Community Arts and Culture Celebrates Give Miami Day at Oasis Wynwood November 18, 5 p.m.

 Afro-Cuban funk band PALO! to perform during fundraiser for Miami-based non-profit on Miami’s largest online giving day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Miami, FL – November 8, 2021 – The Miami Foundation’s annual online giving extravaganza Give Miami Day, now in its 10th year, is the area’s biggest online fundraising day. Last year, more than 850 non-profit organizations benefited from $18.2 million dollars in donations. To celebrate this day of giving , Community Arts and Culture (CAC) will be hosting a concert event Oasis (2323 NE 23rd St, Miami, FL 33137) on Thursday, November 18, 2021, beginning at 5 p.m., with Grammy & Latin Grammy Nominees PALO! In addition to Give Miami Day, Oasis will be donating 20% of all beverage sales during the event. 

“We’re looking forward to celebrating another successful Give Miami Day with our friends in PALO! and invite everyone to come drink and dance with us,” says CAC’s Founder and Executive Director Jose Elias. The free performance is open to all ages, and donors can scan a special QR code to donate to CAC while at the event. 

Incorporated in September 2002, Community Arts and Culture 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. They produce a number of cultural and musical events, including the award-winning Afro Roots Fest, which is now entering its 24th season. For more information, please visit GiveMiamiDay.org/CAC.

Founded in 2003 by keyboardist and vocalist Roitstein, PALO! started as an improvised musical experiment combining Cuban music with Latin jazz and funk beats. After years of successfully producing artists such as Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Ricardo Montaner, Cheo Feliciano, Oscar d’ Leon and Willy Chirino, Roitstein now drives a wildly successful Miami-based group that is featured act in clubs and live music venues, festivals, corporate events, and private events throughout the world.

Oasis Wynwood features an outdoor food and beverage experience, offering a diverse blend of dining options, each operating from a colorful, outfitted shipping container. Oasis’s food concepts – Alidoro, Buya Dumplings + Buns, CHIKIN, Mr. Mandolin, Prince Street Pizza, and Los Buenos – showcase both well-known local chef talents as well as New York City favorites. The focal point of the spacious outdoor setting is the “Tower Bar”, constructed from stacked shipping containers and adorned with a colorful mural by renowned Spanish artist Antonyo Marest. There is also the Huacachina, an indoor lounge nestled in the back of the property. 

Established in 1967, The Miami Foundation is the foundation for people who are passionate about Miami. They are focused on building a stronger Miami forever. Over the last 50 years they have invested more than $400 million into the community, and housed more than $350 million in assets focused on strengthening Greater Miami. The Miami Foundation hosts one of the nation’s biggest 24-hour annual giving events, Give Miami Day, an online campaign where all locals are philanthropists. 

For more information, please visit CommunityArtsandCulture.org. 

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

Electric Piquete to Debut at Oasis Wynwood October 9

Award-winning Latin funk band to play two sets beginning at 6 p.m., a free, all-ages show at the area’s new cultural epicenter

Miami, FL – September 28, 2021 – The Oasis Wynwood opened up in the spring of 2021 and has quickly become the area’s premier eatery, retail, and nightlife hotspot. Hosting national acts as well as local favorites, the Oasis is located at 2335 N Miami Ave, FL 33127. Electric Piquete will make their debut on the outdoor courtyard stage on Saturday, October 9, 2021, beginning at 6 p.m. The free show is open to the public of all ages. 

“It’s been a while since we’ve played in the Wynwood district and can’t wait to hit at this amazing new venue,” says band co-founder and drummer / vocalist Ed Rosado. “The vibrant scene that is the Wynwood arts district always brings out the best in us, and we are thankful for the gig opportunity granted by Oasis.” Rosado is the band’s musical director who also writes and arranges songs for the band. 

Oasis Wynwood features an outdoor food and beverage experience, offering a diverse blend of dining options, each operating from a colorful, outfitted shipping container. Oasis’s food concepts – Alidoro, Buya Dumplings + Buns, CHIKIN, Mr. Mandolin, Prince Street Pizza, and Los Buenos – showcase both well-known local chef talents as well as New York City favorites. The focal point of the spacious outdoor setting is the “Tower Bar”, constructed from stacked shipping containers and adorned with a colorful mural by renowned Spanish artist Antonyo Marest. There is also the Huacachina, an indoor lounge nestled in the back of the property. 

