Presenting Series

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Graceland was Paul Simon’s comeback album, and the secret to its success on the road to winning the Grammy for Album of the Year was the vocal ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Dubbed by the late Nelson Mandela as South Africa’s “Cultural Ambassadors to the World”, they share a joy and excitement that breaks down barriers and unites everyone through the universal language of music. The group performs isicathamiya – a traditional music that originated with black mine workers in South Africa.

Las Cafeteras

The LA Times describes Las Cafeteras as a “uniquely Angeleno mishmash of punk, hip-hop, beat music, cumbia and rock…live, they’re magnetic.”  Their Afro-Mexican beats, rhythms and rhymes complement inspiring lyrics that document stories of a community seeking love and justice in the concrete jungle of Los Angeles. Using traditional Son Jarocho folk instruments like the jarana, requinto, quijada (donkey jawbone) and tarima (a wooden platform), they sing in English, Spanish and Spanglish.

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