Miamibloco will kick-off their Fall Season 2023 with MIAMIBLOCO: BEATS & BELONGING (MBB&B) at the Hollywood ArtsPark @ over 2 afternoons this September 16th &17th starting at 4PM, made possible with support from the Broward County Cultural Division.

Miamibloco is an intergenerational samba-based nonprofit organization building community through participatory and accessible Afro Brazilian percussion classes and performances in South Florida since 2017.

MBB&B is an opportunity for us to introduce ourselves to our neighbors in Hollywood and bring people out to the park, and have some fun together. On Saturday 9/16, Miamibloco will host a percussion community workshop 4-6PM, where registered participants will learn the basics of how to have a musical conversation together, in the style of Brazilian blocos de Carnaval, even if they’ve never held a drum before.

Our Community workshops are for everyone! For the curious, and the committed. Workshops, a.k.a oficinas, are the way to get a taste of the basics of playing Afro Brazilian Percussion & Dance. We’ll teach you the rhythms, the hand signals, the steps, and to share our love for Brazilian percussion and culture, regardless of your musical experience. Just show up on time ready to play!

On the following day Sunday 9/17, we will host a public Bateria Saideira rehearsal 4-7PM, a peak behind the scenes and process of how Miamibloco’s performance group Bateria Saideira practices through out the season that will run officially from this October to January 2024.

During the rehearsal the Bateria Saideira members will play through their Afro Brazilian and diasporic repertoire, and attendees will have the chance to join the dance community workshop 5:30-6:30PM, and move to the vibration of 40 live drums guided by a dancer.
These rehearsals function as a percussion social club and are the life of Miamibloco, where committed people across all walks of life get together to practice, learn new grooves, and just be people, among other people who love and respect drums.

Through Beats & Belonging, we hope to inspire people of all ages to be excited about playing music with new friends and neighbors. We hope to spark curiosity about creative ways to come together in groups for the sake of joy in public spaces, including forming part of groups like Miamibloco. This is only the first event of many rehearsals, classes and performances held by Miamibloco during the Fall season, join us!

Registration is required in order to participate in the workshops and will be, but everyone is welcome to come out and enjoy the afternoons in the park. Let’s have a mini carnaval together!

Founders’ Background

Brian Potts A doctor in percussion performance from University of Miami started Miamibloco sporadically teaching local musicians and curious friends how to play Brazilian rhythms over BBQ and drinks, after 13 years of traveling to Brazil learning and playing with masters who are considered legends in Brazil. Brian is the musical director of Bateria Saideira, and founding member of Brazilian percussion group PRDmais in Rio de Janeiro.

suOm Francis, an urban planner, sees Miamibloco as a community building technology, and is operations director and lead visual designer for the organization. suOm’s background has helped expand the reach of Miamibloco and articulated a vision for the organization that while rooted in Brazilian music, is about building and strengthening human relationships across cultures, promoting belonging and pride in the collective identity that makes South Florida so vibrant.

Event details 

Name: “Miamibloco: Beats & Belonging”

Date and time: Saturday September 16th 4-6PM, Sunday September 17th 4-7PM,

Tickets: FREE registration on EventBrite required to participate in workshops:

Day 1: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beats-belonging-day1-miamibloco-percussion-community-workshop-artspark-tickets-699828504897?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Day 2: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beats-belonging-day2miamibloco-dance-workshop-bateria-public-rehearsal-tickets-700427576737?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl