Listen for Life is honored to bring an impressive roster of world-renowned musicians to three cross-cultural Listen for Life Musicfest 2012 events in Southern California, September 21-29, 2012, to celebrate this year’s International Day of Peace and kick-off a world tour to promote peace around the globe.  Three years ago, the United Nations asked Listen for Life to create music festivals worldwide to raise awareness for Peace Day.  This year’s Musicfest concerts feature legendary blues and rock musicians (present/former band members of Eric Clapton, Guns N’ Roses, Dave Matthews Band, Carole King, Billy Preston, John Lee Hooker, Lionel Richie, Sergio Mendes, Toto, and Asia) who are coming together for the first time to form the Listen for Life All-Star Band to promote world peace through music.  Joining them at all three concerts are top music masters from nine world cultures, sharing their ethnic music traditions individually as well as collaboratively in combination with the all-star band.

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ARTScorpsLA/ACLA Emerging Producers presents Beat the Drum‘s second annual drum festival, Beat the Drum: East Los Meets West Los, to be held on Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 8:00pm, at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood.  Doors open at 6:00pm for picnicking, drum technique demonstrations from South Mexican and Central American traditions, live screen printing and painting, and dancing by the Capoeira Collective in the Ford Theatre Plaza.  At 8:00pm, audience members will be ushered into the venue in a percussive, celebratory parade led by Aztec drumming.  The main event features performances by Atabey (traditional Puerto Rican Bomba), East LA Taiko (Latin, Afro-Cuban, Japanese fusion) featuring drummer Fredo Ortiz of the Beastie Boys, and CAVA (Bolero/Tropical with primal Taiko & Cajon drumming).  Joining East LA Taiko in a groundbreaking collaboration will be Lysa Flores (Alice Bag, El Vez, Jonathan Richman) who will merge her sultry vocals and feminist Chicana lyrics with the power of Japanese Taiko drums.  Tickets are $20-$40; some discounts apply*.  The event will be held at the Ford Amphitheatre located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood, CA 90068.  For tickets and additional information, please call 323-461-3673 (323-GO-1-FORD) or visit http://fordtheatres.org/en/events/details/id/362 and https://www.facebook.com/BeatTheDrumLA.

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