Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the granddaughter and torch-bearer of civil and labor rights activist Cesar Chavez, was introduced to the plight of the farmworker in early childhood and hasn’t abandoned the fight since. Now the program director for the Cesar E. Chavez foundation, she works with youth in Latino communities toward more involvement and self-empowerment, upholding her grandfather’s idea that “we don’t need perfect political systems, we need perfect participation.” Chavez Rodriguez has developed numerous after-school programs based on Cesar Chavez’s ideals, and has even developed a web-based K–12 curriculum on the life and work of her grandfather. She also works hand in hand with the United Farm Workers on issues like voter registration and activist programs, and tours the country giving speeches which share her personal memories of her grandfather’s work and promote education, human rights, community service and justice for all. She speaks on Monday, May 11, at Sonoma State University Cooperage. 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. 7:30pm. Free. 707.664.2382.Gabe Meline

Coming up with the Living Legends crew in the East Bay, MURS was once known best for selling tapes on Telegraph Avenue and hosting a series of “Broke Ass Summer Jam” concerts. Talent intervened, however, and now the rapper with the birth name of Nick Carter (you’d change your name too if you shared it with a Backstreet Boy) has been seen on tour with Atmosphere, in the independent film Walk Like a Man and as an occasional host on CurrentTV. MURS is possibly the most East Coast–sounding MC to live exclusively on the West Coast, with a direct, understandable style more indebted to Masta Ace than Rodney O., although he represents California with a fervor—he’s even got a rib-length “Cloverdale” tattoo (it reflects the area off Wilshire and La Brea in L.A.). Tech N9ne, who headlines the show, knows a thing or two about the hustle himself, although instead of selling tapes on the street, he usually erects an enormous merch booth. Both appear on Saturday, May 9, at the Phoenix Theater. 201 E. Washington St., Petaluma. 8pm. $26–$30. 707.762.3565.Gabe Meline

“It took a long time for my mother to accept that I was going to go into the entertainment industry,” said Simone, daughter of Nina Simone, in a recent interview. “When I told my parents, neither one of them were very happy at all. It wasn’t until Broadway embraced me, and I was going onstage as Mimi in Rent, that they both came to the show and were like, ‘Well! Maybe you do have a little talent!’” Of course, Simone’s mother, one of the most unique interpreters of jazz—and then, in the ’70s, of popular song—didn’t get a very fair shake from the entertainment industry, and Simone is careful to avoid both the industry pitfalls and the perils of comparison (it’s an easy peril to avoid; the only singer possibly to compare to Nina Simone, the greatest female singer to sound like a man, is Jimmy Scott, the greatest male singer to sound like a woman). With the Napa Valley Symphony, she pays tribute to her mother, now six years gone but deathless in the annals of American music, on Saturday, May 9, at the Lincoln Theater. 100 California Drive, Yountville. 8pm. $35–$60. 707.226.8742.Gabe Meline

Probably the only woman in history to sing for Stevie Wonder, James Levine, Bono, Herbert von Karajan, Wynton Marsalis and the pope, Kathleen Battle is a modern wonder, with an ability to adapt to any setting while avoiding the “crossover” tag. Few who witnessed her performance last year of “Superwoman” on the American Music Awards with Alicia Keys and Queen Latifah would think of Battle as an opera singer, and yet since her professional debut in 1972, singing Brahms’ Ein Deutsch Requiem, she’s been one of the world’s best. Battle has also displayed, at times, a temperament worthy of her last name; she was actually dismissed from the Met in 1994, citing unprofessional actions. A retirement from opera immediately followed, but her recitals and concert appearances the world over are the stuff of legend. Expect a combination of arias, standards and spirituals when Battle drops into town on Saturday, May 9, at the Marin Center. 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 8pm. $35–$70. 415.499.6800.Gabe Meline

With 10 years of bringing excellent and free classical music to Sonoma County, the time is now to stand up and salute the American Philharmonic and its director Gabriel Sakakeeny. What began as a small Cotati orchestra has now grown into one of the county’s most forward-thinking ensembles, with Sakakeeny always making interesting and daring program choices. This weekend, he unveils his own composition, the world premiere of The Lion and the Rose, a piece for mezzo-soprano, chorus and orchestra. Rounding out the thrilling program is another world premiere (Charles Sepos’ Pentangle), an all-time classic piano concerto (Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto no. 1) and a challenging, thundering finale (Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite no. 2). The two performances this weekend celebrate a fantastic decade—and provide a wonderful and free Mother’s Day outing—Saturday–Sunday, May 9–10, at the Wells Fargo Center. 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. Saturday at 8pm; Sunday at 3pm. Free. 707.542.8234.Gabe Meline

