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By Lookout Staff
June 4 -- Taking off with the biggest selling instrumental
rock band of all time and ending with perhaps LA’s quintessential
group, the 23rd Annual Twilight Dance Series will take a musical
trip around the world and back when it kicks off at the Santa
Monica Pier June 28.
In between the Ventures and Los Lobos, the pier will rock
every Thursday night at 7:30 with sounds from Africa, Puerto
Rico, Israel, Jamaica and the U.S.A. – including rock
legend Patti Smith
Presented by Amoeba Music and Gibson Guitars, the concerts
are free. Following is the artist line up:
June 28: The Ventures, Boom Pam
Since forming nearly 50 years ago as a duo, The Ventures
recordings have sold close to 100 million copies since their
first smash hit, “Walk, Don’t Run,” hit
the charts in the summer of 1960. While not in fact a surf
band, The Ventures are credited with being one of the pioneers
of surf music. From the Theme to Hawaii Five-O to a featured
musical role in the film Pulp Fiction, The Ventures endure
as one of the most popular of bands worldwide. www.theventures.com
<http://www.theventures.com/>
Riding a wave of popularity from Haifa to Tel Aviv since forming
in 2003, Boom Pam has gained international acclaim with their
hybrid of surf rock with global influences including Balkan,
Greek, Arabic, Klezmer and Mediterranean flavors. The band
was the rage of Womex 2006 (World Music Expo in Sevilla, Spain)
and made their North American debut at globalFEST 2007 in
NYC.
July 5: David Lindley, John Cruz, Brandi Shearer
Multi-instrumentalist David Lindley may be the most eclectic
musician on the block…in the neighborhood…around
the world. Growing up in Southern California, Lindley founded
the legendary band Kaleidoscope, what is surely seen as the
first world music rock band. Lindley went on to become Jackson
Browne’s most significant musical co-conspirator and
then formed his own band El Rayo-X, integrating American roots
music with world beat and reggae grooves.
John Cruz grew up in Palolo Valley on Oahu surrounded by
music. Instilled with a love of music and Hawai’i from
childhood, Cruz spent a dozen years in on the mainland before
returning to Hawai’i to record with his brother Ernie
in 1995. Cruz released his solo debut ‘Acoustic Soul’
in 1996, which has sold over 150,000 copies in Hawai’i
alone, and spawned radio hits “Shine On,” “Sitting
in Limbo” and Island Style,” which remains a popular
Hawai’ian anthem.
An acclaimed San Francisco singer/songwriter, Brandi Shearer
impresses critics and audiences alike with her haunting vocals,
inventive lyrics and unique interpretation of American music.
Shearer’s powerful, substantial songs are a bit like
a good cocktail – her buttery-smooth voice over a hard-edged
mix of rock, folk and jazz.
July 12: Plena Libre, Spam All-Stars
Direct from San Juan, Puerto Rico, three-time Grammy nominated
Plena Libre is a 13 member orchestra founded by Gary Nuñez
in 1994. The mission with Plena Libre was to reinvent and
update a musical genre that emerged in Puerto Rico at the
end of the 19th century. The plena became central to the lives
and culture of migrant agricultural workers, serving as their
orally transmitted newspaper and it accompanying every celebration.
To the traditional plena ensemble, Plena Libre adds bass,
keyboards, timbales, congas, four trombones, miscellaneous
percussion as well as some of the best plena singers (soneros),
including the legendary Wishy Camacho, found in Puerto Rico.
Drawing on both the traditional and the modern, Plena Libre
has successfully liberated the genre to become a modern Salsa
orquesta, topping the radio charts with one hit after another
in Puerto Rico.
From Miami, DJ Le Spam & the Spam Allstars brings the
sounds of Brazilian, Haitian, African and Cuban instrumentation
and culture together into an mélange of grooves blending
improvisational electronic elements and turntables with Latin,
funk, hip hop and dub. The Spam Allstars have been burning
up stages and dance floors with dazzling Latin rhythms in
Miami, Florida since the late ‘90s.
July 19: Samba Mapangala Orchestra Virunga, Louis
Mhlanga
One of the legendary figures and great voices in African
music, Samba formed his own band Orchestra Virunga in 1981.
Virunga, named after a volcanic mountain range in central
Africa, has been one of East Africa's most popular groups
from inception. Their music is an innovative mix of the best
rumba and soukous from Congo, with the earthier Kenyan style.
Samba’s astounding voice has been described as melting
in the ears.
The "African Axe Man," Louis Mhlanga is another
in a long line of great Zimbabwean guitarists. Although better
known today for his work with South African stars, and sometimes
mistaken for a South African guitarist, Mhlanga has had a
lasting effect on Zimbabwean music.
