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| The insider's cultural guide to Miami: Flashy, classy … and hot | |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Miami in five words | Miami in five words |
| Voracious, steamy, between two worlds. | Voracious, steamy, between two worlds. |
| The sound of the city? | The sound of the city? |
| Forget about the headlines of politicians doing this or that - it’s the Cuban mamacitas that really run this city. Without them, we literally couldn’t function - they make our cafecitos, they remind us of what’s important, they give us the love that glues us all together. The musical sounds of their interactions are all around us, all the time. | Forget about the headlines of politicians doing this or that - it’s the Cuban mamacitas that really run this city. Without them, we literally couldn’t function - they make our cafecitos, they remind us of what’s important, they give us the love that glues us all together. The musical sounds of their interactions are all around us, all the time. |
| Everyone’s tuned into … | Everyone’s tuned into … |
| Alicia Menendez. She’s smart, classy, direct – and gives voice to a lot of things we want to talk about. | Alicia Menendez. She’s smart, classy, direct – and gives voice to a lot of things we want to talk about. |
| The place to be? | The place to be? |
| The poolside bar of the Vagabond Hotel in Mimo/Little River is a fresh new spot to hear live music and DJs on the rise, from both local and visiting talent passing through Magic City. When the sun goes down, the retro-luxe mid-century modern bandshell features Latin Beats on Thursdays, Rewind old skool Fridays, Saturday Vagabond Vibes and Sunday Jazz to bring the weekend to a close. The sounds float out across the pool and into the night sky, toward the bar/lounge area, which pairs nicely with the creativity of the mixologists. This former Biscayne Boulevard no-tell motel has been transformed into an oasis of haute chill, a truly stunning makeover. | The poolside bar of the Vagabond Hotel in Mimo/Little River is a fresh new spot to hear live music and DJs on the rise, from both local and visiting talent passing through Magic City. When the sun goes down, the retro-luxe mid-century modern bandshell features Latin Beats on Thursdays, Rewind old skool Fridays, Saturday Vagabond Vibes and Sunday Jazz to bring the weekend to a close. The sounds float out across the pool and into the night sky, toward the bar/lounge area, which pairs nicely with the creativity of the mixologists. This former Biscayne Boulevard no-tell motel has been transformed into an oasis of haute chill, a truly stunning makeover. |
| Musician of the moment? | Musician of the moment? |
| Nelson O is the only Miami musician that I listen to every single day. Of course, it helps that he is my life partner, so it’s the soundtrack of our home. His music is infectious, happy-go-lucky, energetic, Dominican, bouncy – a lot of my favorite things. | Nelson O is the only Miami musician that I listen to every single day. Of course, it helps that he is my life partner, so it’s the soundtrack of our home. His music is infectious, happy-go-lucky, energetic, Dominican, bouncy – a lot of my favorite things. |
| Favourite local artist ? | Favourite local artist ? |
| Kareem Tabsch and Joey Daoud are making offbeat, daring short documentaries on some of our strangest and most eclectic south Floridian characters. Miami can be right up there with LA or Vegas for bragging rights to the kookiest and the weirdest. Last year Tabsch/Daoud brought us Cherry Pop: The Story of the World’s Fanciest Cat and this year they’ve leapt right into the deep end with Dolphin Lover, about one Florida man’s conjugal interspecies relationship with a dolphin. These shorts juxtapose the animal kingdom with our own animal instincts, and ask us to examine how deeply subliminal the latter can be in each of us. | Kareem Tabsch and Joey Daoud are making offbeat, daring short documentaries on some of our strangest and most eclectic south Floridian characters. Miami can be right up there with LA or Vegas for bragging rights to the kookiest and the weirdest. Last year Tabsch/Daoud brought us Cherry Pop: The Story of the World’s Fanciest Cat and this year they’ve leapt right into the deep end with Dolphin Lover, about one Florida man’s conjugal interspecies relationship with a dolphin. These shorts juxtapose the animal kingdom with our own animal instincts, and ask us to examine how deeply subliminal the latter can be in each of us. |
| What’s the style on the street … or beach? | What’s the style on the street … or beach? |
| For men, I’d look to Gino Campodonico, and for women, I’d go with Ginger Harris. Both of them capture the essential Miami need to literally keep cool while looking cool. Light and breezy are the ways to work it. | For men, I’d look to Gino Campodonico, and for women, I’d go with Ginger Harris. Both of them capture the essential Miami need to literally keep cool while looking cool. Light and breezy are the ways to work it. |
| Comedy gold | Comedy gold |
| Pepe Billete is just so wrong in so many ways, but the crude and rude Hialeah puppet that lampoons every outsized dinosaur cliche of the #305 has a huge following. | Pepe Billete is just so wrong in so many ways, but the crude and rude Hialeah puppet that lampoons every outsized dinosaur cliche of the #305 has a huge following. |
| Best Instagram account? | Best Instagram account? |