ElectricPiquete is a two-time Miami New TimesBest of Miami “Best Latin Band” award-winning Latin funk outfit. First named so in 2009, they were again crowned as such in 2015. The band has played virtually all major events in South Florida, including the Miami Music Festival, Calle Ocho, Carnaval on the Mile, the Ball & Chain Music Festival, and Arts in the Park. Few major venues have not seen them grace their stage. 

In 2016, the band graduated to the major festival circuit, travelling to NC to play the GrassRoots Festival of Music Arts & Dance, followed by an appearance at the Orange Blossom Festival in 2018, and Afro Roots Fest in 2019 (Key West) and 2021 (Islamorada). The band is currently in preproduction mode getting ready to record new material for their long-awaited full length release, which will be available in the spring of 2022. Their influences are as diverse as the Miami region that birthed them, ranging from rock to jazz spiced with everything in between: 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. Their repertoire consists of mostly original compositions, but they are well-versed in Latin and jazz standards, borrowing from a range of artists, from Horace Silver to Cheo Feliciano. 

For more information about the band, please visit ElectricPiquete.com or call 786.426.2277.

For more on the venue, click OasisWynwood.com.

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

Cortadito CD Release Party 11/16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cortadito Celebrates Release of Canciones de Julio November 16 at Wynwood Yard

Traditional Cuban folk group plays free all-ages show in Wynwood to launch five-song EP of original music

Miami, FL – October 31, 2018 – Thomas Wolfe may have written the novel You Can’t Go Home, but Miami’s premiere Cuban folk group Cortadito has quite the audio evidence to the contrary. They have now released Canciones de Julio, written and recorded with the group’s co-founder Julio Cesar Rodriguez Delet, and plan a proper celebration and homecoming Friday, November 16, 2018, beginning at 7:00 p.m. at The Wynwood Yard (56 NW 29th Street, Miami, FL 33127). The show will be free and open to the public of all ages.

“I’m happy that this project has finally seen the light of day,” says group co-founder / producer Jose Elias about the material that was originally recorded in 2015. “We are looking forward to performing the new material at the Wynwood Yard and beyond.”

The group went back to their roots and teamed up with Delet for the creation of their second EP release, which features five original compositions written by Julio Cesar, including the classic “Casa de la Trova” written by his father Julio Rodriguez. The fine work of double bass player Yorgis Goiricelaya from Matanzas, Cuba is featured throughout the recording. Yorgis is the Musical Director for Albita Rodriguez’s group and also plays bass with the legendary Oscar De Leon.

Founded in 2011, Cortadito has played countless private parties and corporate events, lounges, bars, and festivals. Most recently, the group backed legendary Buena Vista Social Club member Eliades Ochoa at the Los Dells Festival in Wisconsin, the first multi-genre Latin music festival in the Midwest, and soon to be the largest such festival in North America. They also accompanied him at this year’s GroundUp Music Festival on Miami Beach in February.

Cortadito released their debut CD Abriendo Caminos in 2012, which besides covering a variety of Cuban music standards, featured one original composition by each of the artists “Delicias Caribeña” (Elias) and “Te Lo Perdiste” (Delet).

For more information about the venue, navigate to www.wynwoodyard.com or call 305-351-0366. For more on the band, please visit www.cortaditoson.com.

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ABOUT CORTADITO

 Cortadito’s focus is on performing the traditional Cuban music of the early 20th century. From Son Montuno, Guaracha, Boleros, Nengon, and Bolero Son, this dynamic ensemble brings the listener back to a time when Trio Matamoros, or Ignacio Piniero ruled the Cuban music world. The era when popular music was Cuban Music and Son Montuno was influencing music throughout the globe. 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.

