Latin Funk Festival Moves Miami Beach with a
Different Beat
Lila Downs and Javier Garcia Will Perform at April 9 Event

By Michelle Stolzenburg

	Mexican singer Lila Downs, who headlines the Latin Funk Festival in Miami Beach

The mission statement for the Latin Funk Festival is this: The Latin Funk Festival supports up and coming Latin music artists who represent the unique crossover of yesterday’s traditional rhythms fused with today’s urban beats.

After the success of last year’s event, which brought Yuerba Buena, Nil Lara and Suenalo Sound System among the top acts, one cannot deny that the third annual Latin Funk Festival is more determined to stay true to their word.  This year’s headliner is Lila Downs, the sultry Mexican American singer who uses her creative impulse to explore what brings people together rather than that which divides. Although she is an established artist with several albums already under her belt, she is more known to most for her musical contributions to the movie Frida, which starred Salma Hayek as Frida Kahlo.

Besides Downs, this year’s line-up includes some other very exciting and diverse acts, such as South Florida’s very own local boys Locos Por Juana who’s latest release, Musica Pa’l Pueblo, recently received a Latin Grammy nod as well as Javier Garcia, whose album 13 is sure to burn up the charts with musical guest appearances by Arturo Sandoval, Abe Laboriel Jr., percussionist for Paul McCartney, and Cuban percussion maestro Francisco Aguabella. 

	Lila Downs

This presents a change in how Latin music is represented here in South Florida.  When you check out most Latin radio stations you tend to find the “safe” types of Latin music—the tropical style mixed with doses of reggae. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of different styles of music but if you’re going to be a true representative of the Latin music scene then by all means cover all areas of the scene.

The Latin Funk Festival is one of the many organizations that is helping to get people to think out of the box when it comes to the true representation of Latin music in all its glory here in South Florida, whether it’s fusion or in a more traditional sense. Florida, along with New York, is such a beautiful cornucopia of diverse cultures it’s always pleasant to see that the change is coming.

So how did the Latin Funk Festival get started? What inspired it?  What would make someone create such a unique festival that caters to the Latin music scene here in Miami and New York? 

It turns out that two childhood friends, Elizabeth Easton and Tanya Bravo, went to a show and afterwards looked at each other and said, “Why don’t we create a festival of bands that we like from Miami and bring them to New York and vice versa?”  They formed the production team of Easton Bravo, whose main focus was creating the Latin Funk Festival as well as creating a production company that offered many different and diverse avenues that would help showcase these artists. It was a risky opportunity, but Easton and Bravo felt it was needed, and they sought to fill a need they saw in the local music scene, all while keeping their day jobs. 

	Local band Locos Por Juana

They began by booking bands in New York and Miami, developing a relationship with these bands and working with them on a one to one basis to get the artists themselves more involved as well. The attendance at their first festival was between 700 and 800 people, which just proved to them that they were on the right track with their idea. 

Another thing they decided to do was present the festival in Miami and New York and  to build up the excitement by having monthly and weekly pre-parties prior to the festival. After a while the labels started to notice of what the Easton and Bravo have been doing and are starting to help out a little more by giving them information about artists and such, but they still prefer to go to different music venues on a nightly basis and keep up with the local underground scenes.

As for the festival itself, Easton and Bravo are eyeing expanding the event beyond Miami and New York to Puerto Rico. Other plans include eventually having an outdoor Latin Funk Fest and also eventually quitting their day jobs.  For now, they are still chugging along in this niche market and still making a name for themselves.

So check out the many events that are leading up to the main Latin Funk Festival on April 9 and show some love for a very positive vibe happening in Miami.

Latin Funk Festival Pre-Events

	Javier Garcia

April 2
Don Juan, Skampida and DJ Cooltura
Café Nostalgia
34th and Collins Avenue
Doors open at 10 p.m.

April 4
Prato Principal, Kayakman, Otro Lado and DJ Rastael
Hoy Como Ayer
2212 SW 8th St.
Doors open at 10 p.m.

April 7
Monkey Village Allstars with Defonce and DJ Toy Selectah
Transit Lounge
729 SW 1st Ave.
Doors open at 10 p.m.

Latin Funk Festival
Lila Downs, Locos Por Juana, Javier Garcia, winner of Battle of the Bands, DJ Toy Selectah and drum circle by Venus Rising

April 9
Mansion
1235 Washington Avenue
Doors open at 6 p.m.
$25 online
$30 at the door

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.latinfunkfestival.com