TIM, Entertainment, Ricky Richardson
Los Angeles-Summer is in full swing. Most Angelenos couldn’t tell it was summer by the nice, pleasant weather that we have been experiencing lately.
Everyone welcomes the Summer season. This fun time of the year finds people looking forward to a well-deserved vacation. Reality sets in when ones finances don’t align with your ideal vacation destination.
People from all walks of life have embraced the concept of Staycations. This allows you to explore your local and surrounding communities without compromising your budget.
If you are the adventurous type, you can find a ton of free concert series taking place throughout the summer throughout the greater Los Angeles area. One such series is the popular Grand Performances Free 2015 Outdoor Concert Series.
The 29th Annual Grand Performances Free 2015 Outdoor Concert Series provides the perfect alternative to elaborate vacation plans to exotic locations. As comedian Jon Lovitz formerly of Saturday Night Live, was fond of saying “Yeah, Yeah, that’s the ticket.
You don’t need a ticket to fully immerse yourself into the rich, diverse, cultural entertainment, be it world music, dance or theater. “Grand Performances gives Angelenos both a quintessential L.A. experience as well as genuinely global one,” say Leigh Ann Hahn, Grand Performances Director of Programming.
The spectacular skyline of Downtown L.A. served as the idea artwork to frame this acclaimed performing arts series on a wonderful Southern California afternoon or evening.
Friday, July 17th, I joined a lively lunchtime crowd as we gladly jumped on board for an hour long musical journey through Brazil. Singer, songwriter and actress Thalma de Freitas enchanted the crowd with her silky smooth, sultry vocal stylings to the delight of the audience. Thalma de Freitas set featured tunes by famous Brazilian composers such as Ivan Lins, as well as original tunes. Thalma de Freitas was backed by a splendid group that consisted of Kamau Kenyatta-piano/sax, Cecil McBee Jr.,-bass, Richard Sellers-drums. Guitarist/singer Mia Doi Todd accompanied Thalma de Freitas on two beautiful tunes that felt like we were on a beach in Brazil.
Thalma de Freitas is also a Brazilian soap opera queen and actress. Working with the Rede Globo television Network, Thalma has appeared in 11 soap operas and won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the Gramado Film Festival for her performance in the Brazilian Drama Daughters of the Wind. Musically, Thalma has collaborated with several Brazilian artists such as Bebel Gilberto, Ceu, 3namass, Instituto, Marcelo D2, Roberto SA and Orquestra Imperial (Source, BBC News).
Visit www.grandperformances.org to explore the world music offered for the Free 2015 Outdoor Concert series. Feel free to visit:
www.facebook.com/grandperformances click on photos link to get a sense of how much fun is to be had during an evening outing to California Plaza for Grand Performances.
