After her father died, Laura Kabasomi Kakoma, known as Somi, said she struggled to find her path as a musician, fighting to balance the social and political expectations of being an African woman. Read more...
Photo: African jazz singer Somi, an artist in residence at the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA, will perform Monday with Grammy Award-winning composer Billy Childs at The Crest Theater. (Courtesy of Glynis Carpenter)
The 2015 edition of Hip Hop Explosion, part of the Cultural Affairs Commission’s Hip Hop Congress, was officially called into session Thursday night. Instead of stiff suits and flag lapel pins, this crowd consisted of a sea of colorful patterned shirts and snapbacks bobbing to the bumping beats. Read more...
Photo: Cultural Affairs Commission’s Hip Hop Appreciation Month conluded with Hip Hop Explosion Thursday night. The concert featured hip-hop trio Warm Brew as the opener and rappers Earl Sweatshirt (above) and Vince Staples as co-headliners. (Felicia Ramirez/Daily Bruin senior staff)
The red-tinted lighting of the El Rey Theatre shifted to bright yellow, and without warning, Jared Pellerin, who performs under the name Pell, burst out on stage. Read more...
Photo: New Orleans native rapper Jared Pellerin, known as Pell on stage, performed at the El Rey Theatre Wednesday night. (Daniel Alcazar/Daily Bruin)
Throughout February, the Undergraduate Students Association Council Cultural Affairs Commission hosted events, including a fashion show and movie screenings, to give insight into black and hip-hop culture. Read more...
Photo: L.A. native and rapper Earl Sweatshirt will co-headline the Hip Hop Explosion event with Vince Staples on Thursday at Ackerman Grand Ballroom. (Courtesy of Brick Stowell)
“Archive Series Volume No. 1” Iron & Wine Black Cricket Recording Co. 4 paws Sam Beam, also known as Iron & Wine, is an enigma. The South Carolinian singer was once a cinematography professor at the University of Miami who decided not to pursue a career in music. Read more...
Photo: (Courtesy of Black Cricket Recording Co.)
Every year, new artists emerge, ready to be Los Angeles’ next great musical discovery, making their rounds through small club tours across the city. Inspired by the hippie enclaves of Topanga, the backyard punk scene of East Los Angeles or the coastal grunge of Venice Beach, each act has its own distinct sound. Read more...
Photo: Los Angeles “psychotropical” quintet White Arrows defied bland genre categorization when it released a 2014 album that obscures the sound of its 2012 debut album. The group will perform Friday at the Roxy Theatre. (Courtesy of Big Hassle Media)
“Gliss Riffer” Dan Deacon Domino 3.5 Paws Imagine a musical supercomputer has ingested some type of psychedelic substance and completely jammed out for 42 minutes straight. Read more...
Photo: (Domino USA)
