Joachim (and Ry) Cooder and Amythyst Kiah to kick off Skirball Stages 2021

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Amythyst Kiah (Photo by Anna Hedges) and Joachim Cooder (Photo by Amanda Charchian)

Joachim Cooder (with special guest, his father Ry Cooder), Amythyst Kiah, Yosmel Montejo and Vox Sambou are this spring’s featured artists for the Skirballl Stages series, the cultural center’s seasonal performances pivoting online and including further-reaching artists throughout the globe.

The first performance is Saturday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. featuring the Cooders performing from the center’s Taper Courtyard and Amythyst Kiah beaming in from East Tennessee. The younger Cooder released his official, self-sung debut album, “Over That Road I’m Bound,” last October via Nonesuch Records, featuring re-imaginations of old blues and country songs from Uncle Dave Macon‘s catalog. Amythyst Kiah has a rocking, bluesy new single just out yesterday, “Black Myself,” out on Rounder Records/Concord. Last year, she collaborated with Dave Hause and Kam Franklin on Hause’s “Your Ghost,” written in response to the Minneapolis police murder of George Floyd, the video capturing footage from the protests that followed. The evening’s Skirball Suppers (pre-ordered to-go orders and at-home recipes) for the night will have a Tennessee-inspired flavor.

The second performance, with the spirited L.A.-based, Cuban-born Yosmel Montejo and Montréal-via-Haiti multilingual MC-musician Vox Sambou, will be on Saturday, May 1 at 8 p.m. Montejo released his debut album “Red Suitcase” last year just after the pandemic locked down the industry. The bassist also got married during the pandemic and his latest single, “Imagine Us,” documents his and his wife’s big day and is dedicated to all couples who’ve also had to adjust to a pandemic wedding. Afro-fusion artist Sambou featured on AfrotroniX’s Mother’s Day single, “Madjeguidi,” last year and featured in NPR’s Tiny Desk meets GlobalFEST last month. The Skirball Supper for the evening is tba and sure to be delicious.

Tune in to the performances here or rsvp on the event pages to receive pre-show reminders, “Meet the Musicians” program notes and more.

And before then, catch up with all the past performances from last year with Gavin Turek, Dustbowl Revival, Las Cafeteras, Aditya Prakash Ensemble and more here.

|| Previously: Skirball Stages 2020 launch with Gavin Turek and Ak Dan Gwang Chil, Sunset Concerts 2019; The Marías; Summer Concerts 2018; Sunset Concerts 2017; Seth Bogart (and Lichtenstein); Thao & the Get Down Stay Down; Gavin Turek & Open Mike Eagle; Sunset Concerts 2016; Greg Allman & Eric Church; Tamaryn; Sunset Concerts 2014; Jenny O., In the Valley Below and Body Parts; Hunter Hunted, Harriet and “Secrets and Truth;” Sunset Concerts 2013; Nightmare & the Cat (and Friends) at “Gary Basement’s House Party”