S.Lo on May 15th, 2019

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As is their tradition, the Skirball Cultural Center has programmed an eclectic lineup of both established and emerging artists for its free Sunset Concerts series, spanning varied global cultures also represented within Los Angeles.

Following a year of international touring both solo and with a Bowie Celebration, guest appearances on “Live with Chris Thile” and supporting David Gray on his stateside tour, Latin Grammy-winning (and Grammy- and Emmy-nominated) Los Angeles-via-Guatemala singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno will kick off this summer’s series on July 18.

Río Mira will make their California debut on July 25, sharing the Afro-Pacific heritage of marimba (the art form named an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2015) and Afro-Latin music traditions originating from Colombia and Ecuador’s “El Pacifico Sur” region.

Internationally renowned and researched with 11 albums (including a collection of previously-unsung Woody Guthrie lyrics set to music) and a documentary under their belt, Grammy award-winning New York ensemble the Klezmatics will join the concert series on Aug. 1, sharing their hybrid of traditional Yiddish tunes with a modern flair. 

Cha Wa (translated as, “We’re comin’ for ya'” from New Orleans Native American vernacular) is the New Orleans funk meets brass meets Mardi Gras Indian ensemble that will be sure to raise all to their feet on Aug. 8. Founded by drummer Joe Gelini, the group features J’Wan Boudreaux (the grandson of 2016 NEA National Heritage Fellow Big Chief Monk Boudreaux of the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indian tribe) on vocals. The eight-piece band’s blended musical heritage, reflective of street culture in the Big Easy, garnered a Grammy nomination for their sophomore album, “Spyboy.”

For their West Coast debut, Toronto-based flamenco dance and world music six-piece Tamar Ilana & Ventanas will celebrate the release of their new album “MISTRĀL” at their Aug. 15 performance. With ballads from Spanish, Ladino, Bulgarian, Hebrew, French, Romani and Arabic traditions infused with flamenco dance and contemporary rhythms, the Canadian Folk Music Award nominees explore themes of migration and identity.

Producer, songwriting collaborator and trumpeter Josef Leimberg (Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Robin Thicke) will perform selections off his debut solo album, “Astral Projections,” released in 2016 via Daddy Kev’s (Low End Theory) Alpha Pup Records imprint on World Galaxy. The L.A. native’s performance on Aug. 22 will close the 2019 season.

The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. Admission is free for the concerts (all beginning at 8 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.) and attendees are also welcome to view the current exhibits (“Fearless Fashion: Rudi Gernreich” and “Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite”) for free between 5:30 and 10 p.m. Parking is $15 and carpool, rideshare or public transportation (Metro Rapid 734/234) is encouraged.

Full schedule below:

July
18: Gaby Moreno
25: Río Mira

August
1: The Klezmatics
8: Cha Wa
15: Tamar Ilana & Ventanas
22: Josef Leimberg