defy gravity. The couple credits their adventurousness and creativity to their lack of formal training in woodworking and welding. “It’s easier to think outside the box when you have not been taught inside the box,” Rodman says.
White, 53, and Rodman, 50, first met at the City College of San Francisco, where they both studied cinematography in the 1970s. After working in the film industry for more than 10 years, they started making furniture together in the carport of their Los Angeles apartment. Soon their hobby became a full-time job. “It basically got to a point where we were having more fun making the pieces than we were going off to work on Hollywood movies,” Rodman says.
Twelve years ago they returned to the Bay Area, where they found a 3,000-square-foot live-work space on 47th Street in Oakland. They have stayed put ever since, having found unique ways to make the best use of the space, such as keeping their woodworking and welding tools on wheels, so they can be taken out and put away easily.
“We’ve been collaborating artistically for so long now, that it’s pretty easy for us,” Rodman says. “We finish each other’s sentences, so we finish each other’s drawings as well.”
Rodman and White’s customers, who span the globe, have commissioned furniture and sculptures for both home and office. Prices range from $600 for a simple table or wall mirror to as much as $10,000 for a large, detailed entertainment center or china cabinet. See more examples at www.rodmanwhite.com. Rodman White House, 1066 47th Ave., Studio No. 16, (510) 261-5484.
OAKLAND MADE
Fun Furniture
Artists Paul White and Mindy Rodman call their work “functional and dysfunctional sculpture.”“Our pieces sometimes look like they’re dancing,” White says of the whimsical contemporary furniture and sculpture he makes with his wife, Mindy Rodman, in their Oakland-based studio. “They have a lot of rhythm,” he says.
Inspired by music and modern dance, as well as the art of Henri Matisse, Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso, White and Rodman’s undulating designs often look like they defy gravity. The couple credits their adventurousness and creativity to their lack of formal training in woodworking and welding. “It’s easier to think outside the box when you have not been taught inside the box,” Rodman says.
White, 53, and Rodman, 50, first met at the City College of San Francisco, where they both studied cinematography in the 1970s. After working in the film industry for more than 10 years, they started making furniture together in the carport of their Los Angeles apartment. Soon their hobby became a full-time job. “It basically got to a point where we were having more fun making the pieces than we were going off to work on Hollywood movies,” Rodman says.Twelve years ago they returned to the Bay Area, where they found a 3,000-square-foot live-work space on 47th Street in Oakland. They have stayed put ever since, having found unique ways to make the best use of the space, such as keeping their woodworking and welding tools on wheels, so they can be taken out and put away easily.
“We’ve been collaborating artistically for so long now, that it’s pretty easy for us,” Rodman says. “We finish each other’s sentences, so we finish each other’s drawings as well.”
Rodman and White’s customers, who span the globe, have commissioned furniture and sculptures for both home and office. Prices range from $600 for a simple table or wall mirror to as much as $10,000 for a large, detailed entertainment center or china cabinet. See more examples at www.rodmanwhite.com. Rodman White House, 1066 47th Ave., Studio No. 16, (510) 261-5484.
—By Ellen Keohane
Want to tool around the Bay Area by bike?
A gem of a book, Moon Outdoors Bay Area Biking, can help. Hot off the presses of Emeryville-based Avalon Travel Publishing (an imprint of Avalon Publishing Inc., $15.95), this handy 236-page guidebook by Ann Marie Brown divides the Bay Area into geographic areas—north, east and the peninsula and south bay—to display detailed information on road- and mountain-bike rides. On each ride, Brown rates difficulty, estimates riding time, includes total distance and shows elevation gain, plus briefly describes the high points while listing easy-to-follow routes and driving directions.
The East Bay section covers territory from the (paved) wilds of Nimitz Way and Wildcat Canyon in the Berkeley Hills and the meandering single-track of Briones Regional
Park to the flats and wineries of the Livermore Valley. East Bay excursions introduce cyclists to 18 pedaling options, and Brown singles out five as best rides for families, high overlooks, history, wildlife viewing and wine tasting.
And for bettys and bobs who want to ride with a group, there’s a geographic rundown of bike clubs as well as a city-by-city directory of bike shops for techno-weenies. What are you waiting for? Clip in and go.
