The Skirball Cultural Center holds its 13th season of free Sunset Concerts on Thursdays from July 16 through August 13 at 8 p.m. The Skirball is located off the 405 freeway in Bel-Air.

This summer's opening concert next Thursday will showcase the electronica-fueled Malian grooves of Issa Bagayogo. Despite remarkable talent on the three-stringed n'goni lute, a long-lost relative of the banjo, Bagayogo was down and out in Bamako, working as a bus driver, when he ran into French record producer Yves Wernert. They teamed up to create a sound that showcases Bagayogo's sixth sense for honoring treasured traditions while grooving to edgy beats.

Other concerts will feature the trans-Atlantic, bluegrass-meets-Swedish folk encounter of Mike Marshall, Darol Anger and V'sen (July 23); the Roma and klezmer-inflected jams of Montreal's Gadji-Gadjo (July 30); the serious funk of New Orleans' beloved Mardi Gras Indian ensemble, the Wild Magnolias (August 6); and the Sufi-inspired virtuosity of Turkish multi-instrumentalist Omar Faruk Tekbilek Ensemble (August 13).

Doors open at 7 p.m. No reservations are needed, but seating is limited to a first-come, first-served basis. On-site parking is $5 cash. Visit www.skirball.org.