Shye Ben-Tzur Continues the Skirball's Free Concert Series Tonight

Tonight, August 1, 2013 at 8:00 p.m., the Skirball Cultural Center's seventeenth annual Sunset Concerts season continuesnwith acclaimed Israeli composer, producer, and performer Shye Ben-Tzur, who blends Hebrew poetry with Sufi qawwali vocal styles, North Indian rhythms, Spanish guitar, and elements of Western rock music. Accompanied by prominent musicians from the Rajasthani "gypsy" tradition, Ben-Tzur will perform in the Skirball's magnificent outdoor courtyard for his West Coast premiere.

The Skirball's Sunset Concerts series presents free community concerts featuring an eclectic mix of traditions and styles from the Americas to North India (by way of Israel) to West Africa. The 2013 season continues with Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars (August 8), Mamak Khadem and Ensemble (August 15), a world-premiere collaboration between Maria Muldaur and The Campbell Brothers (August 22), and Dendê and Band (August 29).

For each concert, the expansive courtyard is transformed into a vibrant, festive performance space. Concertgoers arrive early to dine under the stars, visit the museum galleries, and explore the
Skirball's stunning architecture and hillside setting. As the bands take the stage, music fans of all ages sing along, dance in the aisles, and gather at the foot of the stage to celebrate with the performers.

About the Artist:

Shye Ben-Tzur grew up playing in rock bands, but after attending a concert in Israel by Indian classical musicians Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and Zakir Hussain, he became interested in Indian music. He
traveled to India for what was supposed to be a short trip to learn about the music and culture, and ended up staying for more than a decade. At a Sufi shrine in Ajmer, Rajasthan, Ben-Tzur trained and
collaborated with qawwali musicians. He has since toured throughout Israel and performed at Jahan-e-Khusrau, the prestigious international Sufi music festival held in New Delhi, as well as the Jaipur
Literature Festival. Songlines magazine has described his work as "a clear example of how music and art crosses political and religious boundaries."

Ben-Tzur's debut album, Heeyam, was recorded in India, Israel, and the U.S., and was released in 2003 to critical acclaim. His sophomore album, Shoshan, released on EarthSync in 2010, demonstrated a
cross-cultural mix of passions, genres, languages, and infectious beats. "The songs on Shoshan are love songs to God, to music itself, as I experience it and try to express it," says Ben-Tzur. "Christian,
Jewish, Muslim-it's all one approach and outlook in the search for unity. It's not always finding it, but it's the longing for it."

Ben-Tzur made his North American debut in September 2012 at the Ashkenaz Festival in Canada, and 2013 brings his highly anticipated U.S. debut performances.

www.skirball.org/sunset-concerts-2013

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