Ricardo Lemvo

Sidestepper

Buyepongo

Grand Performances presents high-quality music, dance, theater, and more at California Plaza in the heart of Downtown Los Angeles. For 30 years, Grand Performances has delivered the best of global culture to inspire community among the diverse peoples of Los Angeles, and reflect the many cultural interests across the region.

This July brings a full line-up of top-notch shows. Visit us at the Amoeba booth and spin the prize wheel to score Amoeba swag and gift certificates! We will be attending the following events:

Saturday, July 15, 8pm:
Sway to silvery guitar riffs and deep polyrhythms by L'Orchestre Afrisa International with special guest Ricardo Lemvo. Embodying the Afro-Latin Diaspora, Lemvo blends his Afro-Cuban rhythms with pan-African styles (soukous, Angolan semba, and kizomba) to create an amazing package of music with L’Orchestre Afrisa International. Info.

Hollywood Cinerama, Los Angeles, 2003 (image credit: Hiroshi Sugimoto)

No city on Earth is more closely associated with motion pictures than Los Angeles. 10% of all movie theaters in the entire country are located in California and Los Angeles County is home to over 100 of them. Although most of Los Angeles's theaters, like those throughout the country, showcase only the latest Hollywood product, there are also specialty theaters which show art films, adult films, classic films, experimental films, foreign films, independent films, revival films, &c. I've previously written about Southern California's drive-in theaters (For Ozoners Only) and overlooked commercial foreign language cinemas (Los Angeles's Secret, Foreign Language Movie Theater Scene). This is my guide to the repertory cinemas or revival houses. 

Malaysian-born pop singer Yuna will appear at Grand Performances in Downtown L.A. Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. The show is free. Amoeba is proud to be a sponsor of the event. It’s hosted by KCRW’s Raul Campos. Come say hi at our booth and spin our prize wheel.

Yuna combines worldbeat touches with stunning acoustic guitar and Western pop melodies on albums like Nocturnal. Hear Yuna’s voice soar over a clap-along beat on “Rescue” for a taste:

Oh, and she does a killer cover of one of the best songs in recent years, Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You”:

Grand Performances is a nonprofit that puts on free shows that aim to reflect global culture and inspire community among the people of L.A. They take place at California Plaza at 350 South Grand Avenue.

Grand Performances, a series of free shows put on at California Plaza in Downtown L.A., will host People Get Ready: A Soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement Aug. 2 at 8 p.m. Amoeba is a proud sponsor of the event. We’ll be on hand with a booth and our prize wheel, so come by and say hello.

Les Nubians

The show features such artists as Les Nubians, Dwight Trible, Dexter Story, Ejyptian Queen, Godfrey at Large and more performing new renditions of anthems in a celebration of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The performance is produced by Jonathan Rudnick and Dexter Story, who previously produced Celebrations of Peace Go With You Gil for Gil Scott-Heron and Young Gifted & Nina for Nina Simone. It’s hosted by KCRW DJ Anthony Valadez.

Amoeba is proud to sponsor a free, upcoming Grand Performances show at California Plaza in Downtown L.A. We’ll be on hand with our Prize Wheel at both shows, so come down to spin ‘n’ win. The show starts at 8pm. Bring a picnic and enjoy free live music under the stars!

On July 18, we’ll be at Chop and Quench, featuring The Fela! Band Broadway cast, including Tony-nominee Sahr Ngaujah. The show is a live performance of legendary African musician Fela Kuti’s ’69 Los Angeles Sessions album in its entirety. The album was recorded in 1969 while Kuti was living in Hollywood, performing six nights a week at Citidel de Haiti on Sunset Boulevard. The performers have worked on the Fela! musical, a show based on the life of Kuti that features his music and lyrics.

Check out more shows happening at Grand Performances on their site all summer long.