City College Music Professor Landau nominated for prestigious award

By Gianne Carlo Nalangan

The Guardsman

Greg Landau plays guitar in his home studio in San Francisco. PETER MAIDEN

 

In this year’s 2011 Latin Grammy Awards, San Francisco will be represented by City College Latin American studies instructor Greg Landau for producing Omar Sosa’s album “Calma”, nominated in the Best Instrumental Music category.

The Latin Grammys were founded in 2000 by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences to recognize outstanding achievement in the Spanish and Portuguese-language music industry.

Landau, a San Franciscan and Mission district native, is an experienced nominee: this is his second nomination at the Latin Grammys and fifth Grammy nomination overall with three nominations coming from the original –American– Grammys.

“It feels really good to be recognized in this way,” said Landau. “Especially [since it was] low-budget and locally produced where we don’t have big resources or public representatives. Just our creativity and passion.”

Growing up with a father who was a film director and a mother who was a poet and theater director, Landau has been profoundly influenced by the arts. This is manifested in his sprawling resume of music, media, education and instillation art.

Landau studied sociology at UC Berkeley and graduated from UC San Diego with a doctoral degree in communications with an emphasis on music as a social force.

“I was not interested in studying music scientifically,” said Landau, “but how music was [used] as a social force and expressed social ideas.”

Landau is a City College instructor who has taught classes in four departments: history, anthropology, music and Latin American & Latino/a Studies.

He has taught Anthropology 11: Latin American Cultures and Societies and Music 25: Music of Latin America and the Caribbean.

He emphasizes the importance of music and how it is a tool used to preserve cultures that were being lost.

“Music is very important in Latin American culture, probably more so than in North America.” said Landau, “because of censorship under colonial and post-colonial times, [music] gives people a way to express themselves.”

Landau uses Omar Sosa’s album, “Calma,” as an example of expression translated through music.

“Calma means calm,” said Landau, “and that’s what it expresses.”

Professor Landau has been producing music in various genres for 30 years.

“I think that people should follow their passion and I feel that if you want to [follow your dreams] you should do it,” said Landau. “This is something I always wanted to do.”

Landau is currently producing four albums that are expected to debut in early November of 2011.

Sosa’s “Calma” did not win the best instrumental award, which was won by the album “Forever” by Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White.

Landau is currently producing four albums that are expected to debut in early November of 2011.

 

Sosa’s “Calma” did not win the best instrumental award, which was won by the album “Forever” by Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White.