April 23 reveal: Opening + Closing Weekends

We’re excited to announce our lineups for opening weekend on June 1-2 and closing weekend August 31-September 1! Kick your summer into high gear on Saturday, June 1, with a mix of Latin-influenced ska, rock and reggae and a special reunion performance by Mexican legends Tijuana No! con Ceci Bastida alongside Dub8 and Blanco y Negro. The next night, wear your dancing shoes for the tropical sounds of pan-Latin orchestra Rumbankete andChris Acosta on Sunday, June 2.

Fast forward to the end of summer and Levitt LA has your Labor Day weekend plans covered with renowned cumbia tastemakers La Sonora Dinamita on Saturday, August 31, followed by DJ Spinna’s Wonder-Full in the Park: a Tribute concert to Stevie Wonder on Sunday, September 1!

NEXT WEEK we’ll announce the full 2019 season lineup of 50 free concerts! Read on to learn more about a few of the show-stopping acts that will bookend a magical summer in MacArthur Park.

About the Artists

June 1: Headliner Tijuana No! con Ceci Bastida is a rare reunion performance only at Levitt LA—bringing a bold fusion of ska, reggae, rap and punk to MacArthur Park. They will be joined by self-proclaimed ReggaeSolSka rockers Dub8 and LA natives Blanco Y Negro.

June 2: Rumbankete has earned a reputation as one of the West Coast’s most exciting and progressive salsa orchestras, and is sure to have you on your feet and dancing along. Chris Acosta is opening with a fresh mix of today’s hottest merengue, salsa and bachata beats.

August 31: La Sonora Dinamita has been credited as the source of the popular rebirth of cumbia music throughout Latin America. Don’t miss Billboard’s “Best Tropical Band” of 2018 return to the Levitt LA stage this summer!

September 1: Brooklyn native DJ Spinna hosts Wonder-Full, a can’t-miss, globe-trotting tribute concert dedicated to the R&B and pop great, Stevie Wonder. Get ready for a night of Stevie exclusives, covers, samples and remixes, with support from Monalisa and Cognito!

Stay tuned for the full 2019 Levitt LA line-up next week!

.

.

.

April 16 reveal: Cultural Sundays

This week, we’re excited to preview a few of the dates from our Cultural Sundays Series presented by Target starting on June 9th! Every Sunday this summer will feature cultural programming to celebrate the diverse communities that comprise LA’s vibrant tapestry, as well as fun lawn activities for the young and young at heart! Join us for immersive, all-ages experiences, sure to end every Levitt LA weekend on a high note.

In just TWO weeks, we’re announcing the full 2019 season lineup of 50 free concerts! Read on to learn more about a few of the immersive cultural festivals happening every Sunday this summer!

Cultural Sundays Preview

June 9: Manila 2 MacArthur Park will be a free 2-day, music and dance festival showcasing the best of LA’s traditional and contemporary Filipino culture. Start the fun on Saturday (6/8) and come back Sunday for more! Co-Presented by Kalayaan L.A. and Fil-Am ARTS 2.0. 

July 14: 2nd Annual Tamal Festival, featuring two-time GRAMMY-winning Mariachi Divas, will take audiences on a culinary journey through Mexico, Central and South America. Come hungry and ready to dance!

July 28: Ethiopia Day at Levitt LA will be a fun Ethiopian-themed festival drawing inspiration from LA’s Little Ethiopia featuring a range of musical performances, food vendors and arts and crafts. Presented by the Little Ethiopia Cultural & Resource Center.

August 18: Natives in the Now will be a spirited festival highlighting the traditional and contemporary Native American tribes and culture of Los Angeles, from a ceremonial Pow Wow to emerging Native American musicians like Raye Zaragoza.Presented by the United American Indian Involvement.

We’re excited to welcome Target back as the presenting sponsor of 2019’s Cultural Sundays Series! Our Target partnership is an impactful community-building vehicle driving unity through their support of the arts and LA’s rich cultural tapestry.

