Juneteenth will be celebrated on the Culver Steps at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 19. The event, to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S., has been organized in part by Gary Mandell of Boulevard Music at the request of Culver City’s mayor. “The mayor of Culver City, Daniel Lee, asked for my assistance to supervise the sound and staging for the Juneteenth celebration he was planning,” Mandell told the News. “It seemed to be an interesting and meaningful event to do, so I agreed to do it.” The event will be free, and performers will include Aloe Blaac, Marieme, Brandon Coleman Band, Will Gittens, and the Benkadi African Drummers. Mayor Lee will host, and there will be pertinent storytelling on an adjacent stage to the music and dance. “This is the fi rst festival (of the 209 that I have produced) that I did not select the acts,” Mandell said. “I am not the producer of this event. Lani Richmond is booking the event and I feel she did an excellent job. Mayor Daniel Lee has been friends with Aloe Blaac for many years and initially asked him if he could participate. Lani is his agent.” Blaac is a local singer, songwriter and rapper with fi ve full length albums in his catalog. Marieme is a jazz, pop and soul singer with an incredible voice, while Brandon Coleman is a celebrated keyboardist and producer. There will be plenty to enjoy on the day. Meanwhile, Mandell says that Boulevard Music is “rebounding in stages. “We’ve got the school going strong now with private lessons, plus we have repairs and retail also,” he said. “We anticipate starting shows again in the near future.” The free event takes place at the Culver Steps, 9300 Culver Blvd., from 1 to 6 p.m.
