Haitian konpa group Magnum Band holds free concert in Miami on Nov. 9

Tico of the Magnum Band

 

By Michael Hamersly | mikehamersly@gmail.com10/25/2012

Few things are more enticing in the entertainment world than the word “free” – especially when it’s an event most fans would gladly pay to attend. Such an event is the show by legendary Haitian konpa group Magnum Band, part of the free Noches Tropicales/Tropical Nights concert series sponsored by the Knight Foundation. The fun kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at Oak Grove Park, 690 NE 159th St., Miami.

The Magnum Band, formed in 1976, is a great introduction to the vibrant music and culture of Haiti. Led by the Pasquet brothers, Andre “Dadou” and Claude “Tico,” the group is one of the most unique and longest-running acts in the Haitian music industry, blending socially conscious lyrics with a style of konpa that incorporates jazz, pop and soul. Dadou is the bandleader, singer-songwriter and guitarist, and is
known as “Haiti’s Six-String Ambassador,” while his older brother Tico has been called the best drummer and percussionist in the history of konpa music.

The Magnum Band has recorded more than 30 albums, including its most recent, “Rété Avè'm Chéri,” and has performed at internationally revered venues such as Le Zenith in Paris and at the Centennial Olympic Park as part of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Concertgoers are welcome to bring blankets, chairs and snacks; for more info, call the Office of Miami-Dade County District 2 Commissioner Jean Monestime at 305-694-2779.

Upcoming Noches Tropicales events include Grammy-nominated Latin music star Edwin Bonilla on Dec. 7, Spanish-pop balladeer Amaury Gutierrez on Feb. 8, and merengue artist Tony Swing on April 5.