Morcheeba and Atlas Make their Bowl Debuts

SUNDAY, JUNE 29 AT 7:00 PM

KCRW's World Festival 2003

A Lexus Passionate Performance

Global Divas, the popular annual concert celebrating female vocalists from around the world, returns to the Hollywood Bowl for its fourth year, kicking off the 2003 KCRW World Festival on Sunday, June 29, at 7:00 pm. This year's concert showcases an eclectic mix of music featuring styles ranging from Portuguese and Brazilian melodies to European electronica, funk, and psychedelia.

"This program features the irrepressible--and most famous--Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora, the sophisticated pop sounds of London's coolest group Morcheeba, fronted by female singer Skye Edwards, and the Moroccan Sephardic trance/hip hop diva Natacha Atlas," says Tom Schnabel, director of world music for the Hollywood Bowl. "It's their first time on the same bill, and it's thrilling to combine such diverse talents in one great show."

Crowned "the barefoot diva," Evora blends the sounds of West Africa, Brazil, and Portugal in a Cape Verdean version of the blues. Morcheeba, the British hip hop trio whose members are female vocalist Skye Edwards and brothers Ross and Paul Godfrey, have garnered the reputation as one of the finest UK bands with their progressive mix of hypnotic beatscapes and psychedelia. An influential force in the world-dance phenomenon, Atlas brings the spirit of Middle Eastern music with a blend of Indian and African sounds spanning electronica, dub, hip-hop, and funk.

Global Divas IV is the first concert of KCRW's World Festival 2003, which was created in partnership with KCRW (89.9 FM/National Public Radio). The series continues with World Beats on July 6; the
Soul of Africa on July 20; Sounds of Brazil on August 10; Reggae Night on August 24; and concludes with Latin Roots and Rock on September 7.

Born in 1941 in Cape Verde, CESARIA EVORA is celebrated as the Queen of Morna (a Cape Verdean version of the blues). Blending West African, Portuguese, and Brazilian melodies with her smooth and captivating voice, this vocalist has drawn comparisons to Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf. Cesaria Evora last performed at the Hollywood Bowl in 2001.

Born in Brussels, vocalist NATACHA ATLAS evokes the spirit of Middle Eastern music in a 21st century setting. As lead singer and belly dancer for London-based Transglobal Underground, Atlas became a guiding force for the band, blending her Indian, African and Middle Eastern forms in the electronica, dub, hip-hop, and funk sounds, which helped spearhead today's world-dance phenomenon. Her solo efforts, beginning with her first release in 1995, combine beat-driven global dance with the more traditional work of Arabic and European musicians. A new release on Beggars Banquet, Something Dangerous, was released this spring. This is Natasha Atlas' Bowl debut.

British trip hop trio MORCHEEBA was formed in 1995 by two brothers, Ross and Paul Godfrey. The Godfreys happened on female front woman Skye Edwards after a run of production work with David Byrne and released a 12-inch called "Trigger Hippie" and soon followed with their first record. The sublime mix of hypnotic beatscapes and psychedelia brought the group an immediate following, and they have recorded and toured successfully ever since, earning them a reputation as one of the finest UK live bands. The group, which released their fifth record last year (Charango), make their Hollywood Bowl debut this summer.

One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of just under 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. A hit from its very first season, the Hollywood Bowl has remained popular and accessible to a wide cross-section of Southern California's diverse population. 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 35th season. Attendance figures over the past several decades have soared: in 1980 the Bowl first topped the half-million mark and last summer, close to one million admissions were recorded. It is no wonder that the Bowl's summer music festivals have become as much a part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers and Disneyland.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE:

Sunday, June 29, 7:00 PM

KCRW's World Festival 2003

HOLLYWOOD BOWL (2301 N. Highland Ave. in Hollywood)

Global Divas IV

CESARIA EVORA

NATACHA ATLAS

MORCHEEBA

TOM SCHNABEL, host

A Lexus Passionate Performance

Tickets ($1 - $70) 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.

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