Culver City’s Blvd Music Summer Fest Starts Tonight with Kátia Moraes and Brazilian Hearts plus Conganas

Summer breezes… an intimate courtyard… free parking… and great music. Escape to Culver City for the 2018 Culver City’s Boulevard Music Summer Festival. Boulevard Music presents 6 free concerts on Thursday evenings at 7 pm from July 12 through August 16 in the palm-lined Dale Jones Courtyard of Culver City City Hall. Also become an entry level sponsor by purchasing one of the 100 premium reserved seats at $10 each per show available at Boulevard Music starting June 20. Tickets may be purchased at Boulevard Music in person or over the phone and probably will not be available online.

Tonight we feature two fine groups. Kátia Moraes and Brazilian Hearts plus Conganas.

Kátia Moraes and Brazilian Hearts

Hailing from Rio de Janeiro, Kátia Moraes and Brazilian Hearts bring choro and samba to Culver City this summer. Moraes’s singing, as praised by the Los Angeles Times, “is a virtual definition of the passion that is an implicit part of Brazilian music.”Featuring Nando Duarte, Ted Falcon, Fay Roberts and Clarice Cast. Moraes began performing in the 1980s, sharing the stage with the high-energy Brazilian band O Espirito da Coisa. Since then, she has worked with some of the foremost acts around the globe, including Sergio Mendes, Airto Moreira, Oscar Castro-Neves, Rita Lee, Elba Ramalho, Sandy and Junior, Banda Cheiro de Amor, George Duke, Alex Acuña and Justo Almario’s Tolú, Latin Project, and Praful. In 1990, she moved to LA, where she began working as a voiceover artist in film and television. She also continued singing with the likes of Pure Samba, Feijoada Completa, Samba Society, Bloco Nove, Falso Baiano, The Rio Thing, Midnight Drums, Sol & Mar, Folk Ballet of Brasil, Badauê, Man and Machine, and many more. She is currently singing with Brazilian Hearts—Choro & Samba, Samba Society, and Viver Brasil Dance Company. In 2011, Moraes created the annual musical entitled Brazilian Heart, a Celebration paying homage to inspiring Brazilian singer-songwriters. She has released numerous albums, including Ten Feet and the Sun with Brasil Nuts band, Ginga, Navegar ao Sol, Live, Tribo with Sambaguru, and two EPs. In 2018 she released Mistureba. Her work with the Pure Samba project was awarded the LA Treasure Award, granted in part by the California Traditional Music Society, a facility of the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. In Culver City Kátia with be accompanied by Nando Duarte on 7-string guitar, Ted Falcon on mandolin and violin, Clarice Cast on percussion, and Fay Roberts on flute.

Conganas

Conganas which means “with passion” features some of the most talented and experienced players in the Los Angeles music scene today, not only do they perform with their own band but are also touring musicians with some of the greatest bands and musicians in the Latin Jazz, R & B, Pop and Soul genres.

Conganas was formed in 2010 and is led by percussionist Christian Moraga originally from Chile. Conganas also features Cuban pianist Fermin Sifontes, American bassist Rene Camacho, and Venezuelan trumpeter Enzo Villaparedes. What started as a concept and challenge of replicating the sound of a full Latin orchestra playing a variety of salsa, cumbia, cha-cha, bolero, and Latin jazz, among many other Latin rhythms with only a quartet has led to many performance opportunities in diverse venues throughout Southern, California.

The band has quickly created their unique Latin sound and spellbinding shows to other cultural frontiers. They are planning to release a new CD in in 2016.

Each of the band members executes a vital instrument and also sings, making this complicated task and particular sound, a sought out band. Christian has assembled a wonderful cast of musicians, writers, teachers and historians and together they have put their stamp on their debut recording “Conganas”.

Avoid the crowds and parking hassles of other areas on the Westside. Parking is free for one hour (2 hours with festival validation) in designated structures in downtown Culver City, and dozens of dining options are available within walking distance. Culver City’s downtown area is Southern California’s best-kept secret, featuring a wonderful mix of historic buildings, boutiques, theaters, galleries, and unique restaurants opening onto tree-lined streets.

The Dale Jones City Hall Courtyard is located at 9770 Culver Blvd. in Downtown Culver City (corner Culver Blvd. and Duquesne Ave.). The courtyard opens at 4:30 pm. No glass containers or alcoholic beverages may be brought into City Hall Courtyard. For more information, call Boulevard Music.

Culver City’s Boulevard Music Festival is sponsored by The City of Culver City, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Boulevard Music, Culver Studios, Palm Court, Michael Morabito—Compass, John Riordan Plumbing, Culver City Volvo & Mazda, Maxam Properties, Swiss Motors, Sorrento Market, D & E Associates, Mateo’s Ice Cream, Cavanaugh Realty, Dolce Realtors, Marriott Hotel, Michael Kayem Remax, Hillside Memorial Park, LaRocco’s, Music Munchers, Culver Hotel, Dynagraphics, Culver City News, Culver City Observer, Steeldeck Inc, Eastman Guitars, Kremona USA, Ohana Ukuleles, and Ernie Ball.