Ricardo Lemvo has established himself as a pioneer with his exhilarating music combining Latin and African elements from salsa to soukous. This Congo-born artist of Angolan ancestry is the embodiment of the Afro-Latin Diaspora, which connects back to Africa via the Cuban clave rhythm. Lemvo is truly multi-cultural and equally at home singing in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Lingala, and Kikongo. The concert will open with a special set by Destani Wolf. Wolf is a veteran of the Bobby McFerrin? offshoot, a cappella group SoVoSo?', and also fronts the path-breaking Bay Area ensemble Agualibre (formerly O-Maya), whose R&B, rap, ska, soca, DJ sampling and Latin folkloric experiments made the most of Wolf's alternately smoky, soaring mezzo-soprano.

FREE!

Made possible, in part, by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; the James Irvine Foundation, and the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. Media sponsors KPFK 90.7 FM and "Los Angeles Downtown News."

2007 1st & Central Summer Concerts schedule
June 28 - Prelude: Enzo Avitabile and Bottari
July 12 - Southern California Ukelele Showcase
July 26 - San Jose Taiko
August 2 - Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca
August 9 - For Alice with Love: Celebrating the Music of Alice Coltrane
September 13 - Celso Duarte and Sonex

The Coltrane name is synonymous with deeply creative, passion-filled modern music. This special evening is a tribute to the legacy of the family matriarch, the late Alice Coltrane (1937-2007), whose approach to the piano was nothing short of genius. Performers include her beloved Ashram Community Choir and The Universal Consciousness Orchestra featuring vocalist Dwight Trible. The concert will also include a set by Mrs. Coltrane's talented nephew Flying Lotus. Guest Curator: Carlos Nino, Host, KPFK's Spaceways Radio.

FREE!

Made possible, in part, by the Los Angeles County Arts Commission; the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles; the James Irvine Foundation, and the National Center for the Preservation of Democracy. Media sponsors KPFK 90.7 FM and "Los Angeles Downtown News."

2007 1st & Central Summer Concerts schedule
June 28 - Prelude: Enzo Avitabile and Bottari
July 12 - Southern California Ukelele Showcase
July 26 - San Jose Taiko
August 2 - Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca
August 9 - For Alice with Love: Celebrating the Music of Alice Coltrane
September 13 - Celso Duarte and Sonex

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden, the National Museum presents a four-part series of gardening demonstrations led by horticultural experts.

Part 2
Learn basic bonsai techniques from Shig Miya of the Venice Japanese Community Center. Single demonstration price: $8 National Museum members, $10 non-members. Series price: $25 National Museum members, $35 non-members. Includes Museum admission. Reservations strongly recommended.

This program is sponsored, in part, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and The Boeing Company.

Four-Part Gardening Demonstration Series
July 28 - The Herbal and Healing Garden
August 11 - An Introduction to the Art of Bonsai
August 26 - Water in the Japanese Garden
September 9 - Urban Gardens for Small Spaces: A Container Gardening Demonstration

August 18-26, 2007
All Day
The 67th Nisei Week Japanese Festival, including the Grand Parade, Street Fair and Street Ondo in Little Tokyo. For more information, please call 213.687.7193 or visit www.niseiweek.org.

Join Courtyard Kaeru and help make the world a greener place! In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden, this year's Courtyard Kids events are tailor-made to raise families' awareness about the environment in a fun and creative way! With whimsical arts and crafts, workshops, and lively music, the afternoon will be a celebration of the beauty of our environment. FREE Museum admission all day!

The 12th Annual Los Angeles Tofu Festival will be held in Little Tokyo and it will feature over 100 imaginative and delicious tofu dishes served by L.A.'s hottest restaurants; artisanal soy products and a wide array of Pan-Asian and non-vegetarian specialties; a beer, wine, and sake garden; and performances throughout the day. The LA Tofu Festival is a fundraiser for the Little Tokyo Service Center, a non-profit community-based organization, which has been providing services to low income, immigrant, homeless and distressed seniors and families for over 25 years. For more information, contact Jennifer Kim at (213) 473-1615 or JKim@LTSC.org

CANCELLED.

Relive history and learn about present-day Little Tokyo with National Museum docents on this historic walking tour. $8 for National Museum members and $13 for non-members, includes Museum admission. Reservations along with comfortable walking shoes and clothes are recommended. Weather permitting.

Produced by the National Museum's Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center, Mamo's Weeds is about Mamo Ikeda, a Kibei gardener, besieged with a destructive weed epidemic and a series of strange phone calls. In his search for answers -- from the Southern California Gardeners' Federation to a retro Little Tokyo chop suey house to the lawns of Japanese American neighborhoods -- Mamo finds that the weeds are keys to both his past and his future. Following the screening, scriptwriter Naomi Hirahara joins technical adviser Roy Imazu, director Akira Boch, and actor Ken Takemoto in conversation. Reservations recommended. Free with Museum admission. Dessert reception to follow.

Mamo's Weeds is included in the Beyond the Japanese Garden: Short Stories and Documentaries exhibition DVD available through the Museum Store Online.

In conjunction with the exhibition Landscaping America: Beyond the Japanese Garden, the National Museum presents a four-part series of gardening demonstrations led by horticultural experts.

PART 3
Dr. Vergil Hettick, curator, Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at California State University, Long Beach, explores aspects of water in Japanese gardens including its use as a source of meditative inspiration. Topics include pre-industrial water effects in Japan, modern circulatory pumps, water recycling and filtration, and the Japanese influence on modern reflective ponds. This demonstration will feature a sample water recycling setup complete with live fish. Single demonstration price: $8 National Museum members, $10 non-members. Series price: $25 National Museum members, $35 non-members. Includes Museum admission. Reservations strongly recommended.

Made possible, in part, by the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles and The Boeing Company.

Four-Part Gardening Demonstration Series
July 28 - The Herbal and Healing Garden
August 11 - An Introduction to the Art of Bonsai
August 26 - Water in the Japanese Garden
September 9 - Urban Gardens for Small Spaces: A Container Gardening Demonstration