Community Arts and Culture presents the 28th annual Afro Roots Fest in Islamorada April 4

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Florida Keys Brewing Company and MoradaWay Arts and Cultural District to host a day of live music featuring Cortadito, Everglades Songbook Suite, Sanba Zao, and Famato, plus percussion and instrument building workshops

Islamorada, FL – February 18, 2026 – The nonprofit organization Community Arts and Culture (CAC) has by now become synonymous with curating and producing the longest-running world music event Afro Roots Fest. On Saturday, April 4, 2026, the award-winning festival returns to the Morada Way Arts and Cultural district,  and  the Florida Keys Brewing Company (81611 Old Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036) beginning at 12 noon with a series of workshops , and featuring Cortadito (Cuba), the Everglades Songbook Suite (U.S.), Sanba Zao (Haiti), Famato (Guinea, West Africa), percussion and instrument-making workshops, vendors, and more. Free event, with a few ticketed workshops, all ages welcome. 

“The flavor of this year’s festival is decidedly Caribbean, with a dash of West Africa, and I am proud to once again present these acts to the global music fans of South Florida,” says Grammy-nominated musician, composer, and producer, Jose Elias. “It’s my pleasure  to continue to bring world music programming to the Florida Keys, and I am looking forward to this year’s event.” Elias is known for his work with  Cortadito, and will perform with his other project, the Everglades Songbook Suite ensemble. 

Since its origins thirteen years ago, Cortadito has evolved into one of the torchbearers of a pop culture phenomenon that is two centuries strong. A traditional folk and acoustic band named the Miami New Times’ Best of Miami “Best Latin Act” in 2009, the band focuses on performing one of the earliest styles of Cuban country music known as Son (pronounced sOwn), their sound can best be described as reminiscent of the famed Buena Vista Social Club. Last year, Cortadito released a full-length album titled The Guajiro Triangle which features guest performances by Nestor Torres and Aymée Nuviola, and includes a fourth single and video titled “Lo Que te Cuento es Poco”.

The vastly resplendent Everglades has inspired countless works of literature and art, including the musical project “Everglades Songbook Suite”, which was created by Elias. A 2016 Artist in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) fellow, Jose wrote music for ESS after spending considerable time at Everglades National Park. The project, which stands as the creative and artistic statement of his experiences, first came to fruition on June 21, 2021 as a short film shot in the Everglades, co-produced with Live Arts Miami and AIRIE. 

In 2022 , the project received the support of the Kennedy Center to produce a pop up concert event at the Long Pine Key Amphitheater inside the park, then later in Key West  at the Studios of Key West. The performance included artists from around the world and served as a collaborative effort which featured different composers as well.

Born Louis Lesly Marcelin, Sanba Zao is a master drummer and Haitian roots music legend. He was also a professor at L’Ecole National des Arts, Haiti’s national arts school, and has devoted his life to teaching and promoting the culture and music of Haiti. Marcelin ran an elementary school called the Bazilo Ecole Communautairei, which was one of the first to reopen after the 2010 earthquake that devastated his home country. Sanba Zao has also sings and tours with Lakou Mizik and performed with other Haitian groups such as Group Sa, Foula Jazz, and Djakata.

Famato is a West African musical ensemble based in Gainesville, FL that plays traditional music from Guinea, particularly from the Mandinka tribe. The group’s name is a Sanso word that means “come and see”, and is led by Aboubacar “Amo” Soumah, a master drummer from Guinea, West Africa. They play instruments such as the Djembe drum and the balafon combined with vocals.

Anchoring the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District, FBKC is the Upper Keys first microbrewery. They always have a great selection of favorite beers, as well as a rotating list of seasonal and barrel aged beers, on draft. There is plenty for everyone to enjoy here. Take a tour of the brewery, enjoy a flight of beers, check out the local artwork, play games, or just relax and listen to some world music. Located at Mile Marker 88, the Tasting Room is open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Workshops include Percussion for Peace Workshops led by master artists Soumah and members of Sanba Zao, as well as community partner Power of Percussion. Families and youth can participate in instrument-building workshops through The Inheritants Project, CAC’s Miami-based Afro-Indigenous youth music and dance initiative. This, along with programming by musical instrument maker Eddie Osborne will run from noon to 4 p.m., with the live music going from 4 to 9:30 p.m. 

