Miami, August 22, 2022 – Kaylan Arnold, Bri La Pelúa and, Leau, bring their diverse music styles, roots, and personal stories to the stage for the second Women of the Caribbean concert at Miami Dade College‘s (MDC) Koubek Center on Saturday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m.
“We are very excited about this show. The musical styles in this second edition are very different from those we showcased last year and Kaylan, Bri, and Leau are very talented young artists who deserve to be heard,” said Program Manager Belen Castres White.
Established in 2021, the program was born during the pandemic with the idea of giving female musicians and composers from the Caribbean or with Caribbean roots opportunities to showcase their talent and bring together different communities.
Singer, songwriter, producer, and instrumentalist Kaylan Arnold is a South Floridian of Belizean and Haitian roots. Her music is an original blend of her influences — reggae, jazz, and Hip-Hop — while her lyrics tackle weighty issues such as self-worth, greed, endangered love, gratitude, and corruption. Music is a vehicle for Kaylan for the changes she wants to see. Her first single debuted on the global reggae iTunes chart, and every one of her releases since has charted in the iTunes top 100. Her debut album, Hydrate, is out now on all streaming platforms.
Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Bri La Pelúa stands out with her voice, energy, and peculiar way of playing the Cajón.
“My main instrument is the piano,” she says. “I started when I was six years old. But in 2011, I started playing cajón by ear, and today, I’m the singer and percussionist of my band.”
Influenced by traditional Puerto Rican genres, such as bomba y plena, but also rumba, and reggaeton, she plays classics such as “La Negra Tiene Tumbao,” and “Con Altura,” as well as her own songs “Ay Papá,” “Eres Mujer,” and “Este Corazón.”
A graduate of the Universite de Côte d’Azur, France, with a degree in psychology, Leau brings her training to bear in a personal musical style that includes elements of R&B, soul, jazz, and even “a little bit of Haitian Konpa.”
She will be at Women of the Caribbean accompanied by a guitar, bass, and drums trio.
“Having studied psychology has helped me realize things about myself, and in turn, it has helped me learn how to put my emotions in my music,” she said. “It is essential to my writing process, and also for being aware of what is happening around me and feeding off the audience’s energy.”
She enjoys different musical genres, but mostly relates to R&B, Soul, and blues, including Adele, Sam Smith, Daniel Caesar, Rihanna, and H.E.R., among others.
What: Women of the Caribbean Concert
When: Saturday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m
Where: Koubek Center, Theater
2705 S.W. 3rd St.
Tickets: Tickets are $15 each
Purchase at https://www.squadup.com/events/women-of-the-caribbean-at-koubek-center-september-17th-8pm?legacy=0
About the Koubek Center
A South Florida landmark with a long and rich history as a cultural hub, The Koubek Center is dedicated to building community through the arts. Over the past several decades, the Center has offered various activities, including workshops, art exhibitions, theater performances, literary readings, and concerts. It is a place for artists and local arts organizations to explore and experiment, engage in collaborations and share their work with the community. The Koubek Center includes a 200-seat theater, an expansive garden, classrooms, and rehearsal and multi-use spaces. Built-in 1929 by Austrian trader John J. Koubek as a gift to his wife, it was later donated to the University of Miami and acquired by Miami Dade College in 2011. For more information, visit www.koubekcenter.org.
Equality
Miami Dade College is an equal access/equal opportunity institution which does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, marital status, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, ethnicity, pregnancy, sexual orientation or genetic information. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the College’s Equity Officer: Dr. Joy C. Ruff, at (305) 237-2577 (Voice) or 711 (Relay Service). jruff@mdc.edu