Asere Social Club

Afro-Cuban music, poetry, dance and scholarship come together at the Colony Theater for a multimedia performance tracing cultural memory across generations. Asere Social Club takes place Saturday, September 12 on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, presented by Afro Roots Fest.

Produced by Grammy-nominated artist Jose Elias, the program explores the influence of West African Abakuá mutual aid societies on Cuban popular music from the 1920s to the present. The production is structured as an anthology of sound, movement and storytelling, connecting historical traditions with contemporary Afro-Cuban performance.

The evening features performances by Cortadito and Irawo Osa, two ensembles rooted in 21st-century Cuban musical traditions. Guest artists include percussionist and vocalist Brenda Navarrete, DJ Le Spam, dancers Barbara Ramos and Marisol Blanco and poetry by Román Díaz and Adrian Castro. Fulbright Scholar Dr. Ivor Miller hosts the program.