Sun Ra Arkestra in Concert on Miami Beach 4/7

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sun Ra Arkestra and Morikeba Kouyate Mark 20 Years of the Afro Roots World Music Festival April 7

Event at North Beach Bandshell begins at 7 p.m. and is open to all ages; tickets available online

Miami Beach, FL – March 13, 2018 – The Afro Roots World Music Festivalcomes full circle for its 20th anniversary celebration, featuring  Sun Ra Arkestra in concert on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at the North Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL, 33141).  The music begins at 7 p.m.with special guest Morikeba Kouyate. Tickets are available online at bit.ly/2BtQdOq. This year’s edition of the festival, which is curated and run by the non-profit organization Community Arts and Culture (CAC), features more than 50 international and local acts from all over the world, in venues from Jupiter to Key West.

“The whole concept of the Afro Roots Fest initially came together as a tribute to Sun Ra himself,” says Jose Elias, founder and executive director of CAC. “I had just seen the film A Joyful Noise and it inspired me so much that I put together a band called the Afro Polyphonic Space Orchestra and created the festival around it.”  Fast-forward twenty years, and the tribute has evolved into a successful yearly musical and cultural community program.

Directed by alto saxophonist Marshall Allen, the Sun Ra Arkestra are musical torch-bearers for the late, great keyboardist and big-band innovator born Herman Poole Blount. The Arkestra carry on the traditions set by the cosmic philosopher, complete with full costumes and the “Songbook from Saturn”. They maintain a busy touring schedule and continue to release albums, beginning with 1999’s Song for the Sun. Learn more at www.sunraarkestra.com.

Kouyate, a native of Senegal and an Afro Roots Fest favorite, is a Kora master and a trained Griot, meaning he maintains a tradition of West African oral history through song. His handmade instrument is a captivating 20-string, harp-like beauty, which he wields powerfully in his melodic storytelling. Click https://youtu.be/n0O4eqU-wcA to view a clip of him at the festival’s 16th incarnation.

Named one of “South Florida’s Ten Best Music Festivals” by the Miami New Times in August,  the festival will continue the celebration of its 20th anniversary with a journey into the Florida Keys for the first time on April 28 at the Morada Way Arts and Cultural District (151 Morada Way, Islamorada, FL 33060.

The Miami Beach show is made possible through the support of the Miami–Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, the Miami Beach Cultural ArtsCouncil, and is being presented in part by MDC Live Arts.

For more information, ticket links and the full performer lineup, please visit www.afrorootsfest.com or call 305.672.5202.

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ABOUT COMMUNITY ARTS & CULTURE

Incorporated in September 2002, Community Arts and Culture, Inc. (CAC) is a Miami-based non-profit organization that fosters an appreciation and understanding of a vast assortment of arts and cultures through workshops, lectures and artistic performances in local communities for individuals of all ages and social backgrounds.

CAC also produced the A Day at the Beach Concert Series, which enjoyed a five- year run, in addition to co-producing the Roots in the Schools program, which brings music to Miami-area schools.

For more information, please visit www.communityartsandculture.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

Road to Afro Roots Begins in Jupiter

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Afro Roots World Music Festival Launches 20th Anniversary Celebration at Guanabanas 

Free Road to Afro Roots Kickoff Concerts represent festival’s first events in Palm Beach County, feature Sanba Zao, Cortadito and the Nag Champayons


Jupiter, FL – January 8, 2018 – Fine China may be the traditional 20th anniversary swag, but this year, Community Arts and Culture will be giving fans the gift of world music in three counties. The Afro Roots World Music Festival will launch its 20th edition Friday, January 26th at Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar (960 North Highway A1A, Jupiter, FL 33477), featuring two days of live world music. This year’s edition of the festival will feature more than 50 international and local acts from all over the world, in venues located as far south as Key West.

