Music

Due to Overwhelming Demand: CongoSonic Exhibition Extended!

The 17th Annual African American Composers’ Series: CongoSonic — Bantu Beats Across the Americas

The rhythms still resonate—and now, they’ll play on even longer. We’re thrilled to announce that the current exhibition at the William Grant Still Arts Center has been extended beyond June 14 to August 1 due to overwhelming public response!

CongoSonic: Bantu Beats Across the Americas isn’t just an exhibition—it’s a cultural movement. Featuring immersive displays, rare musical artifacts, and videos from the Congo, this year’s series traces the powerful journey of Bantu-rooted rhythms across the Atlantic. From Congolese rumba to hip-hop, jazz, cumbia, salsa, and beyond, discover how sounds born of resilience and migration continue to shape the global music scene.

Presented in partnership with Friends of the Congo and Basandja Coalition, CongoSonic dives deep into both the legacy and the present-day reality of the Congo. While you explore vibrant sonic traditions, you’ll also gain critical insight into the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting the region today.

Haven’t visited yet? Now’s your chance. Already came through? Come again—there’s always more to hear, see, and feel.

More film screenings and programs coming soon.

Free admission | William Grant Still Arts Center

Now extended – Closing August 1

After June 14, we will move to a Monday-Friday 12-5pm schedule for viewing due to summer programs.

Don’t miss the sound of a movement that continues to shape continents.

Screening Thursdays | 7:00 p.m.

The Rumba Kings, April 10, 2025
Neptune Frost, May 1, 2025
When We Were Kings, June 5, 2025

Questions? Please contact WGSAC at (323) 734-1165 or wgsarts@lacity.org.

National Gay Pride Month is a citywide celebration of Gay Pride in Los Angeles. The celebration will acknowledge Southern California’s LGBT contributions in education, politics, the arts, culture, and the humanities. Events include educational programs, gallery exhibitions, theater, and dance performances.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is an open-access event celebrating freedom of expression and collaboration in the performing arts community. Each June, during the Hollywood Fringe, hundreds of productions by local, national, and international arts companies and independent performers infiltrate the Hollywood neighborhood.     Check the website for event details, locations, and times.

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