Six Saturday Nights: June 24, July 1, July 22, July 29, August 5, August 19
Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center
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LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2023) — The Music Center announced today an electrifying lineup of global music artists for its third annual Summer SoundWaves outdoor summer concert series. From Tropical Latin and Afro-Mexican rhythms to West African beats and Jazz Fusion, The Music Center’s Summer SoundWaves will bring the heat to The Music Center all summer long. On six Saturday nights, Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center will become the top outdoor destination in Downtown L.A. for Angelenos, visitors and families who want to experience live music concerts without breaking the bank. Grammy® winners Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente kick off the ticketed series on June 24, followed by L.A.’s homegrown band Las Cafeteras on July 1. Grammy®-winning Malian singer Oumou Sangaré performs on July 22 and Afro-Pop/Jazz/Soul band Olatuja on July 29. The Music Center’s Summer SoundWaves continues on August 5 with Jazz Unleashed L.A. headlined by Chief Adjuah (formerly known as Christian Scott), a recipient of two Edison Awards, a Doris Duke Artist Award and six Grammy® Award nominations; a collective of Los Angeles-based jazz musicians curated by music director Luca Mendoza, a 2016 Grand Prize Finalist of The Music Center’s Spotlight program in the Jazz Instrumental category, also will perform that evening. Grammy® winning Cuban music artist Eliades Ochoa closes the sizzling series on August 19.“For the third year in a row, The Music Center’s Summer SoundWaves showcases an eclectic array of highly talented music artists from around the world who will give joyful and exuberant performances in Downtown L.A. on Jerry Moss Plaza. This year’s lineup includes a bevy of Grammy® Award winners so audiences can expect to experience many powerhouse performances,” said Rachel S. Moore, president and CEO of The Music Center. “The Music Center’s Summer SoundWaves is an affordable summer outing geared for the entire family, and we invite everyone to discover why Jerry Moss Plaza ranks as one of L.A.’s top outdoor destinations. Make it a summer to remember with global music stars under the stars!”The Music Center continues to embrace important safety practices to protect guests, artists and staff with special attention paid to cleaning procedures and a contact-free experience. While not required, guests are encouraged to wear face coverings while on The Music Center campus. No proof of vaccination or testing is required for Summer SoundWaves. Food and beverages will be available for sale on-site; no outside alcohol is permitted. All tickets will be digital and will be scanned by usher staff on-site.Self-parking will be available in The Music Center garage, accessible via the Grand Avenue entrance, and ticket buyers are encouraged to take public transportation. The Civic Center/Grand Park station along the Metro B Line (Red) and Metro D Line (Purple) is located conveniently in Gloria Molina Grand Park with a short walk to Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center. Valet parking is not available.The Music Center’s Summer SoundWaves is generously supported by Cindy Miscikowski/Ring-Miscikowski Foundation/The Ring Foundation, Tina and Jerry Moss/Moss Foundation and Friends of TMC Arts.
The Music Center’s Summer SoundWaves 2023 Line Up
- Saturday, June 24, 2023, 8:00 p.m.Luciana Souza & Trio CorrenteAs the most anticipated record of 2023 in Brazil, Cometa is a collaboration between Grammy® winners Luciana Souza and Trio Corrente recorded live in São Paulo at the beginning of 2023. One of Jazz’s leading singers and interpreters, Souza has been releasing acclaimed recordings since 2002, including her six Grammy®-nominated records Brazilian Duos, North and South, Duos II, Tide, Duos III and The Book of Chet. Trio Corrente is comprised of Fabio Torres, Paulo Paulelli and Edu Ribeiro. Having performed together over the last two decades with a Who’s Who of Brazilian artists and amazing their loyal following in Brazil and Europe, Trio Corrente is the group of choice for musicians such as Paquito D’Rivera, Rosa Passes and Ron Carter, who confessed being “deeply impressed by the quality and maturity of the Trio.” With D’Rivera, Trio Corrente won two Grammy® Awards and toured the world.
