The sights and sounds of Afrobeta

i can be your freak every day of every week!

2011-07-25T17:15:00.000-04:00

Bisco Blast! and ID Festival Kickoff!!!

2011-07-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

Bisco was a trip! People really came out to have a good time and we made a lot of new friends. We got to see some old friends too, like Breakscience. Borahm and Adam are doing it right-they rocked the crowd with RJD2 at Bisco. Since we last saw them, they put out an EP on Pretty Lights' label! Our friend Mila is living in Brooklyn for the summer and she came out with us too! A happy Afro-trivia fact is that she gave us our name ;)We opened up the main stage on the first day of the festival! I got to wear an amazing find that was lent to me by Kayce Armstrong of AOS. Now we getting ready to do the big kickoff show at the Pickle for the Identity Festival! Will you be there at any of the dates?Holla at us! hugs! c

Summer Tour Time! Camp Bisco and Identity Fest!

2011-06-14T13:05:00.000-04:00

Hey! It is soo hot in Miami. We've been employing our vampire routine. Sleep all day, up all night! It's just too hot to be up during the day. Isn't that how the animals that live in the desert do it?Anywho! We have some awesome tour news this summer-we getting out of Miami and coming to a city near YOU!First we are kicking it off at Camp Bisco on July 7th. Main Stage at about 2:30 or 3 pm...we are so psyched about this show! we are going to stay the whole weekend and see EVERYONE!

The Identity Fest kicks off August 11th and it will be our first all out tour...different city every night and traveling on a bus.I'm building up my stamina. ;) we are going to be sharing the bus with other artists but I believe I am going to be the only girl on the bus. Which should prove an interesting dynamic to say the least. We are going to be performing on the Dim Mak stage! It's a 20 date show so I know we are going to make some new friends! I'm def. bringing my camera and will be updating you all as we journey along! Hugs, Cuci

Halfway to Halloween @Beauty Bar Chicago!!!

2011-04-27T23:57:00.000-04:00

We are playing Beauty Bar this Saturday in Chicago!It will be our 2nd time there playing with Midnight Conspiracy. xxcited!Click here for more info! Hugs, c

Last min booking this FRIDAY! Outdoors @ Bayfront Park

2011-04-06T23:27:00.000-04:00

Hey! We just got a call today about a show at Bayfront Park for the Downtown Development Authority. They make it their job to get people to come downtown and get down. There's gonna be food and drinks avail. but you can bring a blanket and byo anything!It's a beautiful windy by the water outdoor vibe...some of the last of these days in Miami. I go to the free yoga here almost every week ;)Our set starts post work @ 5:30 pm. After us is Kevin Rudolf, who as I've read is a Cash Money Records artist. Who knows maybe there will be a Weezy sighting???Say Hi to him before he goes to Coachella. We'll be also warming up for our pool party gig at the Rancho Mirage in Palm Springs during Co-chonga weekend!Can't waittt!Come send us off to the desert with some Miami LOVE!hugs!CuciHere's some pics from the last time we played it...couple yrs back!

Behind the scenes at Ultra 2011

2011-04-04T00:26:00.000-04:00

Tony's pre-game face

With Je!

Tiesto's fireworks

Royksopp!

Friends furever!

Live Stage!

Basking in the light of the stage!

Dude rockin' last year's Afrobeta tee!

Saturday show at UMF stage...

Prrrimo!

Merch booth peeps!

Lesley!

Afrobeta merch booth fun!

Bun Ny!We had such an amazing time at ULTRA this year! Happy to share some of our intimate moments...see ya on the road soon!hugs, cuci

Super Sunday!

2011-01-23T12:35:00.000-05:00

Going to a new farmers market at The Stage today! on 39th ave and NE 1st st...underneath the overpass.;)heard there is going to be a monkey village junk band jam too! fun!

Best thing to happen in 2011!

2011-01-07T17:35:00.000-05:00

Bridget Lyons posted this on our facebook page.

If you can't tell it's a tattoo of our pixel heart logo with rainbows in a black circle.And as an avid tattoo fan, I think it is totally FANTASTIC!!!Thanks for sharing Bridget!!!

Love this song and vid

2011-01-04T00:32:00.000-05:00

pixels!doing research for our album release fun!luv ya! c

Old-ish and a goodie!

2010-12-22T05:00:00.002-05:00

New Year Eve 2010!

2010-12-22T01:59:00.000-05:00

Hey all! We are part of a cool NYE party this year at the Water Club. Never heard of it?
Neither have we. But that's exciting cuz it's not your typical "club night". We heard it's a fancy venue on the water on 163rd.
We would be honored to celebrate the culmination of an amazing year-and the beginning of a new one with you.
luv,
afrobeta

Our "Do You Party?" EP was named Best of 2010!

