We are excited to announce that Yvette Brandy is back for her 6th performance on the IMA stage at the Ray G. Clark Theater!

Mark your calendar and plan to attend “The Sword Dance” (Storytelling with an Edge), on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.. Yvette Brandy, singer, songwriter and storyteller was born and raised on St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands.  She weaves West Indian history and culture into dynamic performances that come alive with the melodic intonations of multiple dialects paired with traditional and original musical compositions.

When Yvette’s seven year old son announced that he wanted to play the violin she thought "Uh, oh! If he’s going to do this, I need to find a role model for him so he doesn’t quit after just a few weeks". And when both of her sons wanted to learn fencing like heros in "The Three Musketeers," she thought, "Now what do I do?"

If you are raising young sons who are interested in learning to play basketball or the drums, there are numerous role models.  But violin or the sport of fencing? Not so much.  And what if your young boys are African American of Caribbean heritage? Where do you turn for role models to inspire them so that they don’t become disinterested and trade their unique passions for cell phones and video games?  Yvette found her answers much closer to home than she ever could have imagined. She discovered that two of her countrymen had dared to go where no black men had gone before, and in so doing, had become the stuff of legends. In "The Sword Dance” she tells how two 18th Century West Indian boys grew up to change the course of music, culture and the French Revolution.  

You can buy tickets online at https://thesworddance.eventbrite.com or by visiting our website: www.imalosangeles.com or you can pay by cash, check or credit card, at the IMA office, while supplies last. We'd love to have you share in the festivities and enjoy an afternoon of great entertainment. As is our custom at the Institute of Musical Arts, a reception will follow the performance. Ours is a small, intimate theater, and seating is limited, so please, purchase your tickets today.  For additional information call: (323) 300-6578.