July 26: “Tosh Meets Marley” Tour
The “Tosh Meets Marley” world tour is a traveling
road show that combines the mastery of the musicians who developed
the sound behind the powerful lyrics of legendary Jamaican
icons Bob Marley and Peter Tosh; songs that have shaped and
built, and continue to define, a worldwide social movement
and musical genre.
The 10-member band is fronted by internationally acclaimed
bass player, Fully Fullwood, of Tosh’s Light, Sound
and Power band, and Junior Marvin, Marley's guitarist. Along
with a host of other Reggae all-stars, Fullwood and Marvin
continue the work of Tosh and Marley, whose songs of freedom
from economic and political control and religious and racial
intolerance have inspired millions around the world. This
will be the first of many sing-a-long nights this summer on
the pier.
August 2: Queen Ida and Her Zydeco Band, Hacienda
Brothers
The First Lady of Louisiana music, Queen Ida Guillory blends
into her Creole traditions blues, Cajun and Caribbean influences.
The Grammy winning Queen Ida is the first female accordion
player to lead her own Zydeco band and has toured all over
the world as an ambassador for Creole culture.
The Hacienda Brothers, led by cult heroes Chris Gaffney and
Dave Gonzalez, introduced their wood-smoked blend of stone
country and old-school R&B on their self-titled 2005 debut
album, helmed by legendary writer/producer Dan Penn. The record
was made in Tucson, where both of the principals, who now
reside in Southern California, have roots, so people took
to describing the group’s sound as “Western Soul.”
August 9: Arrested Development, Agape International
Choir
Progressive hip-hop group Arrested Development was founded
by principal lyricist Speech and Rasa Don in 1992 and shot
to the top of the charts, selling 5 million copies worldwide
and winning Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Rap
Single. The group is well known for their spirituality and
introspection, and refers to their sound as “life music.”
The acclaimed Agape International Choir inspires peace and
goodwill in the global community through the universal language
of music. Under the direction of Dr. Rickie Byars Beckwith,
the Agape Choir has performed at such prestigious venues as
the United Nations, Lincoln Center, Greek Theatre, Maui Arts
and Cultural Center, has been featured at the World Festival
of Sacred Music, and heard around the world, from Santa Monica
to South Central and from Somalia to South Africa.
August 16: An Evening with Patti Smith
A legendary poet, artist, writer, activist, humanitarian
and musician, Patti Smith fronts one of the great rock bands
of our time, with Lenny Kaye on guitar, Tony Shanahan, bass
and keyboards and Jay Dee Daugherty, drums and percussion.
Her new album, Twelve, is a collection of Patti’s favorite
songs and stands as a blueprint for appreciating and understanding
the history of rock and pop music.
August 23: Holmes Brothers, Carrie Rodriguez
The spine-tingling harmonies, boundless energy and telepathic
musicianship of the Holmes Brothers mix Saturday night roadhouse
rock with the gospel fervor and harmonies of Sunday morning
church. Their chilling harmonies resonate with a passion and
conviction matched only by their inspired musicianship.
Five years ago, singer, songwriter and violinist Carrie Rodriguez
had a simple goal: “To get a gig playing fiddle with
somebody great, be on the road and make a living.'' But ever
since she was spotted at Cheapo Discs in her hometown of Austin,
Texas, backing outsider country act Hayseed at an in-store
gig during the 2001 South By Southwest music convention, Rodriguez
has far exceeded her modest expectations, recording three
critically-acclaimed albums.
August 30: An Evening with Los Lobos
It could easily be argued that Los Lobos is the rock band
that best captures and represents the ethos of our city, Los
Angeles. Through their illustrious career they have evolved
into a respected artistic entity searching for themes and
topics that are an interpretive pulse of our times. Los Lobos
continues to challenge their fans and listeners with conscience-raising
songs and thought-provoking lyrics.
The bands concerts are a joyous celebration and conspicuously,
they are the one band everyone has expected to be part of
the Twilight Dance Series all these years and to date had
never played our concerts. It has finally happened! They end
the summer with one long show. Come early and don’t
miss out!
The Santa Monica Pier is located at the intersection of Colorado
Avenue and Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica. The Pier strongly
recommends walking, biking and using mass transit to get to
the concerts as parking near the Pier is limited. The concerts
will offer free valet bike parking to our patrons at the western
entrance to the shows.
For those who insist on driving, parking is available in
beach parking lots located at 2030 Barnard Way and 1550 PCH,
both accessible off Ocean Avenue south of the Pier. The 2030
lot is a short walk up the beach path from the Pier.
For bus information, please visit www.bigbluebus.com
and www.MTA.net
or call 310-451-5444.
For more information about the concerts, visit www.twilightdance.org
or call the Pier information line at 310-458-8900.
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