1st & Central Summer Concerts Returns for Third Year on June 28th

The heart of Los Angeles’ burgeoning downtown arts scene will come alive with songs and sounds from around the world this summer as the Japanese American National Museum presents its annual outdoor music series, “1st & Central Summer Concerts,” with six free-to-the-public, mid-week programs of world music, June 28th to Sept. 13. The series launches with Enzo Avitabile & Bottari, featuring the internationally renowned Italian jazz artist performing original work inspired by traditional folk music of southern Italy.

Now in its third year, this year’s series features Hawaiian ukele, Japanese taiko, Afro-Latin soukous, American modern jazz and Mexican fandango jarocho. Among the performers are one of Hawaii’s most respected musical artists, Grammy award-winning Daniel Ho; the multi-cultural, multilingual master of the Afro-Cuban sound, Richard Lemvo, and the virtuoso harpist and multi-instrumentalist Celso Duarte, best known for his work with Lila Downs. Also appearing will be Flying Lotus, the talented nephew of Alice Coltrane, who will be among a group of musicians paying tribute to the legendary jazz pianist.

All concerts, except the first, will be held Thursday evenings beginning at 6:30 pm at the National Museum Plaza of the Japanese American National Museum at 369 East 1st Street in Little Tokyo (at Central Avenue). The first concert on Thursday June 28th (“Enzo Avitabile & Bottari”) will be held at 7 pm at the plaza of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 South San Pedro (between 2nd and 3rd Streets).

This series is made possible, in part, by the Cultural Affairs Department, City of Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; the James Irvine Foundation, and the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. Media sponsors are KPFK 90.7 FM, Los Angeles Downtown News and Pasadena Weekly.

A complete description of the concert series line-up follows. For more information: www.Janm.org or 213-625-0414. NOTE: The artists performing in the series are available to the media for interviews; photos available upon request.

SERIES PRELUDE

Presented in collaboration with the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center
Thursday, June 28, 2007, 7:00 PM
Enzo Avitabile & Bottari
Plaza, Japanese American Cultural and Community Center*
244 South San Pedro Street (between 2nd & 3rd Streets)
Los Angeles (Little Tokyo), CA 90012
Information: 213.680.3700

Enzo Avitabile is the spirit of Italian soul music. For more than twenty years, the Naples-born saxophonist and flutist has been a star on the Italian jazz scene, performing with everyone from James Brown to Hugh Masekela. A master musician and keen observer, in 2001, he heard the music of Bottari from southern Italy’s Campania Region. To call Bottari unique is an understatement in the extreme. Playing the centuries old traditional rhythms of pastellesas and tarantellas, their infectious sound is produced from striking barrels and vats and hitting scythes with steel sticks. Led by Pasquale Romano, Bottari found a kindred spirit in Avitabile and soon they were exploring the possibilities of a partnership that would respect traditional Italian music even as they sought to innovate it. The result is a body of original songs written in a Neapolitan dialect that connects past to present, giving new life to music from the region. Their music is mesmerizing, fresh, and unmistakable. For their debut West Coast performance, Avitabile will be joined by 17 members of Bottari.
*Note time and venue change for this concert only.

SERIES KICK OFF

Thursday, July 12, 2007, 6:30 PM
Southern California Ukulele Showcase
Our summer concert series kicks off with a celebration of all things “uke”. The evening will include performances by Daniel Ho, Herb Ohta Jr., Dan “soybean” Sawyer, Steven Espaniola, Makena, King Kukulele, and The Bilgewater Brothers. Special appearance by nonogenarian, Bill Tapia. This is definitely one not-to-be-missed concert for ukulele lovers everywhere. Guest Curator: Ali Lexa, Host, Ukulele Spotlight, KFPK.

Thursday, July 26, 2007, 6:30 PM
San Jose Taiko & Cava
American taiko pioneers, for over 30 years San Jose Taiko has been celebrated for fierce beats, innovative sounds, and dedication to community. Their hallmark is dynamic choreography coupled with brilliant playing with the result being performances filled with passion, wit, and spirit. In a rare appearance at the National Museum, the ensemble will pull out all the stops as they express the beauty and harmony of the human spirit through the singular voice of the taiko. The concert will begin with a special taiko-infused performance by local favorites, Cava.

