Grammy-nominated Musician Jose Elias to Perform “Everglades Songbook Suite”, a Free Concert in Everglades National Park during Earth Day Weekend!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Live performance of original work to commemorate the park’s 75th Anniversary

April 12, 2022 – Homestead, FL– Community Arts & Culture (CAC) and Live Arts Miami (LAM) are proud to present Jose Elias’ Everglades Songbook Suite (ESS), a dynamic live concert event featuring new musical compositions and soundscapes that celebrate the sights and sounds of the Florida Everglades at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 24, at the Long Pine Key Amphitheater within Everglades National Park. Presented in honor of Earth Day and the park’s 75th anniversary, the concert is free and open to the public. Park admission required.

Everglades Songbook Suite is presented as part of LAM’s EcoCulturaseries of performances for the planet, and as the culmination of CAC’s annual Afro Roots Fest. The event is being produced with support from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and filmed for its “Arts Across America” docu-series.

“We are thrilled to be a part of bringing music into this glorious setting as part of our EcoCultura series, celebrating Earth Day in our beloved Everglades National Park,” said Kathryn Garcia, LAM’s Executive Director. “Through projects like these, artists can inspire us all to listen to, connect with and take care of our planet.”

The vastly resplendent Everglades has inspired countless works of literature and art, including this new musical composition created by Grammy-nominated musician, composer, and producer Jose Elias. A 2016 Artist in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) fellow, Elias wrote the 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 LAM and AIRIE for International World Music Day. Now it returns with its first ever live performance at Everglades National Park.  

“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to perform the ESSin the environment that inspired the piece in the first place,” said Elias, who is also the founder and executive director of the Miami-based nonprofit CAC. “To have it coincide with the 75th anniversary of the national park is a personal and professional honor.”

The project features a rotating cast of musicians playing a variety of global instruments, including the Cuban tres, Venezuelan cuatro, percussion and woodwinds, indigenous flutes, and the African Kora. Featured musicians alongside Elias (Cuba) will include: Morikeba Kouyate (Senegal), Aboubacar Camara (Guinea), Carlos Ochoa (Peru), Damian J. Sanchez (Cuba), Gino Coca Mir (Puerto Rico), Kenneth Metzger (Puerto Rico), Samuel Tommie (Seminole Tribe), Aboubacar Soumah (Guinea), and Rajesh Bhandari (India).

“The park is happy to partner on projects such as this that help others see and understand the Everglades in new and unique ways,” said Pedro Ramos, Superintendent of Everglades and Dry Tortugas national parks. “We are excited that the Everglades songbook performance is going to be a part of the seminar series celebrating the 75th anniversary of Everglades National Park.”

The artwork of Canadian-born Scottish artist Deborah Mitchell, a certified Master Naturalist from the University of Florida, will adorn the stage during the performance. Mitchell’s creative process is derived from experience-based field work, where observations become the driving force for studio work. Her photography-based work evolves into paint, fabric and / or installation-based collages.

WHAT:   MDC’s Live Arts Miami Presents Everglades Songbook Suite
WHEN:   Sunday, April 24, 4 p.m.
WHERE: Everglades National Park, Long Pine Key Amphitheater

                40001 State Hwy 9336, Homestead, FL 33034

                Parking is located at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, guests can take trolley to Long Pine  

                Key Amphitheater. Trolley will run to and from both locations from 2 – 6 p.m.  

Tickets: This event is free with limited capacity. RSVP strongly encouraged at bit.ly/ESSENP2022. Please note that park entrance fees apply.

For more information, please visit AfroRootsFest.com. Click here for Photos and Videos.

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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. The award-winning Afro Roots Fest is a multi-county and multi-event concert series organized by CAC. This year, the festival has added new stops in Gainesville and Hollywood, gained new partners,and added a series of music and dance workshops. More information and the full schedule is available at AfroRootsFest.com and through CommunityArtsandCulture.org.

