Skirball's Sunset Concerts Concludes with Israeli Singer-Songwriter Shai Tsabari and the Middle East Groove All Stars

The Skirball Cultural Center concludes its twentieth anniversary season of Sunset Concerts with Israeli singer-songwriter Shai Tsabari and the Middle East Groove All Stars on Thursday, August 25. Born in Jaffa to a family of Yemeni Jews, Shai Tsabari creates an upbeat, uplifting sound at the intersection of Middle Eastern music and contemporary rock.

Drawing from the diverse musical influences of his upbringing - his father was a cantor, his grandmother introduced him to Yemenite percussion instruments, and his older brother was an avid collector of '60s and '70s American rock albums - Shai Tsabari combines Middle Eastern instrumentation such as the oud, doumbec, andtar with guitar, bass, drums, trombone, and electronics. As a part of Israel's recent Arabic-influenced music revival, Tsabari takes this style into a new direction by incorporating traditional Jewish liturgy into his lyrics. The Wall Street Journal notes, "Mr. Tsabari is part of a growing movement of Israeli rock musicians who are turning to Judaism for inspiration, fusing tradition with contemporary Israel to find a voice that is both Middle Eastern and Jewish."

The remaining 2016 Sunset Concerts are as follows: M.A.K.U. Soundsystem(August 11); the L.A. debut of Music Maker Blues Revue (August 18); and Shai Tsabari and the Middle East Groove All Stars (August 25). Doors and DJ at 7:00 p.m.; live music at 8:00 p.m.