Kevin Bronson on May 3rd, 2023

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Grand Performances has announced its 2023 season of free summer concerts at California Plaza in downtown Los Angeles — a typically genre-spanning series that includes jazz, samba, doo-wop, salsa and cumbia music, as well as spoken-word shows.

Highlights of the season include rockers Son Rompe Pera, Iranian musician and political activist Shahin Najafi, West African kora master Sona Jobarteh, Chicano jazz innovator Garrett Saracho, West Coast hip-hop legend DJ Battlecat and cumbia fusionists Grupo Kual. Plus, there’s a live-band tribute to the late DJ Art Laboe, an installment ofd KCRW Summer Nights (lineup to be announced in June) and a pair of poetry nights.

The series kicks off June 3 and runs through late August. The shows run from 6 to 10 p.m. and are free and all-ages. See the Grand Performances calendar to RSVP to specific eventgs.

June

3: Son Rompe Pera, La Verdad, La Papaya Club at Grand Performances at California Plaza
10: COLA Artist Fellows Daniel Corral, David Ulin and Jasmine Orpilla at Grand Performances at California Plaza
17: Shahin Najafi at Grand Performances at California Plaza
23: The Poetry of Pride with Brian Sonia-Wallace, DJ Succubus at Grand Performances at California Plaza
24: Sona Jobarteh at Grand Performances at California Plaza

July

8: Viver Brasil, DJ Muñeka at Grand Performances at California Plaza
15: Garrett Saracho (performing his 1973 album “En Medio” in its entirety) at Grand Performances at California Plaza
22: KCRW Summer Nights (lineup TBA in June) at Grand Performances at California Plaza
28: LA Stories Poetry Night hosted by Mike the Poet at Grand Performances at California Plaza
29: Martha Redbone at Grand Performances at California Plaza

August

5: Dedicated to You: A Tribute to Art Laboe, hosted by Dublab and feat. Aaron Frazer (Durand Jones & The Indications), Norman Carter (The Delfonics), Greg Esparza (Thee Midniters), Diamond Ortiz and Irene Diaz at Grand Performances at California Plaza
12: DJ Battlecat, Thes One at Grand Performances at California Plaza
19: Mark de Clive-Lowe at Grand Performances at California Plaza
25: Black Voices Poetry Night hosted by Shonda Buchanan at Grand Performances at California Plaza
26: Grupo Kual at Grand Performances at California Plaza