Event support is provided by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, FKBC, the Morada Way Arts and Cultural District, Keys NICE, Walking Together, and Keys Arts. Future events to be presented by CAC include a Son Del Mundo concert scheduled for May 8 and the Asere Social Club coming June 26. 

For more information, visit AfroRootsFest.com.

###

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

Afro Roots Fest Islamorada Returns to Florida Keys Brewing Company April 4 to 6

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Arts and Culture’s 27th annual event to feature acts celebrating the music of the Caribbean islands and the Americas

Miami, FL – March 12, 2025 – One of South Florida’s longest-running music festivals is coming back to Islamorada April 4 through 6, bringing a full weekend’s worth of world music to the Florida Keys Brewing Company (81611 Old Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036). The free, all ages concerts will feature Cuban and Colombian folk, Central American and Caribbean reggae, Latin funk, and world music selections. Festival merch items will be on sale, and an optional $10 suggested donation will go to support the organization that produces this free event.   

“I’m grateful to once again be able to bring the Afro Roots Fest to the beautiful Florida Keys ,” says Community Arts and Culture Executive Director Jose Elias. “I invite everyone to come enjoy the ambiance, craft beer, and music from around the globe.” Afro Roots Fest Islamorada is brought to you with the support of The Monroe County Tourist Development Council, Keys ICE, and the Florida Keys Brewing Company. 

Cortadito, Miami’s leading ambassadors of Cuban folk music, has captivated audiences in Islamorada over the past year with their electrifying live shows. They released the first single from their highly anticipated album The Guajiro Triangle on February 7th, and are set to release their second single prior to their upcoming festival performance. Audiences can expect to hear a mix of new material from their album, along with beloved Cuban standards, including iconic songs from the Buena Vista Social Club.

Electric Piquete is an award-winning Latin funk band from Hialeah who put out new music in September of last year, dropping their first full-length recording called Azabache, a collection of new and mostly instrumental music which is now streaming on all platforms and available on CD through Bandcamp. The first single and video is titled “Chunk“, a mid-tempo funk number mixed by Carlos “El Loco” Bedoya (Beyonce, Mick Jagger, Enrique Iglesias. The band is getting ready to issue a second single titled “Guayabera”, and accompanying animated lyric video later this month.

Afro-Latino Reggae artist Philip Montalbán blends Mestizo, Afro-Caribbean, and indigenous cultures of Miskito, Rama, and Garifuna influences in his music. Born and raised in the Bluefields region of Managua, Nicaragua, Philip is an international recording and touring artist whose most recent release is the infectious single called “Miami”.

Group Barrio Abajo plays the folkloric music of the Caribbean Colombia by using traditional percussion instruments and flutes, with modern instruments, presenting styles such as bullerengue, porro, chandé, and more than 30 other unparalleled musical rhythms. Globally, their home country is known for cumbia and vallenato, but these are just two parts of their musically diverse heritage.

Jean P. Jam AKA Pokito is a Haitian artist that offers up a special blend of world beat music called “Deep Roots” that combines African, Soca, Caribbean, and reggae influences into one groovy amalgamation. DJ Supa Kundukta (Super Conductor) is the DJ stage name for Elias and he will be spinning a special selection of Afro Beat and world grooves, along with funk, soul, and R&B classics. 

The full schedule is as follows:

Friday, April 4, 6 p.m. | Pokito

Saturday, April 5, 6 p.m. | Cortadito and Grupo Barrio Abajo

Sunday, April 6, 2 p.m. | Electric Piquete, Philip Montalban, DJ Supa Kundukta

For more information, visit AfroRootsFest.com.

###

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

Afro Roots Fest returns with the Asere Social Club at the Wolfsonian – FIU February 28

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Multimedia presentation aims to create new music by exploring the fusion of Afro-Cuban song and dance by Irawo Osa with the Cuban folk and country music of Cortadito

Miami Beach, FL – February 11, 2025 – Prepare to be captivated by a mesmerizing synthesis of ancient traditions and modern music on Friday, February 28, 2025, 7 p.m., at the Wolfsonian – FIU (1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139). This new work produced by Grammy-nominated artist Jose Elias, features collaborations between Cuban Son band Cortadito, the Cuban rumba group Irawo Osa, poets Román Díaz and Adrian Castro, and Fulbright Scholar Dr. Ivor Miller. The performance delves into the heart of Cuban culture, exploring the African roots and customs that have shaped its vibrant soundscape. 