- Saturday, July 1, 2023, 8:00 p.m.Las CafeterasLas Cafeteras' phenomenal live energy has powered hundreds of stages, including Bonnaroo, the Hollywood Bowl, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Montreal Jazz Festival, Folks Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, Wheatland and more. From Afro-Mexican to Americana, from Soul to Son Jarocho, from Roots to Rock and Hip-Hop, Las Cafeteras take roots music to the future where the eight-string jarana, four-string requinto, quijada (donkey jawbone) and tarima (a wooden platform) propel their modern beats and lyrics to new heights. Singing in five distinct languages—English, Spanish, Spanglish, Love and Justice—Las Cafeteras believe everyone understands at least one of those languages. They have performed in the good company of Café Tacuba, Violent Femmes, Natalia Lafourcade, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Lila Downs, Gipsy Kings, Juanes, Common, and fellow Angelenos La Santa Cecilia, Ozomatli and Los Lobos, among many more.
- Saturday, July 22, 2023, 8:00 p.m.Oumou SangaréSince the release of her debut album Moussoulou in 1989, there has been no respite for the Malian singer Oumou Sangaré. Notable waymarks on her rich and fruitful journey include some of the most definitive recordings in the history of contemporary African music, all released on the World Circuit label: Ko Sira in 1993, Worotan in 1996 and Seya in 2009 (the latter nominated for a Grammy® in the Best World Music Album category). Sangaré won a Grammy® in 2011 for Imagine in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category, alongside Herbie Hancock, Pink, India Arie, Seal, Konono Nº1 and Jeff Beck. Timbuktu, the first release on her own Oumsang label, is the latest act in this unparalleled musical epic. It consecrates an artist who rose from the poor neighborhoods of Bamako to become a global superstar and universally admired feminist icon. With the powerful aura of a Grace Jones and a Black transgressive icon par excellence, Sangaré has long since broken through the barriers that separate continents and musical styles.
- Saturday, July 29, 2023, 8:00 p.m.OlatujaA hard-grooving, soulful crowd-pleaser that blends Afro-Beat, Jazz, Funk and Soul, Olatuja is the eponymous album which reunites Alicia and Michael Olatuja in music. Michael, who grew up in both Lagos, Nigeria, and London, is one of the most inventive and sought-after bassists since the beginning of this century. He has recorded with some of the most illustrious Grammy® winners, from Terence Blanchard and Stevie Wonder to Shakira and Bebe Winans. Michael, writes The New York Times, “favors an amalgam of West African styles, often overlaid with Soul and Gospel harmony,” and his counterpart, Alicia, is “a singer with a strong and luscious tone and an amiable regal presence onstage.” Her vocal excellence stunned a global audience of millions during the second inauguration ceremony for President Barack Obama in 2013 with a soaring featured solo during the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir’s rendition of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Since this historic performance, the St. Louis native has performed extensively with The Juilliard School’s various Jazz ensembles and shared the stage with Chaka Khan, Christian McBride and more.
- Saturday, August 5, 2023, 8:00 p.m.Jazz Unleashed L.A.Widely recognized as the progenitor of the “Stretch Music” style, Chief Adjuah (formerly known as Christian Scott) headlines an unforgettable summer night for Jazz aficionados across all generations. NPR hails Adjuah—a winner of two Edison Awards, a Doris Duke Artist Award and six Grammy® nominations—as “ushering in a new era of Jazz,” and JazzTimes Magazine describes him as “Jazz’s young style God.” The grandson of Louisiana luminary and legend Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr. and the nephew of Jazz innovator and NEA Jazz Master saxophonist-composer Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr., Adjuah has released 13 critically acclaimed studio recordings, four live albums and one greatest hits collection. Jazz Unleashed L.A. begins with L.A.’s best and finest Jazz musicians joining forces on the Jerry Moss Plaza stage for an epic show. The Jazz collective, curated by music director Luca Mendoza (2016 Grand Prize Finalist in The Music Center’s Spotlight performing arts competition), includes Blue Note Records artist Logan Richardson and David Binney on alto sax; Grammy® nominated artist Damion Reid on drums; Colin Cook on guitar; and Joshua Crumbly and Jermaine Paul on bass.
