Celebrating a Musical Icon: IAMLA Presents Lena Prima in Concert Honoring Louis Prima

 IAMLA, the Italian Museum of Los Angeles, recently unveiled their 2024 exhibit honoring the life and legacy of musical artist Louis Prima. 

Louis Prima (1910 -1978) was a skilled jazzman, prolific songwriter, and extraordinary performer. Prima’s music is omnipresent, from film and television to viral TikTok videos sampling his work, Disney classic tunes(The Jungle Book), and hit covers by contemporary artists.

The exhibition examines Prima’s New Orleans background and inspirations, his rise to success, artistic prowess, and his role in shaping some of the nation’s entertainment capitals—New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, where he had the most impact.

Prima – a Grammy Award-winning, multimillion-dollar hitmaker- was also unapologetically Italian American during a time when such proud displays of ethnicity were frowned upon. He helped pave the path for other performers, including Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Perry Como.

Through hits such as “Sing, Sing, Sing,” “Jump, Jive, an’ Wail,” and “Angelina,” as well as personal effects, memorabilia, and rare images, Louis Prima: Rediscovering a Musical Icon enables museum visitors of all ages to discover, or rediscover, this groundbreaking performer and true legend of the music world.

This past week, the museum hosted a special event featuring Prima’s daughter, Lena Prima and her All-Star Band from New Orleans. The performed at the museum stages as a way to honor and keep her father’s songs alive.

The event was co-sponsored by the Gia Maione Prima Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Italian Sons and Daughters of America, Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America, De Pietro Family, Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, El Pueblo Historical Monument, and the Josephine Mahoney Family.

For upcoming Louis Prima events at IAMLA, visit https://www.iamla.org/past-events/