Attendees will experience the electrifying combination of Afro-Cuban songs and rhythms with Son and Changüí music and dance, and immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Cuban folklore styles, including the Rumba, Palo, Carabalí-Abakuá, and Lukumí-Yoruba traditions. Listeners will be able to discern their impact on the development of popular Cuban music like Son and Timba.

“My goal with this presentation is to highlight the social club themes of belonging and community by showcasing this unique and genre-bending combination of Cuban music,” says Elias, the show’s producer. “Using a multimedia format will help give audiences a sense of the many facets that make up the tapestry of a social club, and take our program to new heights.”

Performances by Cortadito and Irawo Osa, which is composed of members of the Munequitos de Matanzas, will be melded with the virtual poetry of Díaz and the live poetic presentation of Castro. Dr. Miller will offer insights as he narrates and weaves a storyline that highlights the African roots of Cuban popular music and its global impact.

Dr. Miller is also a Wolfsonian – FIU Fellow in residence for February of 2025, when he will conductresearch on photographs of Cuban musicians gifted to The Wolfsonian’s library by collector Vicki Gold Levi. 

The opportunity to witness the power of Cuban music and its enduring legacy at the Wolfsonian – FIU is free with an RSVP here. Sponsored by the City of Miami Beach, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Library of America.

This program is presented as part of Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home, a major public humanities initiative taking place across the nation in 2024 and 2025, directed by Library of America and funded with generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Emerson Collective.

For more information, please visit AfroRootsFest.com.  

###  

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

Afro Roots Fest concludes in Islamorada at Florida Keys Brewing Company April 26-28

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Multi-cultural music festival features free performances by Cortadito, Venezonix with San Juan USA, Jean P. Jam, Manny Swagg, and Stella Fusion

Islamorada, FL – April 12, 2024 – The award-winning Afro Roots Fest winds its way down U.S. 1 and concludes with a weekend of spectacular concert events at the Florida Key Brewing Company (81611 Old Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036) Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28, 2024. The performances will represent the best in Afro-Caribbean vibes and offer up music from Cuban, Venezuelan, Haitian, and Colombian artists. All performances are free and open to all-ages, and will be held in the brewery beer garden.

The weekend concludes six-week run of live music by world-class artists, drum and dance workshops, and short film screenings that included stops in Miami, Miami Beach, Gainesville, and Jupiter. On Friday evening, April 26, Jean P. Jam will offer up a special blend of world beat music called “Deep Roots” that combines African, Soca, Caribbean, and reggae influences into one groovy amalgamation. He takes the stage at 6 p.m.

Next up Saturday, April 27 is Cortadito (Cuba), who are Miami’s answer to the Buena Vista Social Club. They will perform Cuban folk standards and original music from their upcoming full-length release titled Guajiro Triangle. Supporting them are Venezonix, an Afro-Venezuelan electronica act featuring keyboardist Andres Ponce (co-founder of Nacional recording artists Elastic Bond), plus San Juan USA, a dance group also hailing from Venezuela. Showtime is 6 p.m.

Finally, the dynamic singer / songwriter Manny Swagg‘s unique melding of Latin jazz, Afro-Latin beat, Caribbean folk, and traditional Cuban music takes center stage Sunday, April 28 beginning at 2 p.m. His group will be supported by Stella Fusion‘s smooth Cumbia Salsa funk representing Colombia. Both are making their Afro Roots Fest debuts and will surely bring the beer garden down.

Originating in 1999 at the now defunct Tobacco Road bar in Miami, Afro Roots Fest has been named one of the “10 Best Music Festivals in Miami” by the Miami New Times and crowned the “Best Music Festival” in the 2019 “Best of Miami” issue. Past performers include Eliades Ochoa, Oumou Sangare, Sun Ra Arkestra, Fatoumata Diawara, Fulu Miziki, Salif Keita, Vieux Farka Toure, and Toubab Krewe, among many others. Since 2018, the event has become a nomadic affair that now includes separate events in markets such as Gainesville, Miami, Miami Beach, and Jupiter.

Anchoring the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District, FBKC is the Upper Keys first microbrewery. They always have a great selection of favorite beers, as well as a rotating list of seasonal and barrel aged beers, on draft. There is plenty for everyone to enjoy here. Take a tour of the brewery, enjoy a flight of beers, check out the local artwork, play games, or just relax and listen to some music. Located at Mile Marker 88, the Tasting Room is open daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Presented by the Miami-based nonprofit Community Arts and Culture, Afro Roots Fest is dedicated to increasing understanding through the cultivation, preservation and presentation of diverse cultural music and arts offerings. Event support provided by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District, Keys ICE, and FKBC.