Haiti’s Sanba Zao will perform Friday, January 26, beginning at 9 p.m.; Cuban folkloric masters Cortadito plays 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, January 27, with Miami’s Afrogalactic / Tropidelic funksters the Nag Champayons performing that same day at 9 p.m. All three performances are free and open to the public, with 21 and over welcome to the evening sets.

Named one of “South Florida’s Ten Best Music Festivals” by the Miami New Times in August, Afro Roots will also showcase Sun Ra Arkestra and Morikeba Kouyate April 7 at the Miami Beach Bandshell (tickets: bit.ly/2BtQdOq), Papaloko at the Studios of Key West on May 19, and more to be announced.

“20 years is an incredible milestone and our intention to produce a festival that pushes the boundaries begins with a very special back-to-back production in North Palm Beach,” says Jose Elias, founder and executive director of the Miami-based non-profit Community Arts & Culture, the organization responsible for the Afro Roots Fest. “From there, Afro Roots will travel all the way to the Florida Keys throughout the course of the next six months, making stops in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties as well.”

“We’re excited about bringing the world music experience to our music fans here in the Jupiter area,” says Guanabanas talent buyer Matt Cahur. “Given the popularity of our Noche Latina series, the past successes of Cortadito and the Nags here at Guanabanas, and the always-positive reception to our roots and reggae events, I believe Afro Roots Fest will be a smash.” Cahur also heads Roots Music, Inc., a Jupiter-based, 20-year music management, production and promotions company.

Master drummer and Haitian roots music legend Sanba Zao, born Louis Lesly Marcelin, is also a professor at L’Ecole National des Arts, Haiti’s national arts school. He has devoted his life to teaching and promoting the culture and music of Haiti, and to this end, runs an elementary school called the Bazilo Ecole Communautairei, which was one of the first to reopen after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Sanba Zao has also worked with Group Sa, Foula Jazz, and Djakata.

Cortadito’s specialty is performing traditional Cuban music from the early 20th century. The group transports listeners back to a time when Trio Matamoros and Ignacio Piniero ruled the Cuban music world.  They faithfully perform standards in the stylings known as Son Montuno, Guaracha, Bolero, Nengon, and Bolero Son. Cortadito is occasionally is backed by a variety of guest musicians, which gives the group a sound reminiscent of the Buena Vista Social Club. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/Cortadito-295653443871468.

The Nag Champayons are Miami’s standard bearers in terms of psychedelic music, showcasing their unique creativity, messaging and collaborative since their inception in 2003. A heady and infectious single “Brazilian LSD”, issued in 2016, came with a visually stunning video, and served as a follow up to 2015’s masterful Rising Sounds of a Sinking City, a darkly serious and ominous 21-minute environmentally-conscious theme. They continue to play local and regional music festivals, and are currently in the process of readying new music for release. For more details, visit www.NagChampayons.com.

For more information, please visit www.afrorootsfest.com or call 786.218.6854.

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ABOUT COMMUNITY ARTS & CULTURE

Incorporated in September 2002, Community Arts and Culture, Inc. (CAC) is a Miami-based non-profit organization that fosters an appreciation and understanding of a vast assortment of arts and cultures through workshops, lectures and artistic performances in local communities for individuals of all ages and social backgrounds.

For more information, visit www.communityartsandculture.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

 

19th Annual Afro Roots World Music Fest Coming 4/7 & 4/22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

19th Annual Afro Roots World Music Festival Features Salif Keita April 7 and Vieux Farka Touré April 22

Both events to be held at North Beach Bandshell, with the Touré show dovetailing into the TransAtlantic Music Festival

Miami Beach, FL – March 21, 2017 – As one of South Florida’s longest-running musical events, the Afro Roots World Music Festival presents some of the most exciting pan-African musicians and celebrates the spread and evolution of the Dark Continent’s culture. This year, the festival’s 19th, performances are spread out over two weekends at the North Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141) and feature the “Golden Voice of Africa” Salif Keita on Friday, April 7, followed by the “Jimi Hendrix of the Sahara” Vieux Farka Touré Saturday, April 22. Tickets for day one are available here: bit.ly/ARWMF19; day two tickets are available here: bit.ly/ARWMF19-2. Start time for both is 6 p.m.