Thursday, August 2, 2007, 6:30 PM
Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca and Destani Wolf
Ricardo Lemvo has established himself as a pioneer with his innovative music, combining Latin and African elements from salsa to soukous. This Congo-born artist of Angolan ancestry is the embodiment of the Afro-Latin Diaspora, which connects back to Africa via the Cuban clave rhythm. Lemvo is truly multi-cultural, equally at home singing in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Lingala, and Kikongo. The concert will open with a special set by Destani Wolf. Wolf is a veteran of the a cappella group SoVoSo, a Bobby McFerrin project, and also performed with Bay Area fixtures including Bobi Cespedes and John Santos, Cuban piano genius Omar Sosa, and fronted the short-lived but path-breaking Bay Area Afro Latin hip-hop ensemble O-Maya, whose R&B, rap, ska, soca, DJ sampling and Latin folkloric experiments made the most of Wolf’s alternately smoky, soaring mezzo-soprano.

Thursday, August 9, 2007, 6:30 PM
To Alice with Love: Celebrating the Music of Alice Coltrane
The Coltrane name is synonymous with deeply innovative, passion-filled modern music. This special evening is a tribute to the legacy of the family matriarch, the late Alice Coltrane (1937-2007), whose approach to the piano was nothing short of genius. Performers include her beloved Ashram Community Choir and The Universal Consciousness Orchestra featuring vocalist Dwight Trible. The concert will also include a set by Mrs. Coltrane’s talented nephew Flying Lotus. DJ Mark Maxwell will be on hand spinning a soulful mix of music throughout the evening. Guest Curator: Carlos Niño, Host, Spaceways Radio, KPFK.

Thursday, August 23, 2007, 6:30 PM
Music and Film Screening RESCHEDULED—DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED

Thursday, September 13, 2007, 6:30 PM
Celso Duarte & Sonex
Our summer concert series closes with a very special fandango jarocho. Best known for his stunning work with Lila Downs, virtuoso harpist and multi-instrumentalist, Celso Duarte, simply dazzles. The Los Angeles Times calls Sonex a vibrant testimony to the wealth of talent among Mexico’s emerging artists. Both are gaining well-deserved reputations for invigorating son jarocho with their infectious rhythms and dynamic lyrics.

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About the Japanese American National Museum

Since its inception in 1985, the Japanese American National Museum has chronicled more than 130 years of Japanese American history—from the first Issei generation through the World War II incarceration to the present-day. Through its expansive collection and dynamic exhibitions, programs, and publications, the Museum works to preserve individual dignity, strengthen communities, and increase respect among all people.

In keeping the Museum’s goal of providing a forum for open dialogue and exchange, in 2005, the institution launched the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. The Center works with educators and youth to activate the principals of democracy, diversity, and civic participation. Teacher workshops, youth media projects, and public programs are designed to stimulate discussion, challenge assumptions, and, ultimately, illuminate democracy’s promise. For more information about the Japanese American National Museum, visit www.janm.org. To learn more about the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, go to www.ncdemocracy.org.

On View at the Japanese American National Museum

Landscaping in America: Beyond the Japanese Garden
On display through October 21, 2007

Gardens were among the first forms of Japanese culture to gain popularity in the United States. Since their introduction to the American public at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, Japanese-style gardens have proliferated across the country.

Landscaping America reveals the personal stories, historical journeys, creativity, and community processes that underlie the surface of the “Japanese garden.” This multimedia exhibition highlights how West Coast Japanese Americans drew upon their agricultural and ethnic backgrounds to carve out a viable vocational niche in gardening, and in the process, reinterpreted Japanese garden traditions, and contributed to the diversity of the American landscape.

Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden is made possible, in part, by Presenting Sponsor: The Annenberg Foundation. Generous support was also provided by The Aratani Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and The Boeing Company.

Public programs are sponsored, in part, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and The Boeing Company. Media Sponsors: KKJZ-88.1FM, Los Angeles Downtown News, and The Rafu Shimpo. Organizational partners include the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Pacific Coast Chapter of the California Landscape Contractors Association, Southern California Gardeners’ Federation, California Garden and Landscape History Society, and the Los Angeles Conservancy.