ABOUT LIVE ARTS MIAMI
Live Arts Miami is one of the city’s oldest and boldest performing arts series: an action-driven platform for powerful performances, impactful community programs and learning experiences that spark dialogue, raise awareness around pressing issues, and open minds and hearts in all who take part. Its EcoCultura initiative, a series of performances for the planet, features artists tackling climate change through dynamic dance, theater, and music events. Created in 1990, Live Arts Miami is proud to be a part of Miami Dade College’s celebrated Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, please visit www.liveartsmiami.org and follow @liveartsmiami on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
Everglades National Park protects the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. Established in 1947 as the first national park created for its biodiversity, the park’s 1.5 million acres are home to critically threatened and endangered species including the Florida panther, the American crocodile and the West Indian manatee. The Everglades is also the main source of drinking water for residents of South Florida. Learn more at nps.gov/ever and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

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

Afro Roots Fest Featuring Sinkane and Daymé Arocena Returns to the North Beach Bandshell April 23

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Signature all-ages event will also include performances by Son Mandinga and DJ Lance-O beginning at 7 p.m.

April 6, 2022 – Miami Beach, FL – Afro Roots Fest’s 24th season is shaping up to be a memorable one. Festival organizers are bringing a rising Sudanese-American star, and one of the hottest acts in Afro-Cuban jazz to Miami Beach’s North Beach Bandshell on April 23rd. World Music fans will be able to catch co-headliners Sinkane and Daymé Arocena along with Son Mandinga and DJ Lance–O beginning at 7 p.m. on that day. All ages are welcome, and tickets are available online at bit.ly/ARFMB2022.

“We are very excited about this year’s lineup, especially Sinkane, who we get to bring back after having to cancel his festival performance in 2020,” says Jose Elias, founder and executive director of Community Arts & Culture (CAC), the Miami-based non-profit organization. “The diversity of the acts, plus the level of production, as well as the live presence of legendary radio host George Colinet from Afropop Worldwide promises to make this a very memorable night of world music.” Elias is also a Grammy-nominated musician, composer, and producer.

Sinkane is a Sudanese-American musician who blends krautrock, prog rock, electronica, free jazz and funk rock with Sudanese pop. Born to college professors in London, he lived in Sudan, then moved to the US when he was five, and lived for some time in Ohio. From a very early age, he was a skate punk and a fan of hard-core, playing drums in bands like Of Montreal, Yeasayer and Caribou. 

Arocena draws inspiration from the intertwining musical legacies of her native Cuba. An Afro-Cuban jazz singer, composer, and choir director from Havana, she’s a bright-shining performer carrying the flame for a new generation of Cuban musicians. Approaching jazz, soul and classical influences with an innate sense of rhythm, she has been described as Cuba’s finest young female singer. Early on, her soul and jazz-obsessed nightclub manager father constantly filled her ears with the music of George Benson, Pérez Prado, Sade, and La Lupe. 

Son Mandiga is a product of Afro-Venezuelan influences, specifically the ones from the coasts of the state of Aragua, and the two brothers, Andrés and Guillermo Schloeter. Driven by their passion for percussion, the group wows audiences with their Afro-Caribbean drum and vocal stylings.

Lance-O was introduced to Peter Tosh in 1974, and this was also his foray into reggae music. In 1990 he began working at Reggae Report magazine, which also gave him an on-air slot on WAVS 1170 AM. It was here that Lance-O took Saturday night radio to another level, earning him a top-five rating in the market. Today, Kulcha Shok is a lifestyle brand and Lance-O is an in-demand DJ and event host.

The event is generously supported by the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the Miami–Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Miami Beach Cultural Arts Council, the Rhythm Foundation, Afropop Worldwide, Purehoney Magazine, and the Broadmore Hotel.

 For more information and the full festival lineup, please click 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.

For more information, please visit CommunityArtsandCulture.org.

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

Afro Roots Fest Returns to Guanabanas Saturday, April 16, 4 p.m. (full press release)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Free concert at the waterfront bar and restaurant to feature music and artists from Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the US

April 5, 2022 – Jupiter, FL – The award-winning Afro Roots Fest, a multi-county and multi-event concert series organized by Miami-based non-profit organization Community Arts and Culture (CAC) and now in its 24th season, is headed back to Jupiter. World music fans are in for a treat on Saturday, April 16, beginning at 4 p.m. at Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar (960 N Hwy A1A, Jupiter, FL 33477). The lineup features Philip Montalbán (Nicaragua), Panafrik (Ghana / USA), Bad Apples Brass Band (USA), and DJ Ephniko (Colombia).