Jose Elias founded the band alongside Julio Cesar Rodriguez Delet from Santiago de Cuba in November of 2011 after a 12-year stint with Conjunto Progreso that garnered him a Grammy nomination for his participation in the album Masters of Cuban Son. The duo was an instant success and were invited to perform at the Fingerlakes Grassroots festival in Trumansberg, NY. They released their first CD titled Abriendo Caminos in 2012, which featured one original composition by each of the artists “Delicias Caribeña” (Elias) and “Te Lo Perdiste” (Delet).

In 2013, Julio Cesar moved to Houston, Texas and was replaced by Humberto Upierre from Guanabacoa, Cuba. The group then expanded into a trio which included percussionist Andres Polanco Rivas from Holguin, Cuba. In 2014 , the group reunited with Julio Cesar to record what would be the songs for their next release, which included the participation of double bass player  Yorgis Goiricelaya from Matanzas, Cuba.  Yorgis is the Musical Director for Albita Rodriguez’s group and also plays bass with Oscar De Leon.

From 2015 to 2017 the group added various musicians to the roster, including the likes Eduardo Saborit on vocals and rhythm guitar from Santiago de Cuba, percussionist Santiago McCook, Wilfredo Fuentes Cespedes who recorded and toured with Eliades Ochoa, and Horacio Rodriguez, who worked with Orquesta Aragon from 2000 to 2016. Most recently, the group has added double bass player Alberto Pantaleon, who has toured with the Buena Vista Social Club and Eliades Ochoa.

For more information about the band, visit www.cortaditoson.com.

 

MEDIA CONTACT

Mut Communications

Michael Mut

786.426.2277

info@mutcomm.com    

 

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CAC Launches 2018-19 Season October 30

MEDIA ALERT

 

Community Arts & Culture Kicks Off New Season with World Music Tuesdays at the Wynwood Yard October 30

 

Miami, FL – October 9, 2018 – Miami-based non-profit Community Arts & Culture will launch its 2018-2019 season with a special Dia de los Muertos celebration at the Wynwood Yard on Tuesday, October 30, 2018. Hosted by the organizations founder / director Jose Elias, this five part series will take place once a month at the family-friendly, open air venue and showcase groups that represent cultures from around the world. On October 30th, the Mexican folklore group Ameyal will perform songs and dances that celebrate the Dia de los Muertos holiday with live music, demonstrations, and a Q&A segment as well. This event is presented with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

 

Who: Ameyal

What: Community Arts & Culture / World Music Tuesdays

When: Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Where: 56 NW 29th Street, Miami, FL 33127

 

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

 

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage with Electric Piquete 10/6

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Electric Piquete Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Toejam Backlot October 6

Latin funk band to play a Latin Soul party at the Wynwood film set and music venue beginning at 9 p.m.

Hialeah, FL – September 19, 2018 – There many are reasons why Electric Piquete are two-time Miami New Times’ “Best Latin Band” award winners, and one of them is that the band revel in their Hispanic roots. They have fully incorporated Caribbean rhythms into their sound, have covered and recorded tracks by standout Latin artists such as Celia Cruz, Mongo Santamaria, Cheo Feliciano, and have even written songs about Jose Marti and Cuban beaches.

On Saturday, October 6, 2018, Electric Piquete will celebrate their Hispanic Heritage at the Toejam Backlot in Wynwood (150 NW 21st St, Miami, FL 33127) with a special concert at the private event space / studio. Used largely for photo and video shoots, the space includes indoor and outdoor areas, a proper stage with concert sound and lighting, as well as one of the largest prop collections in all of South Florida.

“We celebrate our Hispanidad all year round, but are looking forward to playing at the Toejam Backlot for the first time in concert with the rest of the country’s salute to Hispanic Heritage,” says Michael Mut, co-founder, bassist and band leader. “We invite everyone out to this wonderfully stimulating venue for a night of live Latin soul / funk / fusion, food trucks, fun and more.” Admission is $10 at the door; 21 and over are welcome.

Electric Piquete’s music has already been licensed by Lexus, and featured in the Emmy-winning Joe Cardona documentary Miami Boheme, plus an episode of CNNGo. The band is a veritable melting pot of influences that range from rock to jazz, and spiced with everything in between: funk, fusion, old-school salsa, progressive, and R&B. Though mostly instrumental, they feature vocals with three-part harmonies as well as some rapping on several numbers.