2010-12-14T17:26:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who made it out to our shows and made 2010 an unforgettable year!
Here's the article taken from The Broward New Times.
This year seemed to be the tipping point for Miami duo Afrobeta. Though the act has long been a favorite on the local party circuit, 2010 saw production mastermind Tony Smurphio and frontwoman Cuci Amador bust out to the big time. This meant a spot on a main stage at this past spring's Ultra Music Festival and a trip through Europe that included a gig in Ibiza alongside Booka Shade.

It also meant a deal with Do IT Music Group, which yielded the short but punchy EP, Do You Party? The group's earliest material often flirted with frothy freestyle. But these eight tracks (three of which are remixes of the five original songs therein) boast an added heft on the low-end, with Smurphio often beefing up his beats into electro-house territory.

The disc also sees Amador even further stretching her vocal skills. "Play House," the opener, finds her rapping, singing, and even screaming over a track that would fit right in on Germany's Get Physical roster alongside Booka Shade and company. "Two Different Worlds," meanwhile, is a breathy ballad that swims through New Wave while threatening to bubble over into a banger.

It's the kind of musical tension in which Afrobeta excels, and which propels the disc forward with zero dull moments. If this is just a taste, the full-length, due out next year, should fully propel the band into the international dance music stratosphere.
Top Track: "Two Different Worlds"

Watch vid of Two Different Worlds live at Ultra Music Festival 2010
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/14998429?byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p></p>

HOLLERWEEN!

2010-09-27T21:06:00.001-04:00

Hey!
We are psyched for the Halloween show! Does anyone know what they are going to be yet?
We been diggin' on Holy Ghost for a whiiillle now. Ever since their great single "Hold On".
So of course when Do IT was asking us if we wanted to do the show with them Djing as well as Depressed Buttons (dudes from the band The Faint), we were like "YEAH!"

Also we got some amaze peeps from our scene here and from NYC to play at the party as well.

Laura (of Miami) Nightdrive
Tomas of Aquabooty
DJ Hotpants
Will Renaurt
DJ Dennis Sebayan (NYC)

& special guest DJ Bill Kelly

We're also celebrating Charles Faibisch's & Jen Garcia's
Birthday Angry Panda style! Woot!

We are working on making a limited ed-ish tee based on the flyer art by Kent Hernandez!
There are even rumors of glow-in-the-dark ink...
The show is Saturday October 30th and there are advance tix on sale for $15 here
http://www.wantickets.com/EventDetail.aspx?e_id=130993

Here are some sick vids from our special outta guests.

Live Depressed Buttons Dj set looks like a party!

Holy Ghost classic track

Now we brainstormin' costumes ideas! What you got?
luv,
cuci

Fashion Week in NYC!

2010-09-12T15:24:00.000-04:00

Gotta give a big shoutout to all our peeps that showed so much love at our shows in the city.
Rollcall!
Dennis, Mark (BM cutie), Vickie, Spencer, Christine of Girlie Action, Ella Lounge, Ricky Cassavan, Laura, Cristina Canton, Jamal, Manny, Orly, Vida, Eddie, JESP, Michael Rivera, Johnny and Virginia of
International Playground, Dan and Dan of Paperspaceship, Dori, Dakota, Dj Jess, Antonio and the dancers of Trash@Webster Hall, Jesus of MartinezFX, Missy, Skye and Melissa, Krelwear, Art of Shade, Roadie, Gretta and Jack of My Gold Mask and everyone else who changed our life this weekend.
Of course, our amazing team who we couldn't have done this w/out: Russell and Charlie Faibisch, Vivian Valdes and Rafa-delicks.

Afrobeta Celebration Situation!

2010-08-23T14:21:00.000-04:00

This Friday August 27th at the Loft 168, we celebrate Afrobeta's 4th Bday and Smurph's bday as well!
We'd like to invite you to an intimate gathering of friends and a live performance of the songs on our upcoming debut album...
Hope to see you there!

Finishing the full-length and Burning Man!

2010-08-12T11:58:00.000-04:00

photo by Kent Hernandez

We are in the midst of final recordings at our home studio and we are excited to be so close to finishing the album. This whole process has been a long time coming. We concentrated so much on playing live for the first 3 years as a band and now having the support to work on recording has been a real treat!

photo by Kargarphotography.com

Burning Man is two weeks away! We're going to be caravan-ing in with the Root Society Dome crew. We played in the Dome at Ultra this year and the vibe in there was sick. It will also be cool to see it built before our very eyes before we play in it. Cheers to the West coast! See you soon!

Live vid @ Space Ibiza!

2010-07-28T03:14:00.000-04:00

Heya!The website for "Come Together", the party we played at Space Ibiza, put up a vid of the night with some cool clips from the show. It's mostly an interview with cute DJ Daisy Heartbreaker, but wait for it! Afrobeta is in therrrre....hugs! oh and HAPPY EP Release Day for us!"Do You Party" went viral today!

