Maria de Barros Kicks Off Skirball Cultural Center's Summer World Music Series

Maria de Barros kicks off the Skirball Cultural Center's fifteenth annual Sunset Concerts series on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 8:00 PM. The concert, free of charge, will be held in the Skirball's festive main courtyard. De Barros' joyous and uplifting music, which hails from her spiritual home, the islands of Cape Verde, is also influenced by the music of Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, France, and Spain. As Jordan Peimer, Skirball Director of Programs, notes, "Maria de Barros has one of the richest voices in Los Angeles, and her fusion of musical styles honors not only her Cape Verdean roots but uniquely mirrors her experience of L.A."

During her Sunset Concerts performance at the Skirball Cultural Center, de Barros will perform with her ensemble featuring Sandro Rebel Rolfe on keyboards, Fabio Soares and Mitchel Long on guitars, Zerui Depin on cavaquinho (a small string instrument) and ferro (a piece of steel, played as percussion with a kitchen knife, and the main instrument for the funana style of Cape Verdean music), Jorge Job on bass, Carlos Monteiro on drums, and Hector Torres on percussion.

The eldest of five children, Maria de Barros was born in Dakar, Senegal and raised in Nouackchott, Mauritania until she was thirteen, when she and her family moved to Providence, Rhode Island. There, de Barros lived among many immigrants from Cape Verde and took inspiration from a variety of musicians including her Grammy-nominated godmother, Cesaria Evora, the "barefoot diva" who first put Cape Verde on the musical map. As a budding singer, de Barros performed with many Cape Verdean musicians, showcasing the native songs and rhythms of her homeland. As an adult, de Barros lived in Los Angeles, where she soon fell in love with Latin music and started singing in Spanish, one of the six languages that de Barros speaks.

In 2005, de Barros was named Cape Verdean Artist of the year. In 2006, she received the Miriam Makeba Award for Excellence in Music in the United States. She has hosted Soul of Africa on BET Jazz television since 2006. Meanwhile, her song "Reggadara" from her latest album was featured on the HBO hit series Entourage.

The Skirball Cultural Center's Sunset Concerts, curated by Skirball Music Director Yatrika Shah-Rais, offers community concerts free of charge representing music from around the globe. The 2011 series continues with the West Coast premiere of Red Baraat (July 28), Yemen Blues (August 4), Nuriya (August 11), Thomas Mapfumo and The Blacks Unlimited (August 18), and Mr. Vallenato (August 25).

WHO:
Maria de Barros, vocals
Sandro Rebel Rolfe, keyboards
Fabio Soares, guitars
Mitchel Long, guitars
Zerui Depin, cavaquinho and ferro
Jorge Job, bass
Carlos Monteiro, drums
Hector Torres, percussion

WHERE:
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 440-4500 ⋅ www.skirball.org

WHEN:
Thursday, July 21, 2011
8:00 PM - Concert
7:00 PM - Doors

TICKETS:
FREE ADMISSION; no reservations
Limited seating on a first-come, first-served basis
On-sit Parking: $10 per car (cash only). Street parking is strictly prohibited.
Carpooling is encouraged or take Metro Rapid 761.

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