The band is currently running a crowd-funding campaign for a new release on vinyl, CD and digital – those interested in contributing to the cause can navigate here: https://igg.me/at/EPIGG. In 2016, they issued the Singles Collection, which encapsulated the group’s most recent and noteworthy works. Last year a live version of the relatively new track “Chunk” surfaced on the band’s Soundcloud page.

Electric Piquete also features co-founder Ed Rosado on drums, Chris Correoso (guitar), and Rich Dixon on trumpet and flugelhorn. The band’s sound is very often augmented by Raymond Ayala on percussion and vocals, Charles Gardner on keyboards, and Robert Smiley on tenor sax, flute and vocals. Occasionally, the band features special guests Damian J. Sanchez on saxophones, flute, and vocals, Maco Monthervil on lead vocals, and Jose Miranda on trombone.

For more information, visit www.ElectricPiquete.com or call 786.426.2277.

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

Birdman’s Clambake Debut at Stage Wynwood 3/18

MEDIA ALERT

Birdman’s Clambake Debut at the Stage Wynwood March 18

Wynwood, FL – March 7, 2017 – Miami-based rock and blues trio Birdman’s Clambake are set to make their debut at a new entertainment spot called the Stage Wynwood on Saturday, March 18, 2017. Located at 127 NW 23rd St Miami Florida 33127, the event is taking place in the heart of the arts and entertainment district. There is no cover to attend and 21 and over are welcome. The band will play two sets beginning at 10 p.m.

The Stage Wynwood is a performance venue that caters not only to live music, but also hosts DJs, theatrical events, and private parties. The space first opened in November of 2016 with a special anniversary celebration for the famed Venezuelan TV program Latin Angels. It features a full-bar and a kitchen offering international cuisine favorites such as arepas, pepitos, hamburgers and more.

Clambake is led on guitar and vocals by Sean “Birdman” Gould, a renown South-Florida musician, session player, and sound engineer. The group also features Monchy Coruguedo on drums and vocals, and Michael Mut on bass and vocals. Ed Rosado, Mut’s rhythm section partner in Latin funk band Electric Piquete, will substitute for Coruguedo on March 18.

For more information, call 305.502.0691.

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

19th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert 3/18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

19th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert to be Held at The Wynwood Yard March 18

Ploppy Palace Productions, NORML of Florida & Modern Galaxy TV again host benefit concert featuring Trick Daddy, Grind Mode, DJ GQ, Telekinetic Walrus, Nag Champayons and more

Miami, FL – February 21, 2017 – An overwhelming 71% of Florida voters approved Amendment 2 on November 8, 2016, making medical marijuana legal in the state as of January 3, 2017. Yet, the fight still continues. With the state house and senate set to convene and create and or modify existing rules, there are still the issues of access and free market availability that need to be addressed. Add to that the specter of a newly-confirmed, ultra-conservative U.S. Attorney General, and one can see the path to medicinal cannabis relief is still hazy.

Enter the 19th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert hosted by Ploppy Palace Productions, NORML of Florida and Modern Galaxy TV, to be held at The Wynwood Yard (56 NW 29th Street, Miami, FL 33127) on SATURDAY, March 18, 2017. Tickets for the event, which is being billed as a “Celebration Festival”, are $15 in advance and available online at bit.ly/19thMMBC; show is open to those 18 and over. Admission for those aged 18 – 20 will be $25 at the door.

“For nearly two decades, Ploppy Palace Productions and NORML of Florida have combined an eclectic music festival with an informative conference to be a platform for community interaction,” says Ploppy Palace’s Flash, event organizer. “This dynamic forum has grown throughout the years, as the movement has strengthened. Our expanding coalition says that as long as it takes to change the laws and make medical marijuana accessible to those in need, the Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert will continue to fight to generate more public support!”