House of Fun!

2010-07-21T13:57:00.000-04:00

Just got back last week from our fantastic voyage overseas to the UK, Amsterdam and Ibiza...and memories continue to filter in and out.

I figure if I write them down they will stick around.
We were trekking thru Shangri-La* at Glastonbury. Shangri-La is one of the built up "worlds" at Glasto. It reminded me of the slum in Total Recall, but upon further research it seems it was fashioned after Blade Runner.
As our crew was walking quickly by, one of the nanos caught my attention. The nano was really a 6x6 ft container that was all tricked out but shut in by a type of heavy shredded plastic "door" you would put aside in a commercial freezer.
I made my way in and Tony followed me. "WELCOME TO THE HOUSE OF FUN! LA LA LA LA!"
Whoa. We found a party of about 8 people crammed in there. Tony busted out his kazoo and started singing along. Tony and I had that song in our head the whole rest of Glasto. And ashamedly did not know it's origins.
Although I can't think of a better way to have been introduced to it.

*according to Wiki: Shangri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. In the book, "Shangri-La" is a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. Shangri-La has become synonymous with any earthly paradise but particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia — a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. In the novel Lost Horizon, the people who live at Shangri-La are almost immortal, living years beyond the normal lifespan and only very slowly aging in appearance.
Dang those witty Brits! Love em!

Sights at Glastonbury!

2010-06-26T19:09:00.000-04:00

Sweet Sayonara! Thank you MIAMI!

2010-06-15T01:01:00.000-04:00

After the going-away show on June 5th at Grand Central, I really didn't know we could fit more excitement into this week before we jaunt across the pond for our European shows.
But then we got the heads up that we were named Best Band in Miami by Miami New Times!

Very nice to hear! We are BIG fans of our local music scene in MIA and we can't wait to share it with the WORLD!

Speaking of which, in a future post I will write my own "best of Miami" song list and make a playlist...

Hope you are having a lovely week, it is 1:16 am on Tuesday morning and we are workin on the set for Glastonbury!

p.s: Already bought my wellies!

Bon Voyage! Afrobeta goes across the pond!

2010-05-29T01:19:00.001-04:00

We've been busy preparing the set for the Bon Voyage show at Grand Central!
Very excited as we've got a couple of new synths on hand for the job.
Been rehearsing, workin on a lil' surprise cover and just can't wait to take the stage in Miami again! We haven't played here since Ultra on March 26 and 27th. So the show is June 5th and it feels LONG overdue!

Also it's gonna be our first chance to premiere the set that we may play at Glastonbury!
We are playing on the Glade stage on Friday.

U2 was headlining that day but Bono hurt his back rehearsing for the tour and cancelled. ;(
Apparently they had even written on new song that they were going to premiere at the show. The Gorillaz are now taking up that slot.
Not a bad recovery if you ask me. Saw them this year on Sunday night at Coachella and their visual show is siiiick.

We can't wait till Saturday!
See you soon!
luv,
cuci, tony, suki -n- murray

8 days and counting..

2010-04-08T01:13:00.000-04:00

I must say I'm feeling very excited about going to Coachella this year. The lineup is incredible. Thank you Do IT! Entertainment. I think Cuci is gonna get to perform the hit single Electromovimiento with Calle 13 on Friday.

"do you party?" pics

2010-03-25T02:22:00.001-04:00

here are a some of my fave pics taken last friday at the afrobeta ep launch party. the crowd and vibe were great. it was loads of fun!

cristy, i don't know how you did it in those shoes, but you made it seem effortless.

<3, kar gar

Our EP Release Pre-Ultra Party!!!

2010-03-06T16:47:00.000-05:00

Tickets available online and are only 10 bucks!!!
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/101273

just because...

2010-02-26T03:45:00.001-05:00

<3, kar gar

Afrobeta live at the Freedom Tower feels monumental!

2010-02-09T10:58:00.000-05:00

So this Thursday the 11th, we will be playing a party put on by the Miami New Times at the Freedom Tower!

This historic building means a lot to me and my family. When the Castro regime came into power and political refugees flooded South Florida looking for a new start, the tower was taken over by the U.S. government to provide services to the immigrants. It contained in-processing services, basic medical and dental services, records on relatives already in the U.S. and relief aid for those starting a new life with nothing. For many thousands of immigrants, the tower provided nothing less than their freedom from Castro and the hardships Cuba had come to give them. It rightly earned its name then of Freedom Tower.*

My mother and grandmother came on a flight from Cuba and arrived to the Freedom Tower on July 4th, 1966. Independence Day in the US and now for them as well.
They slept in a long corridor of bunk beds, similar to military barracks, at the tower for 2 weeks before moving to Puerto Rico where the rest of our family was and where I was later born.