- Saturday, August 19, 2023, 8:00 p.m.Eliades OchoaEliades Ochoa is one of the most important Cuban soneros of all time, a notable defender of traditional Cuban music and the best guitarist of his generation. He is one of the stars of the historic album Buena Vista Social Club, which is now celebrating 25 years, with his memorable interpretations of Chan Chan and El Cuarto de Tula, which still streams millions of times a year and is loved by fans all over the world. He has collaborated with icons of international music such as Manu Dibango, Charlie Musselwhite, Ry Cooder and Toumani Diabaté, among others. This month, Ochoa returns with a brand-new album Guajiro, featuring guest artists Joan As Police Woman, Rubén Blades and Charlie Musselwhite, and a majority of compositions written by Ochoa himself, cementing his status as a legendary Cuban performer and storyteller.
*Programs and artists subject to change. Photos available here.
CALENDAR LISTING
WHAT:The Music Center’s Summer SoundWavesGlobal music artists from Tropical Latin and Afro-Mexican rhythms to West African beats and Jazz Fusion bring the heat to Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center for the third annual low-cost outdoor concert series geared for the entire family. Grammy® winners Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente kick off the ticketed series in July, followed by L.A.’s homegrown band Las Cafeteras, Grammy®-winning singer Oumou Sangaré and Afro-Pop, Jazz and Soul band Olatuja. The acclaimed Chief Adjuah (formerly known as Christian Scott), a collective of L.A.’s favorite Jazz musicians, and Grammy® winning Cuban music artist Eliades Ochoa round out the concert series in August.WHEN:Saturday, June 24, 2023: Luciana Souza & Trio CorrenteSaturday, July 1, 2023: Las Cafeteras
Saturday, July 22, 2023: Oumou SangaréSaturday, July 29, 2023: OlatujaSaturday, August 5, 2023: Jazz Unleashed L.A.Saturday, August 19, 2023: Eliades OchoaAll concerts begin at 8:00 p.m.WHERE:Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center135 N. Grand Ave.Los Angeles 90012TICKETS:General admission tickets are $20 for individuals ages 12 and older; up to four free children (under 12) get in free with a paid admission.To purchase tickets, call 213-972-0711 or visit musiccenter.org/soundwaves.TRANSPORTATION:Public parking will be available for $10 per vehicle at:The Music Center garage
135 N. Grand Ave. Los Angeles 90012The public is highly encouraged to take public transportation. The Civic Center/Grand Park station along the Metro B Line (Red) and Metro D Line (Purple) is located conveniently in Gloria Molina Grand Park with a short walk to Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center.MORE INFO:Visit musiccenter.org/soundwaves and follow The Music Center on social media @musiccenterla
About The Music CenterThe Music Center convenes artists, communities and ideas with the goal of deepening the cultural lives of every resident in Los Angeles County. The $70 million non-profit performing arts organization has two divisions: TMC Arts and TMC Ops. TMC Arts, The Music Center’s programming engine, provides year-round programming inside The Music Center’s four theatres, on Jerry Moss Plaza, outside at Gloria Molina Grand Park—a 12-acre adjacent green space—in schools and other locations all over Los Angeles County and on a digital platform called The Music Center Offstage. TMC Arts presents world-class dance with Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center, free and low-cost public concerts and events, as well as live and digital K–12 arts education programs, workshops, performances, interactive experiences and special events. TMC Ops manages the theatres, the Plaza and Gloria Molina Grand Park, which comprise $2 billion in county assets, on behalf of the County of Los Angeles. The Music Center is also home to four renowned resident companies—Center Theatre Group, Los Angeles Master Chorale, LA Opera and LA Phil. For more information, visit musiccenter.org. Follow The Music Center on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @MusicCenterLA.
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