Los Angeles is home to over 200 languages its residents speak, understandably forming a language barrier. According to the founder of Make Music LA, Dorsay Dujon, however, music bridges gaps in understanding and brings listeners together; even if the lyrics can’t always be understood, the music underneath and the artist producing it can still reach out to people and connect them in ways words may not have been able to anyway.
The city of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, alongside LA Commons and Make Music LA, will take advantage of this opportunity for communication without words on Friday, June 21, where programs will feature “Pulsations LA,” an outdoor concert free of charge and open to all. This concert will feature artists deemed “Cultural Treasures” by the Cultural Treasures of South LA, a community-based cultural asset mapping initiative.
Further expanding their range of musical communication, the Make Music Day celebration will be live-streamed worldwide in participation in the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad. This diverse event will feature a broadcast of artistic performances, including the Fernando Pullum Community Arts Center Jazz Ensemble featuring vocalist Dwight Trible, Kinnara Taiko, tap dance by the Nicholas Dance Studio, poetry by “artivist” S. Pearl Sharp, and a family-friendly drum workshop by Project Knucklehead. These shows will be held on People Street in Leimert Park Village Plaza in front of Vision Theater, offering a rich tapestry of musical experiences.
The “Pulsations” aspect of “Pulsations LA” is a continuation of a global “relay race” under the umbrella of the Paris 2024 Cultural Olympiad. The celebration originally started as Fête de la Musique in 1982 in France. France and its people continue to carry on the now global tradition and have decided to make it a core component of the critical days of action leading up to the games.
Carrying on the global “relay race,” at 8:50 a.m., Los Angeles will lift the musical baton from Mexico and pass it to Canada as it makes its way around the globe to Paris via livestream. The complete livestream schedule can be found at makemusicday.org/pulsations.
The city’s Department of Cultural Affairs’ Performing Arts Division will put on several Make Music Day events, including a show tune singalong at Lankershim Arts Center, a Mariachi lunchtime mini-concert at Figueroa Plaza, a Taiko Drum Circle in Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood, and a “Soul of Music” young musicians intensive jam session at the Taxco Theater in Canoga Park.
As this is a free event open to the public, we warmly invite listeners of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds to attend and participate in the concerts and other events. This is a unique opportunity to unite friends, family, and friends-to-be, fostering community and unity.
As Los Angeles City Councilwoman Heather Hutt, 10th District, states, “We are honored and thrilled to have our Make Music Day Celebrations in Leimert Park, and partake in an amazing experience of global artistry and unity. For decades, South Los Angeles has been a vibrant center of expression with a rich cultural history. This celebration will be a testament to this legacy, inspiring our city for years to come.”
