Skirball Center announces lineup for free summer concert series

Now entering its 16th year, the Skirball Cultural Center’s Sunset Concert series has been a reliable source for intriguing sounds from around the globe (and a pretty great way to wait out the Thursday evening 405 commute).

The series opens July 26 with a concert from Congolese singer Samba Mapangala & Orchestra Virunga, a summer-ready ensemble centered around upbeat vocal harmonies and bright guitar that appeared at last year’s WOMAD Festival in Britain.

With roots closer to home, the six-piece, L.A.–based band La Santa Cecilia will also perform on Aug. 23, bringing a mix of Brazilian music, Afro-Cuban rhythms and flourishes of jazz and rock. Additional concerts feature the Québécois-informed sound of De Temps Antan, the West Coast debut of the Cuban-Middle Eastern fusion of Orquesta Sarabia with Roberto Rodriguez, and the Americana-dusted blues of Eric Bibb’s String Band.

The complete schedule is below. Admission is free (though parking is $10), and seating is first-come, first-served. Concerts begin at 8 p.m. and all Skirball exhibitions except Noah’s Ark are also free and open until 10 p.m. on Thursdays.

Samba Mapangala & Orchestra Virunga, July 26

The Alaev Family, Aug. 2

Orquesta Sarabia under the direction of Roberto Rodriguez, Aug. 9

De Temps Antan, Aug. 16

La Santa Cecilia, Aug. 23

Eric Bibb’s String Band featuring Dirk Powell and Cedric Watson, Aug. 30

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