Stay tuned for more details on the full line-up of Sunday events this summer, and keep an eye out for our final artist teaser next week!

.

.

.

April 9 reveal: Los Master Plus

We’re excited to announce Guadalajara-based, “Cumbiatrónico” group Los Master Plus will make their Levitt LA stage debut on Friday, July 19! The group’s larger-than-life mix of pop covers with original cumbia is fun, fresh and a guaranteed dance party under the stars!

In just THREE weeks on April 30th, we’re announcing the full 2019 season lineup of 50 free concerts! Read on to learn more about Los Master Plus and what you can expect from their upcoming show.

About the Artist

Since 2010,  Los Master Plus has carved out a fun, kitschy path for themselves with hilarious, Latin-infused covers of popular songs by English-language artists, including Kings Of Leon and Radiohead. Beginning as a duo, they knew they’d eventually have to leave the covers behind (but not the mustaches) and add more musically-talented members if they were to take the next step in their career as musicians, which is exactly what they did on their full-length debut album, Adelante(2015).

On their debut, founding member El Comanche is joined by El Deivis Muñoz and El Negro Luna as they take a step forward as musicians with 11 (mostly) original tracks showcasing their ability to sing and rap across multiple genres, including the self-coined “Cumbiatrónico” (cumbia + electronic) and “Sabrosindie” (sabroso, the Spanish word for “tasty” + indie). Their most recent singles “Locamente” and “ALV” feature the same signature goofy and romantic sound that keep Los Master Plus fans wanting more.

Stay tuned for more details on Los Master Plus’ debut Levitt LA show this summer, and keep an eye out for our eighth artist reveal next week!

.

.

.

April 2 reveal: Trish Toledo

We’re excited to announce that old-school meets new-school soul songstress Trish Toledo will make her Levitt LA stage debut on Saturday, July 6! Toledo’s timeless cumbias and soul/pop-tinged ballads will have all of MacArthur Park dancing along, so mark your calendars!

In just a few weeks on April 30th, we’re announcing the full 2019 season lineup of 50 free concerts! Read on to learn more about Trish Toledo and what you can expect from her upcoming show.

About the Artist

A stunning young artist with an old-school sound, Trish Toledo is a musical time traveler who reinvents brilliant pop and soul ballads from the 1960s with modern fire and fortitude. Hailing from Carson, Calif., Toledo was born into an Ecuadorian-Guatemalan family. Their musical tastes – plus the influence of her father, who was a musician – provided her with access to music that existed long before her time. Although the first music she sang was cumbias and ballads, she discovered that it was the timeless pop and soul ballads of the 1960s that she felt most connected to.

Today, Toledo is known as a soulful songstress for her projects such as the 2017 and 2018 series EP’sDedicated to the Ones I Love volumes 1, 2 and 3. Her latest endeavors include teaming up with all-star band The Confidentials to further magnify her stage presence. As Toledo prepares to enter the studio in 2019, we can anticipate that her new album will be the most dynamic, heartfelt and soulful offering yet.

Stay tuned for more details on Trish Toledo’s Levitt LA show, and we’ll be back next week with our seventh artist reveal!

.

.

.

March 26 reveal: Flor De Toloache

We’re excited to announce Flor De Toloache, the all-female, GRAMMY-winning mariachi group and 2019 Levitt National Tour headliners, will return to the Levitt LA stage on Saturday, August 10! Flor De Toloache’s dynamic fusion of mariachi, jazz, salsa and pop will have all of us dancing under the stars, so be sure to catch their only West Coast stop at MacArthur Park!

On April 30th, we’re announcing the full 2019 season lineup of 50 free concerts! Read on to learn more about Flor De Toloache and what you can expect from their upcoming show.