Atop a Chinese restaurant may seem an unlikely location for Oakland’s hottest new lounge, but the happy-hour crowd has been flocking to Arsimona since it opened in November. The stylish nightspot, above the Crown Walk restaurant on the corner of 11th and Clay, is the realization of a longtime dream for brothers Tem and Teddy Kiflit, who hail from Boston and grew up in their family’s restaurant business. When they picked their space, the Kiflits chose downtown Oakland over San Jose’s Santana Row. It felt a little risky, Tem Kiflit says, but it pays off every day. “I hear ‘Thank you, we needed this,’ ” he says, from the neighbors who flock to the bar for lunch and dinner, or for drinks and appetizers while watching basketball and other sports on the flat-panel televisions.
Arsimona means “beautiful” in Eritrean, and the space is just that—a first-class club with a slight African flair in the main space, 18-foot ceilings, sleek furnishings, a hand-built bar and a VIP room with bamboo floors and a skylight. It’s no wonder the bar draws everyone from professional athletes (including the Raiders’ Langston Walker, members of the Golden State Warriors and Jerry Rice) to the dot-com crowd.
The drink menu is extensive and inventive, with signature martinis and margaritas and high-end scotches and cognacs, including Hennessey Richard, which retails for $165 a shot. There’s also a monthly wine flight offered, giving patrons a chance to educate themselves about California’s different appellations while sampling the international cuisine. Favorites from the busy kitchen include the Cuban burger, Asian pesto shrimp and Creole jambalaya—the kind of food, augmented by the sound of live jazz and DJs, that keeps people coming back for more.
Arsimona, 561 11th St., (510) 338-2195, www.arsimona.com.
Damsels are skipping their formal spa appointments and de-stressing at home, thanks to Oakland-based Spa Dee Dah, a company that brings decadent facials, massages and pomegranate-champagne cocktails to clients’ homes.
Co-founder Ellen Olson, an esthetician and self-professed spa junkie, came up with the mobile massage concept after attracting haughty stares for being a bit too much “fun” during her own spa visits.
“She’s the life of the party,” explains her partner and longtime friend Andrea Turner, a massage therapist. “One time she went to a spa that was Zen-focused, and whenever she became too loud, the staff would ring the peace gong to remind her to settle down.”
Shortly thereafter, Olson dreamed up Spa Dee Dah, which allows clients to be as loud as they want to be while receiving the royal treatment in the privacy of their own homes.
The company uses environmentally friendly, all-natural skin care products (from such purveyors as Marin County–based Pharmacopia) and offers an array of unusual pampering parties, like the Gidget-inspired beach bash, or birthday gatherings featuring zodiac-sign cocktails created by mad-scientist mixologists.
Couples Night is specially designed for lovebirds living in the East Bay, and includes dinner a deux, a bottle of champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, soft music to set the mood, and just about anything else your heart desires. For large parties, Spa Dee Dah even throws in a DJ and burlesque instructor, if you’re so inclined. “If you can dream it, we can probably find it,” Turner says. “Our Rolodex is pretty big.”
Spa Dee Dah’s menu goes geisha this season with the addition of Sake to Me, a pampering party that comes with handmade kimonos for you and your guests, sushi wrapped in flower petals and a lavish sake-tasting menu. Beautifying treatments include Japanese nuka bran rice facials and river-rock massage.
If that’s not enough incentive to throw your own shindig, consider this: The hostess receives a free massage and facial just for arranging the event.
For the de-stressing details, visit www.spadee-dah.com or call (415) 341-5615.
In the Picture
Steven Jenner has kept a real sharp focus on Oakland since 1988. By then he had spent about a dozen years photographing landscapes crisscrossed by pipelines from small low-flying planes and helicopters for “big oil.” It was pretty thrilling, he says, to see the North American countryside from the air all the way from New York to British Columbia and Alaska (twice).
A 1988 visit to the Mills College campus bookstore led to what would be a new feet-on-the-ground career direction for the Oakland Hills resident. “I noticed they stocked no cards featuring the college,” he says. So he snapped some campus scenes and turned them into greeting cards. Then, seeing that Oakland had nothing to speak of by way of cards featuring city landmarks and attractions, he turned his lens on the city as a whole.
