Viernes Culturales adds a spooky twist

By Alexandra Figueredo

ArtistaMundo.com

October 28, 2010

Little Havana’s popular arts and culture festival Viernes Culturales is bringing several treats to visitors on Friday, October 29. The lineup of performances includes poetry, ethnic dancers, break dance, live painting and more.

The new CoraZona, in the heart of the festival space, encompasses SW 8th Street from 14th to 16th Avenues. Beginning this month, the main stage will include 45 minutes of poetry and storytelling both in Spanish and English, based on a particular theme. Appropriately the theme will be Halloween this month and Miami Herald writer Enrique Fernandez, among others, will be sharing one of his pieces about a werewolf.

Local historian Dr. Paul George will lead a free walking tour of Little Havana with special emphasis on spooky tales. The tour starts at 7 pm in front of the Tower Theater. There will even be a pumpkin carving station next to the McDonald's on 8th Street to take the kids.

Viernes Culturales will still bring the usual salsa and bongo playing, local artists and artisans sharing their pieces and a domino competition held in Domino Park. The Tower Theater will be open and screening the last films of the Festival of New Spanish Cinema. And the art galleries will be open and displaying their latest exhibits and collections.

The program for the CoraZona Stage (at the end of Domino Plaza off of SW 8th Street and 15th Ave.):

7:00 pm: Poetry & Storytelling (Theme: Halloween/Spooky)

7:45 pm: Fina Escayola y su Estudiantes de Flamenco (Flamenco dance)

8:15 pm: Rhythm King Warriors (B-Boys break dance & Latin Percussion)

9:00 pm: "Yansan" Afro-Cuban Folkloric Dance by Marisol Blanco & Ire Obini

9:30-11:00 pm: Orquesta America (Salsa)

For more information and a full schedule of Viernes Culturales, visit http://www.viernesculturales.org/.

Viernes Culturales/Cultural Fridays Arts and Culture Festival

Where: SW 8th Street, from 13th to 17th Avenues

When: Friday, Oct. 29, 2010, 7 – 11 pm

Admission: Free 

© 2010, Alexandra Figueredo

To contact the writer, please email her at alexandra@artistamundo.com.

Miami showers can’t stop live music at open-air cultural festival

By Alexandra Figueredo

ArtistaMundo.com

September 25, 2010

Once the rain clouds passed on Friday night, there was an unending rhythm of live music playing at Viernes Culturales /Cultural Fridays Arts & Culture Festival along SW 8^th Street.

Although earlier performances were canceled, the two last musical acts went on as planned at the stage on 15^th Avenue in Domino Plaza.

Headlining the night was Cuban timba group Timbalive, which performed several dance songs from its recently released album “From Miami a La Habana.” The 10-piece band consists of timbales, congas, piano/keyboard, trombone, bass and three vocalists. The sole female band member and vocalist Yezi Gonzalez rocked the plaza with her meaty soulful voice with catchy songs “Como Miami no hay na” and “Un poquito pa despues,” among others. This will be one of the group’s last performances in Miami before they begin touring in November according to the group’s website www.timbalive.com.

A mariachi group El Mariachi Cielito Lindo also performed some of the more popular Mexican ballads, inspiring much sing-along to the usual crowd-pleasers such as El Rey and of course Cielito Lindo.

Several galleries, bars and cigar shops on the strip also showcased their own live Latin jazz, salsa, and bongo playing.

For more information on future musical performances at Cultural Fridays, visit www.viernesculturales.org.

© 2010, Alexandra Figueredo

To contact the writer, please email her at alexandra@artistamundo.com. 

Cultural emersion in Miami’s Latin district every last Friday of the month

By Alexandra Figueredo

ArtistaMundo.com

September 24, 2010

Today is the last Friday of the month in Miami, and that means the Hispanic cultural district known as “Little Havana” on SW Eighth Street dances to the Latin beat of Viernes Culturales, or Cultural Fridays Arts & Culture Festival. 

And what a cultural experience it is!

Just walk down SW Eighth Street between 14^th  and 16^th Avenues to get bombarded by arts and craft exhibits, Latin music, street performers, bongo players and lots of visitors dancing along.

The Festival consists of live musical performances on stage at SW 15^th Avenue, art exhibited in Domino Plaza and along the sidewalks, exhibits at art galleries and cultural centers, and films and educational programs at the historic Tower Theatre. There is even a free walking tour of Little Havana starting at 7 pm.

Several galleries, bars and cigar shops on the strip also open up to live Latin jazz, salsa, and bongo playing on Cultural Fridays.

Today there will be a performance stage set up on 15^th Avenue in Domino Plaza. Latin jazz group Timbalive will be performing, as well as a mariachi group and cirque acts by South Florida Circus Arts School.

As far as the art, there are 13 participating galleries that have established a name for themselves over the last couple of years. The art in Little Havana is quintessentially Latin American, with an overwhelming presence of Cuban-descended artists.

The Viernes Culturales Art Gallery located at 742 SW 16^th Ave.. will be holding an opening reception today for its group exhibit “Miami Abstractions 2010.” The exhibit of abstract paintings is curated by master Cuban painter Baruj Salinas. Artists represented in the exhibit include Blanca Caraballo, Ina Esteva, Tony Nunez, Celia Reigle and Emilio Hector Rodriguez.

For more information, visit www.viernesculturales.org.

Viernes Culturales / Cultural Fridays Arts & Culture Festival

When: Friday, Sept. 24, 2010

Time: 6-11 pm

Where: Little Havana, Miami  - SW Eighth Street between 14^th and 17^th Avenues

Admission: Free

For a link to the article on ArtistaMundo.com: Viernes Culturales Preview 

© 2010, Alexandra Figueredo

To contact the writer, please email her at alexandra@artistamundo.com.