Beirut, TransAtlantic Festival

Miami is a big city made up of small neighborhoods. This reality can make it very hard to think of the city as, well, a big city. However, the truth is that Miami is a multi-cultural hub to the rest of the world. The Transatlantic Festival, which is sponsored by the City of Miami and the Rhythm Foundation, has been taking place in the Magic City for 14 seasons to prove just that point.  It’s a multicultural affair that has attracted diverse artists from all over the world, such as: David Byrne, Arcade Fire, Seu Jorge, Caetano Veloso, Manu Chao and Fela Kuti, to name a few. The event happens at different locations all over the city, in order to shine a light on the different neighborhoods that make up Miami. On Friday, April 8, Beirut (who is from Santa Fe, New Mexico) storms the stage at the North Beach Band Shell on Miami Beach.

Beirut

Beirut, for the uninitiated, is an Indie Rock band, not unlike Arcade Fire; but, whose passions lie in world music. Their sound is at once new and unique but reminiscent of a familiar time not too long ago. Initially, the band was a solo project for band leader Zach Condon; however, like all great plans, that didn’t last. When asked about the name Zach says that he thought Beirut was catchy, “I haven’t been to Beirut, but I imagine it as this chic urban city surrounded by the ancient Muslim world; the place where things collide.”

The band defies genres, but defines itself as a mixture of: Balkan folk, world, indie folk, baroque pop and electronica. That mixture makes them perfect for a festival rooted in world traditions, music and bringing the idea that Miami is the epicenter of the Americas and European culture to the diverse people that make up the lower half of the tri-county area.

Alt-folk stars Beirut long awaited Miami debut with Mexican funk septet Troker and Haitian indie group Kazoots at the North Beach Band Shell on Miami Beach on Friday, April 8th. Show starts at 7pm, tickets range from $43.19 – $53.74. Night two features Electro-Afrobeat sextet EMEFE, Boogie supergroup Psychic Mirrors, Chanteuse Chantil Dukart and Sunset raga by Rajesh Bhandari on the Beatles mandala, acroyoga in the park. The North Beach Band Shell is located at: 7275 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Fl 33141 Tickets and More Information at www.rhythmfoundation.com

~ Tim Moffatt