LOS ANGELES, September 23, 2024 – The Watts Towers Arts Center Campus announced the lineup for its annual celebrated multicultural two-day entertainment extravaganza featuring jazz, drum-based music, poetry and dance from around the world on Saturday, September 28 (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.) with its 42nd Annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival and on Sunday, September 29 (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.) the 47th Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival. Both Festivals are free and taking place at the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus, 1727 E. 107th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90002. Free street and valet parking are available.
Presented by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and produced by Rosie Lee Hooks, Director and Curator of the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus, the 42nd Annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival on Saturday features drum-based music, poetry and dance from around the world! Experience performances by “Danza Azteca Xochipilli” (Aztec traditional dancing and drums); “Hemant Kulkarni” (Tabla solo accompanied by Makheer Singh on Dilruba); “African Peruvian Experience” (presenting African Ancestors from Peru); “TAIKOPROJECT” (Taiko group based in Little Tokyo); “IGABA” (Ron Powell’s journey through Brazil and the Diaspora); “Jaz Sawyer Drum Summit” (teaming with two young percussionists Emi Desiré and Aisha Gaillard); and “Leon Mobley – Da Lion” (traditional African American drum music).
The 47th Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival on Sunday features a lineup of internationally acclaimed musicians for an unforgettable day of jazz including “Alaadun” (Yoruba ground blessing uniting all cultures based on common themes and principles); contemporary R&B artist “Kevin Flournoy”; Italian jazz and west coast soul by “The Jasmine Tommaso Group”; Delta-Chicago Jazz and Blues with a touch of R&B by “Kirk Andrés Wilson”; “Tai Chi Chuan” (School of Healing Martial Arts); renown community musician and artist “Nedra Wheeler & Friends” (honoring jazz legends and celebrating young prodigies; “Medusa Tha Gangsta Goddess;” and “Munyungo’s Jungle Jazz” (jungle groove music that makes you move).
“This year’s lineup reflects a very dynamic and eclectic combination of next generation jazz musicians who reflect the diverse tapestry of jazz and its genres” says Rosie Lee Hooks, Director, and Curator of the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus agrees. “It’s a celebration of drums, jazz and cultures that offers an opportunity for families to enjoy and create lasting memories. We always make these annual festivals truly memorable. More musicians and visual artists have come from Watts than any other similar community in Southern California.”
Both Festivals feature children’s workshops, tours of the Noah Purifoy & Charles Mingus galleries, universal drum circle, craft stalls, vendors and a food court offering a variety of delicious options. These family-friendly events blend traditional and contemporary jazz and multicultural percussions, offering a delightful outing for music and rhythm enthusiasts of all ages.
Festival Activities:
Guided Tours – Nuestro Pueblo, The Watts Towers (11AM – 5PM)
Drum Pavillion – Universal Drum Circle led by Matt Gibson III
Noah Purifoy Gallery – “A Woman in Charge” by Robin Strayhorn
Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center – Children’s Activities (11AM – 4:30PM)
Garden Studio Gallery – Tiling and Garden Activities
Watts Towers Amphitheater
Food Court
About the Watts Towers Arts Center Campus
The Watts Towers (also known as Towers of Simon Rodia or Nuestro Pueblo (Our Town) are a collection of seventeen interconnected sculptural towers, architectural structures, and individual sculptural features and mosaics within the site of the artist’s original residential property in Watts, Los Angeles. The entire site of towers, structures, sculptures, pavement, and walls were designed and built solely by Sabato (“Simon” or “Sam”) Rodia (1879 or 1886 to 1965), an Italian immigrant construction worker and tile mason, over a period of 33 years from 1921 to 1954. A life-size statue of him stands outside the center doors, facing the towers. The Watts Towers Arts Center Campus offers several creative experiences for its local and international visitors including exhibits, tours, films, educational programs, classes in art and music, special events, and more as well as a place to “just be.”
Both Festivals are free of charge. For more information, visit the Festivals’ official website at wattstowers.org/events.
Press Inquiries Contact:
Allison Queen | Queen Publicity
(310) 849-3820
