FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fans welcome to a socially-distanced layout including performances by Vieux Farka Toure, Philip Montalban, Fulu Miziki, Richard Bona, Weedie Braimah and more TBA
Miami Beach, FL — March 30, 2021 — Last year, the pandemic forced Miami-based non-profit Community Arts and Culture (CAC) to scrap all scheduled Afro Roots Fest performances due to safety concerns and restrictions. It’s annual Miami Beach concert became a “Virtual Fest” that was live streamed and watched by thousands in dozens of countries world-wide. This year, the show will once again welcome fans in person, and feature a lineup of regional and international acts, and most importantly, welcome live music fans back safely.
The concert is scheduled for Saturday, May 1, 2021, at the North Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141), beginning at 7 p.m. The master of ceremonies will once again be world music legend Georges Collinet, host of the award-winning Afropop Worldwide syndicated radio program, which is heard locally on WDNA. Tickets are available online by clicking here.
“We are excited to get back to presenting live music to a live audience, and look forward to having Roosevelt Collier with special guests Richard Bona and Weedie Braimah, and Philip Montalbán entertain folks live, and Vieux Farka Toure and Fulu Miziki do so virtually,” says Executive and Artistic Director Jose Elias. “This event could not have been possible without the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council, the Rhythm Foundation, the Broadmore Hotel, and Afropop Worldwide.”
Soft spoken by nature, South Florida-bred Collier does his hollering on the pedal steel guitar. Brought up in the “sacred steel” tradition of the House of God Church, Roosevelt built his reputation alongside his uncles and cousins in The Lee Boys, known for their spirited, soul-shaking live performances. Seated front and center, “The Dr.” leaves an indelible mark on listeners, flooring audiences with his lightning-fast slide work on the pedal steel.
Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara”, Touré was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981. He is the son of legendary Malian guitar player Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. Vieux was initially a drummer / calabash player at Mali’s Institut National des Arts, but secretly began playing guitar in 2001. As a passionate champion for the people of Mali and The Sahel, Vieux founded the charity Amahrec Sahel in 2012. Vieux is also the director of The Ali Farka Touré Foundation, an international organization dedicated to the preservation of Ali’s legacy and the cultural growth of Mali.
Afro-Latino reggae artist Montalbán is an Afro-Nicaraguan singer / songwriter who blends Mestizo, Afro-Caribbean and the indigenous cultures of Miskito, Rama, and Garifuna influences together musically. His albums range from showcasing a mix of Creole English and Spanish to his presenting specific Miskito words in song lyrics. He is an intense, serious songwriter noted for his thoughtful songs of love, harmony, and hope that call for Africans everywhere to unite.
Fulu Miziki is a multidisciplinary ensemble of musicians from Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) founded by Old Pisko Crane. For several years, Pisko envisioned an orchestra made from materials found in trash cans and dumps. The instruments vary constantly in search of new sounds. Fulu Miziki’s artists make their own performance costumes, masks and instruments. Their distinct sound supports a Pan-African message of artistic liberation, peace and a deep concern about the ecological situation of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the whole world. For Fulu, everything can be reclaimed and re-enchanted.
The following night, Sunday May 2, there will be a special event at Smart Bites To Go (791 NW 20th St, Miami, FL 33127) featuring live music by Xperimento and Pan Afrik, and hosted by DJ Lance-O. Also on hand will be a show called “Travels with Afropopo Worldwide and Georges Collinet“, a lively multimedia experience of video, images, music and stories from the Peabody Award-winning radio show’s field work in Zimbabwe, Congo, Egypt and Mali.
Collinet himself will also be on hand to meet and greet fans, and discuss his 50 year’s experience as broadcast personality and film-maker, as will Afropop’s founding producers, Sean Barlow and Banning Eyre.
For more information, and the full festival lineup and schedule, visit AfroRootsFest.com.
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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 has a track record of community collaborations which have earned the support of many other organizations and sponsors, such as the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar, the Florida Department of State’s Division of Cultural Affairs, the City of Miami Beach, the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, the Moksha Arts Collective, Miami-Dade College, the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, and the Rhythm Foundation. These harmonious relations help CAC fulfill their co-presenting mission to the community.
In 2018, Executive and Artistic Director Jose Elias was recognized by the Knight Foundation as a Knights Art Champion, which allowed him to donate $10,000 to CAC for the production of the 2019 season of events. In 2019, Afro Roots Fest was named “Best Music Festival” by the Miami New Times in weekly’s “Best of Miami” edition. Organizers produced a “Virtual Fest” successfully live streamed from the North Beach Bandshell for the first time ever in September of 2020. An all-new membership program launched in March of 2021, just in time for the latest season of events, the 23rd overall. .
For more information, please visit www.CommunityArtsandCulture.org.
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