“This year certainly promises to be one of our best, and I’m truly excited about showcasing Salif Keita and Vieux Farka Touré, two world-class artists and musicians,” says Jose Elias, founder and executive director of the Miami-based non-profit Community Arts & Culture. “Our mission with this event has always been to foster an appreciation and understanding of African music and culture, and we feel we have two outstanding examples, and more.”

Keita is considered Mali’s most well-known singer / songwriter, seamlessly combining R&B, rock and jazz into one pan-ethnic sound. Born to a royal family, the artist was disowned by his father upon announcing his intention to purse music. He first rose to prominence as part of the Rail Band, which was renamed Les Ambassadeurs Internationaux, before embarking on a solo career in 1984. He has since released more than a dozen recordings, including 2012’s Talé, his latest.

Touré is another Mali national whose sound can be described as ancient West African desert blues meets modern rock. As the son of another well-known guitarist, Ali Farke Touré, he cut his professional teeth as part of the backing band for kora master Toumani Diabaté. Originally a percussionist, he switched to guitar and has enjoyed a successful career as a solo artist, spanning 12 years and nine releases, he latest being 2015’s Touristes, a collaboration with American singer-songwriter Julia Easterlin

The support act for April 7 is Cortadito, Miami’s Cuban folklore masters. On April 22, Sinkane (Sudanese jazz / funk / rock) and Symbi Roots, the all-female Haitian rara band, are both scheduled to perform. A special “Road to AfroRoots” warm-up concert by the Antilles Music Ensemble also takes place at the North Beach Bandshell on March 22, from 6 to 10 p.m. This event coincides with the monthly Food Trucks & Music Night presented by the City of Miami Beach. This show is free and all ages are welcome.

For more information, please visit www.communityartsandculture.org/afro-roots-world-music-festival or call 800.838.3006.

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ABOUT COMMUNITY ARTS & CULTURE

Incorporated in September 2002, Community Arts and Culture, Inc. (CAC) is a Miami-based non-profit organization that fosters an appreciation and understanding of a vast assortment of arts and cultures through workshops, lectures and artistic performances in local communities for individuals of all ages and social backgrounds.

CAC also produces the A Day at the Beach Concert Series, which is going on five-plus years now, as well as co-produces the Roots in the Schools program, which brings music to Miami-area at-risk children.

For more information, visit www.communityartsandculture.org.

MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

18th Annual Afro Roots World Music Festival 9/3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chicago Afrobeat Project and Aurelio Martinez Co-Headline Afro Roots World Music Festival September 3

Nigerian rhythms and Garifuna culture highlight the 18th annual event to be held at the North Beach Bandshell  

Miami, FL – August 16, 2016 – The 18th annual Afro Roots World Music Festival, one of the area’s longest-running concert series, will take place on Labor Day Saturday, September 3, 2016, at the historic North Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139). Co-headliners Chicago Afrobeat Project and Honduran Garifuna artist Aurelio Martinez will be supported by locals Uma Galera plus DJ Moses. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the first act will go on at 5:30 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are $15 and available online at bit.ly/ARWMF18 at that price until September 2. Admission on the day of the show is $25; all ages are welcome.

The Chicago Afrobeat Project has emerged as one of the genre’s most prominent and successful touring American acts, having mastered a sound that successfully weaves the uniqueness of the Chicago music scene with a distinct Nigerian style of music. The group previously collaborated with drummer Tony Allen (Afrobeat granddaddy Fela Kuti‘s drummer), and are currently promoting their latest release Nyash Up!, which is their fourth official album. It incorporates elements of hip-hop, orchestra-like musical arrangement, rock, jazz and funk.