“We’re happy to once again bring top-notch world-music acts to Guanabanas and appreciate the support from Roots Music,” says festival founder, Grammy-nominated musician, composer, and producer Jose Elias. “This year’s lineup is a diverse mix of American, African, and South and Central American musicians, and we are excited to present them to the Palm Beach community.”

Afro-Latino Reggae artist Montalbán amusingly refers to the term African / English / Spanish to describe his long-standing presence in the music touring industry and to refer to the African and / or Caribbean presence largely located on the Atlantic coast in his home of Nicaragua. Based in a transnational figuring of ethnicity and music, the Afro-Nicaraguan musician calls what has been explained / profiteered / idealized as globalization as “the world getting closer.”

The Bad Apples Brass Band is a fun and funky New Orleans group based in South Florida. Opening and jamming with bands including Rebirth Brass Band, Bonerama, Papa Grows Funk, Glen David Andrews Band, Jon Cleary, Bad Apples Brass Band has brought the Crescent City sound to the area fusing an  infectious street beat with the funkiest jazz and the heaviest sounds.

Panafrik mixes the traditions of West Africa, Cuba, Brazil and numerous other folkloric styles of music found throughout the African Diaspora. In addition to DJing, Ephniko is also an MC who fronts the six-man audio/visual collective Nag Champayons and leads the Patacon Conspiracy, which fuses Hip-Hop and raw lyricism with Pan-African and Latin American rhythms to create a worldbeat sound.

Opened by Jupiter surfers as a sandwich shop in 2004, Guanabanas has grown to become an institution in northern Palm Beach County for three reasons: the lush, tropical setting; great cuisine and cocktails; and live music from both national acts and the hottest names in South Florida.

The event is free and open to all ages before 9 p.m. 21 and over welcome after. More information about the festival is available at AfroRootsFest.com.

Learn more about the venue at Guanabanas.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.

For more information, please visit CommunityArtsandCulture.org.

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

Afro Roots Fest to Stage Multicultural Musical Events in Key West and Islamorada

Festival travels to Key West April 28-30 and Islamorada May 28 and 29, features several acts over several days at each stop

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FLORIDA KEYS, April 3, 2022 — Audiences can celebrate world music in the Florida Keys during the annual Afro Roots Fest, whose 2022 season includes multiartist showcases in Key West and Islamorada.

The award-winning festival is to take center stage in Key West Thursday through Saturday, April 28-30, and over Memorial Day weekend in Islamorada, with shows scheduled Saturday and Sunday, May 28-29. 

Key West fans can gather at 9 p.m. Thursday, April 28, at the Green Parrot Bar, 601 Whitehead St., for an unforgettable evening of music by Cortadito, renowned for performing Cuban standards from the early 20th century. The band will be joined onstage by Latin Grammy Award nominee Tomás Diaz, who has performed with musicians ranging from Celia Cruz to Bruce Springsteen. There is no cover charge.

The following two evenings showcase the Everglades Songbook Suite starring Jose Elias playing selections from his compositions and soundscapes that commemorate the otherworldly beauty of South Florida’s Everglades National Park. The Everglades Songbook Suite blends acoustic stylings and natural sounds recorded in the park to create an immersive experience that celebrates its unique ecosystem, flora and fauna.

Both performances begin at 8 p.m. at The Studios of Key West, 533 Eaton St. Friday’s show is set for the facility’s Helmerich Theater, while Saturday’s is to be an open-air experience at the rooftop Hugh’s View. Tickets are available online at bit.ly/ARFKW2022.

“I’m looking forward to sharing the Everglades Songbook Suite with our audiences in Key West for the first time,” said Elias, the Afro Roots Fest founder as well as a featured musician. “As a resident of the Upper Keys, it’s gratifying to see how the festival has evolved over the course of the last four years and how festival patrons continue to embrace it.”

The Memorial Day weekend concerts in Islamorada are to take place at the Florida Keys Brewing Co., 81611 Old Highway. Attendees can expect a tasty blend of craft beer and melodic offerings from some of Florida’s top world-music talents.

