KCRW's Garth Trinidad Hosts

SUNDAY, JULY 24, AT 7 PM

Media support provided by KCRW 89.9 FM

Nigerian afro-beat superstar Femi Kuti, the versatile musician/actor Mos Def presents Biggie: A Big Band/Hip Hop Experience Featuring Mos Def, and up-and-coming Senegalese artist Daara J make up the bill for the KCRW World Festival concert on Sunday, July 24. A mix of exhilarating funk force, hip hop, jazz, Cuban and Caribbean sounds are guaranteed to stir audiences.

Femi Kuti returns to the Bowl with his spirited mix of funky horns, Nigerian drums, free jazz, and American dance music. His vibrant performances around the world have earned Kuti a place next to his late father, Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, as African superstar and political activist. Kuti rose to prominence in 1985, after filling in at a Bowl performance for his father in front of his 40-piece band, Egypt 80, and soon became one of the most prominent artists in Africa, and around the world with his band, The Positive Force. His 2001 album Fight To Win was released to critical acclaim.

One of hip hop's most inventive and introspective artists, Mos Def transcends musical genres and artistic mediums. The multi-talented Brooklyn-ite's repertoire includes music from hip hop and jazz to rock and blues; and acting on stage (Topdog/Underdog) and on the big screen (The Italian Job, Monster's Ball, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, etc.) His recent release The New Danger has been praised by fans and critics alike; this performance marks his Hollywood Bowl debut.

Hailing from Senegal, the western-most country in Africa, Daara J are a positive hip hop crew whose signature sound incorporates jazz, funk, Cuban and Caribbean influences. Called "Dakar's answer to Black Star" by Time Out NY, the group won the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards in 2004 (Best African Act) and their American debut album, Boomerang (Wrasse), has spent months on the top of the European world music charts.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the HOLLYWOOD BOWL has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922, and in 1991 gave its name to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, a resident ensemble that has filled a special niche in the musical life of Southern California. The 2004 season introduced audiences to a revitalized Hollywood Bowl, featuring a newly-constructed shell and stage and the addition of four stadium screens enhancing stage views in the venue. To this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's concerts. While the Bowl is best known for its sizzling summer nights, during the day California's youngest patrons enjoy "SummerSounds: Music for Kids at the Hollywood Bowl," the Southland's most popular summer arts festival for children, now in its 37th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and close to one million admissions have been recorded. In February 2005, the Hollywood Bowl was named Best Major Outdoor Concert Venue at the 16th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards; it is no wonder that the Bowl's summer music festival has become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers, and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

SUNDAY, JULY 24 at 7 PM

HOLLYWOOD BOWL, 2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood

Femi Kuti

Mos Def Presents Biggie: A Big Band/Hip Hop Experience Featuring Mos Def

Daara J

Garth Trinidad, host

Media sponsor is KCRW 89.9 FM

Tickets ($12 - $42) are on sale now at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office, by calling Ticketmaster at 213.480.3232, at all Ticketmaster outlets (Robinsons May, Tower Records, and Ritmo Latino locations), or online at HollywoodBowl.com. Groups of 12 or more may be eligible for a 20% discount, subject to availability; call 323.850.2050 for further details.

For general information or to request a brochure, call 323.850.2000.

# # #