Nuriya Set to Perform at Skirball Sunset Concerts

Nuriya is set to perform on Thursday, August 11, at 8:00PM at the Skirball Cultural Center, as part of its fifteenth annual free summer world music series, Sunset Concerts. Combining sizzling Spanish vocals with rumba flamenco, Afro-Cuban drumming, Arabic melodies, Gypsy brass, and rhythms from the Middle East and the Caribbean, Nuriya is a passionate performer known for delivering exhilarating concerts.

Nuriya's story begins with the immigration of her ancestors - Middle Eastern Jews fleeing religious persecution in Iraq and Syria. Unable to enter the United States because of immigration quotas, they instead headed to Mexico, where a vibrant Middle Eastern community continues to thrive to this day. Her life was filled with music from the start, thanks to her conservatory-trained mother. As Nuriya grew older, she and her family embraced a wide range of musical styles that introduced the budding performer to artists ranging from Oum Kalthoum to Agustin Lara.

Nuriya's tastes in music and dance are truly global: she went to Cuba to study folkloric Afro-Cuban music and dance with Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, while in Israel, she studied Hebrew and Arabic melodies. Enriched by these experiences, Nuriya went to live in Paris and eventually toured Europe, notably with the French band Babylon Circus.

Nuriya's openhearted embrace of rhythms from around the world is immediately tangible in her music, dance, and her Andalusian-inspired debut album, Tanita (Little Gypsy). She has performed with great success throughout Latin America, Europe, Israel, and, more recently, the U.S.

At the Skirball, Nuriya takes the stage backed by a stellar multinational ten-piece ensemble including percussion, bass, horns, flute, guitar, and violin.

The Skirball Cultural Center's Sunset Concerts, curated by Skirball Music Director Yatrika Shah-Rais, offers community concerts free of charge representing music from around the globe. The 2011 series opened on July 21 with Maria de Barros and continues with the West Coast premiere of Red Baraat (July 28) and Yemen Blues (August 4). After Nuriya (August 11), the series continues with Thomas Mapfumo and The Blacks Unlimited (August 18), and Mr. Vallenato (August 25).

WHO: Nuriya

WHERE:
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 440-4500 ⋅ www.skirball.org

WHEN:
Thursday, August 11, 2011
8:00 PM - Concert
7:00 PM - Doors

TICKETS:
FREE ADMISSION; no reservations
Limited seating on a first-come, first-served basis
On-site parking: $10 per car (cash only). Street parking is strictly prohibited.
Carpooling is encouraged or take Metro Rapid 761.