When ethnomusicology alumnus Ric Alviso was first assigned the task of teaching his African music ensemble class the marimba, he only had a few weeks to learn the instrument before he taught the class.
A decade later, Alviso now leads the only Latin American- and African-influenced marimba ensemble in Southern California, Masanga Marimba Ensemble. Read more...

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Masanga Marimba Ensemble, a musical group that plays mostly traditional music from both Latin America and Africa, will be performing Friday at noon in Bruin Plaza. The performance is a part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the ethnomusicology department at UCLA and features seven Zimbabwean marimbas.

Courtesy of LISA RICHARDSON

Upon entering the Beverly Hills Hotel, you can almost hear the voices down the corridor saying, "Welcome to the Hotel California." Then you realize it's actually just someone playing The Eagles' "Hotel California" on their car stereo. Read more...

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Cocoanut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel, which was demolished in 2006, was a hot spot for budding musicians such as Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. The website Ambassador Archive now commemorates this hotel and its Hollywood music history.

Courtesy of STEPHEN HILGER