Saturday evening’s show, beginning at 6 p.m. at the popular brewery, is to spotlight the Caribbean-influenced world beat mastery of Johnny Dread, paired with the Latin-infused rhythms of Javier García.

Sunday’s musical schedule begins at 4 p.m. Audiences can sway to the sounds of the nine-piece Latin funk band Suenalo, a critically acclaimed South Florida favorite, and the funky New Orleans style of the Bad Apples Brass Band.

Both shows are to take place in the beer garden and admission is free.

Afro Roots Fest is staged by Community Arts and Culture, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing understanding through the cultivation, preservation and presentation of cultural music and arts programs and experiences.

Festival information: AfroRootsFest.com.

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

Afro Roots Fest Returns to Guanabanas Saturday, April 16, 4 p.m. (media alert)

MEDIA ALERT

Free concert at the waterfront bar and restaurant to feature music and artists from Africa, the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the US

March 23, 2022 – Jupiter, FL – The award-winning Afro Roots Fest, a multi-county and multi-event concert series organized by Miami-based non-profit organization Community Arts and Culture (CAC) and now in its 24th season, is headed back to Jupiter. World music fans are in for a treat on Saturday, April 16, beginning at 4 p.m. at Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar (960 N Hwy A1A, Jupiter, FL 33477). The lineup features Philip Montalban (Nicaragua), Panafrik (Ghana / USA), Bad Apples Brass Band (USA), and DJ Ephniko (Colombia).

Opened by Jupiter surfers as a sandwich shop in 2004, Guanabanas has grown to become an institution in northern Palm Beach County for three reasons: the lush, tropical setting; great cuisine and cocktails; and live music from both national acts and the hottest names in South Florida.

The event is free and open to all ages before 9 p.m. 21 and over welcome after. More information about the festival is available at AfroRootsFest.com. Learn more about the venue at Guanabanas.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.

For more information, please visit CommunityArtsandCulture.org.

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

Afro Roots Fest Debuts in Gainesville with Three Days of Performances and Workshops

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jomion and the Uklos along with student groups play the Bo Diddley Plaza Friday, April 8, then Weedie Braimah & the Hands of Time, Cortadito and others perform at Heartwood Stage Saturday, April 9

March 21, 2022 – Gainesville, FL – The award-winning Afro Roots Fest, a multi-county and multi-event concert series organized by Miami-based non-profit organization Community Arts and Culture (CAC), is coming to Gainesville for the first time in its 24-year history. Co-presented with the Center for Arts Migration and Entrepreneurship (CAME) at the University of Florida College of the Arts, the performances will run over two days at two different locations and a series of free workshops will occur over three days. Workshops and Day 1 of the concert schedule are free and open to the public of all ages.

“Afro Roots Fest has always strived to celebrate the evolution of African music and culture in our South Florida communities,” says CAC Founder and Executive Director Jose Elias. “This year and thanks to our friends at the University of Florida’s College of the Arts, we have expanded our mission into North Florida, and we couldn’t be more grateful.” Elias is a composer, musician, and producer, and leads the Cuban folk group Cortadito.

First up on Friday, April 8 at the Bo Diddley Plaza (111 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601), Jomion and the Uklos from Benin, West Africa headlines a concert that will also showcase some of the university’s best and brightest Afro-centric talent, the UF Afro Pop Ensemble, and the Pazeni Sauti Africa Choir. The show begins at 7 p.m. and is free and open to all ages.  


The following night, Weedie Braimah & Hands of Time (Ghana), Cortadito (Cuba), and Maca Reggae Samba (Brazil) will appear the Heartwood Soundstage (619 S Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601) in what promises to be an evening of Afro Roots music from two separate continents and the Caribbean. Pre-show tickets are $20 and available online at bit.ly/ARFG2022; admission will be $25 at the door. All ages are welcome.   

A djembe virtuoso, composer, producer, and folklorist of the highest caliber, Weedie has an almost insatiable knack to draw entire audiences into his groove, zigzagging through Africa on a breathtaking rhythmic roller coaster. Braimah’s musical career spans more than 30 years, and he comes from a long lineage of drummers including his mother, Ann Morris, a respected jazz drummer and his father, Oscar Sulley Braimah, a world-renowned composer, and master drummer. 