More information available at AfroRootsFest.com.

### 

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

Afro Roots Fest Returns to Guanabanas April 13

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Multi-cultural event features free performances by Cortadito, Johnny Dread, Venezonix with San Juan USA, and DJ Ephniko

Jupiter, FL, March 28, 2024 – Afro Roots Fest travels to North Palm Beach County for an afternoon and evening of music representing Cuba, Jamaica, and Venezuela at the enchanting Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar (960 N Hwy A1A, Jupiter, FL 33477) on Saturday, April 13, 2024, beginning at 4 p.m. No cover, all ages welcome before 9 p.m., 21 and over after. The nomadic event, named “Best Music Festival” in 2019 by the Miami New Times, is now in year 26, with 2024 being the 7th season of programming set to take place at the popular Jupiter waterfront live music venue.

Cortadito is an award-winning Cuban folk band whose specialty is traditional sounds in the vein of the Buena Vista Social Club. Co-founded in 2012 by tresero Jose Elias and guitarist Julio Cesar Rodriguez Delet, the group is now a national touring act and is in the process of finalizing the production of their first full-length release, to be titled Guajiro Triangle, and follows the release of the 2018 EP Canciones de Julio. They have previously backed BVSC star Eliades Ochoa live in concert. Learn more about the band at CortaditoSon.com.

Singer / songwriter Johnny Dread‘s Rastafarian vibes have been rockin’ the globe and bringing the message of Jah to the masses since the release of his debut recording Scarecrow in 1995. Born Juan Carlos Guardiola and originally a drummer, Dread has issued three other full lengths, including his most recent, 2014’s Full Circle, featuring the single and video “Butterfly”. Johnny has toured the world extensively and shared the stage with Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Israel Vibration, among others. More: JohnnyDreadMusic.com.

Andres Ponce is the creative force behind Venezonix, and he’s also the co-founder of Nacional recording artists Elastic Bond. Here he’s teaming up with the amazing percussionists and dancers from the Venezuelan-American cultural organization San Juan USA to bring a vibrant musical show. Venezonix melds the magical fusion of Afro-Venezuelan rhythms with electronic music and technology. Learn more at facebook.com/Venezonix.

In addition to DJing, Ephniko is also an MC who fronts the six-man audio/visual collective Nag Champayons, a group that began as an improvisational collective that drew from African, Caribbean, hip-hop, rock and jazz influences. He also leads the Patacon Conspiracy, which fuses hip-hop and raw lyricism with Pan-African and Latin American rhythms to create a worldbeat sound.

Event support provided by the Florida Department of State Division of Arts and Culture, and Guanabanas. High resolution photos and artist interviews available upon request. Presented by Roots Music, Inc. and Community Arts and Culture.

For more information, please visit AfroRootsFest.com.

### 

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

Afro Roots Fest Weekend: Miami and Miami Beach March 29 and 30

MEDIA ALERT

March 19, 2024 – The award-winning, nomadic music extravaganza Afro Roots Fest is hosting two world-music shows next week. First, the pioneering Afro-Peruvian sound system Novalima are celebrating their 20th anniversary and latest release La Danza with an exclusive performance at the Miami live music hotspot ZeyZey (353 NE 61st St, Miami, FL 33137) on Friday, March 29, 2024, beginning at 8 p.m. Special guest: DJ Le Spam. All ages are welcome, and tickets are now available online at bit.ly/ARFM2024Novalima.

Next up, one of West Africa’s most beloved chanteuses Oumou Sangare is coming to the Miami Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141) for an exclusive concert on Saturday, March 30, 2024, beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are now on sale for the show featuring selections from her 2023 release Timbuktu at bit.ly/ARFMB2024Sangare; reserved seating is available for this all ages show. Opening act: Seafoam Walls.

Now in year 26, Afro Roots Fest is hosting additional events in Gainesville, Jupiter, and Islamorada. Event support provided by the Florida Division of Arts and Culture, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Miami Beach, and Spirit Airlines. For information available at AfroRootsFest.com.