So began Jenner’s business, Local Color, which specializes in one-fold greeting cards. He gradually
expanded his focus from Oakland to San Francisco and Marin, and eventually added other cities (including St. Louis, Mo., where he grew up and still has family) and countries (Italy, ancient England), as well as nature scenes and images.
Living in Oakland allows Jenner to keeps his local shots current. “For example, when I saw the refurbished pergola at Lake Merritt,” he says, “I made a mental note to take a sunset shot.” He used to work with sales reps but now distributes the cards himself, which pays added dividends. “I found I got really isolated,” he explains. “Going to the stores myself, I get to know the buyers, and often they will come up with great ideas for cards.” You will find Jenner’s cards at such independent bookstores as Pendragon (5560 College Ave.) and Walden Pond (3316 Grand Ave.), and the “big” Rockridge Longs Drugs (5100 Broadway), where the buyer supports local card producers You can also view and order them on the web at www.localcolorcards.com.
Two-Wheel It
Want to tool around the Bay Area by bike?
A gem of a book, Moon Outdoors Bay Area Biking, can help. Hot off the presses of Emeryville-based Avalon Travel Publishing (an imprint of Avalon Publishing Inc., $15.95), this handy 236-page guidebook by Ann Marie Brown divides the Bay Area into geographic areas—north, east and the peninsula and south bay—to display detailed information on road- and mountain-bike rides. On each ride, Brown rates difficulty, estimates riding time, includes total distance and shows elevation gain, plus briefly describes the high points while listing easy-to-follow routes and driving directions.The East Bay section covers territory from the (paved) wilds of Nimitz Way and Wildcat Canyon in the Berkeley Hills and the meandering single-track of Briones Regional
Park to the flats and wineries of the Livermore Valley. East Bay excursions introduce cyclists to 18 pedaling options, and Brown singles out five as best rides for families, high overlooks, history, wildlife viewing and wine tasting.
And for bettys and bobs who want to ride with a group, there’s a geographic rundown of bike clubs as well as a city-by-city directory of bike shops for techno-weenies. What are you waiting for? Clip in and go.
In the Scene
The Lounge Life
Atop a Chinese restaurant may seem an unlikely location for Oakland’s hottest new lounge, but the happy-hour crowd has been flocking to Arsimona since it opened in November. The stylish nightspot, above the Crown Walk restaurant on the corner of 11th and Clay, is the realization of a longtime dream for brothers Tem and Teddy Kiflit, who hail from Boston and grew up in their family’s restaurant business. When they picked their space, the Kiflits chose downtown Oakland over San Jose’s Santana Row. It felt a little risky, Tem Kiflit says, but it pays off every day. “I hear ‘Thank you, we needed this,’ ” he says, from the neighbors who flock to the bar for lunch and dinner, or for drinks and appetizers while watching basketball and other sports on the flat-panel televisions.Arsimona means “beautiful” in Eritrean, and the space is just that—a first-class club with a slight African flair in the main space, 18-foot ceilings, sleek furnishings, a hand-built bar and a VIP room with bamboo floors and a skylight. It’s no wonder the bar draws everyone from professional athletes (including the Raiders’ Langston Walker, members of the Golden State Warriors and Jerry Rice) to the dot-com crowd.
The drink menu is extensive and inventive, with signature martinis and margaritas and high-end scotches and cognacs, including Hennessey Richard, which retails for $165 a shot. There’s also a monthly wine flight offered, giving patrons a chance to educate themselves about California’s different appellations while sampling the international cuisine. Favorites from the busy kitchen include the Cuban burger, Asian pesto shrimp and Creole jambalaya—the kind of food, augmented by the sound of live jazz and DJs, that keeps people coming back for more.
Arsimona, 561 11th St., (510) 338-2195, www.arsimona.com.