Cortadito’s focus is on performing the traditional Cuban music of the early 20th century. From son montuno, guaracha, boleros, nengon, to bolero son, this dynamic ensemble brings the listener back to a time when Trio Matamoros, or Ignacio Piniero ruled the Cuban music world. From time to time, Cortadito is backed by a variety of guest musicians, which gives the group a sound reminiscent of the Buena Vista Social Club. Cortadito was named “Best Latin Act” by the Miami New Times in 2019.

Created in Salvador, Bahia and after twelve years of playing the Brazilian scene, Maca Reggae Samba is influenced by Jamaican reggae with the purest expressions of samba, a Brazilian rhythm created by African descendants of the Portuguese colony, Brazil. With this new work, a new rhythm is born: reggae samba, offering the public a new expressive possibility where the only rule is nobody can stand still. This rhythm brings movement not only to the stage, but to the public as well, lots of dancing.

Jomion and The Uklos is a family band from Benin, West Africa, led by Samuel “Jomion” Gnonlonfoun, founder of the internationally renowned Gangbé Brass Band. With his brothers JB and Mathieu, and his daughter Rose, Jomion combines traditional rhythms and songs from vodoun (voodoo) culture with reggae, salsa and jazz to create vibrant, relaxed dance music he named Whedo-vodoo-jazz (W.V.J). 

Founded in 2021, UF’s African Popular Music Ensemble specializes in the popular music of the African continent, with a special focus on Afrobeat, highlife, soukous, and African jazz. The ensemble, directed by Sarah Politz and Kenneth Metzker both Affiliate Faculty in the CAME, features students from the School of Music, musicians from the Gainesville community, and selected guest artists.


Pazeni Sauti is UF’s only Africa Choir that learns and performs songs from all parts of Africa. It was established to spread awareness and appreciation of diverse African cultures through choral music.

The full workshop lineup, which is free and open to all ages, is as follows:  

Thursday, April 7

University of Florida College of the Arts, School of Music

435 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, Music Building 101

Afropop Technology with Kingsley Okyere – 12:50 p.m.

Jomion and the Uklos – 1:55 p.m.

Friday, April 8

University of Florida College of the Arts, School of Music

435 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, Music Building 120

Weedie Braimah – 11:45 a.m.

Saturday, April 9

The Depot Village

111 SE 4th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601

Hands-on Brazilian percussion – 11:00 a.m.

Brazilian drumming – 12:15 p.m.

West African dance – 1:30 p.m.

Afro-centric Youth Workshop – 2:30 p.m.

Full concert lineup:  

Friday, April 8

Bo Diddley Plaza

111 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601

Lineup: 

Jomion and the Uklos

UF Afro Pop Ensemble

Pazeni Sauti Africa Choir 

Saturday, April 9

Heartwood Soundstage

619 S Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601

Tickets: bit.ly/ARFG2022

Lineup: 

Weedie Braimah & Hands of Time

Cortadito

Maca Reggae Samba

Additional concerts are planned for Jupiter, Doral, Miami Beach, Homestead, Key West, Hollywood and Islamorada. These events are being produced in part through the generosity of the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, the City of Gainesville, the UF Center for Latin American Studies, the UF College of the Arts, the UF School of Music, UF CAME, the UF Center for African Studies, Heartwood Soundstage, and Depot Village. 

For more information and the full festival lineup, please 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.

For more information, please visit CommunityArtsandCulture.org. 

ABOUT CAME and UF

The Center for Arts, Migration, and Entrepreneurship (CAME) at the University of Florida College of the Arts launched in the fall of 2020 and we work to connect networks of scholars, artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, and advocates to the engines of creative and cultural economics at the heart of migration.  


CAME defines the arts as all forms of cultural production, the center seeks to effectively create new models and power alignments that return value entrepreneurship to cultural producers to build more just global futures. Through community-responsive programming, research, and creative production, the center facilitates and extends the innovation, resilience, and ingenuity of diasporic and migratory communities.  


For more information, please visit arts.ufl.edu/came.