###

Who: Community Arts and Culture presents Afro Roots Fest

What: Novalima | Oumou Sangare

When: Friday, March 29 and Saturday, March 30

Where: ZeyZey | Miami Beach Bandshell

Tickets and more info: AfroRootsFest.com

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

ZeyZey, Community Arts and Culture, and Tigre present Novalima at Afro Roots Fest March 29

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The pioneering Afro-Peruvian sound system are celebrating their 20th anniversary and latest release La Danza and an exclusive performance at the Miami live music hotspot

Miami Beach – February 13, 2024 – Latin Grammy nominees and worldwide ambassadors of the nuevo Afro-Peruvian sound Novalima are set to perform at ZeyZey (353 NE 61st St, Miami, FL 33137) as part of Afro Roots Fest on Friday, March 29, 2024, beginning at 8 p.m. All ages are welcome and tickets are now available online at bit.ly/ARFM2024Novalima.This programming is part of the 26th season of the award-winning Afro Roots Fest, with additional concerts scheduled in March and April for Miami Beach, Gainesville, Jupiter, and Islamorada, and is powered by airline partner Spirit Airlines.

Novalima spent part of the 2020 lockdown in the studio experimenting with new sounds from their homeland and the world. Their latest release La Danza combines not only from their Afro-Peruvian heritage but also from the diverse African diaspora around the world. This diversity has exploded in recent years birthing new urban languages. On this new album, released in May 2023, Novalima went one step further by exploring the new generation of artists around the world who reinterpret their African heritage.

While their sound is futuristic and cutting-edge, the roots of Novalima’s music reach back hundreds of years. In a far-too familiar tale, African slaves were brought to Peru as early as the 1500s until the middle of the 19th Century, establishing an outpost of the African-Diaspora on the Pacific coast of South America. Over the years, the soul and rhythms of Africa melded with the melodies and instruments of Europe and the Andes. The result is rich musical repertoire that existed for generations on the periphery of Peruvian popular culture.

For the 20th anniversary tour, Novalima has prepared a highly energetic live show that takes the audience on a journey through all their previous albums from 2006’s Afro to 2018’s Ch’usay. The tunes have been rearranged from the original studio versions, capturing the audience’s attention from beginning to end. The gradual increase in intensity acts like a wave, lifting up the crowd on a hypnotic journey thru time and history, resulting in a crescendo of non-stop dancing. Novalima sounds and feels greater than ever before.

ZeyZey is a music venue and cultural hub featuring craft cocktails, natural wines and rotating food from local chefs. A vibrant and immersive world of sound and color, both intimate and expansive, the venue’s beverage program is crafted by Esther Merino, a globally recognized beverage consultant and recipe developer, along with the Grassfed Culture team, presents a unique spin on traditional cocktails. Their food vendors Atomica Roots and Maná Table, are entrepreneurs and passionate individuals who continue to push for their dreams to become a reality.

Additional support provided by the Florida Division of Arts and Culture and the Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit AfroRootsFest.com or contact ZeyZey at 305-456-2671.

###

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

Afro Roots Fest: Afro-Cuban Convening returns to Gainesville April 5 and 6

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The two-day event features Orisa, rumba, and Abakua concerts, short films, and master workshops with Lazaro Galarraga, Roman Diaz, Sandy Perez, Barbarito Ramos, Angel Guerrero, and Chief Ivor Miller

Gainesville, FL – March 12, 2024 – Afro Roots Fest returns to North Florida on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6, 2024 for a two-day convening, which includes concerts, dance and drum workshops, short music documentaries, and a dance party. Tickets are available at bit.ly/ARF2024Gainesville. This year’s gathering will focus on the lineage and migration of the religious tradition known as Abakua from Calabar, Nigeria to Cuba, which gave rise to the rumba, one of Cuba’s principal musical traditions.

The first day will feature events at the University of Florida School of School of Music (130 Music Building) and the Greater Gainesville International Center (1314 S. Main Street, Gainesville, FL 32601), followed by a dance party at Depot Village (404 SE 2nd St, Gainesville, FL 32601). Activities will include Afro-Latin movie shorts about Cuba and Brazil followed by a lecture and discussion, a master African dance and drum, Afro-Cuban percussion with a focus on clave, sekere, bells, congas, and bata, and a master Orisa and rumba dance workshop.