—By Jessica Hilberman
Berkeley resident and single parent Rachel Sarah’s new book, Single Mom Seeking: Playdates, Blind Dates and Other Dispatches from the Dating World (Seal Press, www.sealpress.com, $14.95, 200 pp.),
came to life out of sheer necessity. “Once I started dating, I went looking for a self-help book about single moms dating,” says Sarah. “When it came to ‘how do you date again,’ I couldn’t find a book, so I decided maybe I should write it.” And so she did, using her sometimes bawdy but always heartfelt memoir to give a voice to all the singles who don’t stop looking for romance just because they’ve entered the maternal or paternal world. From the foibles of Internet dating to a fling with a bed salesman, Sarah never holds back on telling it like it is, especially sex—in all its raunchiness, poignancy and hopefulness. “In terms of putting myself out there, the best part has been all the single moms who write to me, saying, ‘I really see myself in the pages, and I felt that you could be me talking,’ ” says Sarah.
Even Sarah’s daughter, Mae, is eager to read the book, although mom will put that off till Mae’s a bit more prepared for the sometimes-R-rated material, perhaps even until “she’s out of the house.” “She’ll be 7 next month,” Sarah says. “She invites friends over and is reading the book to them and I have to stop her.” But that’s not all bad. “I’m really hoping that it will open some sort of dialogue for us,” Sarah says. “And that’s been a really positive thing that I did not expect—that adult children who were raised by single moms have been coming to my readings and telling me that they really get where their mom was coming from. And they’re able to see the other side.”
ABOUT A WRITER
Single Mom's Manifesto
Berkeley resident and single parent Rachel Sarah’s new book, Single Mom Seeking: Playdates, Blind Dates and Other Dispatches from the Dating World (Seal Press, www.sealpress.com, $14.95, 200 pp.),
came to life out of sheer necessity. “Once I started dating, I went looking for a self-help book about single moms dating,” says Sarah. “When it came to ‘how do you date again,’ I couldn’t find a book, so I decided maybe I should write it.” And so she did, using her sometimes bawdy but always heartfelt memoir to give a voice to all the singles who don’t stop looking for romance just because they’ve entered the maternal or paternal world. From the foibles of Internet dating to a fling with a bed salesman, Sarah never holds back on telling it like it is, especially sex—in all its raunchiness, poignancy and hopefulness. “In terms of putting myself out there, the best part has been all the single moms who write to me, saying, ‘I really see myself in the pages, and I felt that you could be me talking,’ ” says Sarah.Even Sarah’s daughter, Mae, is eager to read the book, although mom will put that off till Mae’s a bit more prepared for the sometimes-R-rated material, perhaps even until “she’s out of the house.” “She’ll be 7 next month,” Sarah says. “She invites friends over and is reading the book to them and I have to stop her.” But that’s not all bad. “I’m really hoping that it will open some sort of dialogue for us,” Sarah says. “And that’s been a really positive thing that I did not expect—that adult children who were raised by single moms have been coming to my readings and telling me that they really get where their mom was coming from. And they’re able to see the other side.”
—By Elise Proulx
Just Say Spaaaaaah
Damsels are skipping their formal spa appointments and de-stressing at home, thanks to Oakland-based Spa Dee Dah, a company that brings decadent facials, massages and pomegranate-champagne cocktails to clients’ homes.
Co-founder Ellen Olson, an esthetician and self-professed spa junkie, came up with the mobile massage concept after attracting haughty stares for being a bit too much “fun” during her own spa visits.
“She’s the life of the party,” explains her partner and longtime friend Andrea Turner, a massage therapist. “One time she went to a spa that was Zen-focused, and whenever she became too loud, the staff would ring the peace gong to remind her to settle down.”
Shortly thereafter, Olson dreamed up Spa Dee Dah, which allows clients to be as loud as they want to be while receiving the royal treatment in the privacy of their own homes.
The company uses environmentally friendly, all-natural skin care products (from such purveyors as Marin County–based Pharmacopia) and offers an array of unusual pampering parties, like the Gidget-inspired beach bash, or birthday gatherings featuring zodiac-sign cocktails created by mad-scientist mixologists.
Couples Night is specially designed for lovebirds living in the East Bay, and includes dinner a deux, a bottle of champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, soft music to set the mood, and just about anything else your heart desires. For large parties, Spa Dee Dah even throws in a DJ and burlesque instructor, if you’re so inclined. “If you can dream it, we can probably find it,” Turner says. “Our Rolodex is pretty big.”
Spa Dee Dah’s menu goes geisha this season with the addition of Sake to Me, a pampering party that comes with handmade kimonos for you and your guests, sushi wrapped in flower petals and a lavish sake-tasting menu. Beautifying treatments include Japanese nuka bran rice facials and river-rock massage.