Now the building has been restored to its former glory after having fallen into disrepair in the 70's and 80's. Fun Fact: The Freedom Tower was used as a sniper's post in "Hit List", a season one episode from Miami Vice, where a hit man attempted to kill Crockett.**

Needless to say, we are honored to have been invited to play. If you'd like to come, click here for the info.

hugstillweseeyouagain!
love,
cuci

*quoted from "History of the Freedom Tower"
**wiki

i have talented friends.

2010-01-20T00:57:00.001-05:00

afrobeta has been in the studio for the past months working on what is going to be a killer album. i'm not saying this because they're my friends. honestly, this album is going to rock.

if you are a fan of their live shows and then go home humming tunes of their latest songs that you don't even know the words to, you will definitely love it when this cd is out and in your car on repeat. definite repeat.

i've been lucky to be able to watch their album develop and i guarantee it's going to be a fave of yours too.

i passed by their studio saturday night and had a blast. nothing better than watching your friends create history. it's moments like these i would love to freeze in time.

support the local arts,

kar gar

Ay Ya Yai!!! Afrobeta at Ultra! Miami

2010-01-09T01:44:00.000-05:00

Been workin hard in the studio to get all our music ready for a release party on the 27th of February and now this! Amazing news to get all in a tizzy about!
Our show at Ultra has been announced with their release of the Phase 1 lineup, along with all the other really cool National and Intl. acts invited!
This is such an honor. It really feels like Miami repping for Miami. We feeling the love. And it's warm and fuzzy and cuddly. Like Suki under the covers during these cold Miami nights.
I'm so psyched! I can't wait to tell you more about the super duper release party on Feb. 27th too! But all the details aren't nailed down yet, so we'll be biting our nails till then!
Awoooowww!
ps: on a random note, I went to eat with Nabedi of The State Of tonight at Soyka and J-Lo was eating there too w. her babies and some girlfriends! cute!
Gotta say I have a soft spot in my pixel heart for "Waiting for Tonight".
Ha! Shout outs to Kentsoundz on that one....
Love ew!
c

2010 the year of the tigerrr

2010-01-04T12:52:00.000-05:00

THE SIGN OF THE TIGER

Tigers do not find worth in power or money. They will be completely honest about how they feel and expect the same of you. On the other hand, they seek approval from peers and family. Generally, because of their charming personalities Tigers are well liked. Often, failing at a given task or being unproductive in his personal or professional life can cause a Tiger to experience a depression. Criticism from loved ones can also generate this type of Tiger reaction. Still, like all felines, Tigers always land on their feet, ready for their next act in life, pursuing it with unyielding energy and hunting it infallibly.

Tigers are also incorrigibly competitive - they simply cannot pass up a challenge, especially when honor is at stake, or they are protecting those they love. Tigers are unpredictable and it would be unwise to underestimate their reactions. They may appear cool, but they have the Big Cat's instincts to pounce at a moment's warning. Natural leaders, they have a strong sense of their own dignity, and if they find
themselves in the ranks, they can be stubborn and obstinate.

In positions of power they can be difficult though stimulating bosses. Tigers are intelligent, alert, and farsighted. They have their fingers on the pulse. Good strategists and tacticians, they often have a hidden agenda. As long as they do not risk their luck too often, and keep their restless nature under control, their tactics usually pay off in life.

My first Bardot...with Jesse Jackson

2009-12-16T16:58:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to Bardot for the first time! Very cool spot. Feels very loungy and chill. Jesse sounded amazing and the vibe in the room was very lovey-dovey!
And when we left we had the surprise of seeing our sticker on Jesse's car...;)

I'm writing this post from our first day in the studio.
Yay!

Dec 19th - DO IT!

2009-12-10T13:13:00.000-05:00

Tell a friend to tell a friend, to tell a friend and come together!

It's going to be pretty awesome. I can't wait :)

Afro Glow

2009-12-08T02:57:00.000-05:00

Nope it's not soul glo, it's afro glow. Well, at least that's what I like to call it.

Afrobeta closed art basel weekend on Sunday with an awesome performance (they always are) at the miami independent thinkers event. Christy had been to the warehouse during the week and came up with the idea of shooting inside a black light lit room while wearing one of her Krel wear pieces (that glow in the dark).

Therefore, we had an impromptu mini shoot. The room was tiny and we were all sweating - sauna style.

Enjoy :)

xo,

Kar Gar

ps. it's 3:00 am and I have a heavy case of insomnia.

oh and some of the wide shots get cut off bc of the blog format :( meh

and here are some non-glow performance shots I also took:

suki is a star <3

Primary Flight '09 is hereee!

2009-12-01T11:40:00.000-05:00

Primary Flight 2009 Teaser from Primary Flight on Vimeo.