| Shayna Batya’s eye is incredible, not just for what she sees (she picks out soulful details many of us would pass by) but for her incredible compositions. She has a deep love and respect for this city’s many characters. | Shayna Batya’s eye is incredible, not just for what she sees (she picks out soulful details many of us would pass by) but for her incredible compositions. She has a deep love and respect for this city’s many characters. |
| The big talking point? | The big talking point? |
| The cascade of changes in Cuba-US relations over the past five months has really been a lot to process, and as the changes begin to come even more rapidly, they’ll continue to be a topic of conversation for everyone. Miami is ground zero for the Cuban émigré community that left after the revolution, and they are by far the biggest population group in our city. Right now there are just a lot of emotions to process, much anger and many regrets to reconcile, and much intergenerational conversation and compassion taking place. We’re figuring it out. | The cascade of changes in Cuba-US relations over the past five months has really been a lot to process, and as the changes begin to come even more rapidly, they’ll continue to be a topic of conversation for everyone. Miami is ground zero for the Cuban émigré community that left after the revolution, and they are by far the biggest population group in our city. Right now there are just a lot of emotions to process, much anger and many regrets to reconcile, and much intergenerational conversation and compassion taking place. We’re figuring it out. |
| What does Miami do better than anyone? | What does Miami do better than anyone? |
| Combine the high and the low. The locals here have a term-of-endearment expression … “It’s SO Miami”. This is basically used every time you see something really flashy, expensive or high quality combined with something cheap, simple and basic – that anywhere else would be incompatible but in Miami is totally normal. Like when you see someone decked out in fantastic, gorgeous fashion – with a 99-cent pair of chancletas (flip-flops) for footwear. Or you see a Ferrari going through a Pollo Tropical (inexpensive Latin fast food chain restaurant) drive-thru. It’s part of the giddy fun of living in this place. | Combine the high and the low. The locals here have a term-of-endearment expression … “It’s SO Miami”. This is basically used every time you see something really flashy, expensive or high quality combined with something cheap, simple and basic – that anywhere else would be incompatible but in Miami is totally normal. Like when you see someone decked out in fantastic, gorgeous fashion – with a 99-cent pair of chancletas (flip-flops) for footwear. Or you see a Ferrari going through a Pollo Tropical (inexpensive Latin fast food chain restaurant) drive-thru. It’s part of the giddy fun of living in this place. |
| Best piece of street art? | Best piece of street art? |
| This is a detail from the late Purvis Young’s mural in Gibson Park covering an entire wall of the Overtown/Culmer public library. It’s actually from 1991, but was completely restored in 2012 by Addonis Parker, so I’m counting it as recent. Trendy street art comes and goes, but Purvis’ work has an enduring impact – a symbol of transforming troubled emotions into hope in a complicated neighbourhood . This piece calls for community, freedom and solidarity. | This is a detail from the late Purvis Young’s mural in Gibson Park covering an entire wall of the Overtown/Culmer public library. It’s actually from 1991, but was completely restored in 2012 by Addonis Parker, so I’m counting it as recent. Trendy street art comes and goes, but Purvis’ work has an enduring impact – a symbol of transforming troubled emotions into hope in a complicated neighbourhood . This piece calls for community, freedom and solidarity. |
| Big cultural moment? | Big cultural moment? |
| Art Basel establishing a Miami Beach outpost in 2002 raised the bar for Miami artists from numerous disciplines, not just the visual arts. It was an inspirational moment that brought a heady array of top international work to our city. The effect was, I think, to give all working in the cultural field new heights of aspiration. I’ve seen all kinds of exciting art, film and music mushroom since 2002. Art is a transformational force, and I’ve seen it smooth out a lot of Miami’s troubles over the past decade. | Art Basel establishing a Miami Beach outpost in 2002 raised the bar for Miami artists from numerous disciplines, not just the visual arts. It was an inspirational moment that brought a heady array of top international work to our city. The effect was, I think, to give all working in the cultural field new heights of aspiration. I’ve seen all kinds of exciting art, film and music mushroom since 2002. Art is a transformational force, and I’ve seen it smooth out a lot of Miami’s troubles over the past decade. |
| From me | From me |
| Jaie Laplante is director of Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, currently celebrating its 33rd season. Follow him on @jaieinmiami | Jaie Laplante is director of Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, currently celebrating its 33rd season. Follow him on @jaieinmiami |
| Five to follow | Five to follow |
| World Red Eye | World Red Eye |
| New Tropic Miami | New Tropic Miami |
| Tropicult | Tropicult |
| Miami Street Art | Miami Street Art |
| Elastic Bond | Elastic Bond |
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