Alcohol-free, family-friendly Cinco de Mayo celebrations take over this weekend! In San Rafael, the Canal Alliance sponsors Unity in our Community with juggling, soccer, a poetry slam and Aztec dancers; performing are hip hop artists Bay S.L.A.M., Stay True Crew, Bajo Zero, Jtrio Juvenil, PHAME, Bang’M Out, Bib Papa Callejero and more on Saturday, May 3, at 91 Larkspur St., San Rafael (1-7pm; free; 415.454.2640). In Calistoga, the Napa Valley Cinco de Mayo kicks off with a noon parade through downtown Calistoga which ends at the fairgrounds with mariachis, live bands and dancers at 1435 N. Oak St., Calistoga (12pm; parade free, festival $5; 707.942.6333). In Santa Rosa, the massive Roseland Cinco de Mayo festival boasts lowrider cars, taco trucks galore, salsa contests, tons of food booths and two stages of live music from latin rock groups, mariachis, young hip-hop artists and the annual breakdance battle on Tuesday, May 5, at 650 Sebastopol Rd., Santa Rosa (4pm-10pm; free; 707.529.8651).Gabe Meline

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This Sunday, no true hip-hop head should be caught anywhere but at the Hard Truth Soldiers Tour, featuring Paris, Talib Kweli, Pete Rock, Planet Asia, Conscious Daughters, T-K.A.S.H. and more. Bringing together heavyweights and newcomers alike from the independent hip-hop scene, the lineup is headed for a month-and-a-half trek around the country together to spread the testimony of social justice and street poetry. Talib Kweli’s been around these parts before, as has Paris, but those in the know must allow some excitement over Pete Rock. With his back-in-the-day pal CL Smooth, Rock not only produced two albums of early ’90s boom-bap perfection but helmed one of rap music’s all-time greatest tracks, “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.),” driven by an addictive Tom Scott saxophone sample. He’s made beats for B.I.G., Nas, Ghostface, Public Enemy and Mary J. Blige, with a handful of masterful crate-digging solo records released in recent years. Join him and the rest of the Hard Truth Soldiers on Sunday, May 3, at the Mystic Theatre, 23 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. 8:30pm. $30-$35. 707.765.2121.Gabe Meline

With one completely sold-out two-hour performance of his hip-hop symphony Brass, Bows and Beats earlier this month in San Francisco, Adam Theis went immediately from a local nightclub treasure to a major jazz talent overnight. While critics and fans stumbled over themselves searching for comparisons (Miles Davis and Gil Evans’ Live at Carnegie Hall? Charles Mingus’ Epitaph?), Theis returned home to his Mission District apartment, pulled out some chart paper, and started poring over some Stevie Wonder arrangements. Once a year, Theis leads his Realistic Orchestra in a birthday tribute to Wonder, and he returns home to Sonoma County this weekend to blast through hip-hop infused versions of “Sir Duke” and “Superstition” at the Hopmonk Tavern. How he’ll fit the 20-member ensemble on the stage is anyone’s guess, but one thing’s for sure: the band is in top form, and Joe Bagale—who brought the house down in San Francisco with his desperate “Love Cry”—will whip the dancefloor into a frenzy with songs in the key of life on Friday, May 1, at the Hopmonk Tavern, 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. 9:30pm. $10-$15. 707.829.7300.Gabe Meline

“This is the music they make love to in Portugal,” I said. “It’s called fado.” My friends stared at me. Had I really just proclaimed something so corny, they thought? Yet I had put on an Amalia Rodriguez record, and as soon as the first heart-wringing, pining ode finished oozing out of the speakers, they completely understood. Fado is the Portuguese version of James Brown collapsing to his knees, pleading “Please, Please, Please”; It’s Lucinda Williams tracing an ex-lovers scent in “Fruits of my Labor”; It’s Maria Callas despairing through Ebben? Ne andró lontana. No living fado singer can ever fill the shoes of Amalia Rodriguez, who died in 1999, but the feet of the Mozambique-born Mariza are growing into an acceptable fit. Mariza has toured worldwide with an affecting poignancy in her singing that’s helped sell hundreds of thousands of albums and, more importantly, kept fado alive and well across the world. Awe is the common response to her live appearances; she pours her heart out on Thursday, April 30, at the Napa Valley Opera House, 1030 Main St., Napa. 8pm. $45. 707.226.7372.Gabe Meline

A lipstick stain, a malignant tumor, a collection of memos authorizing torture—there’s plenty of things in this world that for practical purposes, certain people would love to see disappear. Master illusionist David Copperfield focuses almost entirely on the impractical—making the Statue of Liberty disappear, for example, or a large jet plane—although he did put his famed prestidigitation to good use during a 2006 mugging in West Palm Beach (Copperfield made it appear that he had handed over money to his attacker while secretly concealing his possessions). Perhaps the incident inspired a bit of the opportunist in the famed magician, for during his current interactive show, Copperfield teaches the audience how to predict lottery numbers. No doubt feeling pressure from David Blaine, Copperfield has shied away from his large-scale rock star television specials and refocused on basic illusion; young budding magicians will no doubt squeal in their seats when he appears for two shows on Thursday, April 30, at the Marin Center, 10 Avenue of the Flags, San Rafael. 5:30pm and 8:30pm. $40-$60. 415.499.6800.Gabe Meline