Skirball Cultural Center Reveals 28th Season of Free Outdoor Concert Series SUNSET CONCERTS

The Skirball Cultural Center has announced the lineup for its twenty-eighth season of the free summertime live music series Sunset Concerts. Since 1997, Sunset Concerts have created an enduring musical haven for communities of greater Los Angeles and beyond. New to 2025, each evening will showcase sets from two artists in the Skirball's picturesque Taper Courtyard, giving music lovers the opportunity to enjoy world-class concerts while surrounded by the Santa Monica Mountains.

This year's program presents eight innovative and contemporary artists that reshape traditions, eschew conventions, and defy expectations. Meridian Brothers, while rooted in Colombian and salsa traditions, engages with electronica, post-punk and psychedelia in their complex arrangements. Stemming from funk, Say She She pushes the genre forward with their ''disco-delic'' sound that weaves classically-trained vocals with inventive rhythms and dense harmonies. One may identify the Ecuadorian heritage of Helado Negro while being swept up in the ambient pop and experimental electronica of his richly composed songs. Similar reinventions can be found in the complexly layered music of Frente Cumbiero that includes ska and klezmer in the context of Colombian music. Rounding out the season, the high-art afro-funk of JOJO ABOT, the thoughtfully penetrative songs of Rodrigo Amarante, the electronic beats of the Dominican MULA, and the afro-latin percussion of La Perla, which draws on merengue-punk, chicha, and cumbia sonidera, all represent some of the most exciting music being made today.

"Music has long held an essential place in Jewish culture, most notably as a force for unity and healing," notes Skirball President and CEO Jesse Kornberg. "For nearly three decades, the Skirball has dedicated itself to presenting music from traditions throughout the world, serving as a vibrant gathering place with our Sunset Concerts series. After this year's devastating wildfires here in Los Angeles, the artistic medium's spiritual and therapeutic powers are needed more than ever."

"With our annual Sunset Concerts series, we proudly create a sonic oasis at the Skirball for Angelenos of all ages and backgrounds," adds Marlene Braga, Vice President of Programs. "Guests this year will be treated to a mosaic of genres as we celebrate and reflect the multicultural tapestry of Los Angeles."

Collaborating with the Skirball, Artistic Music Programmer Glenn Max says, ''This summer, the Sunset Concert series embodies the Skirball's commitment as a cultural institution to reflect what is happening in music right now. These eight brilliant and creatively restless artists source musical traditions to forge personal, innovative music. By doing so, they validate the traditions from which they spring.''

RODRIGO AMARANTE

Thursday, July 17, 7:00 pm

"Beloved for his roles within ensembles such as Los Hermanos, Orquestra Imperial, and Little Joy, it's Amarante's solo work that's most vividly intriguing and imagistic."-Flood Magazine

Brazilian musician, composer, and singer-songwriter Rodrigo Amarante has rocked out with Rio's Los Hermanos and the supergroup Little Joy, written songs for Gal Costa, Norah Jones, and Gilberto Gil, and taken the samba big band Orquestra Imperial to new heights through his presence in the Brazilian indie rock scene. His noteworthy pop culture achievements include writing and recording "Tuyo," the theme song for the hit Netflix original series Narcos. Amarante's unique blend of rock, bossa nova, and folk have earned him both critical acclaim and a devoted fanbase.

HELADO NEGRO

Thursday, July 17, 8:15 pm

"Working under the moniker Helado Negro, the Ecuadorian-American artist has deftly moved between genre and medium, creating everything from albums steeped in house-tinged electronica and downtempo Spanish folk, to meditative sonic art installations."-NPR

​​Roberto Carlos Lange, the voice and mastermind behind Helado Negro, has diligently crafted his hallmark sound: a shivers-down-the-spine listening experience with an hypnotizing aura. His smoothly delivered lyrics are accompanied by singular, cutting edge musical arrangements.

Born in Florida to Ecuadorian immigrants and currently residing in North Carolina, Lange's upbringing provides essential elements to the backbone of his music, particularly his songwriting. With a consistent bilingual English and Spanish presence in his lyrics, Helado Negro's music crosses physical borders and creates a cross-cultural connection where Spanish and English exist in a congenial and harmonious manner.

LA PERLA

Thursday, July 24, 7:00 pm

"La Perla, that powerful ensemble from Bogotá, represent the ultimate Colombian folkloric and contemporary girl power trio."-Vice

La Perla is an all-female, Bogotá, Colombia-based powerhouse consisting of researchers, singers, and instrumentalists Karen Forero, Giovanna Mogollón, and Diana Sanmiguel. The three members founded the band in 2014 after years of immersing themselves in Colombian folk music, with a particular emphasis on the gaita, hand drums, and singing. In 2015, La Perla won first prize at the Festival de Gaitas de Ovejas-a legendary gaita contest/festival in Sucre, Colombia-becoming the second female ensemble and the first ensemble from Bogotá to receive the prestigious honor in its decades-long history. Two years later, the trio's international journey began with a tour in Mexico and has since taken them to Chile, the United States, and Europe. Inspired by traditional South American folklore and spirituality, La Perla's sound pays homage to its native roots while challenging the paternalistic status quo. Enchanting, percussion-forward rhythms are the backdrop for their politically charged lyrics centered on feminism and indigenous struggles.