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

Afro Roots Fest Returns for a 24th Season with Twelve Concerts in Five Counties over Two Months

Gainesville and Hollywood are new to the concert series lineup, while Jupiter, Doral, Miami Beach, Homestead, Key West, and Islamorada all get return dates

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 17, 2022 – Islamorada, FL – The award-winning Afro Roots Fest, a multi-county and multi-event concert series organized by Miami-based non-profit organization Community Arts and Culture (CAC) is returning for a 24th season. This time, the festival will add a couple of new stops in Gainesville and Hollywood, a few new partners, return to some familiar territory, add a series of music and dance workshops, and dovetail with the 75th anniversary of Everglades National Park.

“Afro Roots Fest has always strived to celebrate the evolution of African music and culture in our South Florida communities,” says CAC Founder and Executive Director Jose Elias. “This year and thanks to our friends at the University of Florida and the folks at the City of Hollywood, we have expanded our reach into Alachua and Broward counties.” Elias is a composer, musician, and producer, and leads the Cuban folk group Cortadito and creator of the Everglades Songbook Suite, which will debut live on April 24.

The series kicks off on Friday, April 8 at the Bo Diddley Plaza (111 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601), as Jomion and the Uklos from Benin, West Africa headlines a concert that will also showcase some of the university’s best and brightest Afro-centric talent, the UF Afro Pop Ensemble, and the Pazeni Sauti Africa Choir. The show begins at 7 p.m. and is free and open to all ages.  

The following night, Weedie Braimah & Hands of Time (Ghana), Cortadito (Cuba), and Maca Reggae Samba (Brazil) will appear at the Heartwood Soundstage (619 S Main St, Gainesville, FL 32601) in what promises to be an evening of Afro Roots music from two separate continents and the Caribbean. Pre-show tickets are $20 and available online at bit.ly/ARFG2022; admission will be $25 at the door. All ages are welcome.   

There will also be a full card of workshops to accompany the concerts:

Thursday, April 7

University of Florida College of the Arts

435 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, Music Building 101

Afropop Technology with Kingsley Okyere – 12:50 p.m.

Jomion and the Uklos – 1:55 p.m.

Friday, April 8

University of Florida College of the Arts

435 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, Music Building 120

Weedie Braimah – 11:45 a.m.

Saturday, April 9

The Depot Village

111 SE 4th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601

Hands-on Brazilian percussion – 11:00 a.m.

Brazilian drumming – 12:15 p.m.

West African dance – 1:30 p.m.

Afro-centric Youth Workshop – 2:30 p.m.

Next up, the series shifts south to Palm Beach County, stopping at Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar (960 N Hwy A1A, Jupiter, FL 33477) on Saturday, April 16, beginning at 4 p.m. The lineup features Philip Montalban (Nicaragua), Panafrik (Ghana / USA), Bad Apples Brass Band (USA), and DJ Ephniko (Colombia). The event is free and open to all ages before 9 p.m. 21 and over welcome after.

The following weekend will mark the “Miami-Dade” portion of Afro Roots Fest, when the festival holds three consecutive days of events in Doral, Miami Beach, and Homestead. On Friday, April 22, The Doral Yard hosts Cortadito and friends, featuring Jude Papaloko (Haiti), Panafrik, ITAWE (Colombia), and DJ Kumi (Nicaragua). The location is 8455 NW 53rd Street, Suite 106, Doral, FL, 33178, and the show is free and open to the public. Music begins at 7 p.m.

The North Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141) is the site of the next concert, which stands as the signature event of the Afro Roots Fest series and is happening on Saturday, April 23. Scheduled to perform are Sinkane (Sudan), Dayme Arocena (Cuba), Son Mandinga (Venezuela), and DJ Lance-O (USA). General admission tickets are $30 and available online at bit.ly/ARFMB2022. Doors open at 6 p.m., music begins at 7, all ages welcome.

Wrapping up the weekend is a limited capacity RSVP live performance of the Everglades Songbook Suite at the Long Pine Key Amphitheater (40001 State Hwy 9336, Homestead, FL 33034) within the Everglades National Park on Sunday, April 24, beginning at 4 p.m. Inspired by Elias’ 2016 AIRIE (Artists in Residence in Everglades) artist residency, the performance will feature a variety of musicians from around the world. This event will be part of the park’s 75th anniversary celebration.