The next evening, the Odara Afro Cuban Allstars will perform two concerts at the Hippodrome Theatre (25 SE 2nd Pl, Gainesville, FL 32601). The first show at 7 p.m. presents Orisa and rumba, and the second show at 9 p.m. will focus on the Abakua traditions. Featured artists include a group of Afro-Cuban masters and scholars: Lazaro Galarraga, Roman Diaz, Sandy Perez, Barbarito Ramos, Angel Guerrero, and Chief Ivor Miller. The event will also include a film screening of the documentary “Roman Diaz – Como el Agua” by Onel Mulet, which offers an intimate look at the renowned Cuban master drummer and jazz musician.

A teacher, performing artist, actor, writer, choreographer, and mentor, Galarraga has dedicated his life to his love of Afro-Cuban music, culture, and folklore. Master percussionist, scholar, and composer Diaz is regarded as a “living repository” of Afro-Cuban music. After a 12-year stint with the group with Afrocuba de Matanzas, Perez is now one of the best-known and most talented percussionists from the Matanzas province.

A member of Los Munequitos de Matanzas, Ramos is a colorful master Orisa and rumba dancer. Guerrero is an important Abakua chanter from Pogolotti, Havana. Miller is a scholar focused on Cuban cultural history with a focus on Lukumi-Yoruba initiation systems of Ocha and Ifa (Santería) in Cuban society. Together they will deliver an unforgettable night of music, history, and tradition at the Hippodrome. Additional artists to be featured.

Originating in 1999, the Afro Roots Fest has been noted as one of the “10 Best Music Festivals in Miami” by the Miami New Times in 2017 and crowned the “Best Music Festival” in the 2019 “Best of Miami” issue. Past performers have included African music icons Amadou & Mariam, Fatoumata Diawara, Salif Keita, Vieux Farka Toure, and Sun Ra Arkestra, among many others. In 2018, the event became a traveling Florida festival presenting concerts in Jupiter, Miami Beach, Miami, Gainesville, and the Florida Keys. 

This program is presented with the generous support of City of Gainesville, University of Florida Center for Arts Migration and Entrepreneurship (CAME), Florida Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Greater Gainesville International Center, the UF Center for Latin American Studies, the School of Theatre + Dance, School of Music, and the College of the Arts. Sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville – Alachua County, FL.

For more information, visit AfroRootsFest.com.

###

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

Oumou Sangare Headlines Afro Roots Fest Miami Beach March 30

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mali “Songbird of Wassalou” performs show at Miami Beach Bandshell as part of award-winning, nomadic music festival

Miami Beach – February 6, 2024 – One of West Africa’s most beloved chanteuses Oumou Sangare is coming to the Miami Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141) for an exclusive concert during Afro Roots Fest on March 30, 2024, beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are now on sale for the show featuring selections from her 2023 release Timbuktu at bit.ly/ARFMB2024Sangare; reserved seating is available and all ages are welcome. This is the 26th season of Afro Roots Fest, and additional concerts scheduled in March and April for Miami Beach, Gainesville, Jupiter, and Islamorada. 

In March 2020, shortly after the International Wassoulou Festival (FIWA), an event Oumou launched in 2016 to promote her birth region in southern Mali, the artist traveled to the United States. She’d only planned to stay only a few weeks but then COVID lockdown struck, first in New York, then in Baltimore, a place where she quickly felt at home. “Something in that city drew me in straightaway. I felt so good there that I bought a house!” Once settled into her new abode, she spent her days writing songs with the help of an old friend, Mamadou Sidibé, who has been Oumou Sangare’s kamele n’goni (traditional lute) player since the very beginning of her artistic career.

This period of enforced seclusion gave birth to ten of the eleven songs on Timbuktu. The album weaves intimate sonic connections between traditional West African musical instruments associated with the blues, most notably the kamele n’goni and its distant heirs, the Dobro and slide guitar. “Since 1990, I’ve never had a chance to cut myself off from the world and devote myself exclusively to music,” she says. “I think you feel it in the music, but also in the lyrics which are fruit of all those moments when I was able to withdraw into myself and meditate.”

Timbuktu consecrates this artist who rose up from the ghettos of Bamako, Mali’s capital, to become a global superstar and internatonal feminist icon. The first single “Wassulo Don” was issued March 8, also known as International Women’s Day, on World Circuit Records. The track fuses Oumou’s distinctive Malian sound and voice with elements of blues and rock to create a joyous groove. It’s Oumou’s an expression of hometown pride for Wassulu, an area in the south-western corner of Mali where Oumou’s family originates from.

