Miami Living Magazine

Cate Blanchett

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Talk to me about your choice of Afro Roots as the name for the festival. I know you were born in the Dominican Republic to Cuban parents, and that African-derived cultures figure prominently in Cuba. Does that partly explain it? JE: Well, yes – to an extent. We chose the name because the whole purpose behind the festival was to celebrate the evolution of African culture in our community, which is something that I don't think has ever really been celebrated in its totality. Of course, it's celebrated within each of the area's communities, but not in an inclusive way. So, really, Afro Roots is a trans-community celebration, one that includes all of the various communities in South Florida. So you're talking about Cuba; you're talking about Jamaica; you're talking about Haiti; you're talking about Brazil; you're talking about African-based culture in the U.S.; you're talking about the Garifuna of Central America. So, really, the artists that we present tend to be representative of various manifestations of continental and diaspora Africanity, but the percentage, or degree, can vary. In fact, we've gone a little bit more towards a global direction, beyond a strictly Afrocentric perspective. What was the reason for your presenting Afro Roots at various locations in the four southeast Florida counties of Miami-Dade, Broward, Monroe, and Palm Beach? JE: My whole thing is to bring the arts to underserved communities, and in doing so I hope it helps to dissolve the fear of the unknown, the unfamiliar. When people are introduced to new things, their horizons tend to broaden. Really, though, I've always been about sharing – about turning people on to new music and stuff. Take our concert here at the Seminole, for example. I was told that, here in Homestead, Reggae, Blues, and Country do really well. So, if we start to focus on doing those kinds of shows – offering things that serve as the anchor, or hook – then, by drawing people to the festival using those kinds of acts, we'll be able to intersperse a little African spice, something different. That might be perceived as being off

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