Also featured at this year’s festival is Aurelio, who was born in the tiny coastal hamlet of Plaplaya on Honduras’ Caribbean coast. He may be one of the last generations to grow up steeped in the Garifuna tradition, which encompass the African and Caribbean Indian roots of his ancestors. Specifically, he is a descendant of a group of shipwrecked slaves who intermarried with local natives on the island of St. Vincent who were deported to the Central American coast in the late eighteenth century. The artist also served his community for years as a legislator.

Local openers Uma Galera are an experimental reggae band who play Latin-tinged grooves laced with rock, funk, ska and more to create what they call “world soul music”. Their fitting name means “one crowd”, as their bouts of musical improvisation inspire unity and grow good vibes. Spinning the best from the different eras and sub-genres of world music will be DJ Moses, a mainstay of the festival for more than ten years now.

The festival is produced by local non-profit organization Community Arts & Culture  and is generously bering underwritten by the Knight Foundation, theFlorida Department of Cultural Affairs, the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council. Event sponsors include Ocean Terrace Holdings, Blackwell Rum, 7th Circuit Productions, and the Rhythm Foundation.

For more information, visit www.AfroRootsFest.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

AfroRoots World Music Festival Aug. 6-8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Annual Afro Roots World Music Festival Returns for a 17th Season

2015 edition expands to 10 acts over three days at three Miami and Miami Beach venues, panels and workshops

July 15, 2015 – Miami, FL – The Miami-based non-profit organization Community Arts and Culture, dedicated to presenting the arts as a tool for education, is planning their biggest festival event ever. Taking place August 6 – 8, 2015, the 17th annual Afro Roots World Music Festival will launch with a kick-off celebration on Thursday, August 6th at Blackbird Ordinary (729 SW 1st Ave, Miami, FL 33130), continue with a World Music Conference and Global Locals Showcase on Friday, August 7th at the Little Haiti Cultural Center (212-260 NE 59th Terr, Miami, FL 33137), and wrap with a main event headliners concert on Saturday, August 8th at the North Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141).

Celebrating the evolution of African culture by featuring some of the best performers from all over the Caribbean, the Americas and Africa, the festival’s opening event will feature music by Cortadito (Cuba / Miami) and Patacon Conspiracy (Colombia) along with a global bazaar. Day two at the LHCC includes showcase performances byConjunto Progreso (Cuba / Miami), PALO! (Cuba / Miami), Morikeba Kouyate(Senegal), the Nag Champayons (Little Haiti) and Los Herederos (Cuba / Miami), plus DJ Moses spinning  global selections. Day three on Miami Beach will conclude the festival with headliners Hassan Hakmoun (Morocco), Locos Por Juana (Colombia) and Bateria Unidos de Miami (Brazil), along with DJ Le Spam.

Day two’s World Music Conference and Global Locals Showcase is the festival’s most recent undertaking. The conference will feature three highly-informative panel discussions focusing on the business of world music; such as how to build an effective management, publishing and publicity team, what artists need to know about booking agents and touring, and more. Speakers and panelists will include Dmitri Vietze (CEO / founder of Rock Paper Scissors, Inc.), Isabel Soffer (co-founder / co-director of Globalfest), Deirdre Valente (Lisa Booth Management), Cary Sullivan (producer, Airtel Music Express / booking agent, Afro Funke), Gustavo Fernandez (CEO, Delanuca Music Group, president, BVE 45), and Janice Bond (cultural curator | arts advocate).

Workshops will focus on North and West African traditions and Afro-Cuban folklore. This year’s main festival headliner Hassan Hakmoun will present a lecture on the traditional sounds and culture of the Gnawa people of Marrakesh, and demonstrate his main instrument the sintir, a three-stringed lute with a body made of camel skin stretched over nutwood. Master percussionists Roman Diaz and Mauricio Herreraand multi-instrumentalist Onel Mulet will demonstrate the application of traditional Afro-Cuban based folkloric music in the context of modern or contemporary music. Senegalese percussionist Aly Mbaye and Morikeba Kouyate on the kora will show attendees the rhythms of the sabar drum and djembe, as related to the Mandingo musical traditions of Senegal, West Africa. Delou Africa Inc., a locally based non-profit organization that presents the annual African Diaspora Dance & Drum Festival of Florida, will be hosting a West African dance workshop with a live percussion ensemble.

