One of South Florida’s longest-running music festivals is coming back to Islamorada from Friday, April 4 to Sunday, April 6 with a full weekend’s worth of world music at the Florida Keys Brewing Co. in Islamorada.
The free, all-ages concerts will feature Cuban and Colombian folk, Central American and Caribbean reggae, Latin funk and world music. Festival merchandise will be on sale, and an optional $10 suggested donation will go to support the organization that produces this event.
“I’m grateful to once again be able to bring the Afro Roots Fest to the beautiful Florida Keys,” said Jose Elias, Community Arts and Culture executive director. “I invite everyone to come enjoy the ambiance, craft beer and music from around the globe.”
Cortadito, Miami’s leading ambassadors of Cuban folk music, released the first single from their album The Guajiro Triangle on Feb. 7 and are set to release their second single before their upcoming festival performance. Audiences can expect to hear a mix of new material from their album, along with 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 last September, their first full-length recording called Azabache, a collection of new and mostly instrumental music. The first single and video is titled “Chunk,“ a mid-tempo funk number mixed by Carlos “El Loco” Bedoya. 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, Montalbán is an international recording and touring artist whose most recent release is the single “Miami.”
Group Barrio Abajo plays the folkloric music of Caribbean Colombia by using traditional percussion instruments and flutes, with modern instruments, presenting styles such as bullerengue, porro, chandé and more. 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 who performs world beat music called “Deep Roots” that combines African, Soca, Caribbean and reggae influences. DJ Supa Kundukta (Super Conductor) is the stage name for Elias and he will be spinning a selection of Afro beat and world grooves, along with funk, soul and R&B classics.
Afro Roots Fest Islamorada is sponsored by the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, Keys ICE and the Florida Keys Brewing Co.
More information is at AfroRootsFest.com.