If that’s not enough incentive to throw your own shindig, consider this: The hostess receives a free massage and facial just for arranging the event.
For the de-stressing details, visit www.spadee-dah.com or call (415) 341-5615.
—By Stephanie Simons
In the Picture
Steven Jenner has kept a real sharp focus on Oakland since 1988. By then he had spent about a dozen years photographing landscapes crisscrossed by pipelines from small low-flying planes and helicopters for “big oil.” It was pretty thrilling, he says, to see the North American countryside from the air all the way from New York to British Columbia and Alaska (twice). A 1988 visit to the Mills College campus bookstore led to what would be a new feet-on-the-ground career direction for the Oakland Hills resident. “I noticed they stocked no cards featuring the college,” he says. So he snapped some campus scenes and turned them into greeting cards. Then, seeing that Oakland had nothing to speak of by way of cards featuring city landmarks and attractions, he turned his lens on the city as a whole.
So began Jenner’s business, Local Color, which specializes in one-fold greeting cards. He gradually
expanded his focus from Oakland to San Francisco and Marin, and eventually added other cities (including St. Louis, Mo., where he grew up and still has family) and countries (Italy, ancient England), as well as nature scenes and images. Living in Oakland allows Jenner to keeps his local shots current. “For example, when I saw the refurbished pergola at Lake Merritt,” he says, “I made a mental note to take a sunset shot.” He used to work with sales reps but now distributes the cards himself, which pays added dividends. “I found I got really isolated,” he explains. “Going to the stores myself, I get to know the buyers, and often they will come up with great ideas for cards.” You will find Jenner’s cards at such independent bookstores as Pendragon (5560 College Ave.) and Walden Pond (3316 Grand Ave.), and the “big” Rockridge Longs Drugs (5100 Broadway), where the buyer supports local card producers You can also view and order them on the web at www.localcolorcards.com.
—By Wanda Hennig
Remember View to a Kill, the 1985 installment of the 007 series, Roger Moore’s last hurrah as James Bond? Tanya Roberts, of Charlie’s Angels fame, played Bond girl Stacey Sutton, who lived in a gorgeous Bay Area mansion.
You’re an Oaklander if you recognized that mansion, the Dunsmuir House.
The Dunsmuir House and Gardens is a historic landmark nestled in the East Oakland foothills. Once the site of the KBLX Stone Soul Picnic (an annual concert of ’70s R&B legends) and still a classic location for weddings and banquets, the Dunsmuir estate is a one of Oakland’s scenic jewels. In addition to View to a Kill, the mansion’s beauty has been captured in other feature films, including So I Married an Axe Murderer and Clint Eastwood’s True Crime.
You’d have to be a true Oaklander to know that.
Dialogues
It’s Friday night and Yoshi’s is packed. But the renowned jazz club’s namesake, Yoshie Akiba, is as cool as a cocktail on a grand piano. A dancer, painter and businesswoman extraordinaire, Akiba finds balance and energy in some surprising ways.
This place is a pressure cooker. How do you stay so calm?
Isn’t it amazing? I’m a World War II orphan. Everyone [in my family] was killed, except me. Yet, I’m so—happy. But it wasn’t like that from the beginning. I think I was guided by spirits, and I was very lucky.
Did the hardships you had as a child pave the way for your success?
When I think about it, growing up, I was always exposed to music and dance. After the war we had very little food, but we lived near an army base, and the people there used to help us, so to entertain them I learned songs and improvised dance. That way they would give me chocolate, chewing gum and candy.
You’ve come a long way. How do you keep your cultural connections?
My backyard in Rockridge has a traditional Japanese Zen temple. Every morning, I get up and meditate. Then I chant. Forty minutes each. It really makes me very clear and it cleans me and helps me see myself.
Your yard reminds me of the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. In fact, tea is a part of your daily ritual, too. Right?
Our culture is strongly connected with tea. It’s like a bridge between the material world and the spiritual world. I teach Japanese tea ceremonies in my house that are open to the public.
Green tea sounds a lot better for you than sake. But you must have some vices.
