Luther Burbank Center For The Arts Presents THE MUSE HOUR

Today, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (LBC) announced that it will present The Muse Hour, a four-part virtual event series, from October 17-December 12, 2020. Presented in partnership with Cal Poly Arts and Tacoma Arts Live, each event will feature inspirational conversations or performances as well as a moderated Q&A with audience members.

The lineup features "Queer Eye" star Karamo Brown, Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning artist Lila Downs, dynamic duo Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi, and a holiday concert featuring members of Pink Martini. Tickets ($10 per performance, free to Luther Burbank Center for the Arts members) will be available Friday, September 18 online at lutherburbankcenter.org.

"We are thrilled to be able to present such a dynamic lineup of high caliber artists and entertainers with The Muse Hour," said Director of Programming Anita Wiglesworth. "Although this series will be virtual, the format of conversations and performances followed by a live moderated Q&A will provide a unique experience for our audiences."

Karamo Brown | Saturday, October 17, 7:30 p.m.
Three-time Emmy Winner and Culture Expert on the Netflix reboot of "Queer Eye," Karamo Brown is described by The New Yorker as a "sympathetic talk therapist warped inside a life coach and zipped into a fast fashion bomber jacket." Lauded for his ease and natural comfort in relating to different types of people, Karamo is tasked with making-over the hearts and minds of the individuals on the show; by helping them to confront and grow beyond the internal and external issues holding them back. Onstage, Karamo draws from his work as a social worker to show how he both discovered and learned to explore his many different "identities." Whether as a black man, openly gay man, a son of immigrant parents, a Christian, a single father, or former social worker; Karamo strategically utilizes the strengths of his numerous identities to achieve success-and teaches others to do the same.

Lila Downs | Sunday, November 8, 7:30 p.m.
Iconic Grammy and Latin Grammy Award winner Lila Downs is one of the world's most powerful voices, whose compelling stage presence and poignant storytelling transcend all language barriers. Raised in Minnesota and Oaxaca, this global music icon sings in Spanish, English, and the languages of the Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya, and Mahuati cultures. Her exquisite artistry bridges traditions from across the Americas, with influences ranging from the folk and ranchera music of Mexico and South America to North American folk, jazz, blues and hip-hop. As a passionate human rights activist, Lila's lyrics often highlight issues relating to social justice, sharing stories that too often go untold. In addition to performances of a few songs, this virtual event will feature a live conversation about current Latinx issues.

Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi | Sunday, November 22, 7:30 p.m.
Fiddle and banjo player Rhiannon Giddens is an American folk and traditional music artist. Francesco Turrisi is an Italian pianist and percussionist well-versed in jazz, early music, and Mediterranean music. At first blush, their worlds don't overlap, but at a chance musical meet-up in Ireland, they found that her 19th century American minstrel banjo tunes and his traditional Sicilian tamburello (tambourine) rhythms fit naturally together. The massive effect that West African music and dance has had upon American culture is by now well-known; but centuries before, European music was being transformed by Arabic and North African modes, instruments and rhythms. Working together, they trace this musical globalism by re-imagining the encounter of the banjo and the frame drum, and other instruments, through their journey from Africa, the Middle East, through southern Europe and England, and over to the Americas.

Holiday Concert with Members of Pink Martini | Saturday, December 12, 7:30 p.m.
Pink Martini bandleader and pianist Thomas Lauderdale and vocalist China Forbes will share an intimate and festive holiday concert performing beloved songs from around the globe. Featuring a dozen musicians with songs in 25 languages, the Portland-based "mini-orchestra" performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras throughout Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, Northern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, South America and North America. The band has played with more than 70 orchestras around the world, including multiple engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, the San Francisco Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony at the Sydney Opera House, and the BBC Concert Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London.

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