Big Brooklyn Red is a familiar face and voice in South Florida. He has been cultivating the live music scene in Miami since 1997 and performs here regularly when not in NYC or on tour. He has lent his soulful vocals to a number of projects including soulful house records that have been featured at the Winter Music Conference for the past four years. During the 2001-02 NBA season Big Brooklyn Red and The Miami Funk All-Stars were the house band for The Miami Heat. A “Showtime at The Apollo” champion, Big Brooklyn Red has been featured on BETJ and has a video running on MTV Italia.
“Like a modern-day troubadour, Brendan combines his ample musical gifts with a compelling stage presence, incisive lyrics, simple hymns and the occasional joke, political commentary or honest moment of public self-reflection, weaving tales and verses of bliss and woe for live audiences across Miami… ” – Ocean Drive
Where there’s a fresh groove, there’s an alluring melody not far behind. Singer, Gaby Duran and drummer, Lola Blu experiment with everything from latin to jazz, rock to hip hop. Together they create a soulful fusion that’s all their own… Together, they are Duran Blu.
The connection comes when you turn it up, and you’re transported to a funky island in the middle of paradise. Miami-based group Elastic Bond fuses Latin, Soul and electronica with a foundation of songwriting, melodic vocals and positive vibes. Venezuelan producer Andres Ponce and Honduran singer-songwriter Sofy Encanto formed the band in 2006, and later joined forces with guitarist Buffalo Brown and trumpet player David Burgos to expand its unique sound. Their latest EP “Frecuencia Natural” solidifies Elastic Bond’s inventive fusion of styles that enchants listeners as diverse as the city they call home.
Jacob Jeffries Band has a very strong following in the South East, playing venues from Atlanta all the way down to Miami Beach. Although they call South Florida home, the band likes to hit the road as often as possible and play all sorts of places from intimate coffee houses to big festivals like Wanee and SXSW. The last time these boys played in NYC they sold out Rockwood Music Hall and were invited back for a second show the following week. The JJB doesn’t just hot the stage for their own shows, the band has also opened for a handful of very accomplished acts like Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms and Dashboard Confessional to name a few, as well as tour legs with Trevor Hall and Benjy David Project. Currently the band is recording their 4th release in Miami and Los Angeles. This, a full length studio album, features phenomenally accomplished and accredited studio musicians Lee Levin, Dan Warner and Matt Chamberlain (to name a few) along with band members Jimmy Powers, Eric Jackowitz, and Brian Lang. “To say we are excited is a severe understatement… not only have we been waiting to get a full record done with the band, but all of our friends, family and fans have been super eager for this one too. Gonna feel good to deliver… hot n’ ready.”
Raffa and Rainer hailing from Miami and New York is made up of Raffa Jo on vocals along with Rainer Davies on various strings. These two have come together in their live performance to forge a sound not easily categorized, but if you’d like to venture there it would be made up of the storytelling sounds of folk with a dash of indie flavor.
¡Suénalo! is the premier band in Miami with a sound that vividly reflects the different cultures that shape the Magic City. The members of ¡Suénalo! come from Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, USA, and Venezuela, and they mix a wide variety of styles that result in a genre that defies classification, but could comfortably be described as Latin Funk. HipHop, Rock, R&B, Afrobeat, Cumbia, Reggae, Soca, Salsa, and Drum ‘n’ Bass are some of the styles intertwined in their music. ¡Suénalo! is often described as “the essence and sound of Miami.”
¡Suénalo! is a staple in the Miami music scene, regularly playing in the city’s premier venues and festivals, including Calle Ocho, Carnival on the Mile, and Langerado and was just voted Miami’s Best Latin Band 2011 in Miami New Times. They were also one of the featured bands performing at the Latin BMI Showcase at S.O.B’s for the Latin Alternative Music Festival 2011 in New York City, as well as, an opener for Pitbull’s Orlando show in August. ¡Suénalo! has a constantly growing fan base in Miami, and has made a dent in several other cities, such as New Orleans, Asheville, N.C., Chicago, New York City, and Florida cities such as Orlando, Tampa, Daytona, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Gainesville, New Smyrna Beach, and Key West.
Four-piece band Juke doesn’t play your uncle’s blues. Their sound is dirty, raw, and real␣and with added trance and other modern musical influences, it has been captivating audiences throughout South Florida and Southern California for over four years.
Miami-based avant-dance duo–Cuci Amador and Smurphio formed Afrobeta in 2006 as a means to attain an ultimate form of artistic self-expression. Since then they’ve been tearing up dance-floors in their hometown. They’re sound is unique (and diverse) it transcends genre classifications directed more towards the electro-pop. Between 2006 and 2008, they continued to perform in front of a building fan base, garnering local support from the Miami New Times who named them Best Electronic Band in 2007, Best Local Songwriters in 2008 and Best Band in 2010.
Now Afrobeta is taking their joyous beats and dazzling live shows across the nation and abroad! 2010 included high-profile performances at the 40th Anniversary Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, Burning Man, Fall Fashion week in New York, Ultra Brazil, Space Ibiza and the 12th annual Ultra Music Festival. Scheduled performances so far in 2011 include Palm Springs for Coachella Weekend, a closing slot on the 2nd Main Stage at the Ultra Music Festival and Camp Bisco. The band has rocked alongside Ghostland Observatory, Bassnectar, Orbital, Booka Shade, Annie Mac, Diplo, Holy Ghost!, Bloody Beetroots and Fake Blood.
