WEST HOLLYWOOD—West Hollywood will kick-off its 2018 Summer Sounds Free Outdoor Concert Series, which will take place on selected Sunday evenings at 5 p.m. starting Sunday, June 24 and running until Sunday, September 16 in open-air spaces at public parks throughout the city.

According to the city of WeHo website, the series will kick-off with Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles, the world’s first and only LGBTQ mariachi band, on June 24 at 5 p.m. at Plummer Park, located at 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. The ensemble was created as a haven for mariachi musicians who identify as LGBTQ to perform traditional Mexican regional music in an otherwise “machista” and sometimes discriminating subculture of the mariachi world. Led by director Carlos Samaniego, Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles performs its repertoire with a focus on the LGBTQ community. Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles will have Natalia Melendez, the first transgender female in the history of mariachi, as one of its members. The concert is presented as part of the city’s One City One Pride LGBTQ Arts Festival, a 40-day celebration of LGBTQ pride through the arts. More details and a full list of One City One Pride events are available at www.weho.org/pride. RSVP for this concert at https://summersounds-june2018.eventbrite.com.

The next concert in the series will feature a blend of funk, Afro, and Latin music performed by Jungle Fire on Sunday, July 22 at 5 p.m. at Plummer Park. Jungle Fire is a 10-piece TropiFunk juggernaut influenced by the music of legends such as Irakere, Ray Barretto, James Brown, Fela Kuti, and Manu Dibango — to name a few — and creates a mixture of Afro-Caribbean and West African rhythms with a substantial break beat funk. The members’ diverse musical and cultural backgrounds are a reflection of the musical and cultural landscape of Los Angeles. They have recorded, toured and/or played with Stevie Wonder, Breakestra, Ozomatli, Quantic, Alice Russell, De La Soul, La Santa Cecilia, Celia Cruz, LCD Soundsystem, and U2 among many others.

Join The Lady Lucks all-female swing band on Sunday, August 19 at 5 p.m. at Kings Road Park, located at 1000 N. Kings Road. The Lady Lucks are a new group, who has played on TV, film, and in large venues, including the Hollywood Bowl, Grand Performances, Rusty’s Rhythm Club, the city of Santa Monica’s 100th  Anniversary Celebration, Veteran’s Day Celebration in Coalinga, CSUN’s Veteran’s Resource Center’s 5th Anniversary, and more. RSVP for this free concert at https://summersounds-aug2018.eventbrite.com.

Closing out the Summer Sounds series will be Carol Bach-y-Rita, who will perform on Sunday, September 16, at 5 p.m. at Kings Road Park. Carol utilizes music of Brazil and the Americas in Spanish and Portuguese. Her sound is lush and swinging from the intimacy of a duo setting to a full big band. She has been a featured performer at jazz venues and festivals throughout the United States, Europe, and Japan, with noted repeat engagements with MTT (Michael Tilson Thomas) and The San Francisco Symphony and at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Her current release, Minha Casa / My House, has earned wide airplay nationwide. RSVP for this free concert at https://summersounds-sept2018.eventbrite.com.

West Hollywood’s 2018 Summer Sounds Free Outdoor Concert Series is organized by West Hollywood’s Arts Division. Summer Sounds concerts are free to attend; RSVPs are not required, but are requested. Limited first-come, first-served seating will be available, and attendees are welcome to bring picnics and picnic blankets.

For details and to hear and watch more music samples from each of the featured performers, visit www.weho.org/summersounds. For more information, contact Joy Tribble, the city of West Hollywood’s Arts Technician, at (323) 848-6360 or at jtribble@weho.org.

For individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing, call TTY (323) 848-6496. For up-to-date news and events, follow the City of West Hollywood on social media @WeHoCity and sign up for news updates at www.weho.org/email.