Fabrika,
Concert Review
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Even a week after the dust had settled from Ultra Fest, Miami was still twitching with energy. There was another festival to go to, one that would be totally different from anything that was going on during the Winter Music Conference.
The Afro Roots World Music Festival, an annual music event showcasing some of the best musicians in Miami was happening at the legendary Miami Beach Bandshell. The gates opened promptly at 6pm, inside along the walls were African vendors selling jewelry, oils and instruments and a Jamaican vegan food stand who sold lovely carrot cakes and spicy patties, was tucked in a corner. As music lovers poured in, DJ V spun sick ethnic grooves that echoed out into the street. For 12 years festival producer and local musician Jose Elias, has brought together the creme de la creme of Miami's rich local music community to celebrate African culture and it's influence on modern music. As Elias puts it, "Africa is the motherland, that's where it all comes from ", and all the groups he picks for the festival all have a piece of and/or are directly from, Mother Africa . Delou Fatala of Guinea, West Africa opened the Afro Roots World Music Festival. With their bombastic energy and colorful costumes, they can could be described in one word: AWESOME. Even the children couldn't contain themselves as they began running, jumping and dancing in front of the stage. Second up were the Nag Champayons, an interesting band made up of bits and pieces of Miami's new movement scene. With the core of the group being Jose Elias (guitars), Ed Cardona (bass), Ryan Cacolici (knob twister) and Nestor Prieto (drums), the Nags were joined by an elite group of vocalists and musicians including Itagui Correa and Mark Kondrat of the Grammy-nominated group Locos Por Juana, Afro-Cuban singers Philbert Armenteros, Sonya Feldman and Elain Morales, Haitian-American poet/MC Kronos and El Chino (formally from the NY-based outfit Yerba Buena). The Nag Champayons had a great set and were definitely "tropidelic afrogalactic"...what does that mean, you ask? Well, that's something you have to experience in the flesh. The headliner of the Afro Roots World Music Festival was the Grammy-nominated traditional Cuban son group, Conjunto Progreso. They are kind of like the Buena Vista Social Club of America and on this particular night they were joined by the great Cuban singer Roberto Torres. Another guest artist performing with Conjunto Progreso was the painter LEBO, a local star known for his vivid murals throughout many of Miami's neighborhoods and for his work with the long lost Langerado Music Festival. As Conjunto jammed, LEBO danced and painted liquid "movimiento" on his canvas, while the audience cheered and sang. What a show! Conjunto Progreso tore the Bandshell down, Miami is too small to contain these guys...they should be on stages from here to Oslo to Kyoto. All in all the Afro Roots World Music Festival was a great experience with a very cool local vibe. Definitely something to check out next year, cause after 12 years this festival can only get bigger and better. 04/08/10
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