The following weekend, Afro Roots Fest heads south on U.S. 1 all the way down to Key West for a run in the Conch Republic. On Thursday, April 28, Cortadito and special guest Tomas Diaz (Cuba) play two sets at the Green Parrot (601 Whitehead Street, Key West, FL 33040). Then the next two evenings, the Everglades Songbook Suite will be performed at The Studios of Key West (533 Eaton St, Key West, FL 33040), first in the theater on Friday, then the rooftop on Saturday. More info and tickets: bit.ly/ARFKW2022.

The series then shifts to Hollywood on Saturday, May 21, in more firsts for the festival: first concert in Broward County, first show in Hollywood, and maiden event at ArtsPark at Young Circle (1 North Young Circle, Hollywood, FL 33020). The lineup includes Jesus Hidalgo (Venezuela), Philip Montalban, Gilmar Gomes (Brazil), The Resolvers (US), Miamibloco (Brazil), and DJ Le Spam (UK / Venezuela). This show is free and open to the public of all ages, and begins at 4 p.m.

Finally, the festival wraps back in the Keys, at the Florida Keys Brewing Company (81611 Old Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036), with a free, all-ages two-day event on Saturday, May 28 and Sunday, May 29, Memorial Day Weekend. First up in the beer garden is Johnny Dread (Cuba) and Javier Garcia (Spain / Cuba / Ireland) on Saturday, beginning at 6 p.m., then Suenalo (multi-ethnic) and the Bad Apples Brass Band beginning at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Afro Roots Fest is generously supported by the Florida Division of Arts and Culture, the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Miami Beach, Monroe County Tourist Development Council, the Morada Way Arts and Cultural District, Keys ICE, the Florida Keys Brewing Company, the City of Hollywood, AIRIE, the Everglades National Park, Live Arts Miami, the Rhythm Foundation, the University of Florida School of the Arts, the City of Gainesville, the Heartwood Soundstage, Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar, The Doral Yard, the Green Parrot, The Studios of Key West, the Broadmoor Hotel, Afropop Worldwide, and Purehoney Magazine.

More information and the full festival lineup is available online at 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.

For more information, please visit CommunityArtsandCulture.org.

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

Afro Roots Fest Returns to Islamorada Memorial Day Weekend

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Florida Keys Brewing Company and the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District to once again host the award-winning world music concert series

Islamorada, FL, May 11, 2021 — The 23rd season of the award-winning Afro Roots Fest makes a second run to the Florida Keys on Saturday, May 29, and Sunday, May 30, 2021 to the Florida Keys Brewing Company (81611 Old Highway, Islamorada, FL 33036). The event will feature live music on both days by JUke and Electric Piquete  (Saturday), and Electric Kif and the Nag Champayons (Sunday), beginning at 6 p.m. both days. All ages are welcome and a donation of $10 will earn attendees an official festival swag item.  

“It feels good to finally bring the festival back to Islamorada after a year where much of the musical programming in the Florida Keys was cancelled,” says festival founder and musical curator Jose Elias, who also serves as the executive director for the presenting non-profit organization Community Arts and Culture (CAC). 

“Our thanks go to the Florida Keys Brewing Co., Keys ICE, the Morada Way Arts & Cultural District, and the Monroe County Tourist Development Council.” Elias is also the co-founder and guitar player in the Nag Champayons, one of the festival’s featured performers. 

Here is the complete Islamorada schedule / lineup:

JUke and Electric Piquete (May 29)

Electric Kif and Nag Champayons (May 30)

JUke is a four-piece “post-blues” hybrid with a high motor and bottomless soul. Spearheaded by frontman / harmonica player / singer Eric Garcia, the band’s content touches on non-traditional subject matter while simultaneously keeping the crowd moving with a smile on their faces. They are jam festival favorites, appearing at events such as Wanee, Hulaween, AURA, Magnolia Fest, and the Orange Blossom Jamboree. Learn more at jukepostblues.com.

