KCET's Original Performance Arts Series, 'Live @ The Ford' Returns for Season 2 Beginning April 18 at 9 p.m.

Burbank,

Calif. - April 10, 2013 - KCET, the nation's

largest independent public television station serving Southern and Central

California, a service of KCETLink, is pleased to expand its nearly 50-year

second season of Live @ the Ford, an

upbeat performance series, taped exclusively for KCET at the historic Ford

Theatres in Hollywood. The series will premiere on KCET on April 18, 2013 at 9

p.m.

Each

episode is a one-hour concert performance interspersed with behind-the-scenes

footage and interviews. Special Web exclusives include additional dance and

music performances and artist interviews available online at kcet.org/liveattheford.  

The

first episode, ¡Viva La Tradición! pays special tribute to the Grammy

Award®-winning ensemble Nati Cano and his Camperos, who transformed Mariachi

music worldwide. The series will also showcase The Ballad of Ricardo Flores

Magón, inspired by the Mexican variety shows of 1920 in Los Angeles and written

by author Rubén Martínez, featuring musical performances by Chicano luminaries

and Grammy Award® winners Quetzal, Marisoul Hernandez and Ceci Bastida. In the

final new episode of the series, AlohaFest! Kanikapila! pays tribute to

Polynesian dance and culture with special performances by the Kamala Brothers.
The

series will also revisit some of last season's lively performances from

acclaimed groups such as L.A.'s premier folklorico dance company, Grandeza

Mexicana performing Ruta del Norte: Northern Route; Rhythm and Passion of

Korea, featuring Haegaum Plus, a fusion musical ensemble that uses traditional

Korean instruments in original ways; and The Angel City Jazz Festival,

featuring cutting-edge jazz from around the world. 

"We

are excited to offer our viewers a second season of this dynamic,

culturally-rich series," said Juan Devis, Co-executive Producer of Live @ The Ford and Vice President of

Arts and Culture Programming, KCETLink. "Live @ The Ford is a true testament to our commitment to diverse,

local arts in Southern California and we're pleased to showcase the wealth of

talent in this region."   

"Our

mission is to foster the excellence, diversity, understanding and accessibility

of the arts in Los Angeles County," said Adam Davis, Managing Director of the

Ford Theatres. "We're pleased that through our partnership with KCET, L.A.

County residents have easier access to the culturally diverse performing arts

that are a part of our summer amphitheatre season."
For

nearly half a century, KCET has partnered with the Los Angeles County Arts

of culturally and artistically diverse performance groups from all corners of

Los Angeles County. The Live @ the Ford

partnership supports KCET's current initiative to develop local programming

that contributes to the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and

Central California. 

Live @ the Ford will air every third Thursday each

month at 9 p.m. until September on KCET. Performance airdates are as follows:

April 18, 2013

¡Viva

La Tradición! A Tribute to Nati Cano y Los Camperos

May 16, 2013

Variedades:

The Ballad of Ricardo Flores Magón

June 13, 2013

La

Ruta del Norte: Northern Route

July 18, 2013

AlohaFest!

Kanikapila!

August 15, 2013

Rhythm

& Passion of Korea

Sept. 19, 2013

Angel

City Jazz Festival

ABOUT KCET

On-air,

online and in the community, KCET, a service of KCETLink, plays a vital role in

the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California.

KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the

finest public television programs from around the world. KCET currently

produces the Emmy®, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected,

a hard-hitting prime-time nightly television news program that examines the

issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 48-year history, KCET

has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public

affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality

educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services

and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For

additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content,

programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.

The

Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Laura Zucker, Executive Director, provides

leadership in cultural services of all disciplines for the largest county in

the United States, encompassing 88 municipalities. The Arts Commission provides

leadership and staffing to support the County-wide collaboration for arts

education, Arts for All; administers a grants program that funds almost 350

nonprofit arts organizations annually; oversees the County's Civic Art Program

for capital projects; funds the largest arts internship program in the country

in conjunction with the Getty Foundation; programs the John Anson Ford Theatres

and supports the Los Angeles County Cultural Calendar on ExperienceLA.com and

SpacefinderLA.org, Creative Places for Creative People. The Arts Commission

also produces free community programs, including the L.A. County Holiday

Celebration and a year-round music program that funds 120 free concerts and

participatory arts events each year in public sites. The 2012-13 President of

the Arts Commission is Mattie McFadden-Lawson. For more information please

consult the Arts Commission online press kit: http://lacountyarts.org/page/pubnewspress.