Since the release of her debut album Moussoulou in 1989, there’s been no respite for the Malian singer. Notable waymarks on her rich and fruitful journey include some of the most definitive recordings in the history of contemporary African music: “Ko Sira” in 1993, “Worotan” in 1996 and “Seya” in 2009, the latter nominated for a Grammy Award. Counting among her many notable fans Alicia Keys, Aya Nakamura and Beyoncé (who sampled the classic “Diaraby Nene” for her 2019 Lion King release), Sangaré has long since broken through barriers that separate continents and musical styles. 

She also released the singles “Sarama” and “Sira“. Click here to learn more about the artist; high resolution images are available here. Event support provided by Florida Division of Arts and Culture, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, and the City of Miami Beach.

For more information, visit AfroRootsFest.com or contact the Miami Beach Bandshell at 786-453-2897.

###

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

Living Cuban Legend Eliades Ochoa Headlines Afro Roots Fest Miami Beach March 16

Buena Vista Social Club star performs ticketed event at Miami Beach Bandshell as part of ongoing, nomadic music festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Miami Beach – January 16, 2024 – Tickets are on sale now for a very special concert featuring one of the founders of Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club, singer / guitarist / songwriter Eliades Ochoa. The concert will take place Saturday, March 16, 2024 at the Miami Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141), beginning at 7 p.m. All ages are welcome and reserved seats are available online at bit.ly/ARFMB2024Ochoa. Afro Roots Fest is in year 26, with additional concerts scheduled in March and April for Miami Beach, Gainesville, Jupiter, and Islamorada. 

Ochoa will be performing songs from his new album Guajiro, out now on World Circuit Records, which was produced by Demetrio Muñiz and features guest appearances by Rubén Blades, Joan As Police Woman, and Charlie Musselwhite. Guajiro cements his reputation as one of the most vital artists to come out of Cuba in the last century. Eliades is well known and loved worldwide as one of the original members of BVSC, having famously lent his vocals to that album’s iconic opener “Chan Chan”. In the wake of the super group’s phenomenal reception, Ochoa has released nine albums, won four Latin Grammys, and received a Grammy nomination for 2010’s Afrocubism.

The rugged features, the signature hat, the cowboy boots, and the iconic ‘man in black’ image. The songs from the school of life are imbued with the sort of hard-earned, country-tinged wisdom that can’t be bought. You don’t have to look or listen too hard to understand why Eliades Ochoa is often called “Cuba’s Johnny Cash”. Yet if parallels abound, his new album also shows him to be a singular voice with his own unique style and sound, rooted deep in the Cuban tradition but with an appeal that is as timeless as it is universal.

“We’re thrilled to be able to launch this year’s Afro Roots Fest with an artist as iconic as Eliades Ochoa,” says Jose Elias, founder and artistic director for the Miami nonprofit Community Arts and Culture. “He’s one of the remaining voices of the Buena Vista Social Club and someone whose contributions to the world of Cuban music have been very significant.”

Afro Roots Fest got its start at the now-defunct Tobacco Road in 1999. It has historically celebrated the widespread influence that Africa continues to have on music and furthers the mission of Community Arts and Culture, which present the arts as a tool for education. It is as much about root African culture as it is about the syncretism of it with Western cultural traditions. Past performers have included Amadou & Mariam, Sun Ra Arkestra, Alsarah, Fatoumata Diawara, Fulu Miziki, Salif Keita, Vieux Farka Toure, Toubab Krewe, and Roberto Torres, among many others.

Established in 2002, Community Arts and Culture is a 501(c)3 Miami-based nonprofit organization that strives to intergenerationally celebrate and inspire the community through the cultivation, preservation, and presentation of cultural music and arts. Through music-based workshops, lectures, performances, and after-school youth programs, CAC provides under-served areas of South Florida with an accessible platform to participate in cultural programs and experiences.

March 30 will see the debut of the “Songbird of Wassalou” Oumou Sangare from Mali, also at the Miami Beach Bandshell. More details about additional Afro Roots Fest dates and artists are coming soon. Event support provided by the Florida Division of Arts and Culture, the Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Miami Beach, and the Rhythm Foundation. 

Eliades will be available for interviews the week prior to the show; high resolution images are available here.

For more information, visit AfroRootsFest.com or contact the Miami Beach Bandshell at 786-453-2897.

###

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