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“Jazz at MOCA” is Back! The Museum of Contemporary Art, (MOCA) to Host Free Outdoor Concert Series

February 17, 2022

The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (MOCA) is pleased to relaunch its free outdoor “Jazz at MOCA” concert series in-person on the last Friday of every month. South Florida’s longest-running free outdoor jazz concert series and one of the museum’s most beloved public programs returns for in-person open air musical entertainment, rain or shine. Since 1999, Jazz at MOCA has been presented on the MOCA Plaza on the last Friday of the month. Hundreds of concert-goers have enjoyed a free concert, activations, and pay as you wish admission to the museum from 7 to 10 p.m.

The confirmed 2022 lineup includes:

Ike & Val Woods in Celebration of Black History Month| Friday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m.
Grammy-nominated artists Ike and Val Woods have performed throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. The Miami-based blues duo completed their most recent CD, “Movin’ Up,” after returning from an 18-city European Tour where they electrified their audiences with their high energy yet soulful Blues performances.

Fanni Sarkozy | Friday, March 25, 8 p.m.
Fanni Sarkozy is an internationally recognized, highly trained pianist, singer and music educator who is equally proficient in jazz and classical music. Born into a family of musicians, Sarkozy began her classical piano studies at the age of 6. She graduated with Honors at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary with a major in piano in 2004.

Sarkozy started to create music in 2001 and she became an award-winning composer. Her first record released in 2006 in collaboration with Mizar on Leszek En – NarRator Records. While teaching classical piano at the Academy’s jazz faculty since 2007, Sarkozy has also achieved international recognition as a keyboardist, vocalist and composer. In 2010 Mizar won the International Songwriting Contest France first prize in jazz category with one of Fanni's songs, “No time to lose.”

Dr. Ed Calle | Friday, April 29, 8 p.m.
Saxophonist, composer, orchestrator, producer, scholar, professor, and leader Dr. Ed Calle is known for his extraordinary ability to sight-read, interpret, and perform virtually any musical style. Throughout the globe, his peers and colleagues often laud his versatility.

Dr. Calle is a Latin Grammy® Award winner for Best Instrumental Album (2015) with Dr. Ed Calle Presents Mamblue and a five-time Grammy® nominee. The first studio record by the World Music 5, America, features chamber jazz orchestrations of original and classic music from the Americas with an all-star quintet that includes Negroni's Trio and violinist Federico Britos. Dr. Calle was awarded the 2015 Miami-Dade County Mayor’s Medal, named www.facultyawards.org 2014 Outstanding Professor at Miami Dade College (college wide), and 2014 United Teachers of Dade Champion of Education for Arts and Entertainment.

Chardavoine in Celebration of Haitian Heritage Month | Friday, May 27, 8 p.m.
Haitian-born but Brooklyn-bred guitarist Chardavoine has covered the gambit of musical styles through the waves of his guitar. Chardavoine has performed with Dave Valentin and performed for Aretha Franklin's alongside the Tito Puente Jr. orchestra. He is known for his interpretation of "Haitian jazz," a new genre emerging in jazz today. His latest release, “The Tribute,” is an eloquent testimony of this genre of music, showcasing his talents not only as an excellent musician but also as a creative and seasoned arranger.

Julio Montalvo | Friday June 24, 8 p.m.
Julio Montalvo is one of the leading trombonists from the island of Cuba. He’s a songwriter, producer, arranger and session musician. Montalvo also appears as a solo artist and has directed his own projects since 1998, in which he blends Afro-Cuban rhythms with elements of modern Jazz to achieve an ingenious style – New Latin Jazz.

The French Horn Collective | Friday, July 29, 8 p.m.
The French Horn Collective is an energetic and progressive band that performs an eclectic variety of jazz, swing, and modern original French music throughout South Florida. Led by Parisian musician, multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer and songwriter Vincent Raffard, the diverse group consists of anywhere from three to eight highly talented musicians from a myriad of musical backgrounds, with instrumentation including trumpet, guitar, violin, double bass, clarinet, and vocals. The French Horn Collective's wide variety of musical influences, ranging from Gypsy jazz, hot swing, ska, to polka, result in the band producing a smooth mixture of progressive Gypsy/Parisian/swing/world music.

Karina Iglesias | Friday, Aug. 26, 8 p.m.
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, to Honduran parents, Karina Iglesias’ sound mirrors the diverse musical and cultural influences that have shaped her character and forged her individuality as an artist. With a style equally informed by rhythm and blues, boleros, gospel and hip-hop, Iglesias delivers her performances with the intimacy of a deep soul crooner and the conviction and drive of a dauntless female singer/songwriter. A veteran of the Miami live music scene, Iglesias began writing songs in earnest while working extensively with local bands. It soon became apparent that through composing original material, her true artistic identity had emerged.

Dante Vargas & The Cat Band | Friday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m.
Dante Vargas was born in Trujillo, Peru, where he started to explore the infinite world of music as a trumpet player, which would take him to visit the most important stages of the world. His professional career started from a very early age in Colombia, where he had the opportunity to work with world renowned artists such as: Fruko y sus Tesos, La Sonora Dinamita, El Grupo Gale, Los Titanes, Grupo Niche, El Combo De Las Estrellas, El Tropicombo and many more.

When:
The last Friday of every month at 8 p.m., rain or shine.

Cost:
Jazz at MOCA is free and open to the public.
The gallery is open from 7-10 p.m. with museum admission.

Where:
Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami (MOCA)
770 NE 125th Street
Miami, FL 33161

Support:
MOCA North Miami exhibitions and programs are made possible with the continued support of the North Miami Mayor and Council and the City of North Miami, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, and the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. We also thank our Board of Trustees, Curator's Circle and MOCA Members for their meaningful support.

About the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami
MOCA North Miami presents contemporary art and its historical influences through exhibitions, educational programs, and collections. Inspired by its surrounding communities, MOCA connects diverse audiences and cultures by providing a welcoming place to encounter new ideas and voices, and nurturing a lifelong love of the arts. MOCA developed from the Center of Contemporary Art which was inaugurated in 1981. The establishment of the permanent collection coincided with the institution’s move into their current building designed by Charles Gwarthmey of GSNY in 1996.

Under the direction of Executive Director Chana Sheldon and a newly installed Board of Trustees, MOCA premiered AFRICOBRA: Messages to the People during Art Basel Miami Beach in 2018. AFRICOBRA: Nation Time, the next chapter of the exhibition, was selected as an official Collateral Event of Biennale Arte 2019 in Venice, Italy. Original exhibitions include: My Name is Maryan curated by Alison Gingeras (2021), Michael Richards: Are You Down? co-curated by Alex Fialho and Melissa Levin (2021), Raul de Nieves: Eternal Return and The Obsidian Heart curated by Risa Puleo (2020), and Alice Rahon: Poetic Invocations curated by Teresa Arcq (2019).

Located in one of the most diverse communities in the country, MOCA North Miami welcomes 35,000 visitors per year, and its award-winning education programs have served thousands of children and teens. MOCA North Miami exhibitions and programs are made possible with the continued support of the North Miami Mayor and Council and the City of North Miami, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners. The museum is supported by the Green Family Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Terra Foundation for American Art, National Endowment for the Arts, and individual donors.

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