Afro Roots Fest Islamorada Returns
27th Annual Event To Feature Acts Celebrating The Music Of The Caribbean Islands And The Americas

“I’m grateful to once again be able to bring the Afro Roots Fest to the beautiful Florida Keys,” says Community Arts and Culture Executive Director Jose Elias. “I invite everyone to come enjoy the ambiance, craft beer and music from around the globe.” Afro Roots Fest Islamorada is brought to you with the support of The Monroe County Tourist Development Council, Keys ICE and the Florida Keys Brewing Company.

Cortadito, Miami's leading ambassadors of Cuban folk music, has captivated audiences in Islamorada over the past year with their electrifying live shows. They released the first single from their highly anticipated album The Guajiro Triangle on February 7th and are set to release their second single prior to their upcoming festival performance. Audiences can expect to hear a mix of new material from their album, along with beloved 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 in September of last year, dropping their first full-length recording called Azabache, a collection of new and mostly instrumental music which is now streaming on all platforms and available on CD through Bandcamp. The first single and video is titled “Chunk,” a mid-tempo funk number mixed by Carlos “El Loco” Bedoya, Beyonce, Mick Jagger and Enrique Iglesias. 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, indigenous cultures of Miskito, Rama and Garifuna influences in his music. Born and raised in the Bluefields region of Managua, Nicaragua, Philip is an international recording and touring artist whose most recent release is the infectious single called “Miami.”

Group Barrio Abajo plays the folkloric music of the Caribbean Colombia by using traditional percussion instruments and flutes, with modern instruments, presenting styles such as bullerengue, porro, chandé and more than 30 other unparalleled musical rhythms. Globally, 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 that offers up a special blend of world beat music called “Deep Roots” that combines African, Soca, Caribbean and reggae influences into one groovy amalgamation. DJ Supa Kundukta, Super Conductor is the DJ stage name for Elias and he will be spinning a special selection of Afro Beat and world grooves, along with Funk, Soul and R&B Classics.

The full schedule is as follows:

Friday, April 4th at 6:00 p.m. | Pokito

Saturday, April 5th at 6:00 p.m. | Cortadito and Grupo Barrio Abajo

Sunday, April 6th at 2:00 p.m. | Electric Piquete, Philip Montalban, DJ Supa Kundukta

For more information, visit: AfroRootsFest.com.