About the Artist

Flor De Toloache started their career spreading the joys of mariachi-fusion in the New York underground, until The New York Times discovered the group in 2013 and brought widespread attention to the all-female sensation. Just two years later, their first full-length, self-titled project would earn the band their first Latin GRAMMY nomination for Best Ranchero/Mariachi album. Then with the release of their critically-acclaimed debut studio album Las Caras Lindas in 2017, the group won their first Latin GRAMMY for the same category, making them the first all-female band to win the category in Latin GRAMMY history.

Levitt audiences eager to hear more from Flor De Toloache before the Levitt National Tour this summer are in luck: there’s a new album on the way this spring, and the first single “Besos de Mezcal” (featuring Camilo Lara, the artist behind the music of animated film “Coco”) was released in February. Be sure to keep an eye out for an upcoming collaboration with platinum-selling R&B artist Miguel, which Mireya Ramos, violinist and co-founder of the group, says Levitt audiences will “hopefully be the first to hear live!”

Stay tuned for more details on Flor De Toloache’s Levitt LA show as part of this year’s Levitt National Tour, and we’ll be back next week with our sixth artist reveal!

.

.

.

March 19 reveal: Josef Leimberg

We’re excited to announce jazz trumpeter, composer and hip-hop instrumentalist Josef Leimberg will make his Levitt LA debut on Friday, June 14! The Los Angeles native has an extensive history working with artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg and Erykah Badu, so this is one concert you won’t want to miss!

The count down is on! On April 30th, we’re announcing the full 2019 season lineup of 50 free concerts! Read on to learn more about Josef Leimberg and what you can expect from his upcoming show!

About the Artist

Josef Leimberg has recently gained a unique level of traction with his work on the multiple GRAMMY Award-winning Kendrick Lamar LP To Pimp A Butterfly. Credited under the LoveDragon moniker with partner and famed jazz producer Terrace Martin, his work on To Pimp A Butterfly represents only a small fragment of his accomplishments. His collaborative resume over the decades is astounding, consisting of production, writing and feature credits with Dr. Dre, Shafiq Husayn, Funkadelic, Freestyle Fellowship, Robin Thicke, Murs, King Tee, Suga Free, and Saafir.

In 2016, Leimberg released his debut solo album Astral Progression. The record features an array of innovators and game changers in modern progressive music, including Kamasi Washington, Bilal, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Kurupt, Terrace Martin and Miguel Atwood-Ferguson. Leimberg’s new, untitled album is expected to arrive later this year.

Stay tuned for more details on Josef Leimberg’s debut Levitt LA concert, and keep an eye out for our fifth artist reveal next week!

.

.

.

March 12 reveal: Ruby Ibarra

We’re excited to announce rising hip-hop and spoken-word artist Ruby Ibarra will make her Levitt LA debut on Saturday, June 8! The Bay Area lyricist and proud Filipina star is currently touring in support of her debut album CIRCA91—and this is her only stop in Los Angeles this summer, so mark your calendars!

On April 30th, we’ll be announcing the full 2019 season lineup of 50 free concerts. Every week another artist will be revealed, so stay tuned! Read on to learn more about Ruby Ibarra and what you can expect from her upcoming show!

About the Artist

Born in the Philippines, Ruby Ibarra spent the first four years of her life in Tacloban City before her family eventually settled in San Lorenzo, California. Submerged in the melting pot of the Bay Area, Ruby’s adolescent years introduced her to a wide array of cultures, experiences, and most importantly: hip-hop, which resonated at every corner of her neighborhood. Known for her sharp lyricism and rhythmic multi-syllabic flows, Ruby attributes her musical identity to being a child during the ’90s and witnessing the “golden era” of hip-hop.

In 2010, Ruby began releasing music videos on YouTube that created a buzz after being featured in XXL Magazine and WorldstarHipHop—enough to earn her spots at the Rock the Bells and Paid Dues music festivals in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Her first mixtape arrived later in 2012 and quickly garnered over 100,000 digital downloads, attracting attention from the likes of Buzzfeed, NPR and Huffington Post. Her debut album CIRCA91 was released in late 2017 to critical acclaim and a particularly powerful endorsement from hip-hop and R&B raconteur SZA.