I do gamble. I play the dice and sometimes blackjack at Harrah’s in Reno. I like it because it’s fun and it’s living in the moment.
How about your husband? I understand he’s a high-level Buddhist priest and you’re, well, such a social person. Does your lifestyle work with his?
Interesting question. We compromise. I like to meditate and I like Zen Buddhism. So when we get together, we kind of remove ourselves from the real world. But we like to take people around when they come from Japan. You know, to the wine country. We also like nature, so we often go to the ocean.
Was the proximity to the water one of the reasons you picked Jack London Square for the location of your restaurant/jazz club when you moved it from Claremont Avenue?
Yes. But I also like Jack London. I’ve read many of his books and I really like his spirit. And I wanted to help Oakland. I think they really needed a place like this.
What do you tell other club owners when they ask how you made Yoshi’s so successful?
You have to love it and work hard and be really genuine. I have 130 people working for me. If I’m not a very good person, people won’t follow me.
You're an Oaklander if...
...You recognized the Northern California estate in Roger Moore's last James Bond flick.
Remember View to a Kill, the 1985 installment of the 007 series, Roger Moore’s last hurrah as James Bond? Tanya Roberts, of Charlie’s Angels fame, played Bond girl Stacey Sutton, who lived in a gorgeous Bay Area mansion.
You’re an Oaklander if you recognized that mansion, the Dunsmuir House.
The Dunsmuir House and Gardens is a historic landmark nestled in the East Oakland foothills. Once the site of the KBLX Stone Soul Picnic (an annual concert of ’70s R&B legends) and still a classic location for weddings and banquets, the Dunsmuir estate is a one of Oakland’s scenic jewels. In addition to View to a Kill, the mansion’s beauty has been captured in other feature films, including So I Married an Axe Murderer and Clint Eastwood’s True Crime.
You’d have to be a true Oaklander to know that.
—By Marcus Thompson II
Dialogues
Yoshie Akiba
Jazz Matriarch
It’s Friday night and Yoshi’s is packed. But the renowned jazz club’s namesake, Yoshie Akiba, is as cool as a cocktail on a grand piano. A dancer, painter and businesswoman extraordinaire, Akiba finds balance and energy in some surprising ways.This place is a pressure cooker. How do you stay so calm?
Isn’t it amazing? I’m a World War II orphan. Everyone [in my family] was killed, except me. Yet, I’m so—happy. But it wasn’t like that from the beginning. I think I was guided by spirits, and I was very lucky.
Did the hardships you had as a child pave the way for your success?
When I think about it, growing up, I was always exposed to music and dance. After the war we had very little food, but we lived near an army base, and the people there used to help us, so to entertain them I learned songs and improvised dance. That way they would give me chocolate, chewing gum and candy.
You’ve come a long way. How do you keep your cultural connections?
My backyard in Rockridge has a traditional Japanese Zen temple. Every morning, I get up and meditate. Then I chant. Forty minutes each. It really makes me very clear and it cleans me and helps me see myself.
Your yard reminds me of the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park. In fact, tea is a part of your daily ritual, too. Right?
Our culture is strongly connected with tea. It’s like a bridge between the material world and the spiritual world. I teach Japanese tea ceremonies in my house that are open to the public.
Green tea sounds a lot better for you than sake. But you must have some vices.
I do gamble. I play the dice and sometimes blackjack at Harrah’s in Reno. I like it because it’s fun and it’s living in the moment.
How about your husband? I understand he’s a high-level Buddhist priest and you’re, well, such a social person. Does your lifestyle work with his?
Interesting question. We compromise. I like to meditate and I like Zen Buddhism. So when we get together, we kind of remove ourselves from the real world. But we like to take people around when they come from Japan. You know, to the wine country. We also like nature, so we often go to the ocean.
Was the proximity to the water one of the reasons you picked Jack London Square for the location of your restaurant/jazz club when you moved it from Claremont Avenue?
Yes. But I also like Jack London. I’ve read many of his books and I really like his spirit. And I wanted to help Oakland. I think they really needed a place like this.
What do you tell other club owners when they ask how you made Yoshi’s so successful?
You have to love it and work hard and be really genuine. I have 130 people working for me. If I’m not a very good person, people won’t follow me.
—By Ginny Prior
