Tampa violinist Omari Dillard steps into the spotlight for intimate Ybor City concert

A skateboarding injury kept him from initially grasping the instrument, but Omari Dillard’s been playing violin since he was at Tampa’s Lithia Pinecrest Elementary.

In the more than 30 years since, the 42-year-old instrumentalist and songwriter has been something of a fixture on the local scene whether on festivals or as part of someone else’s band. For this evening with, Dillard and his four-piece band take to the recently renovated historic Centro Asturiano to play selections from his album of original music, Sincerely Omari, plus covers of Luther Vandross, Johnny Gill and even Michael Jackson.

He’ll also intimately tell his story and promote his message of getting violins onto the shoulders and underneath the chins of other minorities.

“It’s something that we just don’t see often,” Dillard told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, adding that he wants to be an example for kids who might be interested. “It’s something that really means a lot to me.”

Tickets to see Omari Dillard play Centro Asturiano, Ybor City on Friday, Dec. 8 are still available and start at $56.

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This article appears in Nov 30 – Dec 6, 2023.