FIGat7th Downtown Festival

Back by popular demand, the FIGat7th Downtown Festival will reignite the city this summer with eclectic sounds and tunes. Presented by Arts Brookfield, the festival starts August 4 and will run 4 consecutive weeks every Friday at Downtown LA’s premier shopping destination, FIGat7th. The outdoor plaza will be transformed into an intimate concert venue with performances by leading pop, rock, American roots, soul and alternative artists.

Kicking off the festival is Los Angeles’ hit funk-dance duo, Tuxedo, comprised of singer Mayer Hawthorne and producer Jake One. Hot on the heels of Tuxedo is the raunch ‘n’ roll singer-songwriter Hanni El Khatib on August 11. The NY-based band Sinkane follows on August 18, introducing a cocktail of progressive funk rock and Sudanese pop. The festival closes out with another LA music staple, Quetzal, who peppers their fiery mix of Mexican musica ranchera and salsa with socially conscious Chicano rock and R&B.

The FIGat7th Downtown Festival is free and open to all ages!

ABOUT THE BAND:

From the ashes of Los Angeles’ 1992 rebellion/riots arose a collective of East Side musicians committed to respectfully continuing the legacy of over 70 years of Chicano Rock. Standing on the shoulders of giants like Lalo Guerrero, Ritchie Valens, Cannibal and The Headhunters, The Brat, Los Lobos, and many others, Quetzal has created a path that has earned them the title of “one of Los Angeles’ most important bands”(LA Times).

https://youtu.be/dgTm2TivhlU

Quetzal forges a sound that will simultaneously make you dance and contemplate change, a sound as rich and complex as their pluri-ethnic barrio experience. Their unique combination of community activism and creative compositions has allowed them to travel the world using music as a tool for creating a global network of musicians committed to building community.

Since 2002 Quetzal has been part of a transnational dialogue between musicians in California and Veracruz, Mexico known as “Fandango Sin Fronteras”. Many recordings, performances, and publications have been born from this dialogue. Their 5th album, “Imaginaries”, released by Smithsonian Folkways, received the Grammy Award in 2013 for Best Latin Rock, Urban, or Alternative Album.

4 PM: Happy Hour Beats by Sean G of NONA Entertainment in TASTE Courtyard

7 PM: Mark Torres of KPFK on FIGat7th Plaza Stage

8 PM: QUETZAL