A musical summer is coming to the Skirball Cultural Center with the return of the Sunset Concerts series.
The free series, which is now in its 27th season, takes place outdoors at the Center’s 1,000-person capacity Taper Courtyard. This year’s six-show series, which starts July 18 and ends Aug. 16, looks at African and Caribbean artists who are creating fusion music.
“Each artist this year is representing a fusion of local tradition integrated with a modern vision representing the soul of each country,” said Marlene Braga, vice president of public programs for the Skirball.
Opening the summer of music is El Laberinto del Coco. The Afro-Puerto Rican band performs bomba fusion, which is a form of dance music. It was founded by percussionist Hector “Coco” Barez.
“Barez represents a very distinguished trajectory in Puerto Rican music. He’s worked with Don Omar, he’s worked Bacilos,” she said. “The band talk a lot about freedom because the origins of bomba are about freedom. Slaves actually brought that music to the island,” Braga said.
Then on July 25 the French-Moroccan quartet Bab L’ Bluz performs a mixture of trance rhythms, vocals, and bass-heavy grooves. The series continues Aug. 1 with Haitian musician Waahli, whose innovative hip-hop is performed in English, French and Haitian Creole.
“He has fused traditional Haitian songs and ancestral rhythms through his own incisive lens that marries hip-hop and reggae,” she said.
A yet to be announced artist performs Aug. 8 while the series closes with a DJ dance party on Aug. 16.
Sunset Concert Series
When: 8 p.m. July 18-Aug.9, 6 p.m. Aug. 16
Where: 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles
Cost: Free
Information: skirball.org
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