A special after-party will take place Saturday, August 8 at Naomi’s Garden Vibes Restaurant (650 NW 71st St, Miami, FL 33150), beginning at 10 p.m. featuring DJ Lance – O and the Kulcha Shok crew. There will be a $5 cover charge and the event is open to those 21 and over.

Support for the Afro Roots World Music Festival is made possible the KnightFoundation, the Funding Arts Network, the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, Blackbird Ordinary, the New Yorker Hotel, Kulcha Shok Musik and Blackwell Rum.

Day one is free and open to those 21 and over. $20 two-day passes for days two and three are available online at afrorootsfest17.bpt.me or admission is $15 at the door. A $10 discounted door rate is available for students and seniors with ID; kids 12 and under are free.

For more information, visit www.AfroRootsFest.com or contact 786.218.6854 |cacblogspot@gmail.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Michael Mut
Mut Communications
info@mutcomm.com
786.426.2277

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#AfroRoots17: August 6-8

The 17th Annual Afro Roots World Music Festival: August 6-8, 2015

Save the dates for one of Miami’s longest-running music, arts and cultural events

Who: Community Arts and Culture, a Miami-based non-profit organization that fosters an appreciation and understanding of a vast assortment of arts and cultures by educating individuals of all ages and social backgrounds through workshops, lectures and artistic performances in local communities.

What: The 17th annual Afro Roots World Music Festival, celebrating the evolution of African culture by featuring some of the best performers from all over the Caribbean, the Americas and African countries such as Senegal, the Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali and the Republic of Congo. Sponsorship packages available; volunteers sought.

When: Thursday, August 6 through Saturday, August 8, 2015.

Where: various locations in Miami and Miami Beach

Day 1 – Kick-Off Celebration: Blackbird Ordinary (729 SW 1st Ave, Miami, FL 33130), featuring Cortadito, Patacón Conspiracy and Global Bazaar; 9 p.m. start, free, 21 and over welcome.

Day 2 – Global Locals Showcase: Little Haiti Cultural Center (212-260 NE 59th Terr, Miami, Florida 33137), featuring Conjunto Progreso, PALO!, Los Herederos,Morikeba Kouyate and the Nag Champayons; 5 p.m. start all-ages welcome, $15 at the door, $20 for two-day pass (includes access to Day 3 concert at North Beach Bandshell). The night also features sets by DJ Moses.

The day will also feature panel discussions, lectures and workshops by some of the top professionals in the industry. Topics will focus on the business of world music and give artists an inside look into management, publishing, collecting royalties and booking tours.

Day 3 – Concert at the North Beach Bandshell (501 72nd St, Miami Beach, FL 33141), featuring Hassan Houkmoun, Locos Por Juana and Bateria Unidos de Miami; all-ages welcome, $15 at the door, $20 for two-day pass (includes access to Day 2 Global Locals Showcase). The night also features sets by DJ Le Spam.

A special after-party will take place at Naomi’s Garden Vibes Restaurant (650 NW 71st St, Miami, FL 33150), beginning at 10 p.m. There will be a $5 cover charge and the event is open to those 21 and over.

Ticket link: http://afrorootsfest17.bpt.me

A $10 discounted door rate is available for students and seniors with ID Days 2 and 3; kids 12 and under are free.

Support for the Afro Roots World Music Festival is made possible the Knight Foundation, Funding Arts Network, the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, the New Yorker Hotel and Blackwell Rum.

More information: www.AfroRootsFest.com

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MEDIA CONTACT
Michael Mut
Mut Communications
info@mutcomm.com
786.426.2277

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