FIGat7th Downtown Festival w/ Sinkane

FIGat7th DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL with SINKANE 4 PM: Happy Hour Beats by DJ Michelle Pesce of NONA Entertainment in TASTE Courtyard 7 PM: Raul Campos of KCRW on Plaza Stage 8 PM: SINKANE on Plaza Stage FREE TO ATTEND! Details: http://www.artsbrookfield.com/event/sinkane/ Presented by Arts Brookfield, the FIGat7th Downtown Festival kicks off August 4 and will run 4 consecutive weeks every Friday at FIGat7th. The outdoor plaza will be transformed into an intimate concert venue with performances by leading pop, rock, American roots, soul and alternative artists. Sinkane, or Ahmed Gallab, is a British musician who blends krautrock, prog rick, electronica, free jazz, and funk rock with Sudanese pop. Sinkane music — every note of it — comes straight out of a generosity of spirit. Never has that spirit been on more vivid display than on the uplifting new album Life & Livin’ It. This is feel-good music for trying times, celebrating what makes life good without ignoring what makes it hard. By the time Sinkane finished touring for their acclaimed Mean Love album in late 2015, Ahmed Gallab and the band had spread the gospel of Sinkane to the world, playing 166 shows in 20 countries. During the same period, he had also led The Atomic Bomb Band — the highly celebrated 15-piece outfit that played the music of elusive Nigerian electro-funk maestro William Onyeabor. The band included David Byrne, Damon Albarn, members of Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, Jamie Lidell and legendary jazz musicians Pharoah Sanders and Charles Lloyd, and they played all over the planet, including making their TV debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. “Those 14 months really changed my life,” Ahmed says. “Not only did I learn how to put on a bigger show, but all that touring brought Sinkane closer as a band.” With basic tracking played together live, the fun and immediacy of Sinkane’s live show is a central feeling of the recordings. Each one of the four members of Sinkane — bassist Ish Montgomery, drummer Jason Trammell, guitarist Jonny Lam and Ahmed — sing and contribute additional parts on the album Life & Livin’ It. True to its name, Life & Livin’ It is an album about all kinds of experiences. The FIGat7th Downtown Festival is free and open to all ages! TALENT LIST: August 4: TUXEDO with DJ Showtime of KDAY August 11: HANNI EL KHATIB with Chulita Vinyl Club August 18: SINKANE with Raul Campos of KCRW August 25: QUETZAL with Mark Torres of KPFK