New Kid on the Blog

2009-11-30T18:29:00.001-05:00

Halo Afrobeta friends,

I recently photographed the lovely afrobetans and shortly developed a lovely friendship. I'm their adopted 24-year-old child and the rest is history :)

On the real, I love this band and I believe in it 150%. So I'll be contributing on this bloggity-blog and sharing some fun, random, sometimes insightful information. I'll also bring some sights for all to see.

I'm excited!

Hope you are too!

NKOTB,
Kar Gar :)

Fun Times at Borscht!

2009-11-29T17:54:00.000-05:00

Dale! Go get the projector in Hialeah then! These were words spoken at some point in the night at the premiere of the Borscht Film Festival.
The scene was 1500 people seated in the floor and mezzanine of the historical Gusman Theater. There we sat with drinks in hand and anticipation in our hearts to see a compilation of the best and brightest film and animation work by and of Miami.

Only problem was, the projector at the Gusman wasn't working. So after the scheduled musical performances by Sirens and Sealions and Animal Tropical, they needed more entertainment to keep people around while we waited for the projector to arrive from Hialeah.

Tony and I were sitting in the back row of the floor next to my sister, who did make-up on our music video short that was premiering at the fest.
Matty and Lucas came up to us and said, we're sorry to bother you, but would you guys mind playing?

So we borrowed a guitar from Sirens and Sealions and played 6 of our songs acoustic-style.

I remember going to the Gusman as a little girl on a school fieldtrip and as I grew up I always admired it as such a classy venue. And now I can say I played there.
It was kinda like losing your virginity though. You know you look forward to that moment and then afterward you think, "I wasn't supposed to be like this."

That's kinda how it felt. Bittersweet. There was a lot of chatter throughout the audience. People were understandably antsy about when and if the films would begin, making them not the best crowd to play for. But for all the chatters, there were people who genuinely enjoyed the show and said so and clapped. So thanks guys!

2009-11-27T18:51:00.001-05:00

Afrobeta secret free show tonight at 10 pm at the epic hotel downtown. 270 biscayne blvd way.

New Afrobeta vid premieres at Borscht Stories at the Gusman!

2009-11-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

Hey!
First off we must thank profusely Yara Travesio, Lucas Leyva, Antal Steinbach, Nabila Santa-Cristo, Priscilla Quesada, Karelle Levy and KRELwear, KarGar, Jeje!, the other Karla, Catherine and the set building boys, the vogue dancers, Tamargo, Kodak© and EVERYONE who put their blood and sweat into making this shoot a reality...
It was a concept that I would have never come up with, and truly, we are still in the midst of production for the album (which isn't the best time to shoot a video). But!
It was the time for the Borscht Film Festival so we did it!
Yara (director/choreographer) had the concept. Stemming from an candid interview with Anna Karina french new wave actress and incorporating Yara's eye for movement.

We can't wait to see how this is going to develop*!
:) We shot in B&W with film lovingly donated by Kodak!

Come see the reel* deal in its entirety at the premiere at the Gusman Theater 7pm on November 28th for the Borscht CCCV Stories!

*cheesy puns make me smile!

luv,
cuci

Ps: Below is the link for the interview with Anna Karina...Enjoy!

Pss: Oh! When I found the interview on YouTube I also found a fan vid for a Crystal Castles song mixed in with a scene with AK in "Vivre sa Vie". I can see that CC's Alice loves Anna Karina's signature bob and black-rimmed eyes!

97th Anniversary at Tobacco Road!

2009-11-09T16:08:00.000-05:00

Heya!
So our next show is Saturday November 21st! Which is also my dad's bday, so maybe there will be a Papi sighting at the show???
It's not just any gig either, its the 97th Anniversary of Miami's oldest bar, Tobacco Road. Legend has it Al Capone hung out here during prohibition!
Simply put, this place has magic oozing from its walls. The Road kinda defies all kinds of conventions, it's divey but not small, it's cheap! (97 cent drinks?) but the food is rich, and most anyone can/and does play here but I've yet to see a terrible band there. Can't say the same for one of my other all-time Miami faves, Churchill's.*

In any case, we are playing the anniversary party this year! TB is tearing it with 2 nights of music, Friday the 20th and Sat. the 21st till 5 am. We play the second night...A big honor if you have ever been in past years, because they close out the parking lot and the party is JUMPIN'!
We play at 12:45 till 2 am.
Last year I was there for the Spam set at the same time and there were at least a thousand people!
crazy!
What am I going to wear?

*all commentary is based on the visceral experience and opinion of the blogger and do not necessarily represent the views of Afrobeta©

In lieu of our weekly Jazid performance...

