Gracias Gustavo Community Block Party
A steady flow of music aficionados, foodies, and art patrons gathered on the backlot of Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center, 101 South La Brea Avenue. Guests were in attendance for the Gracias Gustavo Community Block Party. This festive celebration featured music performances, dance, interactive activities, food trucks, and more. The event was held on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
By Ricky Richardson | Contributing Writer
Inglewood, CA- A steady flow of music aficionados, foodies, and art patrons gathered on the backlot of Judith and Thomas L. Beckmen YOLA Center, 101 South La Brea Avenue. Guests were in attendance for the Gracias Gustavo Community Block Party. This festive celebration featured music performances, dance, interactive activities, food trucks, and more. The event was held on Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Gustavo Dudamel, LA Phil Music and Artistic Director, (Photo by Ricky Richardson)
Gracias Gustavo Community Block Party was held to celebrate and reflect on Gustavo Dudamel’s legacy as LA Phil Music and Artistic Director, the impact of, and the vibrancy of Inglewood (City of Champions) and its surrounding communities!
Inglewood residents and visitors attended this special event as part of the LA Phil’s Gracias Gustavo 2025/26 season. This amazing event honored the power of music, youth, art, and community.
The day featured a site-wide activation that brought together YOLA musicians, alumni, local artists, community partners, vendors, and diverse, multicultural families for a fun-filled day of performances and interactive activities. Face Painting, food trucks, photo booth, WSS Custom Shoe Experience, Suno AI Beat Lab, Hit + Run Screen Printing, Inglewood Library, and LA County Arts and Crafts.
Organizers of Gracias Gustavo Community Block Party assembled a stellar lineup of musicians from Inglewood and musicians who are students or instructors of Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA).
DJ Aye Jaye is a dynamic 16-year-old DJ, MC, and performer. She worked the ones and twos like a seasoned veteran for this historic occasion. DJ Aye Jaye has been captivating and engaging audiences across Los Angeles, whether in arenas, schools, festivals, or corporate events. Very impressive background before she graduated from high school.
Hannah Edmonds (Photo by Ricky Richardson)
Aundrae Russell, radio personality from 102.3FM Radio Free, KJLH, served as emcee. The event featured three live art presentations throughout the afternoon. The first artist was Hannah Edmonds, followed by Israel “Seaweed” Batiz and ShowZArt- “The Art Jedi.”
The live entertainment got underway with a set by Mariachi Tierra Mia, known for its unique contemporary sound. They took the crowd and me on a musical journey through several regions of Mexico. This is a talented group of musicians as well as great singers who delved into a jazz standard and classic pop selection during their set. The band consists of Luis Jaime Morales-violin, Samuel Yanez-violin, Anisette Noperi-violin, Ricardo Rios-violin, Ivan Cruz-trumpet, Carlos Daniel Valdez-trumpet, Samuel Marchan-guitarrón, Juan Gonzalez-vihuela, and Mateo Real-guitar.
Aletha Metcalf-Evans (Photo by Ricky Richardson)
Poet Aletha Metcalf-Evans recited a special poem quite fitting for the occasion, “Bravo Gustavo, Bravo (Thank You). This poem expresses immense gratitude for everything Gustavo has done in the last 17 brilliant, splendid years! https://timeline.graciasgustavo.com.
Versa Style Dance Company held the crowd’s undivided attention during their high-energy performances that fuse dance that is culturally significant to our community. They took the crowd down memory lane with dance moves from back in the day and educated the crowd on the interesting background of the various dance steps and moves.
YOLA at Inglewood Jazz Ensemble is a talented group of young musicians. I keep repeating how overjoyed I am at seeing the next generation of jazz musicians. The ensemble performed a great arrangement of “Night in Tunisia.”
Sherie is a musician, singer, songwriter, and instructor at YOLA. Sherie had the crowd vibing with her throughout her crowd-pleasing performance. Sherie, vocals and violin, was accompanied by Romel Veal, Sr., on bass and guitar, and Romel Veal, Jr., on drums. The trio performed “Show Me,” “X Boy,” “Deeply,” “My Anxiety,” and “Truth Is.” Stay connected with Sherie on social media to find out about upcoming shows.
D Smoke, Sherie, and Aundrae Russell (Photo by Ricky Richardson)
D Smoke is an Inglewood-based raw lyricist, classically trained musician, and cultural activist. D Smoke entertained the crowd with tracks from his debut album, as well as a new album dropping soon.
The Gracias Gustavo Community Block Party concluded on a rousing note. Nationally known Inglewood High School Marching Band gave a great performance to close out the party with a purpose.
For more information about the Gracias Gustavo 2025/26 season of the LA Phil, visit https://www.laphil.com.
For over a century, the LA Phil has been as vibrant as Los Angeles, one of the world’s most open and dynamic cities. Under the leadership of Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, it presents nearly 300 events per year, harnessing the transformative power of live music to build community, foster intellectual and artistic growth, and nurture the creative spirit, while redefining what an orchestra can be.
