The nonprofit organization Community Arts and Culture (CAC), announces the return of the music event Afro Roots Fest on Saturday, April 4.
The award-winning festival returns to the Morada Way Arts and Cultural district and Florida Keys Brewing Co. beginning at noon with a series of workshops and musical performances from Cortadito (Cuba), the Everglades Songbook Suite (U.S.), Sanba Zao (Haiti) and Famato (Guinea, West Africa). There will also be percussion and instrument-making workshops, vendors and more. This event is free, with a few ticketed workshops. All ages are 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,” said Jose Elias, Grammy-nominated musician, composer and producer. “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. He will perform with his other project, the Everglades Songbook Suite ensemble.
Since its origins 13 years ago, Cortadito has evolved into one of the torchbearers of a pop culture that is two centuries strong. The traditional folk and acoustic 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 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, Elias wrote music for the project 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 support from the Kennedy Center to produce a pop-up concert 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 sung and toured 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 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. They play instruments such as the djembe drum and the balafon combined with vocals.
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, Morada Way Arts and Cultural District, Keys NICE, Walking Together and Keys Arts.
More information is at afrorootsfest.com.
