In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month 2022, the City of Miramar in South Florida last week featured its Latin Music Festival, which was a free outdoor concert. As the City’s signature event for this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month, the Festival took place last week on Saturday, September 17th from 7pm to 11pm at the Regional Park’s Amphitheater. Hispanic Heritage Month pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively enriched the United States and its society.
Aside from the Latin Music Festival, a host of other events are to take place in Miramar over the course of Hispanic Heritage Month and those events will cater to health and fitness enthusiasts, business owners and families, and there will also be an art exhibit on display at the Miramar Cultural Center. The City of Miramar is one of the most diverse communities in South Florida with approximately 37% of the population being of Hispanic heritage.
Hosted by Miramar Vice Mayor, Yvette Colbourne, the Miramar Latin Music Festival featured Latin Grammy Award Winner Luis Enrique, Grammy nominated Dominican merengue artist Bonny Cepeda, Cuban Singer Albita and Reggaeton Artist John Luis. “Diversity is one of our greatest strengths here in Miramar and Hispanic Heritage Month is definitely a time to celebrate Hispanics and the role that Hispanics have played in our country’s history and vibrant culture as a whole,” stated Vice Mayor Yvette Colbourne.
‘Fun-Filled and Tasty Atmosphere’ Miramar Regional Park’s Amphitheater Complex
Indeed, the 2022 Miramar Latin Music Festival brought out patrons off all ages in droves to enjoy a ‘fun-filled and tasty atmosphere’ in that there were vendor stalls all-around the venue cooking up a variety of latin food dishes from a number of countries. So too, there were arts, crafts, and a number of fun activities for patrons to indulge themselves in.
Albita, two-time Grammy award winner and Emmy award recipient, regarded as top authentic Cuban singer
Albita Rodriguez—or simply Albita—hails from Havana, Cuba and is a Grammy-winning singer, producer, and composer. Through her authentic roots, Albita earned top recognition as a result of her contributions to the revival of traditional Cuban music. In so doing, Albita expertly added a very personal style and touch to her musical compositions, arrangements, and singing.
Albita arrived in Miami in 1993 and, since then has elevated her career to international heights through her dazzling performances of infectious Cuban music—which she has taken to Europe, Latin America, Australia, Africa and Malaysia. And over the years, she has shared the stage with such greats as the late Celia Cruz, Tito Puentes, Oscar de Leon, Gilberto Gil, Juan Luis Guerra, Tito Nieves, Daniela Mercury, Miriam Makeeba, Phil Collins, Melissa Etheridge, and Tony Bennett.
Bonny Cepeda is among the most successful dance musicians in the Dominican Republic
Hailing from the Caribbean Island of the Dominican Republic, Bonny Cepeda, in 1985, was the first merengue artists to be nominated for the prestigious Grammy award. Bonny was formerly a member of the orchestra of Wilfredo Vargas, and he later was at the helm of several other groups—including Los Hijos del Rey (Children of the Sun), Bonny Con Keaton, and Bonny Cepeda and his very own orchestra. Impressively, Bonny Cepeda has recorded over 30 albums and has also produced recordings by Fernando Villanova, Willie Berrios, El Grupo Chantelle, Grupo Chevi, Proyecto Punto, Sergio Vargas, Rikarena and Llave Maestra.
Luis Enrique, ‘El Príncipe de la Salsa’
Widely regarded as the ‘El Príncipe de la Salsa’, Nicaraguan singer-songwriter Luis Enrique is perhaps best known across the world for his timeless hit song—’Yo No Sé Mañana’. And the legend of his song ‘Yo No Sé Mañana’ has certainly kept up its strength over decades, as the tune received a Latin Grammy Award for ‘Best Tropical Song’ as well as a nomination for ‘Song of the Year’. What’s more, ‘Yo No Sé Mañana’ was nominated at the 2010 Lo Nuestro Awards for Tropical Song of the Year and also garnered a Billboard Latin Music Award for “Tropical Airplay – Song of the Year”. Luis Enrique began his career in the late 1980s and catapulted to success in the 1990s as one of the pioneers behind the salsa romantica salsa romántica movement.
Photos by Nick Ford, who lives and works in South Florida.
