An Evening with Miriam Zoila Pérez & Verónica Bayetti Flore

Latin music, migration and cultural history come into focus in a conversation with writers and former Radio Menea podcast hosts Miriam Zoila Pérez and Verónica Bayetti Flores at Books & Books in Coral Gables. The free event takes place Sunday, September 13 and marks the release of their book Muévelo, an exploration of the forces that have shaped Latin music across genres, generations and borders.

Blending essays, playlists, timelines and album analysis, Muévelo considers how migration, colonialism and cultural exchange have influenced styles ranging from bachata and bolero to salsa and norteño. The book draws on artists including Selena, Bad Bunny, Juan Gabriel, Villano Antillano, Romeo Santos and Shakira, with deeper examinations of influential recordings such as Selena’s Amor Prohibido.

Pérez is a Cuban American writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times and the Roxane Gay-edited anthology Not That Bad, while Bayetti Flores is a Venezuelan writer whose work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Crack Magazine and Remezcla. Together, they hosted Radio Menea, a bilingual podcast centered on Latin music and culture. Admission is free with RSVP, though seating is not guaranteed, and copies of Muévelo will be available for purchase at the event.