Skirball's Free Evening Concerts Feature World Music al Fresco Starting July 16

July 09, 2009

The Skirball Cultural Center holds its 13th season of free Sunset Concerts on Thursdays from July 16 through August 13 at 8 p.m. The Skirball is located off the 405 freeway in Bel-Air.

This summer's opening concert next Thursday will showcase the electronica-fueled Malian grooves of Issa Bagayogo. Despite remarkable talent on the three-stringed n'goni lute, a long-lost relative of the banjo, Bagayogo was down and out in Bamako, working as a bus driver, when he ran into French record producer Yves Wernert. They teamed up to create a sound that showcases Bagayogo's sixth sense for honoring treasured traditions while grooving to edgy beats.

Other concerts will feature the trans-Atlantic, bluegrass-meets-Swedish folk encounter of Mike Marshall, Darol Anger and V'sen (July 23); the Roma and klezmer-inflected jams of Montreal's Gadji-Gadjo (July 30); the serious funk of New Orleans' beloved Mardi Gras Indian ensemble, the Wild Magnolias (August 6); and the Sufi-inspired virtuosity of Turkish multi-instrumentalist Omar Faruk Tekbilek Ensemble (August 13).

Doors open at 7 p.m. No reservations are needed, but seating is limited to a first-come, first-served basis. On-site parking is $5 cash. Visit www.skirball.org.