Live music acts include Trick Daddy, Grind Mode, DJ GQ, TelekineticWalrus, Tamboka, Nag Champayons, Rhythm Flow, Gypsy Cat, DJ Zehno, Mr. Grim Reapa, Orion, Bodizepha, Sarah Packiam and Marquise Fair.  Fusik kicks off the event at 4:20 p.m.

The confirmed speakers are: South Miami City Commissioner Walter Harris, former Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard, Dr. Jeffrey Kamlet, Dr. LindaKaplan, marijuana attorney Michael Minardi, NORML of Florida Executive Director Karen Goldstein and more. Spoken word artists include Alonso, Rio and others. There will be live art by Anibal Fernandez and more, as well as dance and performances by Elviza, Sofia Luna, Melody Gedeon, JasonWilliams and others to be announced.

Some of the vendors include: The Wallflower Gallery, Brickell Smoke Shop, Vape & Smoke Shop – Biscayne, Progressive Rags, Nug Brand and more. Production support will be offered by Ploppy Palace Productions, Modern Galaxy TV, 7th Circuit Productions, The Wynwood Yard, Resurrection Drums, and Mut Communications.

As a fundraiser, Ploppy Palace, CMI Vibe Music and The Wheel Party have produced a compilation CD for the cause called Legalize It! Vol. 1: It’s Natural! Featuring 18 tracks of music, the collection is available now at www.legalizepot.us or on iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/legalize-it!-its-natural/id745390408.

For more information, visit www.medicalmarijuanabenefitconcert.com or follow the movement on Twitter @MedMariConcert and Instagram on
@MedicalMarijuanaBenefitConcert, and the conversation using the hashtag #MMBC19.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Michael Mut
Mut Communications
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

Electric Piquete Debuts at The Wynwood Yard

MEDIA ALERT

Electric Piquete Debuts at The Wynwood Yard During GrassRoots Live! February 24

Miami, FL – February 14, 2017 – This year’s edition of the Virginia Key GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance is taking place throughout Miami and Miami Beach and is called GrassRoots Live! Electric Piquete has performed at the last two year’s editions of the festival and will now make it a third year in a row when they take The Wynwood Yard stage on Friday, February 24, 2017, at 9 p.m.  Also appearing that evening: Nacho Londono and Uma Galera. The show is free and all ages are welcome.
GrassRootsLive! will also feature Locos Por Juana, Donna the Buffalo, Big Mean Sound Machine, FABI, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Elastic Bond, the Nag Champayons and more. Full performance schedule is posted here: virginiakeygrassroots.com/performance-schedule. Host venues also include Historic Virginia Key Beach Park, Concrete Beach Brewery, Garden Food and Bar, Lagniappe House, North Beach Bandshell, and the University of Miami Patio at the Donna E. Shalala Student Center.

Electric Piquete, two-time Miami New Times “Best Latin Band” award-winners, fuse rock, jazz, funk, Afro-Caribbean, progressive and R&B influences with incendiary results. Last summer they issued their “Singles Collection” digitally and on CD, and released a video for their single “Cut Me Loose”. They also braved Hurricane Mattheew to make their debut at the Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance in North Carolina. More information: www.ElectricPiquete.com.

The Wynwood Yard is located at 56 NW 29th St, Miami, FL 33127. For more information, please visit www.ElectricPiquete.com or call 305.351.0366.

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

 

Nag Champayons Drop “Brazilian LSD” December 2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nag Champayons Celebrate New Single / Debut Video “Brazilian LSD” at Wynwood Yard December 2

Little Haiti’s Afrogalactic / tropidelic outfit issue new psychedelic garage funk single, equally spaced out video

Miami, FL – November 17, 2016 – With each successive release, the Nag Champayons have raised the Miami musical bar in terms of creativity, messaging and collaborative efforts. On December 2, 2016 the group will once again blow away convention with a heady and infectious new single, and visually stunning video called “Brazilian LSD”. They will celebrate the release with a screening and performance at Wynwood Yard (56 NW 29th St, Miami, FL 33127) during an Art Basel weekend event beginning at 10 p.m. The show is open to all ages, and there is no cover to attend.