 

Stay tuned for more details on Ruby Ibarra’s ONLY concert in LA all summer, and keep an eye out for our fourth artist reveal next week!

.

.

.

March 5 reveal: The Slackers

We’re excited to announce ska, reggae and rock stars The Slackers will return to the Levitt LA stage on Friday June 21, following their thrilling show last year! Hailing from Manhattan’s Lower East Side, The Slackers are equal parts grit and grace. It’s their only concert in Los Angeles this summer, so this is one night you won’t want to miss!

On April 30th, we’ll be announcing the full 2019 season lineup of 50 free concerts. Every week another artist will be revealed, so keep checking back on this post to make sure you don’t miss any of our 2019 artists! Read on to learn more about The Slackers and what you can expect from their upcoming show!

About the Artist

The Slackers‘ rise to fame is a story of perseverance and a belief in their musical vision combining Jamaican ska and reggae with American rock n roll. While they have been influenced (and even personally taught) by Jamaican ska/reggae originators, such as the Skatalites and the Upsetters, the band sees its music as wholly American. Smashing the stereotypes of ska, The Slackers put a new spin on the genre by playing with an aggressive edge that interweaves personal and political accounts.

Decades after their 1991 formation, the band has established a reputation as being amongst the most prolific of touring acts. Since 1997, they have performed over 100 times every year, with more than 20 North American tours, 14 European tours and several trips through South America and Asia. Highlights include stops at the 1998 Warped Tour and the 2008 Glastonbury Festival. Their latest, self-titled album was released in 2016 to widespread praise and commemorated their 25-year-long union.

 

More Information

The Slackers’ show will be co-presented by LA’s Evoekore Media, who are focused on designing and producing skacore music experiences that inspire artists and fans to celebrate the world around us.

Stay tuned for more details on The Slackers’ ONLY concert in LA all summer, and keep an eye out for our third artist reveal next week!

.

.

.

February 26 reveal: Amara La Negra

Ready for summer yet? Here’s an exclusive sneak-peek at the 2019 Levitt LA lineup! We’re excited to announce Afro-Latina reggaeton and R&B star Amara La Negra will take the Levitt LA stage on June 7 for a night of energizing music and dancing under the stars. It’s her only concert in Los Angeles all summer as she headlines Levitt LA’s first ever PRIDE programming: #PRIDEenelparque!

On April 30th, we’ll be announcing the full 2019 season lineup of 50 free concerts. Every week another artist will be revealed, so stay tuned! Read on to learn more about Amara La Negra, and check out her latest smash single “Celebra” (featuring NYC’s Messiah)!

About the Artist

To anyone who watched the first season of VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Miami, Amara La Negra is a newly minted icon. To Spanish-language TV viewers, she’s been a star for years: as a child, she made regular appearances on Univision’s Sábado Gigante. With hits like the reggae-tinged “What a Bam Bam” soaring into millions of views on YouTube, La Negra is relishing her biggest spotlight yet.

As one of very few Afro-Latina celebrities, Amara – like Celia Cruz, the late queen of salsa, before her – is challenging the mainstream music industry with a new era of female-empowered urban Latin sounds. Her ability to combine reggaeton and R&B with hip-hop, favela funk and blues is not only inspiring, but is sure to leave audiences dancing well into the night. And with a new multi-album record deal freshly signed, she’s just getting started.

 

 

More Information

Amara La Negra’s show will be co-presented by LA’s Late Night Laggers, who are focused on designing and producing global club music experiences that inspire artists and fans to celebrate the world around us. Through original music, remixes, compilations, DJ sets, and live events, they elevate underground artists and movements from the U.S., Latin America, Europe, and Africa, to make sounds and cultures from around the world more familiar everywhere.

Stay tuned for more details on Amara’s ONLY concert in LA all summer, as well as what’s in store for the first ever #PRIDEenelparque!