2009-11-03T20:26:00.000-05:00

So as we announced earlier, we are taking a break from Jazid to concentrate on recording our debut album. But here it is, the first Tuesday night off and I gotta admit I'm feeling nostalgic.
So enjoy a cool jam with Tim. He just brought his horn and said he wanted to play. We had never met him before, but we got to know him onstage!
;)
love you,
cuci

Thanks to Diego Tosoni for posting this and being one of our "regulars" at Jazid.

I'm blue, if I was green I would dye!

2009-11-03T01:03:00.000-05:00

Yay! So Halloween was cool cuz I finally got over the flu that had ominous overtones of swine-niness...
Here's what the Miami New Times had to say about our Halloween performance:
"In an ode to the 1972 American porn industry, Gen Art held its Other Hollywood party at Awarehouse. The highlight on the night was definitely Afrobeta's smurf-tastic performance."

Taking a break from Jazid!

2009-11-02T13:24:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!

It's crazy to think that we've been at Jazid every TUESDAY since the first Tuesday in January, till the last Tuesday in October.

But alas, we've decided to take a break from our weekly at Jazid to record our long-awaited debut. I've been waiting forever!

We do have a couple one-offs coming up, like this Saturday at the Grove Block Party.

But for the most part, we're keeping it low...

I'll keep blogging and tweeting so K.I.T., Stay Sweet, and Don't change 4-NO ONE!

Luv always,

Afrobeta

Halloween with Afrobeta...

2009-10-27T12:16:00.000-04:00

Look for our name waaaay down there next to Jose El Rey's as a special performance...
See it? No, further down.
Ok! There it is!
I guess if it's supposed to look like a movie poster, Jose and Afrobeta are the extras.
Regardless we are putting on our costumes and learning the lines to our special cover for the evening...
It promises to be a super fun! event to complement the other cool stuff that is happening on Halloween in Miami....
If I had a driver, this is how I would plan it...
Check out Neckface's opening/Haunted House at the O.H.W.O.W. gallery early.
Then go to the Awarehouse for Jose, Afrobeta and some of Son of Sound and DRRTYHAZE.
Late night, check out Busy P at Electric Pickle.
5:22 am, come home.
done.

Disco Diggin!

2009-10-26T00:55:00.000-04:00

So, I'm ramping us up for the Disco-themed Halloween party! Doing some diggin' for THE COVER.
Finding some fun stuff!

Honeymoon in Puerto Rico!

Erotic Drum Band- Love Disco Style

These people are sooo fun to watch!
They win!
Tom Browne - Funkin' for Jamaica

Hollerween!

2009-10-25T23:53:00.000-04:00

So I don't know what everyone else is doing this weekend but we are playin a big ol' partay for Halloween!
And! We are also in pre-production for our debut album anddd a new video!

So if you come to the Halloween party, there is a chance you could appear in the new Afrobeta video!

Soooo! See you there! The party has a disco theme, free drinks, special appearance by Jose El Rey...What more can you ask for!
We are working on the disco cover for that night now!

Hugs!
c

Fun with records!

2009-10-12T14:35:00.000-04:00

cArNaVaL mIaMi!!!

2009-10-12T14:04:00.001-04:00

So I find out people actually fly down, or drive down to Miami for this once a year event. Yesterday was the 25th Annual Carnival Miami. I saw a license plate on a car driving down Biscayne from Arkansas! I just went to have some cafe con leche with Tony at the Latin Cafe on 25th and Biscayne and realized the booming music that I was hearing when I was still in bed must have been coming from this!

The festival was held at Bicentennial Park in downtown but NE 2nd Ave was shut down and the parade came as far as 24th. Maybe they went as far as Little Haiti? This is, after all the Caribbean Mardi Gras!
Here's some of what we saw...

Fool's Gold. Band? Label? Song? or Movie?

2009-09-21T12:33:00.000-04:00

So this morning, I'm doing my email checkin' and I read up and listen to Fool's Gold "Surprise Hotel". So I'm like, "Wait...isn't Fool's Gold a record label?
Yeah, it is. I know cuz I'm a fan of A-trak, Kid Sister and Treasure Fingers who are all on Fool's Gold, the label.
When I was listenin' to Fool's Gold, the band, I was thinking, "This doesn't sound like it would be something that label would put out." And it didn't.
There is also a movie called Fool's Gold, w/Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, that didn't get the best reviews.
But I really want to put you on to the band, Fool's Gold. Their sound is African-pop with Hebrew/English lyrics which is crazy. The music vibe reminds me of El Guincho's Alegranza Album
but El Guincho's sound is WAY dirtier. Also in comparison, El Guincho sounds like he used lots of samples and mashed em' up together as opposed to Fool's Gold, who sounds like a bunch of musicians playing together.

So without further ado, Fool's Gold, THE BAND!
Read their super great bio on Jambase.
And watch the vid for the song "Surprise Hotel" here! Their debut album drops next week on Sept 29th on IAMSOUND Records. Get involved! And then you can watch the Stone Roses' classic song "Fool's Gold"!!!