The new number describes a flight of fancy triggered by a certain South American psychoactive substance. “Just try and relax,” the seductress Yopo Ono says (played by local photographer Alissa Christine, who also shot stills of the band for the video). From there, the song goes from a percussive Marakatu intro, to the band chanting “no falo português pero muito obrigado”, yielding to the driving, mid-tempo groove that forms the bulk of the song.

“This is a hook I’ve had in my head for some time, one that would occasionally pop up during band improv jams,” says co-founder and bassist Edwin Cardona. “Recently, I’ve heard lots of talk and seen ads about people going to South America for an ayahuasca retreat, and how it’s supposedly better than psychotherapy. In a way, this inspired the concept of the band getting lured into the jungle, and then being psychically transported to another plane of existence by the female shaman, who is played by Yuly Pavon.”

Where the band’s 2015 Rising Sounds of a Sinking City, eight-movement, 21-minute theme was dark, serious, and ominous, this new song is funky, danceable, and playful. It is a sonic and visual, if not tongue-in-cheek, representation of the shamanism that originates and is still present in the Amazon basin.

The track was recorded at City of Progress Studio by Andrew YeomansonAKA DJ Le Spam, who also mixed it, along with the group. Mastering credit goes to Cacolici. Produced by the band, “Brazilian LSD” features Cardona, co-founder Ryan Cacolici (keyboards / mouth harp), Jose Elias on guitar, Ephniko on vocals, drummer / percussionist Kenneth Metzker,percussionist Nery Arrevalo, and vocalist Komakozie.

“This song almost happened backwards – it was there as a jam, but when we played the full arrangement live at the Okeechobee Fest in early spring,  the video concept really came together,” says Cacolici. “Once the vision occurred that night, where the jaguar chases a naked Ed through the jungle, that’s when the lyrics and video concept came together. It’s really the first time we did something with a focused intention.” Although the keyboardist and visual artist has been involved in editing and production before, this is the first time he’s actually produced one all the way through.

The video was shot and edited at 7th Circuit Studio by J Dude, and also features a cameo appearance by 7th Circuit founder Ray Orraca, who plays the part of a shaman. The Dude also contributed to the post-production effects. Cacolici, who art directed the video, continues: “We’ve been focused on the video for the last couple of months, and it was great to incorporate the Moksha Family Arts Collective, which has always been our home turf. We had the Okeechobee experience because of Ray and the 7th Circuit stage, so it was cool to shoot the green screen there and bring him into it.”

The video will be issued on the band’s YouTube Channel – be sure to subscribe to receive an alert when the video is pushed live. The single will be released on CD Baby, iTunes, and Spotify, which will all be accessible through the band’s website December 2nd.

For more details, visit www.NagChampayons.com or call 786.280.0727.

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ABOUT THE NAG CHAMPAYONS

It’s Frank Zappa and Serge Gainsbourg wrestling Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. It’s Sonic Youth’s plane crashing into Fela Kuti’s boat in the Everglades on the hottest day of summer. “Afro-Floyd,” said one listener. The group began in the early 2000s as an improvisational collective whose name came out of the burning of Nag Champa incense during early jams.

They currently feature Ryan Cacolici on keyboards, Edwin Cardona (bass), Jose Elias on guitar, Kenneth Metzker, Nestor Prieto, and Nery Arrevalo (percussion), and Ephinko and and Michael “Komikaze” Rodney on vocals.

The Nags won the Broward Palm Beach New Times‘ award for “Best Band Name” in 2004. Drawing from African, Caribbean, hip-hop, rock and jazz influences, they have consistently amazed crowds with their diversity, quickly rising to the top of Miami’s music and art scene. The group enjoyed a years-long monthly residence at the Hollywood, FL Mystic Kava Bar, calling it “Psychedelic Jazz Practice.”

On the heels of their lauded single “James Brown’s A$$,” the band was invited by the Brooklyn Academy of Music to perform as part of two of their premiere productions, the Si Cuba Festival and the Dance Africa Festival. As part of the Moksha Family Visionary artist collective, the Nags have had the honor to collaborate on stage with notable live painters Alex Grey, Mark Henson and Alex Sastoque.

