The serious challenges posed by 2015 cannot be underestimated. Syria is blowing up. The Middle East is once again in turmoil. Russia has flexed Putin’s muscles, and China appears to be peeking at everything we do.
Immigrants flood into Europe while Donald Trump commands 25 percent of the Republican primary voters on anti-immigrant rhetoric after tossing Jorge Ramos out of a press conference. Ben Carson, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are darlings of the GOP, which seems to barely appeal to people who look like them and have last names like them.
People argue about what the Confederate flag means, how Black Lives matter, and whether those lives, or all lives, should matter. There are guns everywhere, and the bad joke is, “‘We can’t do anything about it,’ says the only country with this problem.” At that point, when we go on the Internet, the venom spewed by frustrated citizens is annoying, pathetic, heartbreaking, and troubling simultaneously.
What gives?
We here may be sinking in climate reality while the rest of the world seems to be sinking in other more complicated ways, but our Miami, at the near bottom of Florida – capital of the Americas, center of the hemisphere, and middle of the Caribbean – is sporting genuine multicultural peace and love as we have since the middle of the last century. It may seem as if we are fiddling like Nero, but nowhere is there better evidence of President Obama’s post-racial 21st century America than in the 305, as clearly evidenced by Saturday, November 7th’s Miami concert schedule.
Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, Don Omar, Marco Antonio Solis, Prince Royce, Wisin, Camila, Becky G, Fonseca, Voz de Mando and Natalia Jimenez will represent the super-corporate, 2015 iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina vibe at the American Airlines Arena.
Sufjan Stevens, a 40-year-old Detroiter from Asthmatic Kitty Records will be at the Olympia Theater. Stevens’ cult following includes lovers of the mystical, folkies, those searching for Cat Stevens instead, acoustics, and oddball, quirky types who like to dance solo and reminisce about the Age of Aquarius.
Shelly Berg tickles the ivories at the Gusman. Sischi Rosch from Guatamala to Barcelona via Miami and through Arizona will mix old school hip hop, gangsta, and R&B into hot House at Do Not Sit on the Furniture.
Chance the Rapper, Towkio, D.R.A.M. and Metro Boomin are busking at the Fillmore on the Beach in their Family Matters Tour.
Eric Prydz spins at Space. His hourlong, Ultra 2014 live YouTube video has been viewed well over a million times. It begins, in true techno fashion, as if you are on Spielberg’s spaceship from Close Encounters and the engines have begun to rev along with a hundred propellers.
The Alfredo Rodriguez Trio will entertain Perrine, Goulds, Palmetto Bay, and Cutler Bay at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center.
Electric Kif will sing the eclectic, electric blues at Lagniappe.
German DJ Solomun is at Story Nightclub. All you need to know about him can be found at the 1:57 mark in the seven minute long Solomun Vox Mix of Noir & Haze’s Around.
Branford Marsalis plays his silky sax at Pinecrest Gardens at 8 p.m. for the Chardonnay set in the serenesub-urbs.
Paquito D’Rivera brings 14 Grammy Awards and Latin jazz through his clarinet and saxes to MDC Kendall.
Carl Rachelson is a teacher at Palmer Trinity School and a regular contributor to the Pinecrest Tribune. He may be contacted by addressing email to crachelson@palmertrinity.org.
