A new outdoor music series launches Aug. 15 at Mural Amphitheatre at Seattle Center, curated by the people who bring Seattle Center Festál to the community. Seattle Center Festál presents Music at the Mural offers multi-cultural, multilingual, multi-rhythmic world sounds on five Sundays this summer, 12 noon– 2 p.m., Aug. 15, 22, 29 and Sept. 5 and 12. All performances are free to the public.
The artists featured on Music at the Mural are rooted in traditions and influences from East Africa, West Africa, South America, Central America, the Caribbean and North America. The Sunday line-ups include:
Sunday, Aug. 15: La Cantina, Eduardo Mendonça and Show Brazil!, DJ Garifuna
The all-female musical trio formed in 2014, La Cantina, spreads themes of awareness, strength and social justice through music to inspire action, spark dialogue, give voice to the unheard and build relationships and community. La Cantina is Stephanie Hsu, Gema Aguilar and Sandra Aguilar from Yakima, Wash. Eduardo Mendonça & Show Brazil! bring the spicy soul of Brazilian culture to their high energy performances. Internationally acclaimed, the band features accomplished artists under the musical and artistic direction of the highly praised Eduardo Mendonça, a native of Salvador, Bahia. The program’s DJ, Yoelin Conner, is Seattle-based Garifuna community leader from Honduras and founding member of the Movimiento Afrolatino Seattle and Garinagu Houngua, two organizations devoted to the empowerment of African descent communities through arts and education.
Sunday, Aug. 22: Guzo Band, Sistas Rock the Arts, DJ Kole
* Please note that the scheduled appearance by Guzo Band on Sunday, August 22 has been cancelled. The Sistas Rock the Art will now expand their performance time and we will have additional DJ sets that day. We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, August 22 for Music at the Mural!
Taking the Amharic word meaning journey, Guzo Band brings together diverse singers and instrumentalists from Ethiopia and Eritrea to present a unique blend of traditional and contemporary music, along with messages about bringing all together as one human race. Sistas Rock the Arts (SRTA), a collective of talented and dynamic local artists, represent Black Girl Magic through music, spoken word, dance and a variety of artistic expressions. SRTA has been producing weekly events, jams and community gatherings since 2015, building a robust multigenerational ecosystem of Black and Brown musicians and artists in the heart of South Seattle who share love, respect, humanity and the arts.
Sunday, Aug. 29: Ghost Horse, Two Story Zori
After fighting to push the colonizer out of the west, Ghost Horse slept for 125 years. Now, they have awakened and in this new time, they play to inspire people to fight their old enemy. Seattle’s Two Story Zori, togethersince 2009, fuse their own Pacific Island heritage with the feel-good vibes of reggae music, the upbeat feeling of rock and ska and the listening ease of catchy harmonic melodies to create their own original music and unique sound that spans across many different genres.
Sunday, Sept. 5: Kiki Valera y su Son Cubano
Son Cubano is one of the most popular musical styles in Cuba and Kiki Valera is one of its foremost exponents. A multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, Valera is best known as one of the world’s greatest players of the Cuban cuatro, a mid-size guitar with eight strings grouped in sets of two.
Sunday, Sept. 12: The Djeliyah Band featuring Kouaté Arts Performance Company
The Djeliyah Band, orchestrated by the multi-talented Djely Aboubacar “Boka” Kouyaté from Guinea, West Africa, presents a harmonic fusion of traditional Griot music, afro beats and modern Guinea music. The women of the Kouyaté Dance Team add festive and dynamic West African dance to the live music and song.
Seating (low back chairs, blankets or bean bags) for Music at the Mural is first-come, first-served, limited to the capacity of the Mural Amphitheatre lawn. All attendees are asked to physically distance from others not in their party. Anyone exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 is asked not to attend. (COVID protocols subject to change in accordance with State and City guidance.) Please leave pets at home and check online at here for additional information and restrictions.
Seattle Center Festál presents Music at the Mural is a public program of Seattle Center. To learn more about Summer at the Center, Seattle Center Festál and other program offerings, visit http://www.seattlecenter.com or call 206-684-7200.
About Seattle Center:
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts and family gathering place in the core of our region. More than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations that reside on the grounds, together with a broad range of public and community programs, create thousands of events on the 74-acre campus and attract over 12 million visitors each year. At Seattle Center, part of Uptown Arts & Cultural District, our purpose is to create exceptional events, experiences and environments that delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. Activities at the Center generate $1.864 billion in business activity and $631 million in labor income.