The Nag Champayons continue to challenge convention; first with their 2012 self-titled EP featuring the acclaimed single “183rd St. Flea Market,” which includes contributions from long-time Nag collaborators El Chino Dread Lion (Yerba Buena) and Itagui from Locos Por Juana, then with their brilliant 2015 concept album Rising Sounds of a Sinking City, and now with their heady and infectious new single and video, “Brazilian LSD”.

For more, visit www.NagChampayons.com or call 786.280.0727.

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

Love the Everglades Benefit Concert 9/18 at Gramps

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

9th Annual Love the Everglades Benefit Concert Scheduled for September 18 at Gramps in Wynwood

Co-hosted by Love the Everglades Movement and Ploppy Palace Productions, the event will feature music, spoken word, dance, live art and community speakers

Miami, FL – August 30, 2016 – In a continuing effort to raise funds and awareness of environmental issues, Love the Everglades Movement and Ploppy Palace Productions will host their annual benefit concert on Sunday, September 18, 2016. The event, which will be highlighted by musical performances by the Spam Allstars, Iko–Iko, the Magic City Hippies, the Baboons, the Nag Champayons, Army Gideon and others, will be held at Gramps (176 NW 24th Street, Miami, FL 33127), beginning at 2 p.m. All ages are welcome; admission is $10, children under 12 are free.

“I’m looking forward to this year’s benefit concert, which is shaping up to be our best yet, and is truly focused on giving back to the Everglades,” says Reverend Houston R. Cypress, co-founder of the Love the Everglades Movement, and one of the featured speakers. “We hope to continue the important work initiated at the Summer Symposium, especially with this being an election year.”

This year’s lineup of guest speakers include: FL State Rep. David Richardson, Laura Reynolds from Conservation Concepts, Rhonda Roff from Sierra Club Callusa Chapter, Dara Schoenwald and David Doebler from VolunteerCleanup.org, George Cavros from Floridians for Solar Choice, Sam Van Leer from Urban Paradise Guild, Michael Gibaldi from Surfrider Foundation Miami Chapter, Samuel Tommie and other concerned citizens.

“This event offers a voice for the community to share our concerns about the Everglades,” says Flash, one of the show organizers from Love the Everglades Movement and Ploppy Palace Productions. “This is a celebration of the Everglades and we are working to secure its vitality. The Everglades gives South Florida life and we must protect it.”

The Everglades Awareness Benefit Concert Series is a grassroots platform for community participation that strives to bring people together through the arts. With a diverse roster of performers and speakers, this event provides entertainment and education about the Everglades. The showcase works to present the issues and inspire people to get involved, while having a good time.

Additionally, there will be spoken word by Alonso, Marcus Blake, Rio and more, dance performances by Venus Rising: Women’s Drum and Dance Ensemble, Elviza’s Rockabelly Hippies featuring Elviza, Symphony & Sofia Luna plus Melody Gedeon and others, as well as live art by Anibal Fernandez, Linx and Rei Ramirez plus there will be a digital environmental art show featuring more than 30 artists who will be showcasing photography, painting, sculpture and mixed media pieces. Submissions will be accepted through Tuesday, September 13 – go to www.ploppypalace.com for more details.

Also scheduled to perform: Medicine Box, the Oski Foundation, Blue Sky Drive, Chantil Dukart, Above the Skyline, Spank, Zen Per Capita, PATH, Kuyayky, Rachelle Coba, Sarah Packiam, Michelle Forman Duo, Steve Minotti, Grant Livingston, Anthony Nelson, Mr. Grim Reapa, Orion, Raven, Michelangelo, Matt Bodi Brenowitz, Haviken Hayes and more TBA.

There will be another up Everglades clean-up on Sunday, September 25 – more info TBA. Tickets to the concert can be purchased in advance online here: evergladesconcert9.eventbrite.com. Those who cannot make it to the concert in September can still help the cause by making a donation to the group’s online fundraiser: www.gofundme.com/lovetheeverglades.

For more information, visit www.LovetheEverglades.org, www.ploppypalace.com, www.Gramps.com, or call 305.579.0069.

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