Aveva Dese, or simply AvevA to her fans from around the world, combines her family's Jewish Ethiopian roots, a cultural embrace of Israel, and a love for the American soul music of Aretha Franklin, Etta James, and Whitney Houston.

As a first-generation citizen born and raised in the city of Nazareth Illit, AvevA brings a fascinating life story into her music. “I was trying to fit into the Israeli culture. As a kid, I thought that the Ethiopian culture is holding me back . . . Now as a mature woman, I realize how wrong I was."

AvevA's energetic anthems weave Amharic and English, and cover themes of society, freedom, and love. A mainstay of Israel's highly popular jazz scene, AvevA tops a long list of jazz singer-songwriters charting a new course within the traditional music genre.

Arrive early for some pre-concert activities! While picnicking and enjoying the Skirball’s hillside courtyard, enjoy a set by DJ Lonely Creeper, and at 6:45 pm and 7:30 pm, meet Skirball curator Cate Thurston in the main lobby for tours of the Skirball's first-ever outdoor exhibition, Chloë Bass: Wayfinding.

"My name is AvevA and I was given both names in Hebrew and Amharic. Only with music is where I started the journey of accepting the different parts of who I am."

Our popular summertime music series is back! Get together with friends and family to sing and dance to an eclectic lineup of musicians in the Skirball’s picturesque hillside courtyard.

Featuring artists from Jewish, African, and Cuban diasporas, our twenty-sixth season traces music’s connective threads to the past and its ability to forge cultural bonds and inspire hope for the future.