Electric Piquete is a two-time Miami New TimesBest of Miami “Best Latin Band” award-winning Latin funk outfit. The band has played virtually all major events in South Florida, and their influences are as diverse as the Miami region that birthed them: from rock to jazz, funk, Afro-Caribbean, progressive and R&B. Though mostly instrumental, the band does feature vocals and rapping on several numbers; a tight rhythm section and heavy percussion supports melodious horn play. More details available at ElectricPiquete.com.

Electric Kif are a Miami-based power quartet that explore the boundaries between rock, jazz fusion and electronic drum & bass. Made up of bassist Rodrigo Zambrano, keyboardist Jason Matthews, drummer Armando Lopez and guitarist Eric Escanes, the “Kif” describe their music as “post-nuclear,” a dynamic mash of hard hitting groove, high octane riffs and cosmic melody. Their powerful live show brings an unparalleled energy and sound to the stage and displays a new experience every night. More: electrickif.com.

Miami’s Afro Galactic / Tropidelic funksters the Nag Champayons blend African, Caribbean and North American influences into a unique and extremely danceable sound. Their most recent release is the single and video for “Brazilian LSD”, which 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. Visit NagChampayons.com for more information.

For more information, visit floridakeysbrewingco.com or call 305-664-9722. Check www.AfroRootsFest.com for updates; more information about CAC is available at www.CommunityArtsandCulture.org. 

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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 MonroeCounty 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.

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

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

Afro Roots Fest ft. Venezonix, Vanya Allen and DJ Le Spam at Doral Yard Saturday, 5/15, 5:30 p.m.

MEDIA ALERT

Award-winning world music festival in its 23rd year to feature Venezonix, Vanya Allen and DJ Le Spam

Doral, FL – May 5, 2021 – There will be something for all types of music lovers come Saturday, May 15, 2021 as the Afro Roots Fest makes a stop at the Doral Yard and showcases Afro-Venezuelan electronica by Venezonix, soul and R&B from Vanya Allen and the DJ Le Spam Bus Experience All ages are welcome to this free event coming May 15 to Downtown Doral, and attendees are encouraged to wear a mask and keep socially distanced.

Founded by Elastic Bond’s keyboardist / producer Andres Ponce, Venezonix combines traditional Afro-Venezuelan rhythms with futuristic beats; new EP La Que Es is out now. Allen is a performance artist, educator, and linguist from West Palm Beach known known for performing original music and covers in a wide range of genres as a solo artist and with her group, The Bandoh. Andrew Yeomanson, AKA DJ Le Spam spins all manner of genres, from Miami funk to soul, salsa to world music, and everything in between. 

The Doral Yard is a community gathering space designed to foster local entrepreneurship and culture, created by the Yard Hospitality and Place Projects teams. Expanding on The Wynwood Yard concept, the venue brings culinary delights, live entertainment, and round-the-clock events to Downtown Doral. 

This event is made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Doral Yard.

For more information and for the full festival lineup, visit AfroRootsFest.com. 

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

Afro Roots World Music Concert Scheduled for April 17 at Guanabanas

MEDIA ALERT

Fans can enjoy Cuban folk by Cortadito, Afro-Venezuelan grooves from Venezonix, and world music by FABI, beginning at 4 p.m.

Jupiter, FL — April 5, 2021 — The Road to Afro Roots travels through Jupiter, FL on Saturday, April 17 with a special afternoon and evening of live music by Cortadito, Venezonix, and FABI WORLD MUSIC with special guest Rajesh Bhandari. All ages are welcome before 9 p.m. and there is no cover. Enjoy multiple sets of live music on the Loxahatchee riverfront at Guanabanas Island Restaurant and Bar, located at 960 U.S. Highway A1A, Jupiter, FL, 33477.

Now in its 23 season, the award-winning Afro Roots Fest features concerts scheduled throughout Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties this month and next.

For the full festival lineup and schedule, visit AfroRootsFest.com.

Who: Community Arts and Culture

What: Road to Afro Roots concert

When: Saturday, April 17, 2021, beginning at 4 p.m.

Where: Guanabanas Island Restaurant & Bar, 960 U.S. Highway A1A, Jupiter, FL, 33477

More: CommunityArtsandCulture.org

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