Grand Performances presents free performing arts that reflect the best of global culture and inspire community among the diverse peoples of Los Angeles. And they do. Nuff said. Ok, maybe this blog should have been written in the beginning of June when their scheduled was announced because at this juncture, recent missed opportunities include:

Battlestar Galactica, Lionel Popkin, Bruce Bauman & Cheng-Chieh Yu, Alejandra Flores, Gloria Enedina Alvarez, Houman Pourmhedi, LA Film Festival: Which Way Home, Musicology 301: Hal David, Rocky Dawun, MC Ra, Buika & Perla Batalla. A lot of nice free treats. But we had a good excuse for not getting this blog in earlier. We had no blog. But never mind that. We are looking to the future with a choc-a-bloc line up of great free shows in a great venue located in the heart of Downtown LA.

Oh the venue:

“Grand Performances summer series takes place on two stages at California Plaza the Watercourt stage and the Marina Pavilion. The larger of the two venues - the Watercourt stage - is a unique performance site that can hold as many as 70 performers and is partially surrounded by a system of gardens and water features. The capacity crowd for this stage can be as large as 6,500 people. The smaller Marina Pavilion stage has an amphitheatre style feel and can accommodate close to 300 audience members.

This unique outdoor venue is the only one of its kind in Southern California. First-time evening attendees are often mesmerized by this extraordinary location - cradled between two high-rise towers, with water features (including the Watercourt) and the night time sky as a beautiful, natural canopy.”

Oh and the upcoming schedule:

July

07/17 - 12:00 PM: Justo Almario’s Afro-Colombian Ensemble
07/17 - 8:00 PM: Watcha Clan & Cucu Diamantes
07/18 - 8:00 PM: Albita
07/23 - 8:00 PM: Musicology 302: Paul Robeson- Humanity’s Voice
07/24 - 12:00 PM: The Bad Plus & Wendy Lewis
07/24 - 8:00 PM: The Bad Plus & Wendy Lewis
07/25 - 8:00 PM: Curumin & Novalima
07/31 - 12:00 PM: Lo Còr de la Plana
07/31 - 8:00 PM: Lo Còr de la Plana & Fishtank Ensemble

August

08/01 - 7:00 PM: Mentiritas, La Santa Cecilia & Mr. Vallenato
08/07 - 12:00 PM: HaegumPlus
08/07 - 8:00 PM: HaegumPlus
08/08 - 8:00 PM: Tanya Tagaq & Hyperpotamus
08/09 - 8:00 PM: K. B. Solomon: The Paul Robeson Project
08/14 - 12:00 PM: Toto la Momposina y Sus Tambores
08/14 - 8:00 PM: Toto la Momposina y Sus Tambores
08/15 - 8:00 PM: Rokia Traoré
08/20 - 8:00 PM: Inspiration House PoetryChoir: VoiceMusic for Whole Living
08/21 - 12:00 PM: Adaawe
08/21 - 8:00 PM: Rahim AlHaj
08/22 - 8:00 PM: Film Night: El tren fantasma (The Ghost Train)
08/23 - 8:00 PM: Film Night: Nömadak Tx
08/28 - 12:00 PM: El Colegio del Cuerpo
08/28 - 8:00 PM: El Colegio del Cuerpo
08/29 - 8:00 PM: El Colegio del Cuerpo

September

09/12 - 8:00 PM: Emily Dickinson: This and My Heart

And did we mention this is all free. Nuff said. Once again.