The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and the Dranoff 2 Piano Foundation will present this year’s staging of PIANO SLAM on April 11 at 7:30 p.m.
The event will take place in the Center’s Knight Concert Hall and admission is free. First-Access Passes, which give guests early access to general admission seating, can be reserved for the performance now. Reserve passes online at arshtcenter.org by calling the Adrienne Arsht Center box office at 305- 949-6722.
Set during National Poetry Month, the event features Miami’s top teen poets who will share their original spoken word mash-ups paired with classical and hip-hop music around the theme, “My Music, Miami, All We Can Save – Rhythms & Writings of Restoration,” and set to “Suite Afro Cubana to Lico Jimenez” created by the legendary Cuban artist, Chucho Valdés.
Over a decade of PIANO SLAM
In its 17th year, PIANO SLAM features live musical performances and program opportunities for students, families, and teachers. This year’s focus centers on the history of artists neglected through cultural suppression. The chosen musical piece for this theme is “Suite Afro Cubana to Lico Jimenez,” Chucho Valdés’ composition dedicated to reclaiming the legacy of Afro-Cuban composers and musicians who have been unjustly overlooked.
The poetry competition will expand to include student music and soundscapes that should be safeguarded for future generations. It will also include writing workshops for educators that will include the inspiration of music and the sounds of our environment.
“I am so proud that my piece ‘Suite Afro Cubana to Lico Jimenez’ was selected to be part of Piano Slam 2024. This program and its young generation of poets will help us keep alive Lico’s name and legacy in our culture,” says Chucho Valdés.
In a career spanning more than 60 years, both as a solo artist and bandleader, Valdés has distilled elements of the Afro-Cuban music tradition, jazz, classical music, rock and more, into a deeply personal style. Winner of seven GRAMMY and six Latin GRAMMY Awards, Valdés received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Science in 2023 and was also inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
“PIANO SLAM 2024 is a dynamic convergence of Miami’s young poets and the rhythmic legacy of Chucho Valdés, weaving together spoken word and music in a celebration of restoration, inclusion, and the enduring power of artistic expression,” says Carlene Sawyer, Piano Slam creator and producer.
Out of thousands of creative submissions, 16 semifinalists are chosen to perform in the Grand Finals concert and competition on the Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall stage.
Prizes of $1,000 are awarded to the top student poets. For the past 11 years, PIANO SLAM has included a STEAM track and has taken students and their teachers to music performances, provided teacher workshops, environmental science research activities, and citizen science field trips by students to study environmental issues impacting their lives.