What really happened at Future Classic Festival in Miami

2009-09-14T02:30:00.000-04:00

Hey!
After spending the day today relaxing at my mom's house with her new kitty Misha and my Suki, I think I am ready to expound on my feelings about the Future Classic Festival.
((Deep breath))
Ok. So we flew in from Trinumeral on Saturday to come home for FCF. I was really excited. We had just spent the last 15 hours in this beautiful festival in the woods of Asheville, NC. Which ruled right? Right. We met and saw THE COOLEST BAND, we've seen live this year since Late of the Pier at Coachella. They are Break Science.
More on that later...
So we barely slept, got in the van for the 2 hr bus ride to the Charlotte airport, got on the plane, arrived in Miami at 2:30 pm and drove around the terminal for 2 hrs. Literally. Between Tony getting the gear at baggage claim and then realizing that my case (with my keys and sampler) had not arrived, filing the lost claim, etc...it took THAT long. Then, after finally arriving home around 6, we started getting ready for FCF and trying to re-structure the set because of the missing equipment.
Right.
So we find out from people at the show that the schedule is about an hr and a half behind. Ok, cool, it's Miami right?
We were scheduled to go on at 9:20. ArtOfficial was scheduled before us, and they actually started their set at 10:20. No biggie! Then they finished and we were standing at the back of the stage with our gear setup ready to set it centerstage. When we were promptly made aware that there was a breakdancing competition. Also cool. Great. So, then we see the members of Awesome New Republic (who we LOVE) setting up on stage. Um, what?
Kinda confused here? Wait. What's happening?
So. We. got. bumped.
Or so we thought. Then they gave us some bullshit story about putting us on AFTER N.E.R.D.
We had faith. We believed. The host got on the mike and apologized about the bump and told the crowd that Afrobeta was going to play and to stick around.
Not true. Did not happen. But despite our exhaustion, we stuck around 4 hrs after our scheduled set time because we believed that what they had told us earlier was true.
That we would play AFTER N.E.R.D.
And that's what we told everyone who asked as we were ambling around the cavernous Soho Studios.
Later when I realized I had blabbed around a HUGE lie, I was embarrassed and distressed.

I really had high hopes for this local fest. And all in all, they had a great turnout. BECAUSE OF THE LOCAL BANDS. This is the part that is upsetting. Yes. Maybe some people did go there ONLY to see N.E.R.D. About 250. EVERYONE ELSE there was part of the local scene who did their part to support the musicians, artists, dancers and performers who comprised the lineup and PROMOTED the shit out of this show. And got handed the short end of the shit stick.

Phew..
Ok. I feel better now!
So Break Science was freakin sick at Trinumeral AND they are super nice guys!
The weather was beautiful and WAY nicer than expecting your festival fans to rock a 10 hour day in a concrete-oven convention center...
Here's a clip from their performance at Rothbury this year. As the comments below say, the vid of them live does NOT do them justice. You must see for yourself. But since I want to end on a cheery note, here goes!
;)

Trinumeral 9 Music & Arts Festival and Future Classic Festival

2009-08-06T18:53:00.001-04:00

Hi Luves!
So excited to share some news with you!
We have just been invited to play at two end of the summer festivals!
Trinumeral Festival in Asheville, North Carolina and Future Classic Festival right here in Miami!
So here's the scoop on Trinumeral...
If you wanna come it's a 4 day fest from September 10-13th at the beautiful Deerfields Retreat and Music Park!

This is a sandcastle built during last year's fest. It's a beautiful camping situation in great September weather in NC! The trees are amazing and there is a big pond in the middle of the area...
We play on the 11th. Other South Florida artists are also gonna be there! Our friends Bhakti Baxter and Tao Rey design the official fest tee every year and PG13 of Junc Ops is playing as well as jam band The Heavy Pets. The headliner is Glitch Mob. One of their members had a really cool track that I like called "Certified Air Raid". Listen to it!

Then we fly back to Miami just in time for the Future Classic Festival at Soho Studios, Sept 12th!
The interesting thing about this first year fest is that the lineup is COMPLETELY comprised of LOCAL MIAMI ARTISTS. Like Awesome New Republic, Spam All Stars, Locos Por Juana, Volumen Cero, Suenalo, Mayday, Artofficial, Jorge Moreno, The Hongs, Soniko ,Elastic Bond, and DJs Danny Daze, Contra, Induce, Aramis, DJ Pauer , Ray Milian.
The only national act on the bill so far is N.E.R.D. which I found out also stands for New England Reptile Distributors!
After the cancellation of the big L, Langerado, it's interesting that a promoter has chosen to put on a new festival in the current financial climate. HOWEVER, all the acts are "local", i.e. "cheaper" than taking the risk of booking a ton of national acts and not making the $ back on ticket sales. There is a great lineup of local acts and it will be a true test of the local scene music fan. Are we willing to pay a (?) ticket price to see all our fave local bands at one show???
The ticket price is mysteriously not listed on The Future Classic myspace or facebook pg.

