Florida Folklife Program

10/14/2026

Artist Residency Alum!

Plena Es: 2017 Artist in Residency

Traditional plena and bomba music reflects Puerto Rico's diverse
heritage and is central to boriqua identity. Since 2004, Plena Es
has shared this high-energy dance music throughout Florida.

Check them out here!

Plena Es performs "Mañana por la mañana" at their 2017 Artist Resid...

10/13/2026

RESIDENCY ALERT!!!

Florida Folklife's 2026 Artists-in-Residence Karibbean Groove will be in town this week Wednesday Oct 14 through Saturday Oct 17. Keep up with us to see pictures from their shows and workshops at local schools, and show out to our FREE concert at the end of the week!

10/12/2026

Heritage Award History!

Romeo Ragbir: 2009 Florida Folk Heritage Award

At Indo-Caribbean Hindu weddings and other festive events, the sharp staccato sounds of the tassa drums provide an essential musical component. Romeo Ragbir heads the leading tassa drum ensemble in south Florida. While growing up in Trinidad, he learned from his father how to make and play the drums. Since coming to Florida, he has passed these skills on to many young people in the community and has made this tradition known outside the community through performances at festivals and other events.

10/09/2026

It’s Folk Festival Friday!
We are very excited for the week of upcoming events for our Artists-in-Residence Karibbean Groove, and we bring you a video from their 2023 performance of "Dife Nan Kay La" at the Florida Folk Festival.
Stay tuned for more pictures and videos of Karibbean Groove during next weeks residency!

Karribbean Groove performs the Haitian song "Dife Nan Kay La". Vi...

10/08/2026

Seminole Spotlight!

1852- Seminole Chief, Billy Bowlegs- (Florida Memory)

10/07/2026

Artist Residency Alum!

Renesito Avich: 2018 Artist in Residency

Renesito Avich hails from the culturally rich Santiago, Cuba where he began singing and playing the tres guitar. As a teenager, Avich performed with some of Cuba’s hottest groups. He toured internationally before settling in Sarasota in 2014. Considered a virtuoso of the tres, a guitar featuring three sets of two strings, Avich has mastered the son, or traditional folk music of Cuba, and continues to explore the related styles of nengon, changui, and kiriva in original compositions that have helped him win several national competitions.

Watch the video to see him in action at the Florida Folk Festival!

Cuban tres musician Renesito Avich performing at the Folklife Area ...

10/06/2026

We are back this Tuesday with some photos from the 2015-2016 Miami-Dade fieldwork survey, this time from folklorist Vanessa Navarro-Maza’s time with Iris Diaz. Iris busily serves Cuban coffee called cafecito and snacks throughout the day at Sergio's Restaurant in Westchester. Since she began at Sergio’s in 1987, Iris has worked at the ventanita where she takes orders, serves food, and makes coffee.

The customers know Iris by name and ask for her specifically because she is known for making the best cafecito. She learned to make it from her grandmother and uses her same technique. Iris explains that her job not only requires technical skill but also interpersonal skills. The ventanita is a place where people come to talk, gather, and unwind, and Iris must be a good listener to attend to the customers and their needs. She is an important part of Sergio’s and her story is a testament to the significance of ventanitas and cafecitos to this community.

10/05/2026

Heritage Award History!

Clarita Filgueiras: 2012 Florida Folk Heritage Award

Filgueiras has spent a lifetime practicing Spanish flamenco dance, beginning her studies at the age of eight. Born in Miami, Filgueiras comes from a long line of flamenco artists. From 1985 to 1989, she lived in Madrid with her family, where she trained with Spain’s best artists. She has since established herself as one of the top flamenco dancers in the United States.

See the video for more, courtesy of The Museum of Miami!

A performer and choreographer, Clarita Filgueiras has spent a lifet...