MERIDIAN BROTHERS

Thursday, July 24, 8:15 pm

"Eblis Álvarez's Meridian Brothers unites the many strands of Latin music."-The New Yorker

From Bogotá, Colombia, Meridian Brothers has earned a reputation as a band with a cult following in Latin America. The band was founded in 1998 by composer and multi-instrumentalist Eblis Álvarez, expanding to a live act in 2007 with a group of university friends. Meridian Brothers is part of the neo-tropicalista movement in Colombia, described by The New York Times as "at once a psychedelic fever dream, a deep dive into salsa's past, (and) a critique of society's surrender to technology." Dubbed by music journalists as a futuristic avant-garde proposal, Meridian Brothers' influences also include traditional Colombian genres such as vallenato, cumbia, bullerengue, palenquero, and gaita.

MULA

Thursday, July 31, 7:00 pm

"The Dominican trio are among the most boundary-pushing acts on the island, and though they've remained an indie gem, their conceptual pivot from futurism to an urgent spirit of carpe diem promises to reach legions of new fans."-Rolling Stone

MULA is a Dominican band formed by producer Rachell Rojas and twin sisters Anabel and Cris Acevedo. With their unique fusion of electronic and Caribbean rhythms, they have become one of the most innovative and exciting acts in Latin American music. MULA embarked on a Caribbean tour in 2016, performing in Puerto Rico and Cuba. That same year, they released three singles including "Nunca Paran," which reached the top 40 in Ecuador and later was included in the soundtrack of the Netflix series Elite. In 2017, MULA released their highly lauded sophomore album, Aguas, which was named "Best Album of the Year" by Colombian magazine Shock and was also praised by blogs such as Remezcla and Clubfonograma.

FRENTE CUMBIERO

Thursday, July 31, 8:15 pm

"Frente Cumbiero's resume is so varied that it is hard to sum it all up in just a few words. And why should we? Let's hope they never stop exploring!"-Que Pasa Colombia documentary

Frente Cumbiero is widely recognized as one of the spearheads of the cumbia nueva (new cumbia) movement in Colombia due to their fresh, contemporary, and exciting take on the genre. The quartet is headed by Colombian songwriter and producer Mario Galeano, who is also a member of Ondatrópica and Los Pirañas. Frente Cumbiero creates innovative yet danceable tropical music driven by crazy keys/electronics, uplifting horns, and energetic percussion, taking listeners on a trip to all corners of the cumbia landscape. Frente Cumbiero has collaborated with Kronos Quartet and has recorded albums with dub master Mad Professor and Japanese band Minyo Crusaders. They have also performed at international festivals, including Roskilde, Womad, and Fuji Rock. Their latest album, Inconcreto & Asociados, was released in April 2025 on the Colombian label La Roma Records.

JOJO ABOT

Thursday, August 7, 7:00 pm

"JOJO ABOT speaks her words with care, like poetry. Her artistic practice and spirituality bleed together into a distinctly unique harmony."-Flaunt Magazine

JOJO ABOT is a nomadic, interdisciplinary artist exploring evolving themes in spirituality, identity, and community. Originally from Ghana and now based in Los Angeles, ABOT has collaborated with artistic institutions such as MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, The Ghana Pavilion, La Bienale Di Venezia, Frieze Art Fair X Theaster Gates x Prada Armory Week NYC, and Perez Art Museum Miami. She has also toured with Ms. Lauryn Hill, performed at renowned festivals and venues like Afropunk, Roots Picnic, Radio City Music Hall, The Apollo, Kennedy Center, and the Greek Theater, and is the first unsigned artist to perform live at NYC's Time Square New Year's Eve concert. An alumnus of the New Museum's incubator program, New Inc, and former resident at National Sawdust, JOJO ABOT continues to develop and present her interdisciplinary projects at a variety of acclaimed performance spaces.

SAY SHE SHE

Thursday, August 7, 8:15 pm

"A glorious overload of joyful elation and spiritual elevation"-MOJO

Say She She consistently tops the radio charts of tastemaker stations KCRW and KEXP as well as BBC's Radio 6 Music, with the strong voices of Piya Malik (El Michels Affair, Chicano Batman), Sabrina Mileo Cunningham, and Nya Gazelle Brown fronting the band. Sold out shows from London to Los Angeles and televised appearances on

CBS Saturday Morning and Later...with Jools Holland are a testament to their rapidly growing fan base. Say She She has toured with the likes of Thee Sacred Souls and has played iconic festivals like Glastonbury and Central Park Summerstage. The band fully embraces their role as beauticians, actively reminding people of the inherent beauty in the world, while also skillfully employing double entendres and humor to encourage open dialogue and fearlessly address important matters that demand attention.

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