I'm not really super shure how much of a draw Mr. I-love-to-record-in-Miami Williams' band is. I have all the hope that come September, Miamians are gonna be ready to kick in the fall with a kickass show. It's up to us tho...I'm just sayin...

Jesp joins us tonight at Jazid!

2009-08-04T17:41:00.000-04:00

Hey luves!
Jesp is coming out tonight to play with us at Jazid!

What's going on tonight, Friday July 24th? THE TONERS / RAFFA AND RAINER / MATTHEW DEAR aka AUDION

2009-07-24T13:09:00.001-04:00

You should know! The Toners show is opening tonight for an encore run!!! It's important for Miamians to note, yes, the shows start on time. Andd! The free beverages start flowing an hour before curtain!
I have to go to the theater now for dress rehearsal at 3pm.
After the Toners show this evening at New Theater: I am going to go see Raffa and Rainer at Books and Books in the Gables.
Watch this for a warm up...

Tony told me he is going to the Dreaming in Stereo CD release party before at Kitchen 305.
Andddd then we gonna meet at the Pickle for Matthew Dear in his AKAness as AUDION! Check out this intro at Love Parade...

Before Audion, Tony is going to the Dreaming in Stereo CD release party before at Kitchen 305.
SAFE presents MATTHEW DEAR aka AUDION @ The Electric Pickle The Electric Pickle MATTHEW DEAR - Wantickets.com

Shared via AddThis

For tickets to the Toners I recommend buying online, as it will sell out!
www.foryoucansee.com

Love ew and hope to see you around tonight!

Daytime Jam Session

2009-07-23T02:47:00.000-04:00

I called Tony while I was driving back from a wardrobe fitting (for a commercial I'm acting in tomorrow), and he told me that he was at Ben's house with Jesse Jackson. He said they were jamming and that Jesse was cooking! So I'm like, wurrrd, these are a few of my favorite things...
so I went over.
When I got to the house, there was a car parked in the street and crazy noise coming from inside the house. So I grabbed my tamborine and walked right into the session. Jesse was on the steel drum and Tony was on the guitar, which was tuned really funky cuz it was Jesse's.

Then Tony hooked his laptop up to Jesse's vintage '64 amp head. Holy crap.

So fun! It has two imputs so I was able to plug the guitar in as well...check out the tubes in the back of that baby!

Miami has the best clouds!

2009-07-23T02:35:00.001-04:00

You know it's true! So I was driving down 836 eastbound and had to take these pics. Then I started daydreaming about "What if I were to crash right now?" And about how if I perished in the car accident, they would find the pics in my phone and know that I was taking pictures of clouds in my final moments.

The sunset photo was taken outside of the Miami World Cinema Center during rehearsals for "The Toners".

Dope Mexican rapper- Niña Dioz!

2009-07-21T18:52:00.000-04:00

"Boom Bap" (Mood-Fu y Niña Dioz) from bandido on Vimeo.

We met Niña Dioz last week at LAMC and met her at Coney Island to hang out, pay 50 cents (not the rapper) to see the headless woman and other island freaks. I paid 25 cents to peep into the cage of the World's Largest Rat. I did it because my biggest fear are rats. But when I looked inside it ended up being a REALLY big guinea pig. And then I just felt really sorry for it cuz when I looked into its eyes, it reminded me of Suki.

What's going on tonight, Tuesday July 21st?

2009-07-21T12:25:00.000-04:00

This evening we are going to be playing our weekly at Jazid! I'm calling Ben now to ask him who is playing with us tonight. If you don't know Ben, he is a local poet who has single-handedly* created a vibrant open-mic scene in Miami at a bunch of different spots. Now there is a place for you to spit your verbal diarrhea almost every night of the week! The cool thing that he curates at our weekly Tuesday at Jazid is B.Y.O.Beats. It's free and open for anyone to bring their laptop/hardware/cd's? and plug in to play for a ready-to-dance audience. Ben does have his crew of regulars that rock the upstairs weekly like Hialeahbass.com's Joel the Hut, FTG, Obed, Line Noise, and Eden Grey.

Ok, so Ben called me back. I didn't realize how early I called, (12 noon). He does the open-mic at Churchills on Mondays. He says he doesn't have anyone lined up to play before us tonight. Oh well, we will be there by 11pm. And if you are interested in playin, hit us up!

Thanks to everyone for reading my first post! There is so much going on, this is going to be a great way to get it all in one place!

*Ben would likely say that without the kids who wanna get down it would not be possible.