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REMNANT MIAMI, AVANT-GARDE TRIO OF MIAMI’S EDGIEST CREATORS
Nicole Martinez, Founder and Executive Director of The Bridge Miami, completely immersed in her work at a past The Bridge Miami event. The Bridge Miami is a non-profit dedicated to musicians providing low-cost private studio residencies and a fully equipped recording studio stacked with vintage gear. Photo by Juraj Kojš.
Electronic music, spoken word, performance art, and grilled cheeses. That and more is what attendees can expect on Saturday, Oct. 28 at The Bridge Miami, a multi-faceted venue and performance studio founded by Executive Director Nicole Martinez, where Miami’s creative community comes together to present experimental and avant-garde happenings.Martinez, together with Juraj Kojš, founder of FETA (Foundation for Emerging Technologies and Arts) and a multi-faceted artist, musician, and composer will be hosting renowned Dutch poet, performer, and electronic musician Jaap Blonk. He will be joined by a group of Miami-based poets and performers during an event they’re calling “Remnant Miami.”
Blonk committed to performing after Kojš asked him to make a stop in Miami.
“He is someone I admire so much as a performer and who has a long-standing career of touring, so when we spoke and he mentioned he was coming to Fort Myers, I encouraged and urged him to come to Miami,” said Kojš.
Since Martinez and Kojs Juraj host a quarterly avant-garde event at The Bridge Miami, where they pair ultra-experimental performances with slightly more accessible music in an effort to expose people to music and performers they might not otherwise experience, having Blonk there was perfect timing.
Jaap Blonk, a Dutch poet, performer and electronic musician, will perform Dr. Voxoid’s Next Move, a set of poetry based on the dadaist tradition where the words are set apart and dissected in a virtuoso performance at Remnant Miami event at The Bridge Miami on Oct. 28. Photo by Andy Moor.
Once Blonk was on the bill for “Remnant Miami,” Martinez quickly enlisted Ben Shahuolian, a fixture on Miami’s performance art scene who organizes and hosts poetry and spoken word events all over the city, to curate the evening’s lineup of performers.
“Ben and I recently spoke about having him bring some of Miami’s most popular musicians who are known for energetic Miami pop projects here to try something a bit more experimental for this event,” said Martinez.
Shahuolian got to work and curated a stellar lineup of performers both musical and spoken word who will work in concert to perform a series of avant-garde sets. The musicians will in essence provide background music for the spoken word artists.
On the bill are Suenafro a hybrid group that brings together Smurphio from the duo Afrobeta and Amin from Suenalo. Both Suenalo and Afrobeta have been blowing up the Miami music scene for decades now.
Rounding out the bill is Michelangelo, vocalist for the Cornerstoners, a local organic acoustic hip hop group that fuses blues, rock, funk, and Caribbean influences, and the performer FTM.
Joining them will be Blonk who is introducing a new work of sound poetry, improvisation, and new music. It will include snippets of live performances, projection of texts and scores, video fragments of his own and other musicians.
He’ll also present his well-known set Dr. Voxoid’s Next Move, a set of poetry based on the Dadaist tradition where the words are set apart and dissected in a virtuoso performance.
“Blonk is just an incredible performer and people who love poetry and virtuosity will love this performance. To me the best description for him is an experimental high-end rapper,” said Kojš. “Additionally, he will be hosting vocal workshops that explore the relationship and history between poetry and electronic music.” It’s the first time Kojš’s FETA is presenting Blonk in a live performance.
Ben Shahoulian, a fixture on Miami’s performance art scene for over a decade who organizes and hosts poetry and spoken word events all over the city, curated the evening’s lineup of performers for Remnant Miami. Photo courtesy Ben Shahoulian.
Shahuolian says, “The night will feature all genres including electronic dance beats, new wave, punk, acoustic, a bit of everything and experimental in nature.” And he’s an expert at these types of events, having hosted the open mic night at Churchill’s in Little Haiti for a decade.
“Nicole has the most art-dedicated space right now, she’s doing the most open-minded programming with a very personal type of space for this kind of experimentation,” said Shahuolian who is excited to help bring all these like-minded artists together under one roof.
With so many of Miami’s small venues closing, space for these purely creative endeavors is limited. Nicole however, knows people are hungry for new experiences which she’s offering at The Bridge Miami.
Remnant Miami Event Flyer
“It’s where artists have agency in creating and curating their event. I’m very excited to be pairing poetry with music and making that connection,” Martinez said. “And for Remnant Miami, I love that we’re featuring some of Miami’s long-time favorite performers Smuphio, Amin, and Michelangelo, who are using this opportunity to try something new with us.”
The Bridge Miami is also a non-profit dedicated to musicians providing low-cost private studio residencies and a fully equipped recording studio stacked with vintage gear. It is a daily hub of musical activity and has become a tentpole in the Miami community supporting both individuals and other non-profit organizations including Miami Girls Rock Camp and Guitars Over Guns.
WHAT: Remnant Miami, an evening of poetry and electronic sound
WHERE: The Bridge Miami, 4220 NW 7 Ave.
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m. to midnight
COST: $15 in advance through Eventbrite, $20 at the door, https://remnantmiami.eventbrite.com Admission includes a complimentary grilled cheese
INFORMATION: thebridgemiaminpo.org
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